Do you have trouble demonstrating why your work is important? Do you want to connect your outcomes to big changes in how Vermont’s serves our people and protects our environment? Learn to measure what matters and work with people across the state to develop a new set of indicators for assuring the well-being of Vermont.
Measuring What Matters in Vermont takes place on Wednesday May 30th from 9 – 4 p.m. at UVM’s Davis Center in Burlington. The conference is presented by The Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, Gross National Happiness USA, and Common Good Vermont—partners in improving the sustainable well-being of Vermonters.
Register here: http://gnhusa12.eventbrite.com
Who’s Invited? This one-day conference is for citizens working for social change, government officials aiming to improve public policy, nonprofit leaders seeking to make the state a better place, researchers wanting to answer vexing social questions and funders looking for a meaningful return on their investments. We seek the broadest participation and collaboration possible.
What’s the Agenda? Plenary sessions will highlight the international and state-level work being done to improve and track our well-being with reports from the United Nations, the State of Vermont and innovative nonprofit partnerships. Collaborative working sessions, guided by case studies and structured exercise will inspire participants to think differently about the work they do and how they measure their impact. The Conference will establish a context for the work, including explanation of three current approaches for demonstrating well-being: the Genuine Progress Indicator set, the Gross National Happiness indicator set, and the methods and tools of Results Based Accountability.
Vermonters deserve a sturdy economy, a healthy environment, and vital communities. All three are necessary to attain the maximum level of sustainable well-being for us all. But we can’t get there without a blue-print. Momentum is building for a way forward. The Vermont State Legislature recently passed a new bill calling for new indicators to measure the delivered well-being of Vermonters. With the Vermont Genuine Progress Indicator, we have the opportunity to map new “dashboard” of indicators that tracks sustainable well-being–one that is widely accepted by policy makers and the public. Measuring What Matters in Vermont: Pathways to Sustainable Well-Being is an important statewide conference that moves us in this direction.
Register here: http://gnhusa12.eventbrite.com
Organizations working in each of the following domains are encouraged to attend:
1) PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING - Assesses the degree of satisfaction and optimism in individual life. The indicators analyze self-esteem, sense of competence, stress, spiritual activities, and the prevalence of positive and negative emotions.
2) HEALTH - Measures the effectiveness of health policies, with criteria such as self-rated health, disability, patterns of risk behavior, exercise, sleep, nutrition, etc.
3) USE OF TIME - The use of time is one of the most significant factors in quality of life, especially time for recreation and socializing with family and friends. A balanced management of time is evaluated, including time spent in traffic jams, at work, in educational activities, etc.
4) COMMUNITY VITALITY - Focuses on relationships and interactions in communities. Examines the level of confidence, the sense of belonging, the vitality of affectionate relationships, safety at home and in the community, and the practice of giving and volunteering.
5) EDUCATION - Takes into account several factors such as participation in formal and informal education, development of skills and capabilities, involvement in children’s education, values education, environmental education, etc.
6) CULTURE - Evaluates local traditions, festivals, core values, participation in cultural events, opportunities to develop artistic skills, and discrimination due to religion, race or gender.
7) ENVIRONMENT - Measures the perception of citizens about the quality of their water, air, soil, forest cover, biodiversity, etc. The indicators include access to green areas, system of waste management, etc.
8 ) GOVERNANCE – Assesses how the population views the government, the media, the judiciary, the electoral system, and the police, in terms of responsibility, honesty and transparency. It also measures involvement of citizens in community decisions and political processes.
9) STANDARD OF LIVING – Evaluates individual and family income, financial security, the level of debt, employment security, the quality of housing, etc.
Register here: http://gnhusa12.eventbrite.com
AGENDA
8:30 a.m. – Registration and coffee
9:00 a.m. – Welcome and Global Context: Linda Wheatley, Gross National Happiness USA & Report from UN Meeting, Well-Being and Happiness, Azur Moulart
9:15 a.m. – Plenary Session: New State of Measuring Vermont’s Well-Being : Exciting New Ways
Vermont Genuine Progress Indicator, Vermont Data Committee, BBVT, GNH Wellbeing and Happiness
- VT Genuine Progress Indicator and GPI Plus – Jon Erickson, Eric Zencey – 10 minutes
- VT State Data Initiatives: Governor’s Dashboard, Agency of Human Services and Department of Health Dashboard – 20 minutes
- Benchmarks for a Better Vermont: Kate Jellema & Anne Lezak – 10 minutes
- Gross National Happiness and Well-Being: Paula Francis – 10 minutes
Q& A – 30 minutes
- Vermont as a Lab: Tom Barefoot (Charge to the Break out Groups) – 10 minutes – Now we are going to give you a chance to see these in action. Provide concrete examples, case studies (first hour) and concrete exercises for brainstorming with like minded people for people to discern how to apply it back home (second hour).
11:00 a.m. – Break
11:15 a.m. – Break Out Session 1: Case Studies: Indicators of Nine Domains of Sustainable Well-Being – How Does Your Work Connect? How do you see your organization approaching these new sets of measures?Participants select working groups of interest to them in order to start to work with new tools.
12:30 – Lunch
1:30 p.m. – Break Out Session 2: Structured exercise for participants to brainstorm and develop their own working indicators. Small working groups with facilitator – visioning Vermont’s Data futures
GPI DATA TRACK – Working Session 1:30 – 4:45 Building the Vermont Data Working Group for the Genuine Progress Indicator and Beyond.
2:45 p.m. - Break
3 p.m. – Report Outs and Closing Session ( 5 minutes each)
4 p.m. – Conference Closes
