Skógræktarritið - 15.05.2001, Side 194

Main functions of indicators
Reporting Reporting means the description and diagnosis of the present situation without assessing the data. (World Bank 1995: 79).
Com m u nication Indicators should mediate prepítred empirical results. The reporting of condensed information makes communication about complex circumstances easier.
Forecasting Indicators can be used as instruments for the estimation of future trends and for the acquisition of information about possible problems.
Focusing Indicators can be used to focus the interest of the public, policy makers, media, etc. on facts that so far have not been given adequate attention. This can lead to consciousness ol the need for new regulations, social priorities or national policies.
Political Control "The primary purpose of indicators is to guide decision makers in their actions, and to ensure that the impacts of their decisions is measured" (WWF and NEF 1994a: 1).
Check of Effectiveness Indicators are used to measure the degree of success in achieving targets.
Characíeristics of indicators
Descriptive or Systemic Indicators Descriptive indicators clarify the recognizable level and are limited to looking at certair isolated phenomena e.g. the emission of carbon dioxide as an index for the atmosperic loat of greenhouse gases. Systemic indicators try to reveal hidden structures and processes.
Static or Dynamic I ndicators Static indicators measure data at a determined point in time, for example, the size of nature protection areas at the end of the year. Dynamic indicators represent data of a certain pcriod e.g. the wood increment in a year.
Objective Reference Level "Level-indicators” measure an average value at a certain date, for example, the averagc forest area per capita in a country ”Distribution-indicators” show the difference of a value between different characteristic groups, for example share of export income eamed frorr forest industry products.
Causal Reference Level Information about political or social interventions can be differentiated into “input” anc “outcome”. For example, subsidies for site adapted afforestation as an input-indicator aix forest area covered by site adapted forestry as an outcome-indicator. In general, outcome indicators are considered to have more relevance than input-indicators (Nohlen 1991: 324).
Dimension Dimensional indicators can be expressed in specific units, for example, protected areas ir hectares. With non-dimensional indicators, the data are modified by mathematica operations so that they become unitless, e.g. the Gross National Product (GNP). Monetar> assessment is not suitable for indicators of sustainable development, because the economic benefit of, forexample, a plant species is only part of its value (Blöchlinger et al. 1995 141; Dixon et al. 1995).
M easurability Indicators must be measureable in some practical way, The collected information can Ix quantitative or qualitative.
I nterndtional C omparability Indicators must be such that they can be be compared intemationally. It is, for example possible to calculate the yearly emission of greenhouse gases for each country. Tlie national data can be aggregated on a global level.
cases provide early warning of
potential environmental prob-
lems arising from human activity.
Indicators can help to demon-
strate the efforts that policymak-
ers have made towards sustain-
able development, and to signal
if the objectives have been
achieved and they can help to
clarify the confusion caused by
the mass of available statistical
data (ICLEl 1999; Rennings 1994:
6; UK Department of the
Environment 1996: 2).
The following six main func-
tions of indicators can be derived
(Krupp and Zapf 1988: 122;
Nohlen and Nuscheler 1993: 80;
SRU 1994: 86):
The construction and use of
indicators does not necessarily
presume the determination of
defined targets for action. In sci-
entific research the data may, for
example, just be used for analyti-
cal purposes. However, within
the public and political debate
about sustainable develop'ment,
such target setting is required.
Characteristics of indicators
Having determined the funda-
mental purposes and functions
of indicators, the most important
characteristics of indicators will
now be described. There are
seven aspects that are of special
importance for indicators to
function as is desired.
Criteria of choice
Before the question of how some-
thing is to be measured is asked,
it is necessary to clarify wfiat is to
be measured. Therefore, an ana-
lytical model is needed to derive
the connection between relevant
circumstances and the indicator.
Indicators should be theoretical-
ly based and empirically signifi-
cant.
The data forming the indicator
should be of highest quality that
funding will allow and to be rele-
vant it must be updated regular-
ly. Survey methods must meet
minimum scientific require-
ments. Problems of data avail-
ability and adequate data quality
are: general lack of databases,
insufficient management of data
processing and lack of trustwor-
thiness (fear of manipulation by
certain interest groups)
(MacGiilivray and Zadeck 1995:
10). In spite of very good data-
bases in several countries, there
are wide gaps concerning central
problems even in highly industri-
alized countries, for example, in
the case of controversial topics
such as social inequality
(Willcocks 1995: 82).
An important criteria for the
acceptance of an indicator is its
relevance to the problem, its sci-
entific viability and its relevance
for political decision making and
control. The data should be easy
to interpret and reveal trends in
time in order to be able to point
out successes or failures of
human influences. The relevance
for policy increases if there are
already politically decided
threshold degrees (Fues 1998:
34). However, indicators are not
only chosen because they are the
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SKÓGRÆKTARRITIÐ 2001 l.tbl.