A systems description of the national well-being system. Version 2.0: attaching data sources and identifying leverage points and responsible institutions

Bartmann, R., Strelkovskii, N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6862-1768, & Rovenskaya, E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2761-3443 (2020). A systems description of the national well-being system. Version 2.0: attaching data sources and identifying leverage points and responsible institutions. IIASA Working Paper. Laxenburg, Austria: WP-20-018

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Abstract

As governments begin to focus their attention on national well-being, there is an increasing need for enhanced analysis tools that help understand the multifold synergies and trade-offs of policies aiming at well-being. Systems Mapping is one such systems analysis tool. To be useful for policymaking, a systems map (causal loop diagram) should reflect the actual context of the system it models. This working paper discusses further validation and analysis of the National-Well-Being System (NWS) systems map introduced (Ilmola-Sheppard et al., 2020).
The original NWS systems map is enhanced in three ways: (i) quantification of the systems map components, (ii) update of the systems map structure depending on the data availability, and (iii) identification of potential leverage points in the system and attachment of responsible institutions to them.
Attaching quantitative arguments to the systems map components validates them and can be seen as an intermediate step between a systems map and a system dynamics model. The structure of the systems map is updated based on the availability of viable data sources. Additionally, proxies are introduced if no suitable data sources can be found. This leads to a new version of the systems map, with the number of components reduced from 68 to 65. As the outcome of this procedure, a list of viable OECD and non-OECD data sources covering all systems map components is produced. Such quantification opens up further analysis options, e.g., quantitative assessment of the links between components of the system
Identification of potential leverage points in the system and attachment of responsible institutions to them highlights the key components of the system. It offers a better understanding of where institutions might influence national well-being most effectively. In this working paper, responsible institutions in Israel and Austria are used as an example. This exemplifies the practicality of the systems map and shows how a systems map can be adapted to the governmental structure of a country.
By identifying data sources behind every component of the systems map, revising the map based on the availability of data, and identifying leverage points as well as possible responsible institutions and decision-makers, this working paper improves on the NWS systems map and highlights its potential to serve as a policy simulation tool.

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