FINDICATOR.FI —
The Society at Large
Ulla Rosenström
Policy-analysis Unit

Indicators are much wanted but less often used
• Indicators have been around for a good while,
but the indicator industry has really boomed in
the past 20 years
• Sustainable development indicators, societal
progress, well-being indicators, beyond GDP…
• Most initiaves have concentrated on indicator
development, selection and data collection
• Most processes are technocratic and specialist
driven
• Lately many have asked ”who is actually using
the indicators?”

So, who is using the indicators? Why or why not?
20 interviews in spring 2008:
• Members of the parliament
• Assistants of the MPs
• Civil servants
• Journalists
• Teachers
• Researchers
• Regional decision-makers
• Consultants
• Press officers
25.09.12

Five central problems emerged:
1. ”There is a lot information, but I can’t
find it”
2. ”The information is too old”
3. ”Information does not match the user
needs”
4. ”The information is too complicated”
5. ”The information is not policy relevant”

www.findicator.fi

Thank you!