What is Progress A Framework for Progress

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What is Progress?A Framework for Progress

• Jon Hall
• Global Project, OECD

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What is Progress?

• The word progress (Latin pro-gredi)
  improvements, to move forward, to gain
• Economic progress, Social progress, Scientific
  progress but above all human progress

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What is Progress?

• Many views

Is life getting better?
Sustainability...
Well-being...
Quality of Life...
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What is Progress?

• Many views
• But what is clear (to me) is
• A. Progress is multidimensional
• B. Progress means different things to different
  people

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Dimensions of Progress
Human system
Human wellbeing
Governance
Culture
Economy
Resource demand
Ecosystem condition
Ecosystem
Source Robert Prescott-Allen, 2008
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• Human System Human Well-being

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Human System Human Well-being

• Measures ends or outcomes, including health,
  knowledge and understanding, freedom and
  security, relationships, work and play, and
  subjective well-being
• The other domains of the Human System represent
  the supports for human well-being and measure
  means or outputs - Economy, Governance, and
  Culture

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Human System Culture
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Human System Culture

• The creative, expressive, and symbolic aspects of
  a way of life, including art, crafts, food,
  games, gardens, literature, language, music and
  religion

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Human System Economy and Governance
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Human System Economy and Governance

• Economy the stocks and flows of an economy
  (income and wealth)
• Governance democratic participation, access to
  services, order and safety, political rights,
  responsiveness, and transparency

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Ecosystem Ecosystem Condition
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Ecosystem Ecosystem Condition

• Ecosystem health, including air quality,
  atmosphere, land, freshwater, oceans and seas,
  and biodiversity

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• Resource Demand

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Resource Demand

• Human pressures on the ecosystem both
  extraction of resources and pollution

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Sets of Indicators

• If progress is multi dimensional and means
  different things to different people then one
  must
• Provide a set of measures
• And allow readers to apply their own weights to
  form their own view

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Sets of Indicators

• Measures should be unambiguous" that is have a
  clear good/bad direction of movement
• Important to focus on the big picture
• Important to discuss trade-offs and reinforcements

Life expectancy v
X Numbers of patients treated X
Numbers of divorces?
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Trade-offs
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Reinforcements
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• Progress Objective and Subjective Components
• Objective components longevity, income, air
  quality

The stuff we can measure exactly
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• Progress Objective and Subjective Components
• Subjective components fear, trust, happiness,
  life satisfaction

Business ConfidenceSelf assessed health
Must ask people how they feel
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• Objective and Subjective Assessments Are
  Important

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• Thank you