STUDY Measuring Progress and Well-Being Achievements and Challenges of a New Global Movement CHRISTIAN KROLL October 2011 „ „ The current debate on measuring progress and well-being is rapidly gaining in im­portance throughout the world. Efforts to this end have the potential to bring about a real paradigm shift concerning what we as a society consider to be progress and how, as a consequence, we will shape how we live together. Case studies from vari­ous pioneering countries are presented here to highlight what has been achieved two years after the landmark Stiglitz et al. report, as well as what future challenges need to be addressed. „ „ In many countries national round tables are being conducted for the purpose of de­veloping new sets of indicators for measuring well-being. Indicators of this kind can provide citizens with more accurate information on progress in their country, and they offer decision-makers crucial guidance for policy action. „ „ In future, these indicator sets will need to be fed into national political debates by means of a properly thought-out communication strategy. Effective ways to achieve such an end, this report argues, include an annual»indicator-based State of the Un­ion address« by a senior politician, as well as Regulatory Impact Assessments with a focus on quality of life(QOL-RIA). „ „ If the initiatives portrayed in this study are pursued with continuous energy the ulti­mate reward would be a victory for evidence-based policymaking and the democratic culture in the form of more transparency and accountability.