Policies and Regulations

Evidence-based strategies that involve universal, targeted, proportionate universalism, and ‘targeted within universal’ approaches. Strategies speak specifically to a policy, regulation, regulatory framework, or regulation of standards or practices that could be implemented or improved. This includes provision of funding as well as budget allocations.

How to Navigate this Page

Select policy targets and evidence-based strategies that are priorities and achievable within your setting and sector. Align with your mandate, capacity, jurisdictional boundaries, and scope of practice.

Strategies marked with ☔ are important for populations-at-risk.

Entry Point for Action:
Reflects the organization’s or government unit’s sector scope and mandate

Policy Target:
Relates to the initiative’s focus

Evidence-based Strategies:
Concrete actions to guide initiatives’ design, delivery, and evaluation

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Improve Regulation, Oversight, and Funding of Macro-Economic Systems and Policies

Banking sector

Government units develop effective policies and regulations that encourage financial institutions to provide accessible and affordable banking services for disadvantaged groups that meet their unique needs, including short- and long-term financial goals ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Adherence of financial institutions to government unit regulations
Adherence of financial institutions to internal controls defined by government unit policy
Levels of financial mismanagement, abuse, and/or fraud at the individual level
Digital accessibility in banking (e.g., for people with limited internet access or who are experiencing disabilities)
Geographic distribution of banking outlets (e.g., stratified by neighbourhoods)
Affordability of banking services
Trends in costs of financial transactions
Individual’s perceived ability to meet unique financial needs (e.g., stratified by age)
Individual’s perceived ability to meet short-term financial goals (e.g., among disadvantaged groups)
Individual’s perceived ability to meet mid- and long-term financial goals (e.g., among disadvantaged groups)

Housing Market

Government units regulate and oversee the housing market to protect homebuyers from predatory subprime loans

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Percentage of homeowners or renters paying more than 30% of their pre-tax income on housing (e.g., utilities, property taxes, and mortgage payments)
Household stress (using a threshold such as housing costs are more than 30% of disposable (or gross) household income and households are in the bottom 40% of the income distribution (e.g., stratified by homeowners, public renters, and private renters))
Extreme household stress (using a threshold such as housing costs are more than 50% of disposable (or gross) household income and households are in the bottom 40% of the income distribution (e.g., stratified by homeowners, public renters, and private renters))

Government units regulate land appreciation, uncontrolled growth of property prices, and housing shortage to provide opportunities to all people to move from rentership to ownership

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Homeownership rates
Rentership rates
Percentage of people changing status from tenants to homeowners
Rental vacancy rates
Trends in house prices by neighbourhood

Government units help to increase availability and affordability of diverse housing options in all neighbourhoods, including those most affluent

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Availability of public funding to support affordable housing development projects in high-, middle-, and low-income neighbourhoods
Supply shortage of affordable housing units
Variety of affordable housing options (e.g., duplexes and laneway homes) in high-, middle-, and low-income neighbourhoods
Revisions on single-family dwelling zoning laws

Government units develop policies and regulations to encourage and provide for safe, affordable housing developments in desirable, accessible locations (e.g., close to amenities, dispersed throughout the municipality)

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Adherence to safe, affordable, and accessible housing regulations (e.g., local government units, housing authorities, and housing development organizations)
Number/percentage of regulated housing authorities and developers following the internal controls defined by government unit policy
Number/percentage of affordable housing options in diverse and desirable neighbourhoods (e.g., centrally or conveniently located)
Population density

Government units subsidize income and/or housing (e.g., rental supplements, interest-free housing loans) to ensure long-term housing security

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Average length of single shelter stay (e.g., for children, youth, and adults)
Percentage of shelter users with more than one shelter stay per year
Occupancy rate in emergency and temporary shelters
Homelessness levels
Costs associated with re-housing a homeless person
Number of households on waiting lists for government subsidized housing
Social housing waiting lists for people experiencing disabilities
Number of people placed in longer-term housing
Availability of affordable home-buying schemes, such as shared ownership programs
Individual’s perception of the ease of application process for affordable homebuying programs, such as shared ownership programs

Government units regulate anti-discrimination in housing policies (e.g., preventing landlords from not renting to tenants who are receiving housing supplements) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of inclusive, affordable housing options for people experiencing disabilities
Number/percentage of municipal governments that have addressed age discrimination against children in tenancy rules
Number/percentage of families with children who report securing affordable, inclusive housing in multi-unit dwellings
Availability of non-discrimination laws protecting people who receive rental subsidies and income supports

Government units provide funding for social housing construction

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Availability of funding for social housing projects
Availability/supply of social housing units relative to population needs
Average waiting time of applications for a social housing program to be fulfilled

Government units invest in diverse options for affordable housing and encourage private providers to supply housing for disadvantaged groups (e.g., seniors, people experiencing disabilities, or low-income families) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Availability of affordable housing units for disadvantaged groups
Diversity of affordable housing units (e.g., multiplexes, high-rise condominiums) for disadvantaged groups

Employment and labour market

Government units develop or revise a regulatory framework to guarantee and enforce human rights, social and labour protections, and benefits to all workers with a particular focus on low-wage, precarious contracts (e.g., parttime work) and populations who are typically overrepresented in these groups (e.g., people with less education, people who experience disability) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of minimum wage workers
Remuneration trends among low-wage workers (e.g., those working in agricultural sector, cleaning services, or hospitality industry)
Nominal values of minimum wage(s)
Number/percentage of people working in precarious, unsafe work conditions (e.g., disadvantaged groups)
Availability of mechanisms to denounce abusive, exploitative work conditions
Easy access to mechanisms to denounce abusive, exploitative work conditions
Number of enforcement actions over time
Number of regular on-site inspections
Availability of anonymous surveys for workers about working conditions
Availability of anonymized data sharing mechanisms to provide evidence supporting employment stability actions

Government units ensure all workers in public and private sectors have access to pension plans, insurance benefits, and leave provisions. Transparency, accessibility, and regular disclosure of public sector compensation packages support private sector workers in their bargaining negotiations

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Ratio of private sector workers who are members of a union to that of the public sector
Level of transparency of public sector compensation packages
Trends of non-wage benefits (e.g., coverage) in the private sector
Inequalities in non-wage benefits between public and private sector workers

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Expand Provision, Regulation, and Funding to Care, Education, and Transportation Services

Health care, including health care related services (e.g., dental and pharmaceutical care)

Government units provide substantive public financing to universal health coverage and use funds effectively to ensure equitable access to no-cost or affordable high-quality health services and financial protection to all ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

In countries with universal government-funded health systems:

Eligible people’s (e.g., citizens) levels of satisfaction with the quality of health care services
People’s perceived level of difficulty in accessing health care services (e.g., eligibility for services)
Number/percentage of governments with regulatory and financial policy tools for essential services
Number/percentage of people ineligible for the universal health care system (e.g., noncitizen residents) who report having access to high-quality health services at low cost
Perceived ability to meet health-related costs among people ineligible for the universal health care system, stratified by socioeconomic status
Trends of out-of-pocket expenditures on health among people ineligible for the universal health care system
Number/percentage of people ineligible for the universal health care system reporting fear of the financial costs associated with health care use
Inequalities between eligible and ineligible groups regarding health status, use of health care services, and health-related debts

In countries with (non)universal public and/or private insurance systems:

Number/percentage of government units with effective regulatory controls ensuring actions from for-profit and not-for-profit organizations are aligned with the public interest and health goals, particularly regarding quality, costs, and access to health services
Number of countries with regulation of private sector and good regulatory capacity ensuring strict management and financial protection in the health care sector
Average of household expenditure on health care expenses, stratified by socioeconomic status
Individual perceived financial hardship associated with use of private health care services
Health inequalities between patients of the private health care sector and patients of the public health care sector
Financial health inequalities between patients of the private health care sector and patients of the public health care sector
Number/percentage of Emergency Department visits, stratified by socioeconomic status
Number/percentage of preventable pediatric hospitalization per year, stratified by socioeconomic status
Average cost of an admitted emergency visit

Long-Term Care

Government units provide substantive public financing to no-cost or highly subsidized long-term care provision and use funds effectively to ensure equitable access to appropriate high quality long-term care services to all who need them ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number of high-quality, public non-profit (no-cost or affordable) nursing care and assisted living care facilities relative to population and geographic distribution
Individual’s perception of access to high-quality, public non-profit (no-cost or affordable) nursing care and assisted living care facilities
Number of high-quality, public non-profit (no-cost or affordable) home- and community-based services relative to population and geographic distribution
Availability/supply of long-term care facilities relative to local needs
Number of home- and community-based services, stratified by area of residence
Number/percentage of people assisted by home- and community-based services
Number/percentage of participants who feel home- and community-based services enable them to remain in their communities and live meaningful and full lives
Number of high-quality and affordable long-term care options for seniors and people experiencing disabilities, stratified by area of residence
Length of wait times and waiting lists for long-term care home placements
Socioeconomic inequality in long-term care use
Caregiving burden (e.g., among women)
Gender gaps in labour force participation (e.g., stratified by occupation categories)
Gender gap in income
Quality of life levels among people in need of long-term care and their families/caregivers

Government units regulate and oversee long-term care provision standards and practices as well as administrative capacity to ensure a high-level of quality

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of patients/residents and families/caregivers reporting consistency and continuity of care
Number/percentage of government units that collect and analyze systematically disaggregated data on health, social, and financial outcomes related to long-term care services
Number/percentage of government units that produce periodic data analysis reports with updated and disaggregated findings on health, social, and financial outcomes among recipients of long-term care services
Number/percentage of government units that present evidence-based recommendations, defining steps for improvements in long-term care services quality, options, accessibility, and equity
Number/percentage of government units that conduct standardized and periodic on-site quality evaluations and health inspections
Number/periodicity of health inspections (e.g., stratified by type of facility or service)
People’s perceived difficulty in accessing findings from quality assessments of services
Patient/resident staffing ratios
Number/percentage of long-term care services meeting safety and quality standards
Number/percentage of preventable accidents (e.g., falls) and health issues (e.g., urinary tract infections) among patients/residents
Number/percentage of facilities and services that are held accountable for poor quality of care (e.g., stratified by type of facility or service)

Government units regulate and oversee private, for-profit long-term care facilities to ensure affordability and high-quality of services. Government units hold private, for-profit facilities accountable for investing public funds in better care while diminishing profits

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Financial inequities between users of private, for-profit long-term care services and users of public non-profit (no-cost or affordable) long-term care services
Health inequalities between users of private, for-profit long-term care services and users of public non-profit (no-cost or affordable) long-term care services
Mortality and hospitalization rates at private, for-profit long-term care facilities
Patient/resident staffing ratios at private, for-profit long-term care facilities
Trends in dispensing antipsychotic medications at private, for-profit long-term care facilities
Average monthly fees for private, for-profit facilities

Childcare and early childhood experiences

Government units address time-related barriers that are not compatible with caregivers’ work schedules (e.g., incentives to offer flexible and nonstandard hour childcare) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Proportion of childcare providers supplying affordable, high-quality nonstandard hour care
Number/percentage of parents/guardians working nonstandard or unpredictable schedules reporting finding affordable, high-quality childcare services that meet their needs
Average number of (un)paid working hours per week, stratified by sex and gender

Government units invest in early childhood care to promote child health and development and have long-term positive effects on children’s economic futures

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Availability of licensed, high-quality early childhood care per area (e.g., in low-income areas)
Child-staff ratio
Trends in early childhood outcomes such as problem-solving, language development, and autonomy (e.g., stratified by socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity)
Parents’ perceptions of their children’s early life experiences, such as diet, parental affection, and nurturing environment (e.g., stratified by immigrant status)
Number/percentage of children experiencing a cumulative advantage pattern in their first years of life
Children’s likelihood to enjoy better employment conditions and income later in life increases (e.g., family income)
Upward economic mobility among children from low-income backgrounds
Intergenerational mobility across the distribution of income, i.e., probability for the child of being in the same quintile as their parent
Intergenerational transmission of occupational status
Intergenerational socioeconomic disadvantages (e.g., stratified by socioeconomic status)

Government units establish and enforce affordability and licensing standards for childcare centres

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Average annual cost of childcare
Number/percentage of parents/guardians spending more than 10% of their gross household income on childcare fees
Number/percentage of parents/guardians reporting they can choose between having their children attending or not attending childcare programs because of affordability of fees (e.g., per household income level)
Parents/guardians’ perceptions about their ability to choose if they want to participate in the workforce, stratified by sex and gender
Access to a high and consistent standard of childcare (e.g., stratified by socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity)

Primary and secondary education

Government units fund and provide no-cost, affordable high-quality education to children

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Cumulative advantage pattern in the lives of disadvantaged children attending schools
Children’s chances to enjoy better opportunities to secure well-paid, stable jobs later in life (particularly those with disadvantaged backgrounds)
Children’s chances to experience better financial wellbeing into adulthood (particularly those with disadvantaged backgrounds

Government units regulate the education system to ensure consistent high standards and placebased equity ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Inequalities in high-quality education across school districts
School funding per school district
Number/percentage of well-qualified staff working in schools (e.g., in low-income neighbourhoods)
Educator turnover (e.g., stratified by neighbourhood income)
Retention rates (e.g., stratified by neighbourhood income)
Resources (e.g., computers, books) available in schools located in higher- and lower-income neighbourhoods

Post-secondary education and training

Government units strengthen regulatory frameworks and administrative capacity to oversee and enforce standards across the post-secondary educational/training system to ensure tuition affordability and high-quality of education services

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of regulated post-secondary education and training institutions complying with the regulation
Levels of student loan debts
Post-secondary education/training completion rates (e.g., stratified by socioeconomic status or race/ethnicity)
Number/percentage of students feeling financially stressed due to the costs of their education (e.g., stratified by household income)
Number/percentage of students considering dropping out of post-secondary institutions for financial reasons
Drop-out rates (e.g., stratified by socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity)

Public transportation network

Government units invest in multi-modal transportation infrastructure to improve intra- and inter-city connectivity and mobility, including provision of funding for private sector interested in enhancing the public transit system

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Trends of traffic jams
Trends of pedestrian, cyclist, and traffic accidents and fatalities
Number/percentage of bus stops, distributed by neighbourhood
Air pollution rates, relative to higher- and lower-income neighbourhoods
Noise pollution rates, relative to higher- and lower-income neighbourhoods
Transportation network connectivity and density

Via regulatory mechanisms, government units ensure public transit services are affordable, reliable, convenient, and meet the needs of people with different levels of ability ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Percentage of household income spent on transportation, by transportation type (e.g., private vehicle, active transit, or public transit use)
Self-reported commuting time, by transportation type
Public transit ridership rates
Number/percentage of eligible low-income people with subsidized monthly public transit passes
Perceptions of public transit accessibility among people experiencing disabilities

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Prioritize Redistribution-Based & Universal-Type Policies

‘Targeted’ approaches versus ‘proportionate’ or ‘targeted within universal’ approaches

Government units consider the potential unintended consequences of targeted policies and programs (e.g., stigmatization and discrimination of the recipients, limited impact on inequities, narrowed focus on the effects of the causes, and undermining of politics of solidarity in public funding) and move to ‘proportionate’ or ‘targeted within universal’ approaches ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Ratio of targeted policies and programs to universal policies and programs
Acceptance levels of taxation to support publicly funded policies and programs
Number/percentage of taxpayers agreeing with taxes being used to support public provision of services (e.g., stratified by household income)

Government units and organizations use a mixed approach of targeted and universal strategies (proportionate universalism or targeted within universal) for fair distribution of benefits across the socioeconomic gradient, according to population needs ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number of policies and programs referring to inclusion as part of their mission and/or goals
Proportion of policies and programs outlining plans to address the structural causes of financial strain and poor financial wellbeing
Proportion of policies and programs focused on redressing concentrations of power and resources

Government units and organizations increase benefits through the socioeconomic gradient so that they are proportionate to the level of disadvantage (i.e., proportionate universalism approach) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of people receiving income from social welfare programs (e.g., stratified by total household income categories)
Poverty levels (e.g., stratified by total household income categories)
Trends in socioeconomic inequalities

Government units and organizations provide additional benefits to people experiencing more disadvantage (i.e., targeted within universal approach) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Changes in the number/percentage of recipients living below poverty line
Percentage point decreases in poverty for program recipients
Social welfare earnings (e.g., among the most disadvantaged groups)
Share of people receiving more than half of their income from social welfare programs (e.g., stratified by total household income categories)

Progressive taxation

Government units adopt a progressive taxation system to enhance universal and equity-based policies as well as redistribute wealth to support health, economic, and social equity

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Taxes paid by ultra-wealthy people
Trends in government spending, particularly in social protection

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Provide Sustainable Funding to Programs and Services

Social services

Government units provide steady financial support for initiatives to improve efficiency while ensuring no disruption of operations and service delivery

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number of grant programs relative to population needs
Total amount of government funding per year

Financial capability programs

Government units provide funding and guidelines for financial capability programs that reflect a holistic approach to financial strain and financial wellbeing as well as the application of user-centered principles in the design, implementation, and evaluation of initiatives

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of financial capability programs using key performance indicators to measure success (e.g., change in participants’ self-rated or measured financial capability) that go beyond funder priorities (e.g., participation rates) and consider multiple aspects of people’s lives
Number/percentage of financial capability programs that address the social and structural determinants of people’s financial circumstances

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Simplify Access to Benefits & Services

Eligibility criteria for social welfare programs

Initiatives eliminate restrictive or complex eligibility criteria (e.g., the need to meet all criteria to qualify) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Take-up rates among eligible groups

Initiatives eliminate complex application processes (e.g., requiring extensive documentation) and enrolment procedures. Through interdepartmental coordination, initiatives implement one-stop-shops to integrate social welfare services fully and also provide support for tax-filing to ensure eligibility for federal programs and services ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of eligible people who report needing support to navigate the application process (e.g., in-person assistance)
Availability of one-stop-shop websites to access social services
Number/percentage of eligible people who agree with the statement that the application process (in-person, online, or via telephone) is straightforward and fast
Take-up of social welfare programs relative to need
Number/percentage of eligible people who report receiving assistance for filing their taxes

Government units ensure all departments involved in social welfare provision share a common understanding of application and assessment processes, using the same explicit, clear guidelines and procedures to define eligibility ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Applicants’ perceptions of (in)consistent eligibility criteria across government sectors
Rates of appeals and reconsideration requests for benefit approval

Government units adapt criteria, protocols, and eligibility criteria for social welfare to (i) acknowledge the reality of diverse family arrangements (e.g., an unemployed person who does not live with their children, but is still responsible to provide food) and (ii) be responsive to demographic changes and social relationships within and across individuals and families ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of people who are not afraid that life changes would compromise their eligibility for the program
Number/percentage of people who feel the transition to other benefits (when needed) is smooth
Level of agreement with the statement that meaningful information about benefits is readily available

Design supportive social welfare

Government units structure social welfare to allow long-term sustainable exit from entrenched poverty or deep and persistent socioeconomic disadvantage ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of social welfare recipients transitioning out of supportive social welfare
Number/percentage of former social welfare recipients reapplying to the benefits
Food insecurity
Number/percentage of social welfare recipients finding sustainable, appropriate, and fairly paid jobs

Contingencies and penalties for social welfare receipt

Government units utilize evidence-informed requirements for participation in the social protection system. For example, government units rely on updated evidence-based reports assessing how welfare conditionality influences effectiveness and rapport building with recipients ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of initiatives referring to data and statistics as part of the rationale for their scope and requirements
Number/percentage of initiatives that discuss effectiveness relative to welfare conditionality

Government units revise welfare conditions that penalize recipients with deductions from their welfare payments ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Status of social welfare benefits relative to claw backs
Trends in social welfare earnings relative to changes in recipients’ employment and life circumstances

Government units remove welfare requirements that may force recipients to accept seasonal or parttime jobs with unreliable hours and low pay in order to continue to receive benefits ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of social welfare recipients with insecure or precarious employment

Government units address welfare contractual obligations that impose financial and time burdens on recipients (e.g., meeting the minimum job application quotas and attending regular appointments)

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Levels of fear, stress, and tension among social welfare recipients
Average amount of time and cost expended by recipients to meet the requirements
Perceived burden of the program among recipients

Government units reassess the imposition of time limits on benefits and mandatory volunteering requirements ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

People’s ability to transition to the workforce (e.g., before and after the removal of restrictions and requirements)

Government units remove austerity-based penalties for noncompliance, which disproportionally affect the most disadvantaged populations (e.g., single parents, people experiencing disabilities, racialized groups). Government units eliminate strict and unrealistic work for welfare requirements that are evidenced to be counterproductive in supporting transitions into paid labour market (e.g., work requirements in rural and remote communities where there are job shortages) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of benefits revoked for failure to meet social welfare conditions
Poverty levels among beneficiaries’ dependents (e.g., children of unemployed parents/guardians)
Percentage of beneficiaries’ children who experience a drop in poverty rates
Staff perceptions of the effect of the cessation of obligations on recipients (e.g., stratified by program type)

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Budget for Wellbeing

Wellbeing indicators

Initiatives incorporate reproducible, simple wellbeing metrics (e.g., happiness) and reliable tools into their decision-making process, including definition of priorities and actions and wellbeing budget planning

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of initiatives with an understanding that economic success goes beyond personal wealth and includes health and wellbeing
Number/percentage of initiatives using wellbeing measures, such as self-reported life satisfaction, quality of life, trust in government, and community engagement

Wellbeing in policy-making

Government units recognize financial wellbeing as a key aspect of overall societal wellbeing and make improvement of wellbeing at the population level a goal of public policies

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of initiatives defining improvements in individual financial circumstances as a top priority
Overall wellbeing rates at the population level

Government units use wellbeing evidence in policy-making

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Effectiveness of public spending with respect to overall wellbeing outcomes

Initiatives develop economic policies that target collective wellbeing and that consider the social impacts and high societal costs of poor overall wellbeing

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Overall wellbeing levels
Trends of incidence and/or prevalence of health and wellbeing outcomes

Limited budgets

Initiatives adopt innovative ways to deal with budget deficits to avoid cuts in the breadth and quality of services delivered

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Trends in socioeconomic gaps
Trends in health inequities
Trends in beneficiaries’ financial wellbeing relative to initiative’s budgetary issues

Recalibration of benefits

Initiatives ensure social welfare payments go beyond covering basic subsistence levels and reflect adjustments to reductions in purchasing power of wages and rising local costs of living ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of recipients lifted out of poverty
Median household income of beneficiaries
Beneficiaries’ perceptions of benefits adjusted to a livable wage
Overall wellbeing and financial wellbeing levels among beneficiaries (e.g., before and after recalibration of benefits)
Poverty gaps between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries (who are financially better off)
Health gaps between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries (who are financially better off)
Household food insecurity
Effects of increased monetary support on demand for programs

Cash-based safety net

Cash benefits (e.g., income support payments for unemployment or parental leave) replace non-cash benefits (e.g., food stamps or cashless debit cards) to support wellbeing ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Income volatility
Individual sense of financial control
Individual’s perception of ability to pay bills on time
Individual’s perception of the effect/impact of cash benefits
Recipients’ perceptions about their ability to manage their own money, cover their regular and unexpected expenses, and make purchases with choice and dignity

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Assess and Measure Long-Term Impacts

Assessment of long-term impacts to guide future funding

Long-term cost-effectiveness of initiatives support definition of funding priorities and decision-making regarding allocation of funds (e.g., budgetary expenditures or priorities)

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Availability of reports presenting analysis weighing the costs of investments and potential returns or value to society (e.g., tax base growth)
Number/percentage of initiatives using long-term or cost-effectiveness evidence to guide decisions about budget allocation, particularly when considering expenditure reduction
Stakeholders’ perceptions on the clarity and sufficiency of information provided in the initiatives’ cost-effectiveness reports to make independent and critical evaluations viable
Stakeholders’ perceptions on data transparency (e.g., within organizations and governments)

Government units prioritize the use of simple measures (e.g., rate of return for every dollar investment in the initiative) to assess long-term impacts and to support budget negotiation, including informed decision-making on how much, how long, and where to allocate resources

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Reports of initiatives contain easy to calculate and interpretable economic metrics of long-term impacts
Availability of reports for third parties

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Strengthen Employment Security (Income and Benefits)

Employment stability

Policies and programs ensure employment conditions and work practices are stable, inclusive, and supportive of wealth generation, health, and overall wellbeing

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Availability of opportunities for promotion and career advancement (e.g., stratified by sex, gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity)
Accommodation of breastfeeding employees’ requirements in workplaces
Number/percentage of terminations of employment for failure to perform due to age or disability (i.e., where no legal protections exist)

Income Security

Government units and organizations develop strategies to prevent and address the consequences of income volatility associated with economic recessions, declines in stable contractual employment arrangements, increases in unemployment and underemployment rates, and decreases in cash assistance provided through welfare programs

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of existing programs and benefits that expand their target audiences, including population groups with need who were not previously targeted
Availability of new supports and benefits for target groups with high, complex needs
Access to income supports (e.g., among workers in precarious employment and working age people out of the labour force)
Income security (e.g., among workers in precarious employment and working age people out of the labour force)
Self-reported high/low variability of income

Initiatives address people’s lack of access to sufficient and sustained income through education and job training opportunities, increase in cash welfare benefits, removal of minimum requirements for participation in welfare programs, and improved access to reliable, affordable financial services and products, including specialized loans with no or low fees

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of low-income people who enroll in free or low-cost education and training courses
Trends in the highest level of education achieved by adults
Availability of varied reliable, affordable financial services and products (e.g., to low-income people)
Availability of cash assistance
Perceived ability to provide for oneself and one’s family
Perceived ability to cover basic needs and enjoy economic stability (e.g., among low-income individuals and families)
Number/percentage of people who report having money left over after meeting basic needs

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Promote Neighbourhood-Level Advantage

Safety, security, diversity, and quality of local services and amenities

Government units develop policies and regulations to support, create, and sustain safe and secure neighbourhoods in which all people can thrive

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of government units with a clear mandate of overseeing and supporting the development of equitable, safe, secure, and desirable neighbourhoods.

Government units fund essential local services and amenities (e.g., health care, parks and recreation spaces, public transportation) equally across neighbourhoods regardless of neighbourhood- level socioeconomic status (SES) and, if needed, provide additional support for high-quality and desirable amenities and services in low-SES neighbourhoods ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Funding equity among services and programs per jurisdiction
Inequalities in terms of diversity of services and amenities among neighbourhoods
Perceived neighbourhood safety
Levels of self-reported satisfaction with the quality of local services
Levels of self-reported satisfaction with the amenities located in the housing area
Perceived level of social connectedness (social capital, social cohesion) within neighbourhoods

Government units regulate anti-discrimination in policing and work together with community organizations and stakeholders to better assess and address local strengths and needs ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Trends in representation of people of colour (e.g., Indigenous, Latino and Black groups) in the criminal justice system
Availability of mechanisms and channels to denounce racial biases in policing
Perceived level of difficult in access and report racially motivated incidents
Levels of trust in the police in disadvantaged neighbourhoods
Crime rates in low socioeconomic status neighbourhoods
Levels of overall wellbeing (e.g., stratified by neighbourhood-level income)
Public trust
Level of public support for the anti-discrimination regulation

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Develop around People’s Everyday Realities

Wrap-around and integrated support

Wrap-around initiatives employ a team-based, collaborative approach through which organizations provide comprehensive, holistic support to individuals, while avoiding fragmentation of policies, programs, and services ☔

SAMPLE INDCATORS

Number/percentage of initiatives integrating policies, programs, and services to best respond to a particular need (e.g., unemployment) through co-location, or using a shared, single application process, etc.
Number/percentage of initiatives with memorandums or declarations that set out the main responsibilities of the staff members involved in the collaborative work
Number/percentage of recipients who feel the program has provided support in the areas they most needed

Entry requirements for community services and program

Initiatives remove rigid program access requirements that can exclude disadvantaged people ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of people feeling not afraid of applying for the programs and services because of potential life changes
Number/percentage of applications relative to need (i.e., level of unmet needs decrease)

Initiatives remove contingencies and conditions that limit enrolment (e.g., providing matched savings, which is by design contingent on initial savings and housing loans for high-engagement participants) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Ratio of recipients to people who meet program eligibility criteria
Annual recipiency rates
Number/percentage of people who report feeling encouraged to register in the programs and services
Number/percentage of people with multiple, complex needs who have their benefits granted

Evaluation and eligibility assessment

Initiatives undertake a simplified assessment process to avoid imposing a burden for engagement upon recipients in terms of time, energy, and costs ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Perceptions of staff about the extensiveness and onerousness of the assessment process
Trends of administrative costs for assessing if recipients are still meeting the administrative requirements and demands
Trends in time associated with periodic assessments of recipients
Number/percentage of applicants and recipients who report that the assessment process is cumbersome or onerous

Back-to-work support services

Initiatives focused on transition to employment adjust or eliminate work contingencies (e.g., increasing benefits amount based on work, decreasing benefits in a stepwise fashion after compensation)

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Beneficiaries’ perceptions of the effect of removing obligations
Individual’s satisfaction with the support they received to find their way into workforce
Rates of temporary suspension of benefits for failure to comply with program requirements
Monetary fluctuations in social assistance payments to an individual while in the program