Metrics
Happiness

The Domains of Happiness according to the HappinessInitiative

Burgess COMMENTARY
According to the Happy Counts initiative ... the domains of happiness are:

1. Material Well-being
2. Physical Health
3. Time Balance
4. Psychological Well-being
5. Education and Learning
6. Cultural Vitality
7. Environmental Quality
8. Governance
9. Community Vitality
10. Workplace Experience

But TVM wants to see metrics that embrace the different perspectives of various parties to any economic activity and the multiple impacts that an economic activity produces.

An organization routinely accounts for the money flows associated with an economic activity that it engages with. From this it knows the investment deployed, the revenues produced, the costs incurred and therefore the money profit generated, the return on investment and the cach flows.

If the economic activity is running a school, money profit metrics are not enough. There need to be metrics about the impact of the education on the students and the community.

If the economic activity is running a church, money profit metrics and cash flow are not enough. There need to be metrics about the value of the spiritual life on the congregation and the surrounding community.

If the economic activity is related to health care. money profit metrics and cash flow are not enough. There need to be metrics about the health state of people in the community and the impact of the economic activity on the health of people in the society.

Every economic activity has money costs, and consumes resources of many different types, including irreplaceable natural resources. Every economic activity has outcomes, both desirable outcomes that can be sold for money revenue asd well as deirable outcomes that are of value but cannot be paid for. Every economic activity has undersirable outcomes like waste and pollution that have social costs, if not money costs. All the inputs and all the outcomes should be accounted for ... both the money transactions and the value transactions.

Peter Burgess

The Domains of Happiness

Most people think of emotions as defining happiness. This is one part of happiness. Scientists call it “positive affect” and “negative affect” meaning feeling happy, joy, sad, angry, stress, or other emotions. Another important way of defining happiness is “satisfaction with life,” meaning whether you are living the best life for you and feel your life is worthwhile.

These are usually the only two things used to define happiness. However, the conditions in which we live influence on our affect and satisfaction with life. By including the conditions of happiness in a definition of happiness, one acknowledges the internal and external are integrated.

The Happiness Initiative uses the domain approach created by Bhutan, and adds one domain: work experience. This way, when you look at your own happiness, you can see where you have balance or imbalance in your life that fosters or undermines your affect and satisfaction with life. Use the Happiness Budget Card to ponder your own happiness and balance in your life (print double sided & fold).

The conditions or domains of are:

• Material Well-being - Evaluates individual and family income, financial security, the level of debt, employment security, and the quality of housing.
• Physical Health - Measures the effectiveness of health policies, with criteria such as self-rated health, disability, patterns of risk behavior, exercise, sleep, nutrition, etc.
• Time Balance - The use of time is one of the most significant factors in quality of life, especially time for recreation and socializing with family and friends. A balanced management of time is evaluated, including time spent in traffic jams, at work and in educational activities.
• Psychological Well-being - Assesses the degree of satisfaction and optimism in individual life. The indicators analyze self-esteem, sense of competence, stress, spiritual activities and prevalence of positive and negative emotions.
• Education and Learning - Considers several factors such as participation in formal and informal education, development of skills and capabilities, involvement in children’s education, values education and environmental education.
• Cultural Vitality - Evaluates local traditions, festival, core values, participation in cultural events, opportunities to develop artistic skills and discrimination due to religion, race or gender.
• Environmental Quality - Measures the perception of citizens about the quality of their water, air, soil, forest cover, biodiversity, etc. The indicators include access to green areas and system of waste management and transportation.
• Governance - Assesses how the population views the government, the media, the judiciary, the electoral system, and the police, in terms of responsibility, honesty and transparency. It also measures involvement of citizens in community decisions and political processes.
• Community Vitality - Focuses on relationships and interactions in communities. Examines the level of confidence, the sense of belonging, the vitality of affectionate relationships, safety at home and in the community, and the practice of giving and volunteering.
• Workplace Experience - Evaluates employment satisfaction, work-life balance, job conditions, productivity and compensation.