What is Progress?

A Framework for Progress

Jon HallGlobal Project, OECD

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

What is Progress?• Many views …

“Is life getting better?”

What is Progress?• Many views …• But what is clear (to me) is

A. Progress is multidimensionalB. Progress means different things

to different people

Dimensions of ProgressHuman

wellbeing

Governance

Culture

Economy

Resource

demand

Human system

Ecosystem condition

EcosystemSource: Robert Prescott-Allen,

2008

Human System: Human Well-being

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

Human System: Culture

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

Human System: Economy and Governance

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

Ecosystem: Ecosystem Condition

Ecosystem: Ecosystem Condition

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

Resource Demand

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

Resource Demand

Sets of Indicators• If progress is multi dimensional and

means different things to different people then one must …

Provide a set of measuresAnd allow readers to apply their

own weights to form their own view

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

Trade-offs

Reinforcements

Progress: Objective and Subjective Components

• Objective components – longevity, income, air quality

The stuff we can measure exactly

Progress: Objective and Subjective Components

• Subjective components – fear, trust, happiness, life satisfaction

Must ask people how they feelBusiness ConfidenceSelf assessed health

Objective and Subjective Assessments Are

Important Level of Subjective well-being

high low

Objective living conditions

high well-being dissonance

low adaptation deprivation

Thank you