15 December 2016
A set of indicators to help measure whether progress is being made on important social, economic and environmental issues as part of the Island’s first long-term vision has been released.
The 58 Island Indicators will provide reliable information on what is being achieved and what needs attention on issues ranging from affordable housing to environmental protection.
Chief Minister Senator Ian Gorst said “The purpose of government is to help make a difference to our quality of life in Jersey and this is the driving force behind the development of the Island’s first shared, long-term vision. The indicators are the latest step towards shaping that vision and ensuring it becomes a reality.”
The long-term vision for Jersey will look ahead 20 years rather than just the term of any single States Assembly. The release of the indicators follows last month’s publication of the My Jersey consultation results, in which thousands of Islanders gave their views on what Jersey’s future should look like.
Discussion document
A discussion document to help shape the vision will be published in the New Year and will include the technical details of the indicators, Jersey’s current performance against each of them and where we could be heading in the future.
Assistant Director for Strategic Planning Dr Ian Skinner explained that the long-term vision will be based on ten Island Outcomes that reflect the social, economic and environmental issues by which people measure Jersey as a place to live, such as their safety, health and well-being, getting good jobs and the quality of their environment.
The 58 indicators lie beneath the outcomes and will help residents understand where Jersey is today, define what success may look like and monitor Jersey’s progress. For example, under the outcome of 'we give our children the best start in life’, the indicators will monitor:
- babies born at low birth weight
- breastfeeding rates
- school readiness
- educational achievement
- school leaver destinations
- work/ life balance
Dr Skinner said “The indicators will enable us to measure what change is being made and in which direction. They are vital yardsticks which will help us to ensure that the Island is working towards its long-term vision for the future.”
The indicators can be viewed for different sections of the population, such as the elderly and people from different income groups. For example, they could be used to look specifically at the safety and health of children and how many live in low income households.
As it develops, the long-term vision will need to consider the impact of big issues on the indicators, such as:
- an ageing population
- climate change
- global economics
- advances in technology
The challenge of population will also be addressed and a policy agreed that supports the vision.
Similar indicators have been used for the same purpose around the world and many of them are already measured locally. Each one will be supported by more detailed, underlying measures to help inform policy development and evaluation.
The full list of indicators is available to view on the Shaping Our Future website, together with the My Jersey public consultation results, which are helping to inform the long-term vision.
Shaping Our Future website
gov.je