• Summary
• Downloads
• Explanatory Notes
• Related Information
• Past Releases

APPENDIX 2 CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER INITIATIVES


CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT

The headline indicators form a core set of statistics for reporting on Australia's progress. However, the dimensions chosen or the indicators presented, may change over time. For example:

• Thinking may change about what is important to national progress
• There may be conceptual developments relating to one or more dimensions of progress (such as social cohesion)
• There may be statistical developments that allow the measurement of aspects of progress which currently do not exist.

OTHER INITIATIVES

There are a number of initiatives relating to measuring progress and wellbeing at the international, national and sub-national levels. A selection is mentioned below.

• The OECD World Forum on "Statistics, Knowledge and Policy" will be held in Istanbul in June 2007. The Forum will provide an opportunity for discussion on the measurement of progress, as well as other issues facing the world.
  
• A number of Australian State governments have developed indicator frameworks that reflect the priorities and goals of their citizens in terms of building a better society. The following describes a selection of this work:
  • Growing Victoria Together is a 10 year strategic plan beginning in 2001 and ending in 2010. It contains 10 goals which balance social, economic and environmental considerations.
  • Tasmania Together is a 20-year strategic plan (from 2001 to 2020) which contains 12 goals for Tasmania's long-term social, economic and environmental future.
  • South Australia's Strategic Plan, updated in 2007, focuses on six themes including Growing prosperity, Improving wellbeing, Attaining sustainability, Fostering creativity and innovation, Building communities and Expanding opportunity.
  • A New Direction for NSW State Plan, released in 2006, sets out five areas of activity for the New South Wales Government including Rights, respect and responsibility, Delivering better services, Fairness and opportunity, Growing prosperity across NSW, and Environment for living.
    
• The Australian Collaboration (a group of major peak bodies for national non-government organisations) recently produced the report: Which Direction? A review of monitoring and reporting in Australia.
  
• Statistics New Zealand's Monitoring Progress Towards a Sustainable New Zealand, released in 2002, provides a selection of information related to sustainable development.
  
• The UK Government launched a new Sustainable Development Strategy in March 2005, called "Securing the Future", which sets out the vision of sustainable development through to 2020. In 2006, data on the indicators were updated in Sustainable development indicators in your pocket 2006.
  
• In 2004 the USA's General Accounting Office, as part of their Key National Indicators Initiative, published a report called Informing Our Nation: Improving How to Understand and Assess the USA's Position and Progress.
  
• Ireland's Central Statistical Office produced Measuring Ireland's Progress in June 2006. The publication provides an analysis of the economic, social and environmental situation in Ireland.
  
• Other useful references are provided by the International Institute of Sustainable Development's website.