How Can Vermont Measure Progress and Success?

Nancy T. LynchExecutive Director

Peace and Justice Center, Burlington VTwww.pjcvt.org

Gross National Happiness Conference - Burlington, VT - June 3, 2010

Let’s Define Success

–A working definition:

Vermont is a state whose citizens have the opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency and shared prosperity.

The PJC’s Approach to Economic Justice

• The Basic Needs Budget and Vermont’s Livable Wage Campaign - 1997-present

• Food• Housing• Child care• Transportation• Health Care• Clothing• Household and personal expenses• Insurance

Council

on the

Future

of

Vermont

Vermonters

Value:

– Community• A shared feeling of belonging, acceptance and trust

– Independence• A desire to live independently, both politically and as a way of life

– Environment• A reverence for the land and committed stewardship for the

working landscape– Privacy

• As a personal right and as an expression of respect to others– Hard Work

• Rooted in our agrarian and industrial landscape– Small Scale

• A strength that comes when government, business and communities are accessible and personal

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Some Indicators of Success Should Be…

• Affordable Housing• Health Care• Good Governance• Green Jobs• Environmental Stewardship• Strong Local Economy– Preferential Purchasing/Buy Local Legislation

• Quality of Life• Good Jobs– Livable Wages– Paid Sick Days

What Should We Measure?A few examples:• Strong Local Economy

– Economic Development strategies– Amount of money being kept in Vermont

• Quality of Life– Access to health care– Child care; options and availability– Work/Life balance

• Affordable Housing– How much is available vs. needed

• Good Jobs– Paid Sick Days– Choice, in addition to livable wage

Before We Can Measure It…• Find a common definition of success• Bring together the best and brightest to design the

blueprint for success• Develop benchmarks to determine if you are on the

right track• Choose the right set of indicators - both objective and

subjective and decide the collection methods• Get legislative buy-in• Institutionalize it! Hold the government accountable—

and encourage private, public, non-profit and citizen collaboration to measure progress

The PJC’s Current Work…

• Phase 10 of the Job Gap StudyThree Parts:

Part 1: Economic Development RevisitedPart 2: The Leaky Bucket UpdatePart 3: Toward a New Economy

One City - One FutureA Blueprint for Growth That Works for all New

Yorkers

• A New Economic Development Framework– Create and maintain good jobs for a strong

economy– Make and keep housing affordable– Grow the city greener– Strengthen quality of life, neighborhood character

and diversity

OCOF Measurable Recommendations

Raising the Standards15 recommendations

(e.g., Guarantee Paid Sick Days)

Invest for Shared Growth24 recommendations

(e.g., Raise Wages)

Reform the Process14 recommendations

(e.g., Unified Economic Development Budget)

Toward a New Economy(How to achieve self-sufficiency and

shared prosperity for all Vermonters)• Find out what Vermonters value • Partner with those with the most expertise on

the subject (non-profits, businesses, economists, academia)

• Develop attainable goals based on best practice• Set benchmarks to measure positive movement• Introduce and integrate into public policy

Toward a New Economy Timeline

• Part 1- Released in Winter 2010– Economic Development revisited

• Part 2- Release in Summer/Early Fall 2010– Leaky Bucket revisited

• Part 3- Form Partnerships Summer of 2010– Meetings throughout the summer– Meeting on October 1 (collect data from partners)– Summit on November 18 (submit first draft to group)– December (make final revisions)– Introduce OVOF document in 2011 Legislative Session

A Sample Successful Model:The Basic Needs Budget

• PJC conducts research and produces report• Disseminates and educates• Gains support and buy-in

– Livable Wage becomes a household word• Institutionalize it

– The JFO conducts a bi-yearly review and update– In 2008, methodology was revisited and some minor changes were

made to the the categories (technology is added)• Stay Involved…Keep it going…

- Ellen Kahler is on the BNB Advisory Board• The results

– The cities of Burlington & Barre passed LW ordinances– Workers use it as a advocacy tool for fair wages– Many employers use the livable wage as a guide for employment

practices– The Legislature refers to the Basic Needs Budget in developing policy

How Can Vermont Measure Progress and Success?

Nancy T. LynchExecutive Director

Peace and Justice Center, Burlington VTwww.pjcvt.org

Gross National Happiness Conference - Burlington, VT - June 3, 2010