Indicators of "Societal Progress": Lessons from International Experiences
From Wikiprogress.org
Abstract
This paper looks at different experiences in the development and use of societal progress indicator sets – at the European, national and sub-national level – with the aim of identifying useful lessons from these experiences. Five case studies are presented: the indicators used to support the EU ―Lisbon Strategy; the UK Sustainable Development indicators; Measures of Australia‟s Progress; Measuring Ireland's Progress; and an example of a local community indicator initiative – the Santa Cruz Community Assessment Programme, in California. The paper concludes that for societal progress indicators to be used and applied in decision-making processes, then three conditions need to be met. First, the indicators should be seen as legitimate by the intended users. Second, the indicators should be set within a wider system that provides fit-for-purpose information. Third, an appropriate incentive structure must be in place for stakeholders to act on that information.
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