This blog by Salema Gulbahar leads up to the Wikiprogress online discussion on engaging citizens in well-being and progress statistics. This post explores why we should engage citizen in well-being data and how this is being done.
Are we measuring the
right things?
Are
our lives getting better? Data and statistics for measuring well-being and
progress should answer these questions and enable us to understand what drives the
well-being of people and nations and what needs to be done in order to achieve greater
progress for all.
“Give citizens the wellbeing
data they need,” says the ‘Policy and Wellbeing’ report commissioned by the Legatum Institute, as better data on well-being can
increase peoples choices and ability to make an informed choice. When young
people make a choice about their career path or a job, they know what they can
earn and what they have to do. Wouldn’t it be nice if they had data on how that
job may impact their well-being?
If citizens, governments, schools and
employers had better data on progress and well-being and used this data, then
decisions made about which services to fund, cut and develop would be
different. For example, governments would focus on the rehabilitation of prisoners and not
on long prison sentences.
Enabling and engaging citizens in well-being
data will allow society as a whole to make more informed decisions and ensure
that we measure what matters!
How can citizens get involved?
Citizen
engagement in well-being data can range from citizens being actively engaged in a) politics and policy making where they can influence the agenda and what is measured, b) the feedback loop of services they are using via
questionnaires, and c) being active user and producers of information and data
via simple mobile applications. Below are a few examples:
The
Santa Monica Wellbeing Project (video above) in California is
a city-wide initiative which engages its citizen in well-being data, throughout the life cycle of the
project by i) defining well-being as it relates to the
community, ii) creating a new tool to measure well-being in the community and
iii) working with the entire community to actively improve the conditions
needed for people to thrive.
In
2013, a 'friends and family test' was introduced by National Health
Service in the United Kingdom where patients were asked within 48 hours of using a
service if they would ‘recommend this service to friends and family’. Improvements
in services can been seen over time and citizens feel more empowered, as well. Results
are now available.
Three
of my neighbours were burgled over a few days, whilst they slept in their
homes. I found out when the third and last victim decided to post a little note
on everyone’s door. So when I
read about the United Sates www.crimemapping.com and the mobile application
which allows law enforcement agencies and citizens to provide real time data on crime, I
could see how this tool would make a real difference to my well-being.
Citizen
engagement has the potential to drive the demand, supply and use of well-being
and progress data and statistics. Governments, employers and schools can enhance
the well-being of citizens by providing them with information about the
relationship between everyday choices and subjective well-being.
Find
out more and ensure your voice is heard by participating in the discussion
(details below).
Salema
Gulbahar
Wikiprogress
Coordinator
_______________________________________________________________________________
Wikiprogress
and partners invite you to participate in an online discussion from 22 – 30
April
- How can citizen engagement improve the development and use of well-being and progress statistics?
- Do you have any examples of good practice in citizen engagement in well-being and progress statistics?
- What role can technology - such as mobile apps or interactive web platforms - play in improving citizen engagement with well-being and progress statistics?
To leave a comment, click here and scroll to the section entitled “Contribute!”
Here is the short link to the
page: http://bit.ly/1itMg6L
Follow the Twitter hashtag #CitizenEngagement and #StatsForAll
Follow the Twitter hashtag #CitizenEngagement and #StatsForAll
You may contact us or send
comments via:
Email (info@wikiprogress.org)
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