Why the Dials on the Dashboard Matter

Abstract

This chapter looks at the state of well-being measurement, as well as measurement’s role in advancing both a well-being agenda and actual well-being outcomes. A shift is underway around the world to define and measure the conditions and outcomes of equitable well-being. From the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), economic and public health leaders are helping to promote an evidence-based understanding of human well-being. Global commissions charged with refining measures of progress have also advocated for the inclusion of well-being indicators. Ultimately, measurement has the potential to motivate and persuade people and institutions to act; it galvanizes people to address well-being across political divides; it helps capture and reflect on differences in well-being between populations, over time, and across places; it can drive narratives and discourse about well-being; and it can be used to establish accountability. The chapter then assesses what makes measures meaningful, how to interpret and use data to drive change, and the next steps for measuring well-being.