The Scottish Government’s Wellbeing Economy Toolkit is a place-based diagnostic tool designed to support local authorities in decision-making and policy design for facilitating the transition to a wellbeing economy.
Scotland’s Wellbeing Economy Toolkit for local authorities
Abstract
Context
The Scottish Government aims to transition to a wellbeing economy, focusing on prosperity, wellbeing, and resilience for all, while staying within environmental limits. To support this transition, in 2022, the Scottish Government developed the Wellbeing Economy Toolkit, informed by a Wellbeing Economy Pilot project in the county of Clackmannanshire. The Toolkit was refined through engagement with a range of key stakeholders, including the Scottish Local Authorities’ Economic Development body (SLAED), the Improvement Service, the Systems Science in Public Health and Health Economics Research (SIPHER) consortium, Public Health Scotland, and local councils.
The toolkit is designed for use by local authorities and Regional Economic Partnerships (REPs) to guide local and regional economic development. It is intended to provide a practical resource to help these bodies identify priorities and inform strategic decisions that align with wellbeing economy principles, fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth across Scotland.
The Wellbeing Economy Toolkit takes into account local and regional characteristics and emphasises the economy's role in supporting the well-being of people, places, and the environment. Rooted in Scotland’s National Performance Framework (NPF) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the toolkit follows a six-step process: (1) developing a wellbeing economy story; (2) understanding key drivers; (3) consulting stakeholders; (4) prioritising interventions; (5) operationalising decisions; and (6) monitoring outcomes.
It uses a participative, evidence-based approach to identify potential key drivers of well-being, assess their impact, and prioritise policies and investments that aim to deliver the greatest positive outcomes, all while considering feasibility and available resources.
An illustrative example of the toolkit comes from the Council of Clackmannanshire, that collaborated with the Scottish Government to co-develop a vision for a local well-being economy tailored to the region's unique needs. Using Scotland’s National Performance Framework (NPF) and Wellbeing Framework as guides, the process aimed to shift Clackmannanshire towards a more sustainable and inclusive economic model. A diagnostic toolkit was employed to focus on local well-being outcomes, identifying key drivers behind these outcomes and prioritizing interventions that would best support the transition.
The Scottish Wellbeing Economy Toolkit is intended to support decision-makers prioritise economic interventions that enhance well-being across people, places, and the environment.
Scottish Government (2022), Wellbeing economy toolkit: supporting place based economic strategy and policy development. https://www.gov.scot/publications/wellbeing-economy-toolkit-supporting-place-based-economic-strategy-policy-development/pages/1/
Scottish Government (2022), Clackmannanshire Local Wellbeing Economy Pilot. https://www.gov.scot/publications/wellbeing-economy-toolkit-supporting-place-based-economic-strategy-policy-development/pages/6/
Scottish Government, (2022), National Performance Framework. https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/
