Measuring what matters: the role of well-being methods in development policy and practice

In this paper we explore how the measurement of human well-being might contribute to making development policy and practice more effective. While most of the current initiatives are to develop measures of well-being at the level of the nation state (for the purposes of national policy deliberation or for between state comparisons), this paper focuses on a less prominent discussion about how the concept of well-being might be made relevant for the development frontline: for development policy and practice at the level of the project or programme (Rojas, 2008; Camfield and McGregor, 2009). In particular it considers how a comprehensive assessment of human well-being, and particularly one that integrates consideration of subjective well-being, might be adopted into the routines of development.