OECD
World
Forum
onon
Key
Indicators
OECD
World
Forum
Key
Indicators
Statistics,
Statistics,Knowledge
Knowledgeand
andPolicy
Policy
Palermo,
10-13
November
2004
Palermo,
10-13
November
2004
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
*
Measuring Social Capital
The experience of the Australian Bureau of
Statistics
Jon Hall
Project leader
Measuring Australia’s Progress
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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Measuring Social Capital: Overview

Why ABS became involved

The Australian scene

Work to date

Moves to consistency
National
International

Value of international co-operation?
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
*
Why ABS became involved

Australian Statistics Advisory Council (ASAC)
Advised ABS to become involved with social capital data
Highlighted recommendation in Annual Reports to Parliament

High level of interest in response to consultations
among researchers, community workers and organisations
in Commonwealth and State government departments;

Seen as important, but lacking, part of social
indicators of wellbeing - relevant to:
Strength and sustainability of regional communities;
Cross-cutting approaches to areas of concentrated disadvantage;
Health, education, employment, family functioning, sport and recreation, arts and
culture, housing, crime and justice;
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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The Australian scene - 1

National level
 Stronger Families and Communities Strategy
 Community Strengthening projects
 Parenting and relationship skills
 Mentoring and leadership projects
 Research - strength of communities, family functioning,
Longitudinal Survey of Australia's Children
 National Agenda for Early Childhood
 Supportive communities for children and child-raising one of its three dimensions
 Seven Supportive Community pilot programs managed by community organisations
 Sustainability of regional communities
 Evaluation of government policies/programs: satisfaction with
 Quality of services,
 Relationship with government: communication and access
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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The Australian scene - 2

State level
 Development of government/community relationships
 Involving communities in governance
 Tasmania Together,
 Growing Victoria Together
 Local community projects:
learning communities;
schools as community centres;
tenants’ management groups in public housing;
local community strengthening projects, building trust and capacity;
 Bringing resources together, e.g.
 university technical and analytic support for communities
 business/community partnerships
 Developing policies/applications building on networks and sense
of efficacy
public health and mental health,
family functioning,
cross-cutting approaches to local areas with multiple disadvantages.
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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Work to date 1
 Workgroup established July 2001, with objectives to:
 Describe social capital, relation to well-being, policy
applications
 Develop statistical framework
 Propose set of indicators
 Relate social capital to other concepts

e.g. social exclusion, social cohesion
 Describe and analyse data relevant to social capital
 In existing ABS surveys
 In other agencies’ collections: incl. administrative records)
 Produce information plan
 Develop implementation strategy
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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Work to date 2
 Development process
 1. Initial consultations
 2. Establishing need and purpose
 3. Framework development
 4. Choice of definition and reasons
 5. Indicator development and consultation
 6. Survey development and consultation
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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Survey development
 Social capital will be collected as a supplementary
topic on the General Social Survey (GSS), along with a
repeat of the Voluntary Work Survey.
 The GSS is a multi-topic survey, to provide a wide
range of variables for cross analysis, from many
dimensions of wellbeing
 Design and cognitive testing of social capital questions
in November/December 2004,
field tests June and December 2005,
final enumeration April-June 2006.
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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Data that might be collected in the 2006 GSS
Trust - generalised; in institutions
Sense of efficacy
Reciprocity
Active involvement in organisations by type
Group diversity
Individual or collective civic activities
Contact with family, friends
Ability to connect with government agencies
Support for community events
Voluntary work and informal assistance/care
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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GSS 2002 Data items related to Social Capital
Data items
Framework element
Feelings of safety alone at home during the day; after dark;
Trust
Ability to ask for small favours
Reciprocity
Type of social activity in last three months
Social participation
Perceived level of difficulty with transport
Social participation
Type of unpaid voluntary work in last 12 months
Community support
Labour force participation rate
Economic participation
Frequency of face to face contact with family/friends
Frequency, mode of contact
Frequency of telephone, email and mail contact with family and
friends
Frequency, mode of contact
Frequency and purpose of internet use at home
Frequency, mode of contact
Whether support in time of crisis, and source of support
Sharing support
Support for own or partner's children in another household
Sharing support
Support for other relatives in another household
Sharing support
Ability to raise $2,000 within a week
Sharing support
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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Moves to consistency – National

State government surveys with social capital module

Strong national data groups in some fields

ABS connections with collecting agencies, data groups.

Many agencies look to ABS work as a base for a common
approach.
 The ABS Framework and Indicators publication has been widely used.
 Development of the GSS social capital module will provide a model

Victorian state whole of government approach - 11 key
indicators

ABS already plans to use most of these 11 indicators

Problem for ABS that demand for co-ordination has raced
ahead of our development:
question design and testing for GSS will clarify our contribution
Testing by other agencies will also assist
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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Moves to consistency – International

Major international initiatives on social capital measurement
for policy application by World Bank, OECD, UK Office of
National Statistics, Statistics Canada and other participating
countries

The Siena Group has provided one forum for this work, but
will no longer be available

UN conference on social capital in Australia next year, 2005

ABS has participated in international discussions – may now
be in better position to do so, because intra-national direction
clearer
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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Value of international co-operation?







Relationships, values, and participation are common to
human experience
Each nation will have its own particular purposes and
emphases
Likely overlap in information collected – small common set
possible
In harmonisation process, differences of value - key to
understanding how issues differ in different countries
Deeper understanding of diverse patterns may indicate
best ways to achieve desired change
Networks vectors for both problems and solutions
Comparative data may suggest how far social capital is a
key to social and community wellbeing, either alone or in
conjunction with other resources
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
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