Community Indicators for
Culture and the Arts
Prof Mike Salvaris
Cultural Development Network Forum
8 May 2006
The Victorian Community Indicators
project …
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a 2 year project funded by VicHealth
working with local governments across
Victoria
to develop better measures and plans for
well-being in their local communities
and better ways to engage their local citizens
in the process
Summary of presentation
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Project partners and management
Key goals, tasks and outcomes
Background: what led to this project?
Community indicators: what they are?
Developing a ‘whole community’ wellbeing
framework, and how to use it
Engaging citizens: why and how
Results so far
Project milestones
Visit our website: www.communityindicators.net.au
Project Partners
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VicHealth (funder)
Victorian Local Governance Association
Municipal Association of Victoria
Victoria University
Swinburne University Lilydale
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Partner Councils (10)
Partner Councils
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Bendigo
Hobson’s Bay
Knox
Maroondah
Moreland
Port Philip
Surf Coast
Wellington
Wodonga
Yarra Ranges
Project Reference Committee
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Partners
Premier’s Department
Department of Victorian Communities
Department of Human Services
Department of Infrastructure
Department of Sustainability & Environment
Victorian Council of Social Service
Key goals of VCI Project
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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
Key project tasks and outcomes
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Statewide local wellbeing measurement framework
Best practice local statistics
Guidelines and new models for community
engagement and local democracy
Model local Community Survey (replacing
Community Satisfaction Survey)
10 Best Practice models for Community Planning
Agreed links between state and local planning
Ongoing training and materials
Outstanding website
Background and context
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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
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]
Indicator Case Studies: overseas
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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 ….
Indicator case studies: local
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Measuring Australia’s Progress (ABS)
Tasmania Together
Genuine Progress Indicator (Aust Institute)
Newcastle (NSW)
Cities of Onkaparinga, Marion (SA)
Victoria – Outer Eastern Melbourne, Surf
Coast, Wodonga, Port Philip, Moreland,
Wyndham etc
Community expectations of local government
Av. % who say this function important for local government
Manage waste and pollution
96.3 Involve citizens in decision-making
87.0
Promote community safety
92.3 Enforce local laws (traffic, health, etc)
84.7
Make local government open & accountable
92.0 Conserve heritage and special character
80.7
Provide local recreation facilities
91.7 Promote local pride and involvement
80.0
Maintain local roads, streets, public spaces
91.3 Provide arts and cultural activities
78.7
Protect and enhance natural environment
90.6 Measure wellbeing of whole community
76.7
Provide local community services
89.6 Develop local industry, employm’t, tourism
76.0
Manage council finances, services effectively
89.0 Promote local interests outside municipality
75.0
Plan community future (soc’l, eco, environm’t)
88.7
(Source: Swinburne Institute for Social Research, 2002. ‘Community Participation and Community Planning in Moreland: a research study’. Hawthorn, Victoria: SISR. Based
on sample of approx. 3000 over 3 Victorian municipalities).
Related Victorian initiatives
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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
Indicators
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statistics that measure some important
issue or policy goal
monitored over time to determine a trend
towards or away from a goal
inform the community
contribute to public debate
Community Well-being Indicators
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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
Developing a Local Wellbeing
Framework
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Project will develop a common framework
from existing local frameworks (including
Leading the Way) and surveys etc
This will provide standard, good quality data
for councils and communities
Starting point is agreement on most
important fields (pillars) and key outcomes
Indicators then developed from these (not
vice versa)
‘Healthy community’ model
A healthy community is a product of five factors:
1. The health and well-being of, and the opportunities for, individuals and
families
2. The health of social relations, neighbourliness, networks, participation and
trust, a sense of shared community in the neighbourhood
3. The quality of the environment and physical living conditions and ‘sense of
place’ in the neighbourhood
4. The services and facilities available
5. The quality of governance and community participation in decision-making
Key ‘pillars’ of wellbeing framework
Include indicators of wellbeing in 6 key fields (pillars):
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Economic
Social
Cultural
Built environment
Natural environment
Governance and community engagement
Examples of outcome areas
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Economic
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Local economic output
Income levels
Local employment
Social
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Ethnic diversity
Whole of life learning
Cultural participation
Built environment
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Health
Sense of community
Perceptions of safety
Cultural
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Natural environment
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Roads, footpaths
Transport
Community facilities
Waste production
Air and water quality
Amount of open space
Governance
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Voting levels
% Women councillors
Citizen participation
Our culture and leisure activities shape our community identity. Culture determines many aspects of social life [including]
forming community networks and bonds crucial to social cohesion. Heritage protection preserves social knowledge … The culture
and leisure sector also contributes to economic development through facilitating creativity, innovation and self-reflection. Art,
film and literature reflects and examines social trends, protects our heritage and preserves social knowledge. Culture and
leisure is important to both social life and economic wellbeing and assists in creating work life balance in our communities. Our
communities are enriched by people from diverse cultural backgrounds thus a community that celebrates cultural diversity and
encourages all people to participate in a rich community life will be a stronger community. (quote from ABS Measuring
Wellbeing 2001).
Suggested Indicators
Maintenance or protection of heritage
buildings
Percentage who rate variety of arts and cultural events
as adequate or better
Average occupancy of community cultural centres
per month by recurrent hirers
Number of performing and visual arts venues
Percentage of population who feel they have
opportunities to participate in affordable
local community events/activities of their choosing
Attendance at local festivals and events
Community satisfaction with the range of community
events and festivals
Local places of significance
Potential Data Sources
Victorian Heritage listing on-line
http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/doi/hvolr.nsf
DSE Victorian Heritage Information Map.
CSS collects council performance ratings data in the area of
Recreational Facilities but does not collect data specific to
satisfaction with variety of activities available, Annual by LGA.
Local Council Records?
ABS: Performing Arts, Australia (8697.0) once off survey,
national data only.
Local Council Records?
DVC Community Strength Indicators, by LGA
CSS collects council performance ratings data in the area of
Recreational Facilities but does not collect data specific to
satisfaction with variety of events available, Annual by LGA.
Victorian Heritage listing on-line
http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/doi/hvolr.nsf
Selecting the best indicators
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Reflect important community issue or goal
Link to strategic Community Plan
Reliable data source, available as time series
Meaningful and sensitive to change
Summary in nature
Assist targets, provide benchmarks
Show trends over time
Multiple uses of wellbeing framework
Purposes
Reporting conditions
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Measuring progress and 
performance
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Planning
- informing priorities
- planning & goal setting
Enhancing democracy
and accountability
Building communities,
participation and social
cohesion
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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)
Wellbeing measures and democracy
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What makes a healthy democracy?
Trust
The value of local democracy
How citizens can participate
Issues for local government
What makes a healthy democracy?
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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
Trust in democracy
How much do young Australians trust government?
Survey of young Australians (Year 11) 1998
Agree Neither Disagree
Most people in government are honest
6
26
68
People in government care a lot about what people like us think
9
25
66
People in government can be trusted to do the right thing for
the country
15
22
64
People in government waste a lot of taxpayers money
70
22
8
People running the government are smart and usually know
what they’re doing
29
24
48
Source: Mellor, S. 1998. What’s the Point? Political attitudes of Victorian Year 11 Students.
Melbourne: Australian Council of Educational Research
The democratic value of local participation
The democratic ideal in local government implies
that active participation of the citizens in local affairs
is both a goal in itself and an instrument for
strengthening democracy in society at large.
(Kjellberg, F. 1995. “The Changing Values of Local
Government” in Annals of the American Academy of
Political and Social Science, vol 540, 40)
Citizens as partners in achieving public outcomes
Role
How?
Customers
Main users and clients of public services: should be treated as valued customers by providers
Owners and
shareholders
Through their taxes, citizens invest in public services and assets
Through their votes, they elect the ‘boards of directors’ who govern.
Issue framers and Vision builders: citizens help develop strategic plans
planners
Advisers on government boards and policy committees etc.
Co-producers of
services
Community bodies directly provide community services on paid and
voluntary basis, in cooperation with government
Service quality
evaluators
As primary users of government services, citizens are best placed to
assess their quality and effectiveness
Independent outcome trackers
Grassroots measurement by citizen groups is more likely to be independent and oriented towards actual community wellbeing outcomes
Source: Epstein, Wray et al. 2000
The spectrum of public engagement
Increasing level of public impact >>>>>
Inform
Consult
Involve
Collaborate Empower
Objective and
Promise
Objective and
Promise
Objective and
Promise
Objective and
Promise
Objective and
Promise
To provide
the public
with balanced
and objective
information
To obtain
public
feedback on
analysis,
alternatives,
or decisions
To work
directly with
the public
throughout
the process
To partner
with the
public in each
aspect of the
decision
To place final
decision
making in the
hands of the
public
Source: International Association for Public Participation: www.iap2.org (adapted)
Community Engagement: key issues
for local government
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Understanding the community better
Auditing & feedback from current CE processes
Improving Council skills and capacity in CE
Setting clear goals & success measures for CE
Making CE meaningful … and fun
Special processes for ‘excluded citizens’
Best use of existing networks and resources
CE must be properly resourced
Ideas to improve participation in local government
% respondents who thought proposal ‘a good idea’
Internet and websites for local community centres
77
Regular citizen surveys, phone interviews, focus groups
76
More interesting reports on council activities
76
Local committees for areas, supported by council
74
Council meetings in different towns etc
69
Local government training people in community leadership
69
Improved community newspapers, radio station for SC
68
Citizens organise informal discussion groups on local issues
66
Local citizens involved in monitoring progress
63
Better funding and facilities to enable community participation
60
More awards to recognise contributions of local citizens, groups
49
Source: Salvaris, M and Wolcott, I (2002) ‘Community planning and participation in Geelong’, Hawthorn,
Victoria: Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology
How LG’s use indicators now
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Scan of 77 Council plans and community well-being
indicators from 6 Councils
43 Council Plans use sustainability or TBL
19 plans refer to a Community Vision
Community Satisfaction Survey used for indicators
by 51 councils
Indicators sometimes difficult to identify
Some linked to Community Plans – some not
Not always available on Council websites
181 separate indicators used by one or more of the
six Councils
Some key practical issues
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How to ensure that all councils have the right
information – and the systems for analysing and
using it effectively.
How to enable data sharing between and across
the state government and local government
sectors.
How to make information about local strategies,
targets and performance more accessible and
meaningful to local people.
How community views can be reflected in the
indicators.
Key practical issues
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(cont’d)
The extent to which state government may wish
to prescribe indicators and measures.
How to handle proposals for new measures and
indicators and avoid duplication.
How to help improve the accessibility of existing
information.
How to build on existing information systems
and extend them.
How to ensure robust means of assuring data
quality.
Progress and milestones
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Jan - July 2005
 Stock take of existing Victorian local government and community
indicators
 Overview of current Local, State, Commonwealth Initiatives
 Set up website
 Statewide forums
 Partner Council program and workshop
September 2005
 Draft framework
 Data set gaps identified
December 2005
 Agreed framework
June 2006
 Agreed plan for ongoing development and use of community well-being
indicators
Project website:
www.communityindicators.net.au
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Regular progress reports
‘Best practice’ models
Partner Council information
Links to other good sites