Embedding Progress is a report from the Centre for Policy Development that provides governments with a practical manual for how to achieve better outcomes for the people they serve.
Governments across the world have acknowledged that the fundamental purpose of government is to improve the wellbeing of its people, and are taking steps to embed wellbeing at the heart of policymaking. While significant progress has been made in some jurisdictions, as with most attempts at government structural reform, many others have not led to substantial change.
Drawing on in-depth interviews with public servants involved in past and current initiatives in Australia and across the globe, Embedding Progress identifies the essential components that make up an effective approach to transformational government change – change that is capable of putting the wellbeing of current and future generations at the centre of decisions.
It builds on CPD’s 2022 flagship report on wellbeing government, Redefining Progress, outlining concrete actions governments can take to embed a wellbeing approach across government institutions.
Embedding Progress identifies six principles that can guide governments wanting to work smarter to improve the lives of citizens:
Imagining a government that adopts these principles, the report makes 13 recommendations – practical actions that governments can take to ensure our systems are set up to put wellbeing at the heart of decision-making.
Countless indicators tell us that despite decades of economic growth, people’s wellbeing is in decline. A majority of Australians (76%) think wellbeing should be the top priority in government decision-making. And while most politicians and public servants genuinely want to improve the wellbeing of the people they represent, the reality is that countervailing forces – from the power of vested interests, to events or crises that divert attention from long-term strategies – often set back progress on even the best designed policies.
Embedding Progress is about strengthening the way governments work to withstand such forces, function more effectively, and ensure we truly move forward on improving quality of life for all people.
A government where wellbeing is embedded across its institutions will be one where departmental and ministerial remits are aligned with shared big-picture wellbeing goals. The incentives and accountabilities of leaders and senior officials will be aligned with these goals; and they will be judged (and rewarded) on their ability to work towards them. Public servants will have an internal culture that encourages long-term and whole-of-government thinking, and will take analytical approaches that reflect the complexity of the government’s business. This will be supported by up-to-date big-picture maps of government activity and spending; formal processes, costings, rules, and assessments that drive decision-making; and the right data and evidence to feed back into policymaking.
Instead of treating these components as separate, governments must see them as interconnected parts that interact to form a single big-picture approach to government decision-making.
Most government systems contain multiple barriers to changes in ways of working. In the case of Australia there are unique challenges – the division of revenue streams, jurisdictional powers, and the political and cultural relationships in the nation’s three-tiered system of government. But many jurisdictions share a strong recognition within government that their central systems need reform in order to foster better ways of working and better outcomes.
Despite these obstacles, change is not only possible but necessary if we are going to have governments and public services that can face the great challenges of the modern era, and bring about a sustainable future where the capacity to live a good life is available to all.
