“…we will take the next step to develop Tasmania’s first Wellbeing Framework…we will engage with Tasmanians, and ensure their wellbeing priorities are Government priorities, supported by the right targets, measures, policies and services” – Jeremy Rockcliff, Premier of Tasmania
There is an important sequence in terms of goals and in terms of government action in regards to the wellbeing economy agenda and its implementation.
As shown in Figure 1 below, building a wellbeing economy is, of course, just the penultimate goal. The topmost objective is a context in which everyone can thrive and the natural world is cherished and protected: the needs of people and planet being met. The economy needs to be designed in a way that enables that.
In turn, an economy in service of people and planet requires that government incorporates wellbeing goals across the policy cycle, and harnesses policy instruments to shape the economy accordingly. Wellbeing in government is a necessary component of the wellbeing economy project, but not the same as it: it is part of attaining it, not a substitute for it.
As shown in Figure 2, bringing wellbeing into government itself has an important sequence:
As VicHealth explains, the wellbeing economy agenda requires integration into “every corner” of government decision making and supporting decision makers in government to take account of how policy impacts people and planet over the longer term. VicHealth suggests that doing so can help people and policymakers with: “Pursuing solutions that have holistic benefits for individuals and communities; Protecting our most marginalised people while also protecting the planet; Taking into account the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs; Addressing challenges that often fall between governmental departments.”
Similarly, the OECD is clear that that a wellbeing approach can support better policy-making by helping to: “1 Refocus policy actions on the outcomes that matter most to people and the most urgent priorities; 2 Redesign policies and programs taking a ‘triple win’ approach (well-being, sustainability and inclusion); 3 Realign policy and practice across government silos; 4 Reconnect people with the public (and private) institutions that support them.”
These mini-briefings look at the idea of a wellbeing economy, how it relates to other ideas for economic change, and what some of the core elements of a wellbeing economy are. They reflect on why Australia needs to build a wellbeing economy.
This series of ‘mini-briefings’ attempts to clarify terms and expressions and associated wellbeing economy ideas so that discussions can take place from a basis of shared understanding and language.
