New report maps best practice approaches to wellbeing

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Wellbeing should be embedded throughout government decision-making, and there should be independent oversight to ensure it remains on course, a new report examining approaches from 21 jurisdictions has found. 

Redefining progress: Global lessons for an Australian approach to wellbeing examined wellbeing approaches by governments across four continents, including Australia, since the 1970s. 

The Centre for Policy Development study said a crucial first step for successful wellbeing policies was to ensure central agencies such as Treasury and PM&C offered support and action for the cause. 

The report added this should be reinforced by frameworks to guide public officials in decision-making to ensure momentum is maintained. 

CPD’s Dr Cressida Gaukroger said Australia was well-positioned to launch its wellbeing pathway from a firm global evidence base.

“Governments from across the political spectrum and in diverse places around the world are working in new ways to design policy, metrics, and budgets that shape an economy that meets the needs of people and planet: a wellbeing economy,” Gaukroger said. 

“The first thing to know is that we need better tools to measure and change the things that matter most. We need to upgrade the hand-drawn map to a GPS.”

The CPD report said it was necessary to have mechanisms in place to ensure key wellbeing milestones were reached, underscoring the need for reporting to the government at regular intervals and with independent oversight.

In Gaukroger’s view, this will require better tools to measure wellbeing and change issues impacting on wellbeing. 

“ We need to upgrade the hand-drawn map to a GPS/ But that’s the tool, it’s not the journey.,” Gaukroger said. 

“This research shows how we can stay on course by embedding wellbeing explicitly throughout public decision-making, putting people and communities in charge of their own path forward, and ensuring decision-makers are accountable to the path we have chosen.” 

Recent polling work undertaken by CPD this year showed most Australians considered wellbeing as the guiding purpose of government.

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