Community indicator
frameworks: user
perspectives and context
Professor Mike Salvaris
Victoria University
Key ideas #1
Making the future, not ‘letting
it happen’
The future does not just happen to us; we ourselves
create it by what we do and what we fail to do. It is
we who are making tomorrow what tomorrow will
be.
For that reason, futurists think not so much in terms
of predicting the future as in terms of trying to
decide wisely what we want the future to be.”
Edward Cornish, US futurist
Key ideas #2
Economic, social and environmental
well-being are interdependent
We have failed to see how our economy, our environment and our
society are all one and that delivering the best quality of life for us
all means more than concentrating on economic growth …
Achieving a better quality of life, now and for future generations to
come means meeting four simultaneous objectives:
 Effective protection of the environment
 Prudent use of natural resources
 Social progress that meets the needs of everyone
 Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth
and employment
Tony Blair, ‘A Better Quality of Life’
Key ideas #3
Measuring what matters
Not everything that counts can
be counted, and not everything
that can be counted counts.
Albert Einstein
Key ideas #4:
Engaging the community in
measuring progress is democratic
The idea of people taking charge of their own
measurements of progress is a powerful and far
reaching innovation that can bring about a new
sense of civic engagement.
[Sustainable Seattle]
Indicators of a healthy democracy










Fair and representative elections
Competent and honest governments
Fair and equal laws
Active and knowledgeable citizens
Shared belief in the public interest
Reasonable equality in wealth and power
Openness and transparency
Devolution of power, ‘subsidiarity’
Trust between citizens and governments
Innovation, evaluation and change
Indicator case studies: Australia






Measuring Australia’s Progress (ABS)
Tasmania Together, SA Strategic Plan
Genuine Progress Indicator (Aust Institute)
Sutherland, Newcastle (NSW)
Onkaparinga, Marion (SA), Glenorchy (Tas)
Outer Eastern Melbourne councils, Surf
Coast, Wodonga, Port Philip, Moreland (Vic)
Key goals of VCI Project








Better ways to measure, understand and set goals for local
progress and wellbeing
Better local statistics & statistical capacity, & better
documenting of need
‘Whole of community’ planning reflecting community vision
Stronger citizen engagement and local democracy
Strengthened communities
‘Best practice’ model for Loc. Gov. (Democratic Reform) Act
Better Statewide planning, local Community Plans as
building blocks
Build changes permanently & sustainably into government
Project Partners







VicHealth (funder)
Victorian Local Governance Association
Municipal Association of Victoria
Victoria University
Swinburne University Lilydale
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Partner Councils (10)
Partner Councils










Bendigo
Hobson’s Bay
Knox
Maroondah
Moreland
Port Philip
Surf Coast
Wellington
Wodonga
Yarra Ranges
Background and context









Search for wellbeing measures beyond GDP
Worldwide community indicators movement
Need to strengthen democracy and community
engagement
VicHealth local work on health & wellbeing
Changing role of Local Gov’t in Victoria
Community strengthening policy growing
Strategic state development policies
Joined up government and planning
Victorian models: need to spread learning
Related Victorian initiatives







New Local Government Act
Four Year Council Plans and Resource Plans
Rationalisation of the number of plans
Role of Local Government in Community
Strengthening
Growing Victoria Together, Fairer Victoria
Changing the Way Government Works
State Co-ordinating and Management
Committee
Community Well-being Indicators






measure overall wellbeing of community
in all areas of importance to the community
not a measure of council performance,
but important to councils to understand and
change where they can
not an end in themselves, but
a means to inform and focus whole
community action and planning
Key project tasks and outcomes









Statewide local wellbeing measurement framework
Best practice local statistics
Guidelines and models for community engagement and local
democracy
Model local Community Survey Best Practice models for
Community Planning
Agreed links between state and local planning
Ongoing training and materials
Outstanding website
New base: Community Indicators Victoria
Victorian Community Survey (replacing Community Satisfaction
Survey)
Key ‘pillars’ of wellbeing framework
Include indicators of wellbeing in 6 key fields (pillars):






Economic
Social
Cultural
Built environment
Natural environment
Governance and community engagement
Examples of outcome areas

Economic







Local economic output
Income levels
Local employment
Social



Ethnic diversity
Whole of life learning
Cultural participation
Built environment




Health
Sense of community
Perceptions of safety
Cultural


Natural environment




Roads, footpaths
Transport
Community facilities
Waste production
Air and water quality
Amount of open space
Governance



Voting levels
% Women councillors
Citizen participation
Indicator Case Studies: overseas








United Nations – Indicator Framework
OECD – PSR model and reporting framework
UK – A Better Quality of Life: A Strategy for
Sustainable development in the UK
Jacksonville Indicators
Sustainable Seattle
Canterbury Quality of Life Indicators Program, NZ
Christchurch City Council, NZ
and ….
The Canadian Index of Wellbeing: National Network of Experts
The following government agencies, non-governmental organizations and universities
are working together to develop the Canadian Index of Wellbeing.
Manitoba
- International Institute
for Sustainable Development
Quebec
- Partnership
Under Negotiation
Nova Scotia
- Genuine Progress Index Atlantic
- Dalhousie University
- Atlantic Health Promotion
Research Centre
- Saint Mary's University
Time Use Research Program
British Columbia
- Institute for Social Research and
Evaluation
University of Northern British Columbia
(Prince George)
Ontario
- University of Ottawa
Institute of Population Health
Newfoundland
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Newfoundland and Labrador
Community Accounts
- York University
School of Health Policy
and Management
Alberta
- Sustainable Calgary
- Anielski Management Inc.
(Edmonton)
- Atkinson Charitable Foundation
Saskatchewan
- University of Saskatchewan
Community University Institute
for Social Research
(Saskatoon)
Canada national
- Statistics Canada
- Health Council of Canada
- Centre for the Study of Living
Standards
- Canadian Council on Social
Development
- Environment Canada
State of the Environment
- Canadian Policy
Research Networks (Quality of Life
Indicators)
Multiple uses of wellbeing framework
Purposes
Reporting conditions


Measuring progress and 
performance



Planning
- informing priorities
- planning & goal setting
Enhancing democracy
and accountability
Building communities,
participation and social
cohesion











Applications
In selected issues, localities or policy fields
Current wellbeing of whole state or municipality (social, economic,
environmental, democratic)
Selected government programs or policies
Selected issues and localities
Across all government agencies (or local governments)
Current wellbeing of whole state or municipality (social, economic,
environmental, democratic)
Government agencies, LG departments
For whole of state (or local) government
As basis for local community plans
As basis for long-term state or local plan for whole community
More transparent & systematic gov’t reporting and performance evaluation
More honest and accountable government
Giving citizens full and accurate information about conditions in their state
Involving citizens in decision-making about goals and indicators
A framework for local community building and community planning
Citizens together identify local community issues & priorities
Citizens define a common vision for Victoria (or their LGA) as a whole
Source: Swinburne Institute for Social Research. 2000. Measuring Victoria’s Progress. Hawthorn, Victoria: SISR (adapted)
Project website:
www.communityindicators.net.au




Regular progress reports
‘Best practice’ models
Partner Council information
Links to other good sites