Selecting EU indicators for child well-being Dominic Richardson OECD Social Policy Division Child Poverty Conference Brussels 26/11/09

International frameworks of child well-being Data driven Selects policy amenable indicators Inform over advocacy Maximises country coverage Minimises time lags Multidimensional, but each select different dimensions The use of composites

Goal-focussed approach What are the indicators for? –Which children? –For what purpose? What are the constraints? –International agreement –Statistical capacity –Collection methods –Cultural concerns

How is the EU collection unique? Regular monitoring of OMC targets –Policy amenable –EU standard for all children Limited set –Catch-all indicators No composites Reduced set / broader set (good for the why and how)

Problems with present frameworks Still too adolescent focussed Not disaggregated by age, sex, ethnicity, etc. Uses available data only Missing info, e.g. –Child protection and neglect/ Mental health Prioritisation and proportionality

Selection of indicators within dimensions Child-centred UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Policy amenable Country coverage and up-to-date data Conceptually Complementary –Rights vs. Development –Equity and Efficiency –Age coverage

Statistical coverage

Constraints to context and trend analysis

Some concerns Data driven Surveys are not designed to cover: –All children (by age, exclusions, school-based) –All aspects of child well-being Bias will exist Access to the data (HBSC, ESPAD) Child poverty is not synonymous with child well-being… well-being to well-becoming Threshold measures

Some methodological suggestions (a wish list?) Theoretical / analytical frame not data driven Annual, timely, long -term Validation testing / systematic bias Policy amenable but not malleable Avoid externalities / contradictions Life cycle /risk approach (front-end) Learn from child poverty (good and bad)

Some methodological suggestions (a wish list?) Theoretical / analytical frame not data driven Annual, timely, long -term Validation testing / systematic bias Policy amenable but not malleable Avoid externalities / contradictions Life cycle /risk approach (front-end) Learn from child poverty (good and bad)

More achievable Additional sources (EQLS, ESS, ICCS and series data) Indicator classification (resource / outcome distinction?) Begin the processes of: –Review the quality of available non-material data and sources –Identify gaps Refined indicator checklist

More achievable Additional sources (EQLS, ESS, ICCS and series data) Indicator classification (resource / outcome distinction?) Begin the processes of: –Review the quality of available non-material data and sources –Identify gaps Refined indicator checklist

Some indicator suggestions 2003: Teenage fertility, 2006: Child poverty Across both frameworks –Child mortality / Subjective life satisfaction / Housing problems Indicators to drop… Indicators to keep… New indicators? Revisit selections