Handout 3 - How Measure Progress 1h5632

Is Life Getting Better? This is the third in a set of handouts about the project: Global Project on Measuring the Progress of Societies

Is Life Getting Better?

A beginners guide on measuring the progress of societies

In this handout we briefly discuss what we should measure about progress.

How has progress been measured? The primary measure of progress has traditionally been economic growth. Recently, measures of progress have also included such things as social and environmental factors, safety, human rights, and many other aspects of quality of life. There is, however, no universal measure of progress, and, in addition, no universal agreement on which factors are the most important, nor exactly how to measure them.

Produced by The Global Social Change Research Project http://gsociology.icaap.org/

Handout based on OECD's Measuring Progress's Mission Statement (What we are doing) http://www.oecd.org/progress

Is Life Getting Better?

Is Life Getting Better?

How should progress be measured?

Taxonomy of indicators

One useful approach is to develop a set of indicators or concepts about progress, which could provide a common starting point for anyone to use.

OECD's Measuring Progress project has developed a taxonomy, or overall set of categories, of concepts/ indicators:

Then, each society can use the set of concepts/indicators to customize their own measure of progress.

Taxonomy Framework http://www.oecd.org/progress/taxonomy

Which particular concepts/indicators they choose could be based on the values of their society. “Measures based on social values can foster a more informed debate on where a society actually is, where it wants to head, and – crucially – the choices it needs to make if it is to get there.”

Ecosystems Condition Land Freshwater Oceans and Seas Biodiversity Atmosphere Human Well-Being Physical and mental health Knowledge and understanding Work and Leisure Material Well-Being Freedom and Self-Determination Interpersonal relationships Economy National Income National wealth

Quote from OECD's Measuring Progress's Mission Statement (What we are doing) http://www.oecd.org/progress

Is Life Getting Better? Governance Human Rights Civic Engagement Security and Crime Access to Services Culture Cultural heritage Arts and Leisure Resource use Resource extraction and consumption Pollution

Is Life Getting Better? of use: Copyright by Gene Shackman, December 2009. Prepared by Gene Shackman, Xun Wang and Ya-Lin Liu. This handout can be freely distributed without need for permission, provided it is distributed as is. Distribution for any commercial purpose is strictly forbidden. This handout cannot be sold under any circumstances. This handout is only for education purposes. It does not represent any guidelines, recommendations or requirements. The only purpose is to provide information about measuring the progress of societies to the general public, to researchers, or to anyone with interest in this subject. Gene Shackman's, Ya-Lin Liu’s and Xun Wang's contributions to this project were on their own time, at home, and were not ed by any organization. They do not represent or speak for any organization except The Global Social Change Research Project.

Societies could also add their own concepts/indicators, such as sustainability, equal distribution of wealth, happiness or life satisfaction. These handouts briefly introduce some of these concepts/ indicators of progress and some of the current practices in their measurement. This introduction can be used as a springboard for further discussion by those involved in measuring progress, or as a means to get more of the general public involved by making it easier for anyone to be informed and to give .

The most recent version of this handout is available at the project fan page on Facebook -

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Global-Project-on-Measuringthe-Progress-of-Societies/34567208190