Measures of Australia’s Progress (MAP)

Australian Bureau of Statistics

Global Project, OECD

MAP

• The Australian Bureau of Statistics Measuring (2002) .. then Measures of (2004 onwards) … Australia’s Progress

• Headline progress indicators to inform public debate

• Look beyond Gross Domestic Product• Look at economic, social and

environmental concerns• Present these areas side by side • Readers make their own assessment

about whether life in Australia is getting better

Measuring Australia's Progress

• Aimed at a general audience• Covering the nation’s progress …. Not

government performance

Measuring Australia's Progress

What is Progress?

• The word progress (Latin: pro-gredi) refers to improvements, to move forward, to gain

• We can speak about economic progress, social progress, scientific progress but above all we can talk about human progress

What is Progress?

• Many views …

“Is life getting better?”

What is Progress?

• Many views …• But what is clear to me is

A. Progress is multidimensionalB. Progress means different things

to different people

What is Progress?

What is Progress?

Economy

Society

Environment

Dimensions of Progress

Human wellbein

g

Governance

Culture

Economy

Resource

demand

Human system

Ecosystem condition

EcosystemSource: Robert Prescott-Allen,

2008

Resource Demand

• Human system and Ecosystem, and the interaction between them (Resource demand)

• Resource demand - human pressure on the ecosystem (eg pollution, and resource use)

• Separates inputs (pressures) from outcomes (changes in condition) to measure the effects of human activities on the state of the ecosystem

Resource Demand

Human System: Human Well-being

Human System: Human Well-being

• Measures ends or outcomes, including health, knowledge and understanding, freedom and security, relationships, work and play, and subjective well-being

• The other domains of the Human System represent the supports for human well-being and measure means or outputs - Economy, Governance, and Culture

Human System: Culture

Human System: Culture

• Covers those elements that contribute to human wellbeing that cannot be included in Economy or Governance without distortion

• It comprises the creative, expressive, and symbolic aspects of a way of life, including art, crafts, food, games, gardens, literature, language, music and religion

Human System: Economy and Governance

Human System: Economy and Governance

• Economy: the stocks and flows of an economy (income and wealth)

• Governance: democratic participation, access to services, order and safety, political rights, responsiveness, and transparency

Ecosystem: Ecosystem Condition

Ecosystem: Ecosystem Condition

• Ecosystem condition is the only domain for the Ecosystem

• It measures the ecosystem’s ends and outcomes, including air quality, atmosphere, land, freshwater, oceans and seas, and biodiversity

Progress DimensionsINDIVIDUALS

THE ECONOMY & ECONOMIC RESOURCES

THE ENVIRONMENT

LIVING TOGETHER

HEALTHNATIONAL INCOME

THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE - BIODIVERSITY - LAND - INLAND WATERS

FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL COHESION

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

ECONOMIC HARDSHIP

THE AIR AND ATMOSPHERE

CRIME

WORKNATIONAL WEALTH

OCEANS AND ESTUARIES

DEMOCRACY, GOVERNANCE AND CITIZENSHIP

CULTURE AND LEISURE

HOUSINGCOMMUNICATION TRANSPORT

PRODUCTIVITY

COMPETITIVENESS AND OPENESS INFLATION

• No bottom-line measure of progress

• No assessment of government policy

• No (direct) assessment of 'sustainability'

What MAP doesn't provide

Sets of Indicators

• Measures should be “unambiguous" that is have a clear good/bad direction of movement

• Important to focus on the big picture• Important to discuss trade-offs and

reinforcements

Trade-offs

Reinforcements

• Project board chaired by head of ABS• Expert reference group (civil society,

academics, scientists etc)

• Public seminars

• Extensive peer reviews

Governance

Peer review

Expert Group

Public Consultation

Project Board

Project team

Governance

• Chose a concept – Progress – and an audience (the “public”)

• Selected key dimensions of progress and why they were important

• Selected the best headline indicators (and supplementary indicators)

• Consultation at every stage

The Process: January 2000 to September

2001

• Prepared, peer reviewed, and released the first publication

The Process: October 2001 to April 2002

Collaboration

• Civil society, academics etc provided very valuable advice and assistance

• They also promoted and supported the venture

• But …. need to be careful about perceptions around roles …. and that an adequately broad spectrum of views come to the table

Why Collaborate?

• Discussions about measuring progress leads to discussions – and understanding - about ‘what progress actually is’

• Civil Society gets… facts to inform debate and advance particular causes, and a chance to influence policy

• Government gets … a wider perspective, skills and resources, support and buy in

Lessons in Collaboration

• Choose collaborators carefully

• Judge the pace of collaboration well

• Listen to one another and deliver

Outcomes

• Increased relevance for ABS• Strong support from users• MAP won an award for Australia’s

Smartest Social Initiative• Lots of media coverage• Reassessment of Statistical Work

Programme• Frequently referenced in Parliament

and debate

Outcomes

• Improved dialogue between the users and producers of statistics

• Engagement of influential community leaders

• Some errors in ABS data were spotted

• ABS leadership encouraged other countries to follow eg, Ireland

Outcomes

• The first issue was strongly criticised by a think tank

• Uncomfortable for some in the ABS• But many came to the ABS’s defense

If the ABS doesn’t do thisthen who will

What Next…?

• MAP now accepted. ABS not worried about measuring progress

• There could be a stronger push to use MAP’s framework as a lens to consider policy

• But difficult for an NSO

Shokran!