Wellbeing economy monitor: December 2023 update

9. Technical Annex

This annex explains the criteria for determining whether each indicator is improving, maintaining or worsening. For those indicators drawn from the National Performance Framework, the criteria are the same as those used in that context.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Criteria:The most important part of the evaluation is based on a comparison of the percentage reductions in emissions achieved from the Baseline with the percentage reductions in emissions required in that year, on a trajectory to meet the 100 per cent reduction in emission required by 2045.

The year-on-year evaluation is based on a comparison of the percentage reduction in emissions achieved in the latest year against the percentage reductions in emissions required under legislation in the latest year compared to the previous year.

• If the percentage reduction in emissions exceeds the reduction required in the latest year, relative to the previous year, it suggests that performance is improving.
• If the target, for instance as a result of previous years' performance, is in fact achieved but the latest year indicates a lower annual percentage reduction than required under legislation compared to the previous year, then performance will be considered to be maintaining.
• If the target for the latest year is not achieved and the percentage reductions are less than the emissions reductions required for that year, this suggests that performance is worsening.

Biodiversity: marine and terrestrial

Criteria: The performance for this indicator is assigned based on the performance of all three measures:

• If one or more measures are decreasing, then a performance worsening is assigned.
• If one measure or more measures is increasing whilst any other(s) is(are) stable, a performance improving is assigned.
• Otherwise, a performance maintaining is assigned.

In order to determine whether the individual measures are increasing, decreasing, or stable, the symmetrical thresholds below are used. If the recent change in the figure is less than the value of this threshold, performance is considered to be stable.

• Index of abundance of marine species: 5 per cent
• Index of abundance of terrestrial species: 6 per cent
• Index of occupancy of terrestrial species: 1 per cent

Low educational attainment

Criteria:

• Any difference within +/- 0.7 percentage points of last year's figure suggests that the performance is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change.
• A decrease of 0.7 percentage points or more suggests the performance is improving.
• An increase of 0.7 percentage points or more suggests the position is worsening.

Active travel

Criteria: The performance is assigned based on the performance of both the cycling and the walking measures.

• If both measures are increasing, then a performance improving is assigned.
• If one measure is increasing whilst the other is maintaining, a performance improving is assigned.
• If both measures are decreasing a performance worsening is assigned.
• If one measure is decreasing whilst the other is maintaining, a performance worsening is assigned.
• If both measures are maintaining, a performance maintaining is assigned.
• If one measure is increasing whilst the other is decreasing, then a performance maintaining is assigned.

In order to determine whether the individual cycling and walking measures are increasing, decreasing, or maintaining, the symmetrical thresholds below are used. If the recent change in the figure is less than the value of this threshold, performance is considered to be 'maintaining'.

Performance thresholds:

• % of journeys under 2 miles made by walking: 1.5 percentage points
• % of journeys under 5 miles made by cycling: 0.5 percentage points

Preventable deaths

Criteria:

• Any difference in the percentage within +/- 2 percent of last year's figure suggests that the performance is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change.
• A decrease of 2 percent or more suggests the performance is improving
• An increase of 2 percent or more suggests the performance is worsening.

Child poverty

Criteria:

• Performance is improving if the indicator decreases for three periods in a row by at least 1 percentage point each period.
• Performance is worsening if the indicator increases for three periods in a row by at least 1 percentage point each period.
• Otherwise, performance is maintaining.

Relative poverty after housing costs

Criteria:

• Performance is improving if the indicator decreases for three periods in a row by at least 1 percentage point each period.
• Performance is worsening if the indicator increases for three periods in a row by at least 1 percentage point each period.
• Otherwise, performance is maintaining.

Gender pay gap

Criteria:

• Any difference within +/- 1.5 percentage points of last year's figure suggests that the performance is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change.
• A decrease of 1.5 percentage points or more suggests the performance is improving.
• An increase of 1.5 percentage points or more suggests the performance is worsening.

Young people's participation

Criteria:

• Any difference within +/- 1 percentage point of last year's figure suggests that the performance is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change.
• An increase of 1 percentage points or more suggests the performance is improving.
• A decrease of 1 percentage points or more suggests the performance is worsening.

Investment

Criteria:

• Any difference within +/- 1 percentage point of last year's figure suggests that the performance is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change.
• A decrease of 1 percentage point or more suggests the performance is worsening.
• An increase of 1 percentage point or more suggests the performance is improving.

Income inequality

Criteria:

• Performance is improving if the indicator decreases for three periods in a row by at least 1 percentage point each period.
• Performance is worsening if the indicator increases for three periods in a row by at least 1 percentage point each period.
• Otherwise, performance is maintaining.

Wealth inequality

Criteria:

• Performance is improving if the indicator decreases for two two-year periods in a row by at least 2 percentage points each period.
• Performance is worsening if the indicator increases for two two-year periods in a row by at least 2 percentage points each period.
• Elsewise, performance is maintaining.

Community ownership

Criteria:

• Any difference in the series within +/- 3 percent of last year's figure suggests that the performance is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change.
• An increase of 3 percent or more suggests the performance is improving
• A decrease of 3 percent or more suggests the performance is worsening.

Employees (18+) earning below the real living wage

Criteria:

• Any difference within +/- 1.5 percentage points of last year's figure suggests that the performance is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change.
• A decrease of 1.5 percentage points or more suggests the performance is improving.
• An increase of 1.5 percentage points or more suggests the performance is worsening.