Mandate
The Expert Group on Well-Being Measurement (EGWM) was established by the 55th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission to take forward the
recommendations of the beyond GDP
sprint 2023 (see decision 55/108 of the report). These recommendations are detailed in the background document to
the report of the United Nations Network of Economic Statisticians (Network) to the same session of the Commission.
Objectives
The EGWM aims to (a) deliver the Framework for Inclusive and Sustainable Wellbeing (FISW), meeting user needs and reflecting producer constraints,
(b) ensure the FISW has a clear conceptual framework which robustly presents data in a methodological fashion such that trade-offs and the wider impacts
of policy decisions become visible, (c) provide a headline dashboard for a state of the nation
perspective to inform decision-makers and the public
of the state of wellbeing for their community, and the impact their community has on others, (d) ensure the FISW presents a clear hierarchy and structure
to aide user navigation: not all data can or will be prioritized for the headline dashboard and (e) support the development of a comprehensive framework
for social and demographic statistics (which may develop into a System of Population and Social Statistics or similarly labelled document) in partnership
with the Friends of the Chair group on Social and Demographic Statistics; specifically through providing access and insights from the economic statistics
pillar, where there is overlap in the topics covered, and providing clarity on the demands for coherent social and demographic data, in terms of definitions
and measures, from the FISW.
The specific tasks of the EGWM are as follows:
- • To bring together diverse communities to review methods and synthesize a consensus opinion on the contents of the FISW, whilst recognizing the imperative of a streamlined set of metrics which best meet user need.
- • To prepare the draft chapters of the FISW for global consultation and finalize them for publication by incorporating the comments of the global consultation.
- • To commission, review and propose to the United Nations Statistical Commission a draft text of the FISW for consultation and endorsement.
- • To commission appropriate pilot compilation of statistics and data, from a diverse range of countries to fully explore suitability and feasibility. Pilot exercises which can demonstrate the capacity of national statistical offices with limited resources to deliver against the FISW should be prioritized.
- • To develop a communications strategy to aide uptake and appropriate usage of the data made available. User and producer interest is vital to secure access to well-informed resources with the required skills and knowledge to make this proposal a reality.