Well-being and Public Policy

Ireland’s Well-being Framework for Ireland can be used as a tool for understanding the impact of specific policies, high-level challenges or systems.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has developed a policy analysis tool using the Well-being Framework for Ireland, which is described in detail below.

The continued development and promotion of such research tools using a well-being lens will be supported by individual Departments, NESC, IGEES and the Inter-Departmental Working Group on the Well-being Framework.

By promoting the use of the Well-being Framework in research and analysis, and through related initiatives to improve data over time across the system, the practical use of the Framework will be re-enforced. As evidenced internationally, fully developing a Well-being approach and related data improvements are considerable pieces of work, requiring significant time and resources, and are best approached in a phased manner.

A key benefit of a well-being perspective is the focus it brings to considering the impact of public policy on people’s lives. This focus encompasses not only efforts to describe people’s lives and the challenges they face, but also how public policy can enhance their ability to progress their lives and/or overcome those challenges.

The approach developed below examines the relationship between well-being and public policy by focussing on the strategic objectives alongside the results and impacts of policies and programmes.

For more detail on this approach, see Chapter 6 in Well-being and Public Policy Working Paper No. 1.

Ireland’s Well-being Framework has clear linkages with existing and emerging policies, strategies and initiatives across Government. Departments across Government are considering how to integrate a Well-being approach in future work. A Well-being approach includes initiatives that:

• acknowledge sustainable well-being as a policy goal,
• are focused on evidence and outcomes, and
• promote cross-Government work beyond traditional Departmental silos or policy areas.

Work will continue to support better outcome-focused data across Government. This includes encouraging Departments to develop, strengthen or formalise detailed frameworks or outcome-based indicator sets on specific policy areas or cohorts. The Spending Review process offers an opportunity to develop and present policy analysis that applies a well-being perspective to existing public policies and programmes. Together, these will support deeper understanding of the relationship between well-being and public policy beyond that garnered from the utilisation of an overarching Well-being Framework.