In May 2022, there was a change in government in Australia. The change in government has come with a renewed focus on civil society. One example of this is the October 2022-23 Budget, which began the conversation on how Australia might better measure what matters. The consultation process was open to all Australians, and took place between October 2022 and January 2023.

This is a positive and clear signal that the government is committed to measuring what matters to improve the lives of all Australians. Measuring what matters will help them better understand our economy and society while informing policy making.

The Australian government and state and territory governments publish many indicators in reports, agreements and dashboards. These publications support decision making and accountability for particular policy areas. Yet, Australia does not have a national framework or central set of indicators to complement the existing reporting and track overall progress.

Several other countries have developed ways to measure progress and well-being. The OECD Framework for Measuring Well-being and Progress is well known and the inspiration for many countries’ approaches. While the OECD is a good starting point for thinking about Australia, it has limitations in data and coverage.

SIMNA welcomed the opportunity to contribute to this important conversation. We commend the Government in taking steps towards a wellbeing budget, and we encourage further progress to ensure that this endeavour reflects the Principles of Social Value and results in meaningful, actionable information that advances the quality of life of all people living in Australia.

You can read our full submission here. Many thanks to all the SIMNA members who contributed to this submission. We look forward to the release of the Government’s new stand‑alone Measuring What Matters Statement later this year.