The Importance of the Process Barbara Iasiello Global Project, OECD.

The Importance of the Process

Barbara Iasiello Global Project, OECD

Progress It is up to a society to discuss what

progress means for them and what are the most important numbers to judge their progress.

This conversation should involve all sectors.

2

• Choose a concept…• …. and an audience.• Select key dimensions of progress and

why they are important.• Consultation at every stage.

The Process

Why can the process be useful?

1. It can lead to consensus built between different actors…

…and this, in turn, can lead to greater

understanding and trust between institutions.

Why can the process be useful?

2. Discussions between statisticians and the broader community can increase the understanding of statistics among users and increase the awareness of what data are most relevant to society within a statistics office.

Why can the process be useful?

3. Discussions about progress tend to engage a broad group of often influential people.

The benefit for statistics

Two important challenges for any statistician are:

A.Ensuring their output is relevant to the community they serve;

B. Promoting a greater understanding of the statistics they release.

The benefit for statistics

The involvement of statisticians in an initiative to measure progress can assist them with both challenges.

Indicators of progress should comprise the most important measures for a society.

The benefit

Building consensus is important… …it will increase trust in the

indicators and that they reflect real Progress.

Group Exercise

The President of the Slovak Republic has asked your group to develop

some composite indicators of progress in aspects of Slovakian life.

Your Job is to

Choose a concept related to progress that covers different dimensions – eg poverty, social cohesion, etc.

Discuss what specific aspects of Slovakian life need to be included in this concept.

Develop the specific indicators that need to be included to construct a composite measure.

Give a weight to each component indicator and justify your choice.

You have to

Prepare a five minutes presentation describing your indicator and how it

was constructed.

Good luck with your exercise!