dr. joachim h. spangenberg, brussels, jan. 26th, 2012 page 1 civil society in progress indicator...

Dr. Joachim H. Spangenberg, Brussels, Jan. 26th, 2012

Civil Society in Progress Indicator Choice Processes

Challenges regardingChallenges regardingcivil society participationcivil society participation

in the process of choosing progress indicatorsin the process of choosing progress indicators

GDP on the road to Rio+20GDP on the road to Rio+20Implication of civil society in the development of Implication of civil society in the development of complementary indicatorscomplementary indicatorsJanuary26th, 2011, EESC, Brussels

Dr. Joachim H. SpangenbergResearch Coordinator, SERI Germany eV



What are indicators?• Indicators are toolstools for monitoring. They don‘t

define targetstargets but are derived from them. At best, they measure the distance to target. This way they are monitoring progressprogress.

• In each reporting system “Indicators for “Indicators for what?“ what?“ is a political questionpolitical question, not a technical one.

• Indicators must be indicative (right themes)indicative (right themes), , robust, sensitive and robust, sensitive and resonant (strike a chord, be resonant (strike a chord, be spontaneously meaningful). spontaneously meaningful). The latter points are experienced by citizens;



Progress?



What is progress?• Progress is subjectiveProgress is subjective, the assessment based

on individual preferences and collective cultural norms.

• Progress is multidimensionalProgress is multidimensional, with potentially contradictory trends.

• It cannot be aggregatedIt cannot be aggregated, and even less so expressed oin monetary terms as this would imply substitutability: Wealth is not welfare Wealth is not welfare is not well-beingis not well-being



Sustainable ProductionSustainable Production

Sustainable ConsumptionSustainable Consumption

Factors contributing to the quality of life

Source: J.H.Spangenberg



• Individually and collectively, through preferences, norms and habits.

It‘s the stakeholders who decide what is progress



Who are the stakeholders?

• Those who are affected Those who are affected by politics for progress.• For a nation state, or the EU, For a nation state, or the EU, that is the inhabitants.• In a sustainability context, requiring integration and

delineationdelineation, it includes non-human nature, distant neighbours distant neighbours and future generations future generations.

• Both usually have no voice on the choice, if not represented by NGOs speaking on their (assumed) NGOs speaking on their (assumed) behalf, and advocating the public good.behalf, and advocating the public good.



What can they contribute?• Defining dimensions and characteristics of

progress,e.g. sustainable developmentprogress,e.g. sustainable development;• Selecting indicators describing the betterment betterment of

the situation.• Qualitative factors, monitoring not only what monitoring not only what

has been done but also howhas been done but also how, are decisive for public perception and policy supportpublic perception and policy support. Public participation is the best way to find them – both experts and administrators tend to hold non-average sensitivities and preferences.



What is their feedback?• Lay people see if the indicator really addresses

their concerns (indicativeindicative), if it reacts when they experience a trend to the better or worse (sensitivesensitive), and if the way the message is expressed resonates with them (resonantresonant);

• Public participation enhances the credibility enhances the credibility of the messages conveyed by the indicators to the public at large.

• Indicators can help specify policy feedback from the electorate to the elected.



NGOs can be partners in governance, providing expertise and information no government has, building a bridge between administration and the public.


Civil Society in Progress Indicator Choice Processes …and indirectly?„New research has explored how well different

gover-nance systems can achieve desirable conservation outcomes.

Results confirmed the importance of adaptive managementadaptive management, which relies relies on on regularregular monitoring to enable monitoring to enable ‘learning through doing’ to refine ‘learning through doing’ to refine actionsactions, and suggested that leadershipleadership using expert knowledge expert knowledge was also significant in successful governance.“



How does citizen involvement work?

• Public hearingsPublic hearings: every-body can participate, but few will.

• Focus groupsFocus groups: selected but often more representative

• Advisory boards, Advisory boards, Commissions, Commissions, CommitteesCommittees: competent representatives



What are the limits?In policy monitoring indicators observe• if decisionsdecisions to take measures have been taken• if measuresmeasures have been effectively implemented• if the implementation was successful

remedyingremedying the initial problem.Each level requires specific information and

knowledge. Citizens are best at the latter level.NGOs commanding expertise can monitor all three

provided transparency of decision making.



What can/can‘t they contribute?



What do they monitor?• Citizens experience if adaptation to change

was successful.• They experience of the restoration of the

state has happened.• Civil society has its own cost-benefit

assessments of the measures taken.• Identifying effective mitigation and effective mitigation and

prevention prevention requires special knowledge, even scientific expertise, which some NGOs can some NGOs can mobilise, but not the public at large.



Consensus Consensus Civil society can be a Civil society can be a dissonant chorus in dissonant chorus in and between and between countries.countries.Within countries, Within countries, interests and power interests and power relations play a key relations play a key role.role.In the US, for the rich In the US, for the rich 1% public debt is the 1% public debt is the key concern. For the key concern. For the 99% it is 99% it is unemployment.unemployment.

What can‘t they contribute?

Participation doesn’t doesn’t replacereplace political responsibility!



Dr. Joachim H. SpangenbergDr. Joachim H. SpangenbergSustainable Europe Research Institute SERI Deutschland, Köln, GermanyProfesseur invite, Université de Versailles St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, [email protected]

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention

dr. joachim h. spangenberg, brussels, jan. 26th, 2012 page 1 civil society in progress indicator...

Documents

spangenberg slide

characteristics of progress

progress indicators

civil society participation

implication of civil

wellbeing slide

public perception

seri germany ev slide