ABSTRACT
The history of efforts to promote utilization of sustainable development indicators (SDIs) is long and the challenges hindering their utilization have remained largely the same: the sets are often too large and vague to give clear policy guidance, while poor data availability and time lags further contribute to weak interest by the intended users. Finland has been among the forerunners in developing SDIs since the late 1990s and has made special efforts to enhance their use. The unique location of the leadership of indicator work, first at the Ministry of the Environment and later at the Prime Minister’s Office, has enabled experimentation and innovation, which have increased the use and influence of the indicators.
This article describes the efforts made in improving the indicator sets and enhancing their use. The efforts and outcomes can be divided and presented in four phases, although they may overlap. Phase I (1996–2000): large sets that measured what experts thought relevant for sustainable development. Phase II (2001–2008): tailoring of smaller indicator sets to be used for specific purposes (the leaflets). Phase III (2009–2016): https://www.findicator.fi online service that included more than just national SDIs. In the Findicator service the indicators were updated automatically and a Google search was optimized, which emphasized timeliness and accessibility. Phase IV (2017–today): the Findicator service needs to be renewed and the national SDIs moved to a new location with stronger emphasis on use.
The agency experience described in this paper is written from the point of view of a civil servant and is not a scientific analysis of the indicators or their use. Use is largely considered as direct use.
