Dubai: The UAE Government has adopted a new tool developed to evaluate the impact of proposed plans and initiatives by ministries and government bodies on happiness in society.
The new tool follows clear directives to place happiness at the core of all government plans, programmes and initiatives.
“This innovative happiness impact assessment tool reflects the UAE’s leadership in developing scientific and practical tools that support the government’s goals of harmonising all plans and initiatives to achieve a happier society,” said Uhoud Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness.
Al Roumi is also the Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future.
“The all-encompassing tool takes into careful consideration all factors that affect happiness among the public, allowing authorities to predict the impact of their decisions and adjust them accordingly.”
The tool identifies the segments of society whose happiness will be impacted by the proposed plan or initiative, and helps limit any negative side effects.
The tool also requires assessing the potential impact of a given plan or initiative over multiple distinct periods of time to ensure a lasting effect on happiness of future generations.
The assessment tool considers the impact of each plan or initiative on six key drivers of happiness in society — economy, health, education, culture and society, government services and governance, and environment and infrastructure.
Each driver is evaluated separately and given a score ranging from zero to 100; the average of all six results makes up the overall score.
