A toolkit to progress

wellbeing economy approaches

in Australia
Report prepared for the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth)
by Dr Alexandra Jones and Chelsea Hunnisett, The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW, Sydney

vichealth.vic.gov.au
Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which this
report was written. We pay our respect to all Elders past, present and emerging and recognise that
our Elders are the knowledge holders of our lands, waterways and communities.

The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of members of the Advisory Committee
of this project: Ben Latham (Victorian Council of Social Service), Dr Julieann Coombes (The
George Institute for Global Health), Dr Kate Hunter (The George Institute for Global Health), Libby
Buckingham (Victorian Council of Social Service) and Michael Salvaris (Australian National
Development Index). The authors would also like to acknowledge additional contributions from
staff at The George Institute for Global Health: Keziah Bennett-Brook, Professor Bruce Neal, Professor
Simone Pettigrew and Georgia Morelli.

The authors would also like to acknowledge participants for their invaluable contributions to this
project and report.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 2

Table of
contents
Acknowledgements 2
Executive summary 4
Why take a wellbeing economy approach? 6
Developing this toolkit 8
Developing a wellbeing vision, framework and measurements 9
Designing a wellbeing economy strategy 16
Assessing and selecting wellbeing economy policies 19
Implementing wellbeing economy policies 22
Evaluating policy impacts on wellbeing 25
Next steps and further resources 28
References 30

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 3

Executive
summary
“ ..wellbeing is a holistic
concept that unites the
health, economic, social,
cultural and environmental
dimensions of the
sustainable development
agenda..”

This toolkit has been created to support Australian policymakers to

build healthier, more just and more sustainable economies for people
and the planet. It builds upon the work of global thought leaders,
including the Wellbeing Economies Alliance (WEAll), the Organization
for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and the World
Health Organization (WHO), as well as individual country case studies,
to provide practical guidance for governments to accelerate visionary
action in Australia.

Around the world, governments and international the way our governments are structured and our
organisations are moving beyond Gross Domestic expectations of them. This means that developing a
Product (GDP) as a primary marker of progress Wellbeing Economy is not simply about developing
and instead embracing new, broader metrics that new metrics and tools to measure wellbeing but
account for social and environmental progress about governments actively using them to inform
alongside economic growth. There has been government priorities and policymaking.
increased interest in ‘beyond GDP’ initiatives from
a variety of stakeholders, but critically, this shift A growing number of examples of Wellbeing
has elevated action by a number of governments Economies worldwide demonstrate that there is
to transform economic systems in countries such no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach for governments to
as New Zealand and Wales towards a ‘Wellbeing achieve this change. Accepting this reality, the aim
Economy’. of this toolkit is not to prescribe a specific policy
necessary to build a Wellbeing Economy in Australia.
Used in this context, wellbeing is a holistic concept Rather, we draw upon international and Australian
that unites the health, economic, social, cultural examples to explore how to strengthen existing
and environmental dimensions of the sustainable policies or develop new ones that support the shift
development agenda, forming a political construct towards a Wellbeing Economy approach.
that blends the health and quality of life of people
and communities with concepts of equity and The aim is to provide practical suggestions without
planetary sustainability. A Wellbeing Economy is being overly prescriptive, allowing processes
one that is designed with the purpose of serving the and ideas to be aligned with the unique context
collective wellbeing of people and the planet, first of different Australian jurisdictions and for
and foremost; in doing so, it aims to deliver social further consideration to be given to the cultural
justice on a healthy planet. appropriateness of tools developed elsewhere to
Australian communities. We hope that this guide can
Our current economic thinking has determined provide a starting point for Australian policymakers
not only our measurements of progress but also interested in building a Wellbeing Economy to draw
inspiration and consider relevant processes that can
support them along the way.
A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 4
This toolkit has adapted the approach of the WEAll It also recognises that policymaking rarely occurs
Policy Design Guide for the Australian context to in a neat, sequential process such that there are
include legislation, frameworks and indicators, continuous feedback loops and interconnections
community engagement guides, case studies and between the stages outlined above. This is not a
other resources and suggestions to help Australian toolkit created for use by policymakers in isolation.
policymakers to: Rather, they must create spaces where information
from these feedback loops and new connections
1. Develop a wellbeing vision, framework can be integrated into policy as it develops. As the
and measurements Wellbeing Economy movement is still emergent, we
also acknowledge that the policies and processes
2. Design a strategy to foster the areas of highlighted will continue to evolve and develop with
economic life most important for our ongoing policy experimentation. Nevertheless, we
wellbeing hope this toolkit provides a useful starting point for
accelerating action by Australian governments.
3. Assess and co-create Wellbeing
Economy policies to build a coherent
and innovative policy mix
4. Successfully implement Wellbeing
Economy policies by empowering local
stakeholders and communities
5. Evaluate policy impacts on wellbeing
for learning, adaptation and success

Meaningful participation and holistic thinking are

fundamental features of a Wellbeing Economy and
the process of moving towards one. This toolkit
recognises that all outcomes must be co-created
with communities and stakeholders who hold the
insights needed to design an economy that aligns
with their values and objectives. This includes
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and
communities and other First Nations leaders.

The toolkit also recognises that concepts and

indicators of wellbeing must be culturally relevant
and responsive. For example, cultural indicators
specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people, such as caring for and connection to
Country; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways
of knowing, being and doing; language; family;
kinship; community; lore; relationality and self-
determination, are central to Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples’ wellbeing.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 5

Why take a wellbeing
economy approach?
As Australia enters 2022, many of us are wondering what our ‘new
normal’ will be. We’ve seen how some people have been hit harder by
the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19 and how fragile
some of our systems to support these people are. The profits of many
major corporations have continued to rise, while people who were
already doing it tough have had to go without food and other essentials.

Beyond the pandemic, the global climate crisis has resources. It recognises and understands the critical
deepened further. The recent Intergovernmental significance of First Nations’ knowledge in caring
Panel on Climate Change reported that global land for Country and social and cultural connection. It
surface temperatures are set to surpass 1.5C above promotes responsibility by decision makers to meet
pre-industrial averages by 2030. This means an the needs of present Australians without comprising
increase in the severity and frequency of extreme the ability of future generations to continue to thrive.
weather events, including bushfires and floods,
that are already impacting the livelihoods of an Australia would not be the first to embrace this
increasing number of Australians. It also means an concept – there are a growing number of examples
increase in rates of chronic diseases like stroke, heart from other countries that we can draw upon to
and respiratory conditions coupled with increases in demonstrate the feasibility of developing wellbeing
zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 and Ross River fever. metrics and tools, setting wellbeing priorities
It means increases in early mortality that will impact and goals and, ultimately, shifting government
people facing the greatest barriers to wellbeing, policymaking processes and budgets to actively
including children, young people, the elderly and First work towards wellbeing impact.
Nations people.
We hope you will find this toolkit useful in
The twin challenges of COVID-19 and climate change experimenting and co-creating solutions and
reveal the cracks in our current short-term, siloed policies that can support you and your communities
approach to government policymaking. Long-term to align your economies with your visions for a better
vision and ambitious action must be on the table if world.
we’re serious about building back better.

Enter the concept of a Wellbeing Economy.

A Wellbeing Economy moves beyond economic

growth as a sole marker of progress. It considers
the long-term impact of policy on people’s lives
and pursues solutions that have holistic benefits for
individuals, communities and society.

A Wellbeing Economy reorients and reorganises

traditional economic practices to support quality
of life. It moves beyond the tyranny of GDP as the
sole measure of progress to account for things that
really matter: our physical and mental health, the
resilience of our environment, the cohesiveness of
our communities and how fairly economic wealth is
distributed in our society. It aims to protect our most
marginalised while also protecting the planet’s finite

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 6

 Glossary of key terms

We recognise that some terms in this space are defined or used differently by different actors
and that there are ongoing calls to develop a ‘common language’1. For the purposes of this
report, we draw the following plain language definitions from those used by the Wellbeing
Economies Alliance2.

Economy:
the way we provide for one another’s wants and needs
Economics:
refers to what we decide the purpose of an economy should be and comprises the models and
theories people have created and chosen to use to deliver this purpose
Wellbeing Economy:
an economy that is designed with the purpose of serving the wellbeing of people and the planet,
first and foremost; in doing so, it delivers social justice on a healthy planet
Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
the total monetary or market value of all the finished goods and services produced within a
country’s borders in a specific time period. GDP fails to account for the positive or negative
effects created in the process of production and development, which are key to a thriving society
and planet
Economic Policy:
policy interventions that aim to influence economic behaviour towards the achievement of
societal goals
Wellbeing Economy Policy Design:
policy design that takes a holistic, collaborative and iterative approach, inviting stakeholders
into the process at all stages, collaborating across normally siloed sectors or departments
and repeating steps to ensure that input is received from all constituencies to build a just and
sustainable economy.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 7

Developing this toolkit
The George Institute were commissioned by VicHealth to provide
a toolkit of available resources that would enable Australian
governments to progress a wellbeing economy approach.

To inform the scope of our search, we adopted To supplement government documentation, we

WEAll’s definition of a Wellbeing Economy as ‘an used the WEAll website and suggestions provided
economy that is designed with the purpose of by interviewees in an earlier phase of this work to
serving the wellbeing of people and the planet first identify leading intergovernmental, civil society and
and foremost; in doing so, it delivers social justice research organisations working on policy change
on a healthy planet’. We then looked for resources in this area. We Google searched websites of these
that could be used by governments to develop, organisations to identify further relevant tools for
implement and evaluate policies that pursue this governments working on the shift towards Wellbeing
purpose. Economies. These organisations included:
• Australian National Development Index
We took a broad view of ‘tools’, including but not
Limited (ANDI)
limited to legislation, frameworks and indicators,
governance models, policy design guides, case • Australian Social Value Bank
studies and capacity-building resources. To identify
• New Economy Network Australia (NENA)
relevant tools, we conducted targeted searches
of government websites and grey literature. We • Organization for Economic Co-operation
used the Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) and Development (OECD)
partnership website to find governments that self-
identified as implementing a Wellbeing Economy • World Health Organization (WHO)
approach and then searched the government • Doughnut Economics Action Lab
websites of these countries for key policy documents
and other tools of utility to Australian governments. • ZOE Institute for Future-Fit Economies
These governments include: (Netherlands)

• Canada We adapted the framework used by WEAll in the

• Wales Global Wellbeing Economy Policy Design Guide to
organise and group the tools identified. The tools
• Iceland presented are not intended to be an exhaustive
list of all resources available but were selected
• New Zealand
to reflect different policy options and highlight
• Scotland policies and processes most relevant to Australian
policymakers. Where applicable, we also provide
• Iceland
examples of current work underway in Australia that
• Finland could be furthered in pursuit of a Wellbeing Economy
approach.

Importantly, we note that the limited timeline and

scope of the current project has not yet allowed a
systematic critical appraisal of each tool to assess
factors such as cultural appropriateness or the
extent to which they involved sufficient community
engagement. We believe that this is an important
next step within this program of work in Australia.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 8

Developing a wellbeing
vision, framework and
measurements “ A Wellbeing Vision
cannot be imposed; it
must be co-created with
communities. This requires
meaningful engagement
with communities to
understand what matters..”

Adopting a Wellbeing Economy approach begins with setting a

different vision of progress2. This means moving away from purely
economic indicators such as GDP, which have led us to focus on
fostering economic growth, regardless of whether or not it leads to
improvements in collective wellbeing.

Around the world and in some parts of Australia, determine the quality of our lives on this planet.
governments are now experimenting with more
holistic and longer-term visions of progress so that A Wellbeing Vision cannot be imposed; it must
collective wellbeing becomes the ultimate measure be co-created with communities. This requires
of economic success. Additionally, for decades, First meaningful engagement with communities to
Nations peoples have been calling for culturally understand what matters for their wellbeing now
appropriate indicators to measure and report on and for generations to come2.
wellbeing. In these approaches to wellbeing, wealth
becomes only one indicator of wellbeing, alongside WEAll suggest three policy processes that can
a wide variety of other health, social, cultural and support governments to develop a Wellbeing Vision:
environmental factors. 1) understanding what matters for wellbeing, 2)
crafting and communicating the Wellbeing Vision
Taking wealth as the main indicator of progress and 3) measuring wellbeing2.
has become embedded in our culture and has
influenced how we view our own capacities, Below we set out relevant principles and tools for
relationships and purpose. Changing this requires Australian governments to explore these processes,
expanding our understanding of the economy, its with the aim of developing a medium- to long-
relationship to holistic wellbeing and our notion of term Wellbeing Vision towards which society and
progress to encompass a wide range of factors that governments can work.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 9

 1. Understanding what matters for wellbeing

The purpose of this step is to understand what matters for personal, collective and future wellbeing, as a
basis for building an economy that delivers this.

There is no single way to understand wellbeing. Some governments have used conceptual frameworks
based on research, while others have conducted large, public consultations. The process of community
engagement is critical, both as a process and as an outcome. It facilitates communication, trust and
empowerment for further participation in the transformative journey ahead.

A wide range of techniques can be used, including community forums, citizens’ assemblies, town meetings,
focus groups, surveys and deliberative polling. For further specific tips, see WEAll’s Policy Design Guide.

Case studies and resources for establishing what matters

What matters for quality of life in the Australian Capital Territory?

In 2019, the ACT’s Chief Minister initiated a wellbeing project that commenced with a significant
process of community consultation that asked for three key areas of input: (1) the community
provided feedback on what they felt was most important to their own, their family’s and
their community’s quality of life; (2) academia contributed information on best practice
from interstate and international communities; and (3) government provided feedback on
possible wellbeing measures and how they could be factored into government planning, policy
development and program funding. Consultation over eight months included community
roundtables, surveys, face-to-face meetings, workshops and discussions, written submissions
and promotional activities. Despite the challenges of consultation during COVID-19, concerted
efforts were made to connect with sections of the community not usually engaged in the policy
process. The consultation was used to inform development of the ACT’s Wellbeing Framework
(see further below).

South Australia: State of Wellbeing

South Australia’s early thought leadership in the wellbeing area can be traced to its former
Adelaide Thinker in Residence program and recommendations made by global health scholar,
Professor Illona Kickbusch, in 2007–08 and positive psychologist, Professor Martin Seligman, in
2013. From these recommendations, the South Australian government responded with a ‘State
of Wellbeing’ Change@SA 90 day project, which drew together key stakeholders to contribute to
the development of an agreed description and position on wellbeing in the SA context. The work
was informed by a survey of 540 citizens on what contributed to wellbeing. The resulting State of
Wellbeing Statement was launched in 2017 by then-Premier Jay Weatherall and was intended to
guide future work.

The Australian National Development Index project: what matters for Australia’s progress
In 2017, the University of Melbourne and the Australian National Development Index entered a
long-term agreement to develop an ongoing national index of Australia’s progress, wellbeing
and sustainability. The first phase of the index development in 2018–19 included a program to
pilot indexes in health and education and a pilot national community engagement program.
When fully developed, this community program will aim to engage Australians across the nation
in addressing the question, ‘What kind of Australia do we want?’ The results will inform future
work towards the development of an overall index with domains and indicators for discussing,
defining, measuring and promoting national progress. Drawing on this pilot work, ANDI is
currently working with the community and government of Western Australia and the University
of WA on the development of a five-year project for a full-scale Western Australian Development
Index designed to build wellbeing more directly into the government.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 10

 Wales: The Wales We Want
In 2014, Wales launched a two-year conversation led by Cynnal Cymru (the leading sustainable
development organisation in Wales), the Welsh Government and the former Commission for
Future Generations, Peter Davies, with the support of Welsh actor, Michael Sheen. In the first year,
‘The Wales We Want’ discussion included 20 events, three launch events and 150 recruited Future
Champions that resulted in almost 1,000 responses in the form of reports, videos, postcards,
drawings and surveys. The approach of placing people at the heart of the conversation and
establishing a network of Future Champions (key champions and influencers representing
different geographical areas and communities of interest) proved vital in helping people to
relate to the campaign.

Building Better Futures Toolkit

The Doughnut Economics Building Better Futures Toolkit includes five participatory activities
designed to stretch the shared imagination of what is possible in the future, support
communities to identify a preferred future, make plans to work towards that future and identify
potential challenges and opportunities. The overall aim is to develop a set of practical steps that
can be taken towards this preferred future. This toolkit is useful for voluntary and community
groups, businesses and governments to engage the community and create a wellbeing vision
that is as representative as possible and brings in voices that are not always heard.

Towards a wellbeing approach to consumer policy in Australia

In 2021, the Consumer Policy Research Centre in Victoria produced a two-part report that offers
local insights for policymakers on changing the expectations and experiences of Australian
consumers, as well as what market governance might look like when a wellbeing approach is
applied. Part One explores the impact of COVID-19 on Australian consumers and the urgent need
for a consumer-centric approach to rebuilding and resetting policy design to improve consumer
outcomes. Part Two applies wellbeing concepts to measure what matters to consumers, drawing
upon international and local developments in measuring wellbeing.

First Nations wellbeing

First Nations researchers have been developing measures of wellbeing and how wellbeing is
linked to connection to culture. One such example is the Mayi Kuwayu study, which was created
by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and asks what culture means to create an
understanding of how culture affects wellbeing, including health outcomes within Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities. The study takes a strengths-based approach and looks at
how strengths may be used to overcome the impacts of colonisation and help to ensure ongoing
resilience and connection to Country, people and culture. Mayi Kuwayu is a powerful response to
community concerns about the lack of understanding of the importance of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander culture.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 11

 2. Crafting and communicating the Wellbeing Vision

The purpose of this step is to craft and communicate a clear and tangible vision of progress,
focused on wellbeing priorities2.

Wellbeing is a holistic concept that unifies a variety of health, economic, social, environmental
and democratic outcomes into a shared vision for the future. This means that the results of
Step 1 are likely to identify a wide range of values, processes and outcomes provided by citizens
that they believe matter for wellbeing. These need to be organised and prioritised into a clear
Wellbeing Vision. This step is necessary to unify diverse stakeholders to focus on wellbeing
outcomes rather than economic growth and to shift the view of government as stewards of the
economy towards stewards of social and ecological wellbeing.

To articulate the Wellbeing Vision, governments may organise priority wellbeing outcomes
into thematic areas as a ‘wellbeing framework’, which may be communicated visually through
infographics or through vision statements for the future.

Public engagement in developing the Vision can take time but can also support its acceptance
and dissemination. It is important to establish that the vision is a shared one. It is particularly
important that it gives adequate weight to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wisdom and
perspectives on wellbeing and encapsulates the wellbeing priorities of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander groups.

Embracing First Nations wisdom and perspectives on wellbeing

and our relationship to the earth

Within the NSW Treasury, the Aboriginal Economic Wellbeing Branch is working on investment
frameworks that attempt to better incorporate what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people value into economic evaluation. This work reframes what economic prosperity is from
an Aboriginal perspective, which aligns more with holistic conceptions of ‘wellbeing’ than
neoclassical economics. The Aboriginal Economic Wellbeing Branch was established to aid
the NSW Government’s meeting National Agreement commitments of Closing the Gap and
was informed by the Productivity Commission’s Indigenous Evaluation Strategy. The work,
recognising a lack of culturally relevant measures of economic prosperity in NSW, has developed
a conceptual framework in consultation with Aboriginal communities, organisations, academics
and businesses across NSW. While this work still needs to be assessed for best practice, it does
highlight that more of this work needs to be done and that monitoring and evaluation should be
a core component of implementation.

Interpretations of wellbeing in New Zealand

policymaking have been strongly shaped
by the Māori holistic model of health,
te whare tapa whā. This model was
developed by Sir Mason Durie in 1984 to
provide a Māori perspective and has five
dimensions, visually represented in the
diagram below. Four walls are supported
by a foundation of connection to whenua
(land). By nurturing and strengthening all
five dimensions, you support your health
and wellbeing, as well as the health and
wellbeing of your whānau. This holistic
approach, including connection to land,
has informed New Zealand’s consideration
of environmental sustainability and Figure: The Māori Holistic Model of Health,
te whare tapa whā.
planetary health in its wellbeing economy
agenda.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 12

 Case studies and resources for establishing what matters

The Australian National Development Index

Using a set of social, health, economic and environmental factors, the Australian National
Development Index (ANDI) has 12 domains that provide a complete picture of national wellbeing.
These domains were developed through community consultation with half a million Australians
on what matters and a holistic, integrated approach to measuring wellbeing. Central to the
ANDI approach is the recognition that by first defining what wellbeing is and how we measure it,
a comprehensive tool can be developed that provides a concrete embodiment of a ‘wellbeing
vision’, with progress measures calibrated against clear goals.

The Australian Capital Territory’s

Wellbeing Framework
The Canberra Wellbeing Framework
(2020) introduces 12 thematic areas
or ‘domains’, developed through their
community consultation process in
2019–20. The ACT Government uses
the framework to inform government
priorities, policies and investment
decisions, including through Budget
and Cabinet processes. The framework
is the foundation of deeper structural
change in the ACT Government,
transforming decision making and Figure: The 12 ACT Domains and their
measurement. Relationship with the Personal Wellbeing Index

Tasmania Statement
The Tasmania Statement (2021) is a commitment from the Tasmanian Government and
Premier’s Health and Wellbeing Advisory Council to a Wellbeing Vision for Tasmania. They
commit to collaboration on long-term solutions to address the social and economic factors
that influence health. The statement pledges that the government will involve the community in
decision making, will work across the government and with the business sector, consider future
generations in decision making and measure progress towards wellbeing. Originally signed in
2019, the statement has now been updated to directly reference the impact of climate change
and poverty on wellbeing.

NZ Living Standards Framework

The New Zealand Living Standards Framework (LSF), updated in October 2021, is a flexible
framework that prompts government thinking about the drivers of wellbeing and the broader
policy impacts across the different dimensions of wellbeing, with an emphasis on long-term
and intergenerational implications. An extensive period of consultation was used to determine
community values. The LSF captures outcomes across three levels: individual and collective
wellbeing (health, engagement and housing), institutions and governance (civil society, families
and markets) and the wealth of Aotearoa New Zealand (natural environment, social cohesion,
financial and physical capital and human capability). The LSF incorporates the most important
concepts of the New Zealand Wellbeing Vision at a high level and provides the foundation for
other policies in New Zealand’s wellbeing package.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 13

 Case studies and resources for establishing what matters cont.

The OECD’s thought leadership

The OECD has played a pivotal role in helping countries craft their Wellbeing Vision. One of
its major founding initiatives was a 2009 Report by the Commission on the Measurement of
Economic Performance and Social Progress, led by Jean-Paul Fitoussi and Nobel laureates
Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen, and commissioned by the former French president, Nicholas
Sarkozy. It recommended the development of wellbeing and sustainability indicators to guide
policy, making 12 recommendations for measuring economic and social performance, including
the need for multiple indicators or a ‘dashboard’ approach to measuring wellbeing. More
recently, the OECD has developed a guide to crafting a Wellbeing Vision framework. The guide
is built around three components: current wellbeing, inequalities in wellbeing outcomes and
resources for future wellbeing.

Support for a holistic wellbeing vision from the health promotion

The 2021 Geneva Charter For Well-being is an outcome of WHO’s 10th Global Conference on
Health Promotion, representing discussion and agreement of key global health players on the
urgency of creating sustainable wellbeing societies. The charter defines wellbeing societies
as those that provide the foundations for all members of current and future generations to
thrive on a healthy planet, no matter where they live, and frames the movement towards
wellbeing societies as a kind of ‘21st century health promotion’ response. The document may be
particularly useful to government representatives from the health sector in advocating for their
own agencies to adopt a broad conception of ‘wellbeing’ that includes not only holistic notions
of human health but also incorporates social and environmental justice and intergenerational
equity.

The Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by United Nations Member States in 2015
and represent a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The goals
recognise that strategies to end poverty must go hand in hand with strategies for improving
health, education and economic growth whilst tackling climate change. Many countries with
wellbeing approaches now explicitly incorporate the SDGs when designing their wellbeing
priorities and objectives. As they contain wellbeing for people and planet at their core, the goals
are a building block for all policies in a wellbeing approach.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 14

 3. Measuring wellbeing

It is necessary to measure and assess Existing wellbeing measurements that could be

wellbeing over time to support effective policy adapted include:
development2.
• OECD material on measuring
wellbeing and progress
To support the movement beyond GDP,
it is necessary to develop new wellbeing • New Zealand Wellbeing Indicators
measurements. Developing wellbeing indicators
• Wales National Wellbeing Indicators
can promote understanding of current levels
of wellbeing and track performance over time. • Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
Given the multi-dimensional nature of wellbeing indicators
determinants, measurements should help
policymakers to understand synergies and trade- • Australian National Development
offs between dimensions. Effectively measuring Index Domain Wheel
wellbeing allows a government to look at how • Moving Forward on Well-being
society, as a whole, is progressing across various (Quality of Life) Measures in Canada
wellbeing dimensions, rather than using economic
indicators as a proxy for wellbeing or focusing on Other guides to developing wellbeing
specific areas at the expense of others. Wellbeing measurements include:
measurements can employ both qualitative
and quantitative methods to find appropriate • Measuring wellbeing inequalities how-
indicators, noting that wellbeing priorities are to guide (What Works Wellbeing, 2017)
often multi-dimensional and subjective. • Implementing the SDGs in Australia
(Western Sydney University, 2020)
Wellbeing indicators can be developed by
governments by adapting one of numerous • Measuring the Wellbeing Economy:
existing metrics/indices or developing their How to go beyond GDP (WeALL, 2020)
own. In 2020, WEAll published a strong case for
governments not to develop additional new
indicators, instead arguing for a movement
towards globally harmonised indicators to support
widespread acceptance of key concepts in order
to compete with the longstanding dominance
of GDP3. Adaptation of wellbeing indicators can
be supported by the generation of local data,
public discussions and expert forums within your
jurisdiction across socio-economic and culturally
diverse communities, including Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities, to ensure
that the indicators chosen are fit-for-purpose to
meet the unique values and priorities of your local
context.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 15

Designing a
wellbeing economy
strategy “ ..a shift from older
forms of ‘deficit-based’
economic strategy
design that focused
on the need for
external investment,
technology or skills..”

Designing a Wellbeing Economy strategy requires developing a theory

of change that outlines the concrete changes in the economy required
to achieve your wellbeing goals2. This may be a gradual process
that requires abandoning elements of old economic thinking and
embracing new understandings of the economy as embedded within
our society and environment.

Within this phase, relevant processes highlighted One example of identifying ‘essential’ economic
by WEAll include 1) identifying Wellbeing Economy activities was clearly illustrated in governmental
activities and behaviours, 2) aligning institutions and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, including
stakeholders for wellbeing and 3) managing trade- in Australia. The ability of policymakers to quickly
offs and power dynamics. identify ‘essential’ economic activities that needed
to continue operating during lockdown shows
an intuitive understanding of the activities most
important for maintaining collective wellbeing.
1. Identifying Wellbeing Economy
While the exact list differed by jurisdiction, they
activities and behaviours included things such as healthcare, energy,
education, childcare, water, agriculture and
The purpose of this step is to identify economic food production, transportation and delivery,
activities and behaviours that directly serve the critical retail and trades and government- and
future you are trying to create and which activities community-based services. To promote long-
and behaviours actively work against it in the long term wellbeing, the challenge is to consider those
term. activities most important for future wellbeing as
well and create strategies that support these
This is a shift from older forms of ‘deficit-based’ activities in way that promotes equity.
economic strategy design that focused on the
need for external investment, technology or skills For more tips on this step, see the WeALL Policy
as a way of fostering economic development. Design Guide and the Aboriginal Economic
Instead, a Wellbeing Economy can adopt a Prosperity Outcomes Framework.
‘strengths-based’ approach to identify those
factors already contributing positively to wellbeing
as a starting point for what to foster and where to
prioritise policy efforts.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 16

 Failure demand: counting the true costs of an unjust and
unsustainable economic system

In pursuit of economic growth, harm can be caused to people and planet. Governments then
need to spend money to respond to these harms and widening economic inequalities, creating
a cycle of paying to fix what we continue to break, known as ‘failure demand’. In 2021, WeALL
published a new report on failure demand that includes case study calculations of current
expenditure in specific sectors in Scotland and Canada and compares this with potential
spending in a Wellbeing Economy model. This method may be useful for Australian policymakers
building data-driven arguments for the shift towards a Wellbeing Economy approach.

2. Aligning institutions and stakeholders WEAll identifies the following tips for governments
for wellbeing in this process:
• Ensure wide-spread government
The purpose of this step is to empower involvement (across levels and
stakeholders and align institutions to jointly
departments) early in the process
achieve priority wellbeing outcomes.
so that all agencies have a clear
understanding of the priority wellbeing
For governments, it is of critical importance
to consider how to best align government goals and lead in coordinating efforts
departments and local authorities to work in accordance with their mandates.
together (rather than in silos) to achieve • Develop a multi-stakeholder and
priority wellbeing outcomes. At the same time, intergovernmental committee to
government activities should allow space for other support and coordinate strategy
stakeholders to contribute to the achievement of development.
wellbeing goals as well. This requires adjusting
government systems and structures to encourage • Present the achievement of the
a joined-up and co-creative approach to Wellbeing Vision as a medium- to
developing strategies and delivering public long-term initiative that transcends
services to achieve wellbeing goals2. political administrations, to promote
continuity.

Examples of multi-sectoral governance for wellbeing in Australia

The Tasmanian Health and Wellbeing Advisory Council (the Council) has been established to
provide advice on cross-sector and collaborative approaches to improving the health and
wellbeing of Tasmanians. The Council’s vision is for Tasmania to be the healthiest population by
2025. The Council sits within the Policy Division of the Department of Premier and Cabinet and is
made up of individuals with a strong interest in preventive health policy. In 2021, the Tasmanian
Premier and Deputy Premier joined with the Chair of the Council to sign an updated Tasmania
Statement that provides a Wellbeing Vision for that state. Beyond generating this high-level
commitment, action by the Council over the past three years has focused on three areas:
providing leadership and strategic advice to Premier and government that build the case for
prevention; fostering a Health in All Policies approach and appropriate governance models to
sustain this approach in Tasmania; and raising awareness of and support for preventive health.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 17

 3. Managing trade-offs and power dynamics

In order for certain activities and behaviours to flourish, others will need to decline. Managing
trade-offs in a strategic and democratic manner is necessary to ensure a just transition to a
Wellbeing Economy.

Engaging with a wide range of stakeholders is critical for governments to understand and
appreciate the connections within complex economic systems and to understand and justify
why particular shifts are necessary. Enquiries at this step can be guided by consideration of who
holds the power in the current system and what stands in the way of a Wellbeing Economy. It
will be necessary to be clear about trade-offs between priorities and how you will enable a just
transition for anyone who will lose out.

This is particularly important in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts, where challenges
of trust between government and community continue to undermine policy development
and implementation. In order for holistic wellbeing to be embodied in economic policy, power
structures will need to shift, and trust must be put into the hands of community to enact self-
determination, i.e. to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are able to
meet their social, cultural and economic needs.

For more guidance on this step, see the WeALL Policy Design Guide.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 18

Assessing and
selecting wellbeing
economy policies
Transformation of systems rarely occurs from the introduction of a
single policy but rather through a series of reforms that redefine rights
and responsibilities and encourage certain activities and behaviours
relative to others2.

Governments have a range of policy tools that Key tips from WEAll relevant to Australian
they can use to influence the shape and form of policymakers at this step include:
the economy. These include legislation, providing
• Develop an inventory of policy
incentives or disincentives for certain activities,
instruments from across agencies
information campaigns and public provision of
and levels of government, organise
goods and services.
based on their alignment with
wellbeing goals and identify policies
Working towards a Wellbeing Economy involves 1)
that are cross-cutting.
assessing and reforming existing policies and 2) co-
creating new policy initiatives. • Move beyond traditional ‘cost-
benefit’ analysis to assess policies in
terms of their contribution to current
1. Assessing and reforming existing policies and future wellbeing, using multi-
criteria or value-based assessments.
Before developing new policies and programs, it
• Evaluate regulations alongside
is important to assess the alignment of existing
power assessments and consider if
policies with any wellbeing strategy and goals. The
they are protecting the rights of the
process of re-aligning policies can inform which
most disadvantaged or only the most
existing policies need to be phased out, adjusted
powerful in society.
or expanded to support wellbeing goals. Adjusting
existing policies first also supports efficient use of
Additionally, it is critical that any assessment
public resources.
and reform of existing policies that impact upon
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’
wellbeing must engage with community
aspirations and understandings of wellbeing.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 19

 Opportunities to further existing Australian policies

Expanding cost-benefit analysis frameworks

• In the ACT, a Wellbeing Impact Assessment (WIA) is now used in conjunction with
the ACT Wellbeing Framework to help the ACT government with decision making
based on a fuller understanding of the impacts of proposals, including both benefits
and trade-offs. WIAs are being rolled out in Cabinet and Budget processes.
• In NSW, the Treasury uses cost-benefit analysis tools for all capital expenditure
tools over $10 million to analyse reductions and benefits to social welfare when
considering the merits of different policy options. In this process, social welfare and
social wellbeing are used almost interchangeably. The CBA process replaces what
was previously referred to as ‘economic appraisal’ and undoubtedly goes broader
to include environmental and social impacts as well as economic impacts on
social welfare. CBA still aims to quantify costs and benefits in monetary terms but
also allows new techniques, including wellbeing valuation, which uses econometric
methods to estimate impact on overall life satisfaction where this is not possible.
Treasury has also established an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing
Branch to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander concepts of prosperity
into economic policy.

Expanding work under state ‘Health and Wellbeing’ Acts

• Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 requires a Public Health and
Wellbeing Plan to be prepared by state government and local councils every four
years. The 2019–2023 Plan maintained a commitment to long-term public health
outcomes and incorporated a priority of tackling climate change and its impact
on health for the first time. The Act does not contain a definition of wellbeing but
broadens the remit of work undertaken to address broader determinants of health
and has enabled cross-sectoral collaboration.
• Queensland’s Health and Wellbeing Queensland Act 2019 established a health
promotion agency, ‘Health and Wellbeing Queensland’. Whilst neither the Act nor
agency defines wellbeing, the term has, in practice, been used to direct focus to
initiatives that target risk factors for chronic diseases and reduce health inequity,
including work in preventive health, mental health and initiatives that enable
underprivileged community members to connect with music and arts. To date, the
agency has not worked on broader issues of social justice or ecological wellbeing
that extend beyond the health sector.
• In both cases, there may be potential to extend work emanating from the health
sector at a state level by adopting more recently outlined and holistic definitions
of wellbeing, such as that in the 2021 Geneva Charter for Well-being from the 10th
Global Conference on Health Promotion (outlined above).

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 20

 2. Co-creating new policy initiatives

Ultimately, the goal is to work towards co-creating

new and innovative economic policies that
support current and future wellbeing. Providing
space for stakeholders to meaningfully engage in
developing new policy initiatives takes advantage
of expertise and lived experience in societies and
enhances the level of trust that people have in
government.

Co-creation can be supported by techniques such

as community forums, citizens’ assemblies, inter-
governmental policy forums, deliberative policy
development, public policy conferences and
research on international best practice.

It is important for governments to make special

efforts to empower those who have been
historically marginalised in policy areas to co-
create initiatives (e.g. engage the homeless in
housing policy and prisoners in prison reform).

Policy development guides and reports that

include detailed case studies include:
• A Guide to Outcomes Focused Policy
Making, Scottish Government, 2021
• Wellbeing Economy Policy Design
Guide, WEAll, 2020
• International Examples of a Wellbeing
Approach in Practice, ZOE Institute for
Future-fit Economies, 2020
• Towards Developing WHO’s Agenda on
Well-being, WHO, 2021

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 21

Implementing
wellbeing economy
policies
“ ..governments can face
challenges when it comes
to effectively implementing
a Wellbeing Economy
approach..”

Like other policy areas, governments can face challenges when it

comes to effectively implementing a Wellbeing Economy approach,
with potential gaps between what was planned and what happens on
the ground. These challenges can be mitigated by engaging relevant
stakeholders throughout the strategy and policy design process so
that they have a clear understanding of the logic and purpose behind
reforms and can effectively tailor them to their context2.

While the shape and form of implementation will

depend on the specific context of the jurisdiction,
WEAll have identified processes that can support
effective implementation.

These include empowering localized policy

implementation and participatory monitoring of
implementation. For more information on these
processes, see the WEAll Policy Design Guide.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 22

 Global thought leaders in wellbeing economy policies

Wales
The Well-being of Future Generations Act was adopted in 2015 and is the result of a long process
of working to integrate a sustainable development approach into Welsh policymaking, including
the process of public consultation, ‘The Wales We Want’, outlined above. The Act embeds
structural changes in government decision making by requiring all public bodies to comply
with seven wellbeing goals and five ways of working whilst carrying out their duties. It also
establishes an independent Future Generations Commissioner to hold government to account
on action and sets a range of national wellbeing indicators to be reported against regularly. This
legislative tool reflects a whole-of-government commitment to deeper structural change and
embeds a wellbeing agenda within every process and decision of all bodies and organisations
in the country. It is useful to governments in progressing a wellbeing approach by providing an
example of both a cultural and practical shift in government and society, bringing all sectors
together through a cohesive framework.

New Zealand
The Wellbeing Budget was introduced in May 2019 and firmly grounds the wellbeing agenda in
the resource allocation and budgeting process. While relatively recent, the Wellbeing Budget
builds upon many years of prior work within the Treasury to develop the Living Standards
Framework that underpins it. All budget proposals must be assessed on the difference they
would make across a range of economic, social, environmental and cultural considerations.
This assessment is assisted by a new cost-benefit analysis tool (CBAx), which allows public-
sector agencies to calculate the value and impact of wellbeing policies. This process is now
enshrined in the Public Finance (Wellbeing) Amendment Act 2020, which requires all future
governments to report annually on wellbeing objectives in the Budget, and requires the Treasury
to report periodically on the state of wellbeing in their Wellbeing Reports. Additionally, the Local
Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Act 2019 places responsibility upon local
governments to determine whether activities in their communities promote the social, economic,
environmental and cultural wellbeing of the community. Their coordination of the public
service response to local wellbeing needs means that the broader wellbeing objectives can be
experienced in practice.

Scotland
The National Performance Framework sets out 11 national outcomes that reflect a localised
version of the SDGs, including inclusive and resilient communities, a sustainable economy and
healthy and active citizens. Using the framework, the Scottish Government works with local
government and Community Planning Partnerships to help meet national outcomes and tracks
progress on the national indicators. This is a whole-of-government initiative, developed in
collaboration with public and private sectors, organisations, businesses and communities. It
had cross-party support in the Scottish Government. The Framework is an important foundation
in Scotland’s wellbeing approach, as it identifies priorities, sets up a mechanism of tracking
progress towards those priorities and starts the conversation around wellbeing in diverse sectors
of society. With the addition of the Community Empowerment Act 2015, the framework has
gained the force and longevity required for sustainable change to Scotland’s wellbeing. The Act
requires ministers to continue the approach of setting national outcomes after a consultation
period with communities and Parliament. They must also have regard to reducing inequalities.
Public authorities and organisations that carry out public functions must have regard to national
outcomes in carrying out their functions.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 23

 Global thought leaders in wellbeing economy policies cont.

Iceland
Work in Iceland on wellbeing started by focusing on measurement, collecting baseline data
from 2007. When the economic collapse happened in 2008, they had baseline data that enabled
assessment of the impact of the economic crisis on people and communities and the human
impact of the overreliance on economic metrics. The government subsequently took the
opportunity to reprioritise. Iceland’s 39 indicators of wellbeing cover social, environmental and
economic categories, with all indicators explicitly linked to the SDGs. Iceland conducts monthly
surveys to collect representative wellbeing data, which enables the government to respond in
near real time to emerging conditions, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, to shape the
response.

Ireland
The Irish Programme for Government 2020 includes a commitment to develop new measures of
wellbeing that are intended to be used in a systematic way across government policymaking
at local and national levels in setting budget priorities, evaluating programmes and reporting
progress. Prior to this, Ireland had equality and green budgeting measures for some time. Initial
reports on work towards the wellbeing framework have been published, and in October 2021, the
government launched a public conversation on the Framework to create awareness and gain
community feedback.

France
In 2021, the French Government published its first ‘Green Budget’ as an annex to the 2021 Finance
Bill. This builds upon France’s commitment to integrate ‘green’ tools into the budget process
and builds upon methods developed by government agencies. France is one of an increasing
number of countries that have conducted experiments to evaluate budget investments
according to ecological impact, but the Green Budget is the most comprehensive to date. It
creates the transparency necessary to monitor the green transition and allows assessment of
the consistency of public spending with a government’s environmental and climate targets4.

Canada
The government of Canada is currently working to better incorporate quality-of-life
measurements into decision making and budgeting based on international best practice,
expert engagement, evidence on what shapes wellbeing and public opinion research on what
matters to Canadians. In 2021, Canada’s Department of Finance published ‘Measuring what
matters: toward a quality of life strategy for Canada’, which uses ‘quality of life’ as a synonym
for wellbeing, and Statistics Canada published a significant paper on ‘Moving forward on well-
being (quality of life) measures in Canada’. These Canadian efforts provide examples of work
undertaken to engage Indigenous peoples and perspectives into this process. As this project
develops, the Canadian government is considering ways to incorporate the framework and
quality-of-life data into government decision making.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 24

Evaluating policy
impacts on wellbeing
We will only know whether policies have improved wellbeing after
they have been in place for some time. Evaluations throughout the
policy-design process help to identify interconnections, impacts and
changes in wellbeing, as well as unexpected barriers and accelerators
of change2.

In evaluating policy impacts on wellbeing, WEAll Among the tips proposed by WEAll, those of most
recommend 1) regularly assessing wellbeing relevance to Australian governments include:
and 2) identifying best practices and lessons for
• Publish regular wellbeing
improvement.
assessments in the form of reports
and engage the media and
1. Wellbeing assessments communities in discussions on
progress made (see Scotland).
It is necessary to monitor wellbeing over time • Use the intervention logic or theory
and identify any shifts and changes. Regular of change developed in Stage 2 to
assessments can also help governments to identify specific concrete targets and
communicate progress in terms of changes impact indicators that can help to
in wellbeing, which will be important in shifting monitor shifts at all levels.
popular narratives and old ways of economic
thinking. • Ensure a monitoring and evaluation
plan is considered at the beginning
Evaluations of wellbeing can be conducted and throughout policy design
throughout the policy process to inform strategy, to develop a structured plan for
policies and implementation. It is critical that data collection, engagements and
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples coordination.
must lead wellbeing assessments of policies • Identify areas where more wellbeing
that impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander information or data is needed to
communities. inform policy making processes in
the future and build this learning into
future planning.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 25

 Evaluation resources and case studies

OECD’s ‘How’s Life?’ report

This report is part of the OECD Better Life Initiative, which aims to promote ‘Better Policies for
Better Lives’, in line with the OECD’s overarching mission. It is a statistical report released every
two to three years that documents a wide range of wellbeing outcomes and how they vary over
time, between population groups and across countries. This assessment is based on a multi-
dimensional framework covering 11 dimensions of current wellbeing and four different types of
systemic resources that help to support wellbeing over time. In 2020, the OECD published the fifth
edition of How’s Life? to chart whether life is getting better for people in 37 OECD countries and
four partner countries and presents the latest evidence from an updated set of over 80 wellbeing
indicators. Publicly available data that underpins the report may provide a useful benchmark
for Australian policymakers to compare measurements of wellbeing in Australia to other OECD
countries.

Australian Social Value Bank Calculator

The Australian Social Value Bank is a bank of social values and a value calculator that can
be used by any group, organisation or professional to demonstrate social impact. The Bank
contains data on 63 different social values related to all aspects of Australian life, derived from
Australian datasets using a wellbeing valuation approach. Wellbeing valuation calculates both
primary benefits to individuals and secondary benefits to others (including cost savings to
governments via reduced welfare payments, for example).

Opportunities for the Western Australian Evaluation Framework

The Community Development Evaluation Framework and Toolkit, by the Local Government
Professionals Australia WA, is a guide to effective evaluation practices in the local government
context. Given that many wellbeing economy policies promote localised implementation, tools
such as this may be of use evaluating wellbeing policies and outcomes in a real-world, local
government context.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 26

 2. Identify best practice and lessons for improvement

Transforming the economy will take time and require ongoing experimentation, adaptation and
learning to establish what works and what doesn’t in your particular jurisdiction2.

Monitoring and evaluation are powerful tools to help showcase quick wins and progress on
wellbeing. Equally important is acknowledging policy failures to support continuous public dialogue
and refinement of goals to achieve wellbeing goals.

Continuous evaluations and discussions will provide valuable information to help improve both
policy impact and also methods of design and implementation. Sharing this information not only
with the communities impacted but also with the wider global community can create a bigger
impact.

Wales Commissioner for Future Generations

The Welsh Well-being of Future Generations Act established the post of Future Generations
Commissioner to safeguard the interests of future generations and support public bodies
in working towards wellbeing goals. The Commissioner can monitor, advocate, challenge
and review the work of public bodies, and the latter must take all reasonable steps to follow
the recommendations of the Commissioner. The current Commissioner is Ms Sophie Howe,
who has issued the following strategic plan for promoting government action on sustainable
development over her seven-year term.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 27

Next steps and
further resources
“ We hope that this toolkit
can help accelerate
action in Australia and has
provided practical ideas on
how to begin..”

This toolkit has explored some of the important considerations and

design processes for progressing a Wellbeing Economy in Australia,
but much work remains. The movement towards Wellbeing Economies
is still young. Rapid policy innovation provides inspiration and raises
questions about how to develop and use wellbeing indicators to
meaningfully transform our understanding of value, our economic
systems and our collective decision making.

We hope that this toolkit can help accelerate action Ongoing action research
in Australia and has provided practical ideas on how
to begin developing a Wellbeing Economy in your The George Institute for Global Health, VicHealth
own jurisdiction or community context. and VCOSS intend to continue our multi-phase
collaboration to progress a Wellbeing Economy
As a policymaker in this movement, your own approach in Australia. Please get in touch to let us
experiences, processes and tools will provide further know about your Wellbeing Economy policy design
resources to those that follow. Ongoing action activities in Australia to share any additional case
in this area will contribute to further discussions studies, tools or tips that can strengthen this toolkit in
and collaborations to explore and overcome the Australia and to receive updates about further work.
challenges in designing and implementing new and
innovative economic policies that can inspire and In 2021, the Centre for Policy Development
transform Australia. commenced a three-year research initiative
involving several components, including a global
scan of wellbeing approaches implemented
by governments, a roundtable to engage high-
level public servants at a state and federal
level and a dialogue between government and
non-governmental stakeholders to facilitate
conversations around framing and messaging
activity in this area to appeal to a variety of
audiences across the political divide.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 28

Networks that governments can join for peer Training courses in Australia
support
Building a Wellbeing Economy Course: run by NENA,
Wellbeing Economy Governments Partnership this is an eight-week professional development
(WEGo) is a collaboration of national and regional course with practice-based learning, collaboration
governments promoting the sharing of expertise and reflection on wellbeing economies. The course
and transferrable policy practices. The aims are includes over 21 expert speakers presenting on topics
to deepen their understanding and advance their including new economics concepts, universal basic
shared ambition of building wellbeing economies. incomes, housing affordability and sustainability,
renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and
New Economy Network of Australia (NENA) comprises creating systems change. It is intended to provide
individuals and organisations working to transform an introduction to wellbeing concepts and an
Australia’s economic system to one that priorities opportunity for collaboration and practice-based
ecological health and social justice. Its primary roles learning that can be applied to individual contexts.
are facilitating connections, building peer-to-peer The course would benefit all stakeholders involved
learning and using collective strategies to advocate in a wellbeing approach, including individuals,
for change, including through an annual conference. policymakers, organisations and community
NENA is now also recognised as the Wellbeing representatives.
Economic Alliance Australia Hub.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 29

References

Where tools and resources have been described in detail in the text, the
authors have provided relevant hyperlinks directly to these resources
in the relevant sections. In addition, we provide the following academic
references for key assertions made in the body of the report.

1. Birkjær M, Gamerdinger A. Why we need a common language for Wellbeing

Economy (WeALL Blog Series). 2021.
2. Wellbeing Economy Alliance. Wellbeing Economy Policy Design Guide: How to
design economic policies that put the wellbeing of people and the planet first.
2020.
3. Hoekstra R. Measuring the Wellbeing Economy: How to Go Beyond-GDP. 2020.
4. Siebert J, Bertram L, Dirth E, Hafele J, Castro E, Barth J. International Examples of
a Wellbeing Approach in Practice. Cologne; 2022.

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 30

A toolkit to progress wellbeing economy approaches in Australia 31
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© VicHealth 2022
July 2022
https://doi.org/10.37309/2022.PO1045

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