Wevalue.org

WeValue is the first attempt at making values-based indicators accessible to as many organisations as possible around the world.

WeValue also creates a collaborative research and learning space where the experience and feedback from participating organisations will feed into the last phase of the ESDinds Project. It aims to build a community of practice that will continue beyond the research project itself.

If an organisation or a company empowers a community, establishes a trusting work environment, or improves social and economic justice, how would we know?If sustainability is a central focus for an organisation or business, what role do values play? Regardless of a business, organisation or project´s goals or outcomes, how might values contribute to the success of these outcomes?

Civil society organisations (CSOs) as well as faith-based organisations and businesses worldwide are often conscious of the importance of their values-based work, but this is usually seen as a non-measurable intangible asset. Until now, values have been largely overlooked in conventional project monitoring and evaluation activities, which tend to focus on concrete outputs and outcomes rather than the 'human results' of the work.

EU-funded research on values-based indicators

The ESDinds project*, funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme, is based on the concept that values can be usefully measured, when locally defined through relevant indicators, and that this information can help CSOs and business organisations in their efforts to develop successful and sustainable programs and business models.

In order to do so, the ESDinds Project has brought together CSOs and academic researchers from five countries in collaborative research to develop useful indicators and assessment tools to measure the presence of values.