Values Based Indicators and the WeValues Toolkit

Submitted by Jason Maude on 16. December 2010 - 19:27

This is a summary of a talk given by Marie Harder.

The WeValues approach has been tried in many different areas over the past year including 50 different CSOs, businesses and other orginisations.  Many different indicators are getting measured.  Although values are different between different cultures, orginisations etc the list of indicators is remarkably universal.  \for example equality is a value, there are many things that can be used as an indicator of this value (are woman are able to express their opinion for example).  After you have determined the indicators you then have to work out how to measure them.  At this point many people would say you can't measure it, but you have to be creative in developing assesment tools.

No one can tell you what values are important for you. You have to define it for yourself. Indicators can be used for different values.  15 months were spent out in field collecting values indicators beliefs etc from orginisations.  6 values were chosen.  116 indicators we developed for these values.  Even within the same country values have many different meanings for many different people.  The indicators are much more universal.

An example of where these values have been applied is at the Echeri Children's Group in Mexico.  They choose 2 values and from that 22 indicators.  They used various techniques to measure their values such as painting and word elicitation, focus groups, theatrical presentations etc.  Previous measures used werethose such as the number of children planting trees and the number of trees planted.  Now they also measure gender equality, emotional connection to nature, exmpowerment etc.

The Haagen Daaz effect is the effect where something isn't measured because people have never thought about measuring it before.  If you start measuring things they improve.  Values and indicators are taken from a framework but are adapted to the orginisation.  The framework can currently be used in CSOs and sustainable development projects but it is moving to develop businesses, faith groups and (excitingly) possibly into wider society.