Boosting Social Prosperity - How improving measurement of community well-being can support economic...

https://cepl.cps.gwu.edu/https://cepl.cps.gwu.edu/

Make Greater Washington Even

Greater!Jen Gioffre and

Anita VanekJuly 2016

RBMS 6811 Course Project for Professor Michael Lennon

https://cepl.cps.gwu.edu/ 2

A Case for UsingWellbeing to Advance the

Region Forward GoalsOpportunities for improving the region using

Non-economic Indicators1. Many well-being indicators are already

incorporated into the Region Forward (RF) goals.2. Use lessons learned from other cities around the

world who have applied the Wellbeing approach.3. Explore additional working models for the Greater

Washington Area to achieve its economic and social prosperity goals

The GWU Public Leadership Student Team has been studying the Region Forward Goals, and Wellbeing approaches around the world with the goal of assisting the MWCOG increase the attractiveness of the greater Washington area through non-economic indicators.

Driving for improvement of non-economic indicators will:• Improve the lives of Greater Washington Area Residents• Make the Greater Washington Area more attractive to non-

residents

Introduction


Making Greater Washington Even Greater !Outline

1.The Importance of Wellbeing 2.Global Trends3.The Role of Wellbeing in Region Forward 4.Identifying Opportunities to Catalyze

Wellbeing in the Greater Washington Area


The Importance of Wellbeing

Video Link: http://wellbeing.smgov.net/about/wellbeing-project

http://wellbeing.smgov.net/about/wellbeing-project


The Lens of Wellbeing Provides a

People-focused Assessment of the Issues

The Well-being “lens” Leads to integrated, holistic

approaches to problem solving by including health, environment, education, and community.

Look beyond shrinking waste to growing what is working. Replicate what is going right in one area to another.

Helps to gain buy-in from those who will be affected by policy decisions


Governance Quality Affects Wellbeing

“Recent results from the OECD suggest that improvements in governance quality are associated with changes in wellbeing. The ten countries that most improved governance quality between 2005–2012 increased average life evaluations by as much of an increase as would be caused by a 40 percent increase in per-capita incomes [color added], compared to the ten countries with worsened delivery quality.”

Helliwell J. F., Huang, H., Grover S., and Wang, S. “Good Governance and National Well-being: What are the Linkages?”, OECD Governance Committee

The Bottom Line: Investments in the quality of governance have measurably and significantly impacted citizen sense of prosperity.


Global Trends

1. Wellbeing data (Gallup)2. Wellbeing policies (Legatum)

3. Wellbeing framework (UK)4. US Case Study (Santa Monica, CA)


Towards Smarter Governance of Wellbeing: Highlights from Global Practice leaders

• Growth in Wellbeing Data

• Evidence identifying Wellbeing Policies with most promising SROI

• National and Local Frameworks incorporating Wellbeing UK Communities US Communities

https://cepl.cps.gwu.edu/ 966% of people are doing well in at least

one of these areas, but just 7% are thriving in all five

Gallup’s comprehensive study of more than 150 countries, called the Wellbeing finder, identified five universal elements of wellbeing that differentiates a thriving life from one spent suffering.

1.Career Wellbeing—How you occupy your time or simply liking what you do every day.

2.Social Wellbeing—Having strong relationships and love in your life.3.Financial Wellbeing—Effectively managing your economic life.4.Physical Wellbeing—Having good health and enough energy to get things done

on a daily basis.5.Community Wellbeing—The sense of engagement you have with the area

where you live.http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/126884/Five-Essential-Elements-Wellbeing.aspx

Gallup’s Study on Wellbeing elements

http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/126884/Five-Essential-Elements-Wellbeing.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/126884/Five-Essential-Elements-Wellbeing.aspx


Wellbeing Programmatic Interventions with Evidence of Significant Return on Investment MENTAL HEALTH AND CHARACTER BUILDING

Support parents Build character and resilience in schools Treat mental ill-health as professionally as physical ill-health

COMMUNITY Address loneliness Promote volunteering and giving Create a built environment that is sociable and green

INCOME AND WORK Promote economic growth Reduce unemployment through active welfare More wellbeing at work

GOVERNANCE Measure wellbeing and make it a policy goal Treat citizens with respect and empower them more Give citizens the wellbeing data they need


Growing what works: Reality-tested frameworks addressing “What impacts Wellbeing in a Community?"Strongest themes include: Social capital / social networks: for example, neighbourliness

and relationships within communities, networks of family and friends, community spirit

Participation and voice: being listened to, young people having a voice, civic engagement, access to information, co-production, wide representation

Safety and security: fear of crime, feeling safe walking home at night

Environment: green and open space, cleanliness Local facilities: public transport, childcare, access to education,

pubs


Growing what works: Other factors in for addressing “What impacts Wellbeing in a Community?" Health: health services, access to healthy lifestyle e.g. food,

exercise Community identity: connectedness and belonging Activities: access to culture, activities, sports, volunteering Equality, diversity and inclusion Financial security: jobs, local economy Affordable housing Governance: accountability, joined up systems Access to support


Learning from Santa Monica’s Adoption of a City Wellbeing index


Hidden in Plain Sight? A lesson from Santa Monica‘s Adoption of a Wellbeing index

“Any good democratic government implicitly has the goal of improving the wellbeing of its citizens/residents. But, until

recently, this goal has often remained unnamed.” – Santa Monica Wellbeing Report

"It sounded simple. Define, understand and measure what matters most: how people are doing. There was just one thing. No one had ever done it before."

- Julie Rusk (Santa Monica Asst. Dir. of Community and Cultural Services)

The Guardian 2015


How Santa Monica Approached WellbeingDefine, Measure, Act

Define: What does wellbeing look like Measure: Use various sources to establish a baseline and

measure wellbeing Act: Work as a community to address critical needs


Objective Measures Used by Santa Monica to Define Wellbeing

Social connections are an important dimension of wellbeing, often overlooked in city planning efforts yet vital to feelings of optimism and resilience.

Local context or place can impact resident perceptions of their wellbeing and drive engagement in healthy behaviors.

Education resources are central to a community’s overall wellbeing and support of the growth and development of its residents across the lifespan.

Community health also contributes to wellbeing, particularly aspects of emotional wellness, trust and belonging, resilience and vitality.

Economic vitality is essential to community wellbeing and can include indicators such as employment rates and productivity.


Santa Monica’s Efforts Gaining National Attention


The Role of Wellbeing in

Region Forward Priorities

Wellbeing Forward!


Indicator Status to Date 21 of the 27 indicators were reported

in either the Region Forward Coalition Baseline Progress Report or the 2016 State of the Region Economic Competitiveness Report

9 of 10 Indicators that have been updated since 2010 are Economic-related 4 of 9 Accessibility Targets 0 of 7 Sustainability Targets 5 of 6 Prosperity Targets 1 of 6 Livability Targets

Accessibility Sustainabil-ity

Prosperity Livability0

2

5

7

9

11Indicator Status

Indicators/Targets Baseline ReportedUpdated Since 2010


Economic Indicators are Only One Piece of the Puzzle

Economic Indicators are important, but don’t show the whole picture

• Residents of the Greater Washington area have to be able to meet their basic needs

• The ability to meet these needs is critical to a person’s wellbeing

Accessibility32%

Sustainability25%

Pros-perity21%

Livability21%

Region Forward Indicator Breakdown

“We should be careful not to

overshadow other aspects of life

(such as family life, community

cohesion, or low unemployment) in

the name of economic growth”

- 2014 Wellbeing and Policy Report Commissioned by the Legatum Institute


The Blind Spot to Seeing Only Through Economic Indicators While economic indicators have tripled, life satisfaction

remains flat (See chart on the next slide.) Income is only one of the wellbeing being policy factors

Visibility in terms of other Wellbeing indicators are not being captured

Legatum Institute Wellbeing and Policy Report Santa Monica’s Wellbeing Institute

Income and work Community Governance Mental Health and Character Building

Economic Opportunity Community Place Learning Health


Looking Beyond Economic Indicators


Addressing the Gaps Between Wellbeing and Economic IndicatorsImproving the region’s wellbeing will help Region Forward Meet all its goals &

targetsImproves the

Region’s ability to meet Region

Forward’s Goals

Focusing on Improving the DMV’s Wellbeing


How Wellbeing Fits with Region Forward

Many Region Forward Indicators and targets are already supporting wellbeing Support parents (18) Create a built environment that

is sociable and green (17) Promote economic growth (14) Reduce unemployment through

active welfare (11) More wellbeing at work (22)(#) – the number of region forward indicators that help support top

wellbeing interventions recommended by the Legatum Institute

When we meet Region

Forward Goals

The Region’s Wellbeing Improves


Applying Santa Monica’s Wellbeing Project to the Greater Washington Area

Land Use

Transportation

Environment

Climate & Energy

Economic

Housing

Health

Education

Public Safety

Objective Measures:

Subjective Measure:


Fixing what's wrong vs. Growing what's right: Do cities have it right?

Land Use

Transportation

Environment

Climate & Energy

Economic

Housing

Health

Education

Public Safety Outlook /

Wellbeing

ave cities missed the point? What if, for all their

focus on crime stats and traffic patterns, on zoning laws and building codes, they’ve missed the chance to thrive—and to help their residents thrive, too? What if there’s a better way to govern?

Cities can improve not just the safety and comfort of theirresidents, but also their happiness, their satisfactionwith life—their wellbeing.

RAND.ORG | MARCH–APRIL 2016

H


Addressing The Whole Person and the Whole Community

Need to address

the whole person

But are we thriving in all 5 elements of wellbeing?

Community Place Learning Health Economic Opportunity

Are all people in our community thriving equally?

Need to address

the whole communit

y


Opportunities for Improving the Region’s

WellbeingMaking the Greater Washington Area Even

Greater!

Identifying Opportunities to Catalyze Wellbeing in the Greater Washington Area


Opportunities for Improving the Region’s Wellbeing1. Optimize the Data

Measure It – Develop a survey to establish a baseline wellbeing for the region. Several examples of survey techniques exist that can be replicated or consider partnering with an already existing program in another city to leverage and share resources—For example: DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey Statewide, Regional, & Neighborhood-Level Data for Cross-Sector Community Action http://www.ctdatahaven.org/reports/datahaven-community-wellbeing-survey

Compare Results – Compare the results with data regionally, from across the US, Europe, and the globe. Make better use of existing and emerging types of data—including Well-Being data--in strategic and operational work (see Gallup & UK Data)

Assess Impact – Determine how wellbeing is impacting the Region Forward Goals, as well as how the implementation of Region Forward Goals are impacting wellbeing in different parts of the city and suburbs

http://www.ctdatahaven.org/reports/datahaven-community-wellbeing-survey

http://www.ctdatahaven.org/reports/datahaven-community-wellbeing-survey


2. Upgrade existing MWCOG frameworks, policies and business practices to include wellbeing

Measurement of citizen subjective well-being (UK What Works Network, Santa Monica)

Adoption of Growth-oriented approaches for driving social prosperity (e.g. Legatum, What Works Network)

Proactive exploration of leadership and governance structures using well being research

Incorporating new tools and forms of network measurement and analysis which support both positive and exponential growth (Netmap, Volometrix)

Opportunities for Improving the Region’s Wellbeing, Continued


3. Leverage Free Resources and engage the community – Partner with academia, local governments, non-profits, and businesses to implement goals and programs to improve the Region’s wellbeing.

Leverage Future Executive Cohorts from GWU Center for Public Leadership to help MWCOG build and supplement local capacity to achieve multi-disciplinary, social and economic prosperity1.Thought Leadership 2.Analytical & decision support / Data preparation3.Supplement priority projects 4.Attract and engage additional networks and resources



4. Prototype high potential interventions- Collaborative exploration and prototyping of the most promising Well-being interventions (Legatum, What Works Network)


https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/136227/What_Works_publication.pdf






5. Build on Strengths - Growing what works: Accelerating the discovery, growth and cross-pollination of existing home-grown Well-Being practices across the MWCOG portfolio (Greenberg; CEPL-supported)


http://www.growingwellbeing.org.uk/index.htm




6. Equip Influencers- Equip MWCOG staff and local governments with learning experiences and tools to drive Well-Being-related innovations and collaborations including multi-disciplinary and inter-sectoral collaboration practices (CEPL supported)



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