Towards an integrated and sustainable system for developing and
using local community wellbeing indicators:
Outcomes of Victorian Community Indicators Project; Overview of Community Indicators Victoria
Presentation to
ABS Community Indicators Workshop
Melbourne, 6th September 2006
Professor John Wiseman
VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Social Wellbeing
School of Population Health, University of Melbourne
Further information: www.communityindicators.net.au
jwiseman@unimelb.edu.au
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Outcomes of Victorian Community Indicators Project
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Overview of Community Indicators Victoria
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Implications for integrated, strategic and sustainable
approaches to the development and use of local
community wellbeing indicators
Victorian Community Indicators Project
(VCIP) origins and drivers
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Learning from local and international community
indicator projects - integrating and scaling up
Victorian Government ‘triple bottom line’ planning
and reporting
Local government community planning, policy
making and reporting
VicHealth support for measuring local community
outcomes and strengthening local government
capacity
VCIP aim
Sustainable Victorian system for developing and using
local community wellbeing indicators as tools for
identifying priorities and measuring progress
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Agreed framework of core and locality specific wellbeing indicators
Sustainable system for collecting and publishing local community
wellbeing trend data
Improved capacity for using community indicators to inform and support
citizen engagement, community planning, policy making and reporting
VCIP resourcing and governance
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Resourcing: VicHealth, DHS
Project Team: John Wiseman, Anne Langworthy, Mike
Salvaris, Hayden Raysmith, Warwick Heine, Neil
McLean, Jo Pyke
Steering and reference groups: VicHealth, MAV, VLGA,
Local Govt., VCOSS, ABS, DPC, DVC, DHS, DSE, DOI
Partner councils: Port Phillip, Wellington, Maroondah,
Yarra Ranges, Wodonga, Bendigo, Hobsons Bay, Surf
Coast, Moreland, Knox
Community wellbeing indicators…
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Are not an end in themselves
Are a means to inform and focus action by
communities and their governments
Are part of an integrated approach to citizen
engagement and community planning
Are a measure of community outcomes - not council or
government performance
Include social, economic, environmental, cultural and
governance trends and outcomes
VCIP recommendations informed by…
 Australian and international community indicator
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initiatives and lessons
Stocktake of Victorian local government community
plan visions and indicators
Consultation forums with local government, State
government, community sector
Feedback through www.communityindicators.net.au
Feedback on Discussion Paper Measuring
Wellbeing: Engaging Communities
VCIP recommendations
Importance of establishing and maintaining…
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Sustainable system of local community wellbeing indicators
Integrated framework of domains, indicators and data sets
Integrated, reliable, affordable data sources
Accessible, regular reporting mechanisms
Strong links between indicators, community planning and policy
Capacity building initiatives to strengthen understanding and skills
Collaboratively governed, long term infrastructure
Victorian, Australian and international networks - sharing data and
learning
Measuring Wellbeing Engaging Communities: Final Report of the Victorian
Community Indicators Project: www.communityindicators.net.au
Importance of sustainable system of community
wellbeing indicators as…
A policy tool, guiding evidence based planning and
action to address the issues identified as important by
communities
 A democratic tool, for engaging citizens and
communities in informed discussions about shared
goals and priorities
 A reporting tool, tracking and communicating
progress towards agreed goals and outcomes
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Local community indicator domains
Best way(s) of organising and describing indicator domains?
 Balancing advantages of common domains against local
relevance?
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Victorian
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community indicator framework domains
Healthy, safe and inclusive communities
Dynamic, resilient economies
Sustainable built and natural environment
Culturally rich and vibrant communities
Democratic and engaged communities
Criteria for choosing local community indicators
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Measure what is valued
Conceptually sound
Make sense to citizens and policy makers
Relevant at local community level
Measurable at local community level
Build on and support existing initiatives
Initial Victorian community indicators framework
See: Victorian Community Indicator Framework in
‘Measuring Wellbeing Engaging Communities’:
Final Report of the Victorian Community Indicators
Project:
www.communityindicators.net.au
Integrated, reliable, affordable data sources
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ABS (eg. Labour Force Survey, Census)
Existing government administrative data (eg. Open
space-Parks Vic; Stream condition-DSE)
Existing surveys and research initiatives (eg. Victorian
Population Health Survey, DVC Community
Strengthening Survey, Australian Early Development
Index)
New ‘Victorian Community Survey’
Victorian Community Survey
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CATI household survey
Sample of 24,000 adults. 300 per LGA. Oversampling options.
Filling data gaps for reporting on Victorian Community Indicators framework
 Age, gender, employment, household type, parental status internet
access…
 Existing data sets at LGA level (Self assessed health)
 Integrating questions from current surveys (eg. DVC Community
Strengthening Survey)
 New questions and data (eg. impact of lack of transport access, active
participation in arts and cultural activities)
Initial survey 2006/2007…probably every two years
Linking data sets and sources
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Mechanisms for reaching agreement on common data sets and sources
 ABS
 Commonwealth, State and local governments
 Community organisations
 Private sector
 Universities
Common data collection instruments
 Content
 Methodology
 Timing
Accessible, regular reporting
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Local (LGA) community wellbeing reports
Web site: www.communityindicators.net.au
Population groups. Women and men; young people;
older people; NESB; Indigenous; disability…
Regional and sub LGA level
Audiences
Formats
Linking indicators with community engagement,
planning and policy
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Engaging citizens in priority setting
Informing policy making
Informing corporate plans and budgets
Reporting on trends and outcomes
Bottom up and top down approaches to developing and using
community indicators?
Local, State and Commonwealth Government implications and
relationships?
Building capacity to develop and use community
indicators
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Target groups
 Local citizens and community groups
 LG mayors, councillors, staff
 Public servants, MPs
Methods
 Web site
 Manuals and tool kits
 Help desk
 Short courses; Accredited courses, Train the Trainer
 Workshops and conferences
Information sharing and learning network(s)?
Long term platform: Community Indicators Victoria
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Purpose: To support the development and use of local
community wellbeing indicators as a basis for informed and
engaged and integrated community planning and policy making
Objectives
 Sustainable platform for local community indicator data
collection, analysis and reporting
 Capacity building and resource centre
 Learning and research centre
Community Indicators Victoria governance
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Host: VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental
Health and Social Wellbeing, School of Population
Health, University of Melbourne
Collaborating partners: ABS, MAV, VLGA, DHS, DVC,
VCOSS, Victoria University, Swinburne University…
Reference Group: Local and State government
representatives, community sector, content experts
Victorian Community Indicators Network?
VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of
Mental Health and Social Wellbeing
School of Population Health, University of Melbourne
Purpose
To create and share knowledge which strengthens the foundations of
healthy and resilient communities, leading to improved mental health
and wellbeing.
Focus
Policy research, advocacy and workforce development leading to
improvements in key determinants of community wellbeing
 Freedom from violence
 Freedom from discrimination
 Economic participation and security
 Social inclusion and connectedness
Initial Tasks
 Evidence: Community Wellbeing Indicator Reports
 Policy: Community Wellbeing Policy Reviews
 Knowledge exchange: Communication, Workforce development
Next steps…
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Community Indicators Victoria staff, partners
Initial data sharing and resourcing agreements
Victorian Community Survey
Upgrade web site
Initial LGA level reports
Sub LGA and population group reports
Capacity building
Links with community planning and policy making
Learning, evaluation and research
Linking community indicators across Australia - and
internationally
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Challenges
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Common domains
Common data sets and sources
Data sharing protocols
Reporting platforms
Learning from shared experiences
Roles and relationships of key players
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ABS
Commonwealth, State and local governments (COAG)
NGOs
Universities
Private sector
International: UN, OECD, EU, World Bank…
Towards a workplan…
What actions are needed to take the next steps towards a more
integrated, strategic and sustainable approach to the
development and use of local community wellbeing indicators in
Australia - and internationally?
 Aims and priorities
 Organisational mechanisms and relationships
 Resources
 Timetable and milestones