8.2 Australian Measuring What Matters Framework

Evaluates policies against national wellbeing indicators across five themes. Launch on platform.

What is it?

Dragonfly’s Measuring What Matters (MWM) Policy Evaluation Framework delivers comprehensive, wellbeing-centered analyses of policy initiatives, systematically mapping their impacts against Australia's 5 wellbeing themes, 12 dimensions, and 50 official indicators. It integrates mandatory equity analysis to ensure distributional impacts are thoroughly assessed.

Why is it useful?

Using the MWM Policy Evaluation Framework helps you:

Align policies with wellbeing goals: Ensure initiatives clearly target national wellbeing priorities. Measure comprehensive impacts: Assess effects across diverse wellbeing indicators, from health and security to sustainability and prosperity.
 Ensure equity and fairness: Evaluate differential impacts on various groups, including gender, Indigenous peoples, regional communities, and socioeconomic cohorts.
 Clarify implementation complexity: When needed, assess governance, resources, milestones, and risks for complex policy rollouts.
 Facilitate strategic foresight: Provide insights into long-term sustainability, scalability, and transformative potential of significant initiatives.

How does it work?

The MWM Policy Evaluation Framework operates through a detailed, structured process:


1

Indicator Selection and Mapping

Focus: Screen and select from the 50 official indicators based on high or medium policy relevance.


Example: Evaluating mental health policies using indicators like prevalence of mental disorders, suicide rates, and self-assessed health status.


2

Comprehensive Impact Assessment


Focus: Detailed qualitative analysis of each selected indicator's baseline state, anticipated policy impact, and measurement approach.


Example: Predicting the impact of housing affordability measures on homelessness rates, housing costs, and quality of living conditions.


3

Equity Analysis

Focus: Examine distributional impacts for each indicator across gender, Indigenous status, region, age, and socioeconomic status.


Example: Highlighting how education reforms differentially benefit urban versus rural communities and low versus high socioeconomic groups.


4

Implementation Assessment (Optional)

Focus: Evaluate governance structures, resource adequacy, milestone planning, and key implementation risks.


Example: Assessing multi-agency coordination risks and critical timelines for large-scale infrastructure projects.


5

Strategic Foresight and Transformation Potential (Optional)

Focus: Examine long-term implications, system innovation opportunities, and scalability of major policy initiatives.


Example: Reviewing a national strategy’s potential to drive widespread adoption of renewable energy and climate resilience.


6

Synthesis and Recommendations

Focus: Deliver actionable insights, clearly outlining immediate, medium-term, and long-term recommendations for enhancing policy effectiveness and equity.


Example: Providing specific steps for immediate improvements in data collection and monitoring, medium-term infrastructure adjustments, and long-term policy scaling.


Turning MWM Analysis into Action

To effectively leverage the MWM Framework:

• Prioritize critical indicators: Focus resources and attention on indicators with the highest policy relevance.


• Address equity proactively: Use detailed equity analyses to target policy interventions toward underserved populations.

• Monitor continuously: Implement ongoing measurement frameworks to adapt policies dynamically and ensure sustained wellbeing outcomes.