Thread by @BDavisBriz

Looking forward to an interesting debate on the extent as to how #Wellbeing considerations can (and should) inform our major post-#Coronavirus policy decisions. #LSEPublicPolicy

https://twitter.com/LSEpublicevents/status/1483340129062297603

First speaker @SteveBakerHW says that he originally approached the debate's topic with a degree of skepticism - claims "nothing would affect my welfare in a negative way more than the Government deciding they know best how to make me happy" #LSEPublicPolicy

However, Baker says he now understands that the debate is more about the idea that everything that Parliamentarians do should be about improving the lifelong wellbeing of their citizens & the pragmatic debate should be about how best to do this #LSEPublicPolicy

Turning to #Coronavirus, Baker says the pandemic has shown the importance of having good decision-making frameworks. Gives the example of lockdowns with the public health asks of closing hospitality businesses vs the welfare of business owners & their employees #LSEPublicPolicy

Baker believes that a welfare-based, cost-benefits analysis would have made "smarter decisions" around supporting people's wellbeing with the wider non-medical public health interventions #LSEPublicPolicy

Baker believes that a Beveridge 2.0 "is long overdue" - says that the time has come to review our Welfare State and have serious discussions as to why it has not lifted people out of poverty as it was originally intended to #LSEPublicPolicy

Next speaker @profpauldolan says that we need to get better at measuring the impacts of public policy interventions (esp long-term effects). Argues that policy's impact can be measured in life experiences (how well we live) & life expectancy (how long we live) #LSEPublicPolicy

However, Dolan says that consequences of policies are not the only aspects of policymaking that is important. Argues that "claims" is also important. In other words, those that can be expected to benefit the most from interventions should get the most #LSEPublicPolicy

Dolan also argues that we need to begin to take a lifetime view when it comes to discussing wellbeing. Says that it is nonsensical to take a "short-term snapshot" of an individuals' circumstances to measure how well they are doing #LSEPublicPolicy

Next speaker Dr @johannamthoma1 sets out her arguments for and against the idea of a single metric for measuring wellbeing in policy evaluation - ideally WELLBYs (subjective wellbeing adjusted life years) #LSEPublicPolicy

Thoma explains that a single WELLBY metric is so desirable as it creates "The Dream Of A Master Number" which will give one answer to inform policymakers. She argues "this dream should be abandoned" #LSEPublicPolicy

On why she thinks this, Thoma describes "Wellbeing" as "Pleasurable Experiences" - argues that, even within supporters of the WELLBY models, there is disagreement as to what and how impacts should be measured to ensure it is meaninful for policymakers #LSEPublicPolicy

For example, Thoma says that the WELLBY model can be seen as a "hedonistic view" of wellbeing, and does into take in to account "objective goods" such as education, freedom & preserving the environment for its own sake #LSEPublicPolicy

Thoma argues that policymakers in liberal democracy, our policymakers should make decisions that are justifiable to all. Warns that WELLBYs are not justifiable to all, can potentially hide controversial choices & hinder public debate #LSEPublicPolicy

Thoma closes on the role for social scientists in this. On the argument that social scientists could help produce a "Master Number", by help policymakers devolve value judgements to the public, Thoma says this would be a big undertaking & deliver poor results #LSEPublicPolicy

Instead, Thoma says that the social scientific community as a whole should create multiple metrics that could then be subjected to public & democratic debate on which metrics matter most in various policy contexts #LSEPublicPolicy

Final speaker @Work_Life_You says that it is the role of civil service, as well as policymakers to help shape policies that can improve peoples lives. Hey says good laws are made from good policies and good policies have to be underpinned by lived experience #LSEPublicPolicy

Hay then looks at the UK's wellbeing metrics and how this has been impacted by the #Coronavirus. Shows that all wellbeing metrics were negatively impacted by the pandemic & while our sense of wellbeing is improving it is inconsistent & variable across all metrics #LSEPublicPolicy

Hey also notes wellbeing is not consistent across the country - with some areas playing significantly low in varying parts of the country #LSEPublicPolicy

Hey says that this data should be used more by VCSE groups & policymakers in their research. By informing policies with people's own lived experience, we can get more people involved in the policymaking process & make more impactful policies to improve wellbeing #LSEPublicPolicy

The webinar now moves on to a Q&A session #LSEPublicPolicy

First Q is on whether or not policymakers should "pursue a Master Number" as a "Holy Grail". Baker says that, while this would be a "step forward", policymakers are still not engaging in "the checklists academics say are the bare minimum" #LSEPublicPolicy

Baker is also concerned that county-level wellbeing would probably be the default level at which these metrics would be made. Believes this runs the risk of "hidden suffering" not being addressed due it getting lost in the noise #LSEPublicPolicy

Dolan says that focusing on a Master Number "focuses too much on the destination rather than the journey". Believes that developing policymakers' understandings of how people suffer & what could be done would be more informative than deciding how it is measured #LSEPublicPolicy

On Dolan's point, Thoma says "the journey will differ depending on the destination". Is concerned that simply developing tools for policymakers will encourage "academics to talk to themselves", rather than have a wider public discussion on priorities & trade-offs #LSEPublicPolicy

Hey stresses the importance of developing long-term metrics, particularly as people are now living longer & suffering from long-term conditions #LSEPublicPolicy

On discussions around how "wellbeing" is defined, Dolan welcomes subjectivity as "we all experience good and bad things in a subjective way". Says policymakers & academics now have the technology to quantify subjective things so "subjectivity should be embraced" #LSEPublicPolicy

Next Q is on whether or not wellbeing "translates outside of Health Economics". Baker says that some of the trade-offs between different policies (eg HS2 vs increased UC funding) do not often allow for a wellbeing analysis #LSEPublicPolicy

While Baker says that he wants to lower public spending and taxation, he also thinks that this needs to be done in a way that is "fair and humane", so would welcome a greater wellbeing analysis of policy areas #LSEPublicPolicy

Hay & Dolan both stress the importance of having measures "that do not naturally have a home in one Whitehall Department", which is why it is important to have subjective Wellbeing Metrics. #LSEPublicPolicy

However, while Hey says this works well for policy areas such as housing, benefits and health, these wellbeing metrics have not translated so well in debates on Climate Change and environmental protection #LSEPublicPolicy

Looking at the 🇳🇿 approach, Thoma says such a method has allowed policymakers a more flexible approach to weave wellbeing into policymaking depending on the subject matter & policy context as weighting of different consideration will vary across interventions #LSEPublicPolicy

With a Q on #GenerationalInequality - especially young people & Future Generations - Baker says that policymakers have as much an obligation to "those not yet born" as those currently living #LSEPublicPolicy

Baker says that #SocialCare is a policy area where current generations are placing "unstainable obligations" on future generations. Says policymakers need to help nurture a culture of considering impact of current policies on future generations #LSEPublicPolicy

Baker also calls on working age people to consider joining a political party. Says it is a "sickness in our democracy" that there is a dearth of candidates from more diverse walks of life who are chosen by an increasingly smaller circle of people #LSEPublicPolicy

Dolan warns against framing this as an "Old vs Young" narrative. Says that, while we may see older people seemingly having more comfortable lives, it erases the fact that older people were harder hit by #Coronavirus, especially those from poorer backgrounds #LSEPublicPolicy

Hey says that wellbeing needs to focus on young people and Future Generations. Says that people's wellbeing at 14 is "a strong indicator of what their lifetime wellbeing will be & can be predicted up to 8 years before" #LSEPublicPolicy

However, Hey says that we do not currently collect as much data on children's wellbeing as we do with working age adults. Says more needs to be done to develop a richer dataset on young people's wellbeing #LSEPublicPolicy

Thoma says that one of the benefits of bringing #Wellbeing into the conversation of our #Coronavirus response is that "it refocuses the discussion away from deaths, and towards those who have more life ahead of them" #LSEPublicPolicy

Next Q is on the role of private sector in promoting #Wellbeing, Baker cites Adam Smith's "The Theory Of Moral Sentiments" suggesting that generally we know people want to do good jobs that benefit themselves & others & argues this should be encouraged #LSEPublicPolicy

Hey repeats the importance that jobs, particularly Good Jobs, in promoting health & wellbeing. Says businesses & policymakers need to focus more on the contributions that companies' products & services have on communities & the nation #LSEPublicPolicy

Dolan also agrees on the importance of getting people into "meaningful work". Says that this does not necessarily have to be a high-status job, but has to be one that is purposeful and one that provides a fair remuneration #LSEPublicPolicy

On economics, Dolan says that even people that do not care about #Wellbeing as a policy outcome need to understand that it is causally linked to good economic outcomes - in particular happy, healthy workers tend to be more productive & drive economic growth #LSEPublicPolicy

On a Q on how Wellbeing can "cut through" the debates on economic growth & GDP Dolan observes that "being well paid makes people happier, but happy people aren't necessarily rich". Bringing wellbeing into the conversation paints a fuller picture on people's lives #LSEPublicPolicy

Thoma says that including Wellbeing metrics will help policymakers to better understand the impact that our economic growth is having on other policy areas - particularly the environment & inequalities #LSEPublicPolicy

Baker says that this shift will happen "when the Prime Minister makes the decision to do it". Repeats that our current decision-making framework needs to change & calls on Cabinet Office to engage more with experts to develop these new frameworks & metrics #LSEPublicPolicy

Dolan agrees, highlighting the importance of encouraging a diversity in decision-making. Says #Coronavirus response was “informed by a Zoomocracy” of people who could access tech & WFH, compared to voices of those “on the frontline” #LSEPublicPolicy

Thoma and Hey close by stressing the importance of data in informing the creation of metrics around wellbeing. While pushing against the idea of a Minister for Wellbeing, Hey closes saying measuring wellbeing could lead to “transformative policymaking” #LSEPublicPolicy

Really interesting debate on the opportunities & limits of considering #Wellbeing in policymaking. Thanks @SteveBakerHW @profpauldolan @Work_Life_You & @johannamthoma1 for your insights, to Prof Julia Black for chairing & @LSEpublicevents for hosting! #LSEPublicPolicy