USING VALUES AND POLICY TO PRIORITIZE INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABILITY Deborah J. Shields USDA Forest Service - Research

Many of the social, economic and environmental problems we face today have the following attributes: interconnectedness, complexity, urgency, and a high degree of uncertainty.

The Sustainable Development paradigm is a useful approach for addressing such problems because it views systems as open, dynamic and integrated.

The goals of SD, economic prosperity, environmental health, and social equity are general enough to allow for multiple interpretations and perspectives.

Sustainability is not science; it is an ethical precept or moral position. And morals combined with preferences and ideas lead to values.

Sustainability is also a policy concept in and of itself, and decisions in support of SD should be based on good information.

But given finite resources, we cannot measure, monitor and report on everything.

An initial core set of indicators can be identified through the use of values, objectives, and public policy goal as filters.

VALUES HIERARCHY Abstract Values Held Values Terminal Held Values Instrumental Held Values Assigned Value

OBJECTIVES HIERARCHIES Strategic Objectives End State Fundamental Objectives Means Fundamental Objectives Attributes Measures

Values should guide public policies and actions.

Sustainability can be thought of in terms of goals, principles, criteria and indicators.

The overarching, strategic Goal is sustainability. A Principle is a fundamental truth, law or ideal that can be used as the basis of reasoning or action. Criteria describe what it means to be sustainable. They represent aspects of a system. An Indicator is a qualitative or quantitative parameter of a system that can be assessed in relation to the criteria.

Values VOB Policy SD Abstract V. Assumed Assumed Assumed THV Contextual THV Assumed Assumed IHV Contextual IHV Assumed Assumed Strategic Obj. Policy SD Goals End State Obj. Laws Principles Means Obj. Laws Attributes Regulations Criteria Measures Monitoring Indicators Assigned V.