The Helsingborg model for measuring quality of life
Helsingborg Municipality is investing heavily in offering residents a high quality of life but realised they had no reliable method for measuring either what quality of life is or whether they have reached their goal. Now though, measurement experts at RISE have developed indicators that can help both Helsingborg and other municipalities to see how quality of life is actually developing.
“Our sustainability programme, which the municipality adopted in 2016, says that we are to increase our residents’ quality of life, and it’s actually one of our main promises,” says Helen Wiklund, a sustainability strategist at Helsingborg Municipality.
The only problem is that even though the goal was admirable, previously it was extremely difficult for the municipality to measure what, in objective terms, quality of life is and whether their efforts were actually making any difference.
“We tested our own follow-up methods by looking at different types of indicators, trying to say something about the whole by looking at the parts. However, some indicators, such as resident assessments of homes for the disabled, were very specific while others, such as the equality index, were very general. Finally, we understood that this didn’t provide a good overall metric.”
Needed better methods
The municipality needed to find better methods, turning first to researchers at Lund University. They conducted a feasibility study in which they recommended that Helsingborg Municipality turn to experts in measurement techniques. In the autumn of 2020, the matter was handed over to RISE, more specifically to the project manager Jacob Wisén at RISE’s Measurements in Society unit.
“We were commissioned by Helsingborg Municipality to develop an analysis tool for quality of life. We spent the first year investigating what quality of life actually is, based on research and how municipal employees perceive the different dimensions of quality of life. We then drafted definitions of the various dimensions of quality of life, such as social relationships and security.”
Next, Wisén and his colleagues looked at how well different indicators actually measure these concepts.
“Most initiatives using multiple indicators to measure different dimensions of quality of life combine indicators that seem to match the chosen definition.”
However, it is not always certain that these indicators are measuring the same phenomenon, making it difficult to say how accurate the measurement tool is.
“In this project, we’re exploring a method that improves the quality of the measurements by sorting indicators based on how well they actually measure the same underlying phenomena, such as health or social relationships.”
I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to develop this model
The Helsingborg model
The tool resulting from the past two years of work is called the Helsingborg model.
“I want to make clear that this tool doesn’t actually answer any questions about why we see a certain development, but it can offer an overall picture of a city or municipality in terms of quality of life. This enables politicians and public servants to see in which areas the municipality is more or less successful, and then analyse those areas in greater detail,” Wisén explains.
Throughout the autumn of 2022, the Helsingborg model has also been tested by other municipalities.
“We know that we’re not alone in wanting to measure our efforts within sustainable development, and we also know that essentially all municipalities are frustrated by not having adequate methods for measuring and following up. This is why we want to share our model, so that it can benefit more people, and my dream is for it to become a nationally established measurement tool for municipalities,” says Wiklund.
The idea is for municipalities to use the Helsingborg model to answer the question as to whether they are actually creating added value or just think they are.
“I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to develop this model. It makes everything a lot easier while also providing a good tool for dialogue,” says Wiklund.
“However, we never would’ve been able to develop it without RISE. They’re so incredibly competent, in terms of what they know about both measurement and quality assurance. This tool is based on solid analysis, and we certainly wouldn’t have been able to find such expertise internally.”