Making decisions on the fullest and best information

We base our decisions on the best and fullest information

You have chosen to Sus Out how your group can make decisions based on the best and fullest information This page will help you to understand how you can better access and make use of information about your community and how you can use this knowledge to contribute to the sustainable development of your community and others.

What is decision making based on the best and fullest information?

Decision making based on the best and fullest information is an alternative to decision making based on prejudice or opinion or decision making without the appropriate research that takes into account the potential social, economic and environmental impacts. Organisations and groups have very different capacities for researching the backgrounds to the decisions they make but any group can ensure that some basic questions are considered. The evidence that is used to help with decision making can vary greatly, from full scale scientific data through to simple surveys of local views or perceptions of changes in the local quality of life. What is important is that decisions are arrived at through a process and are not made simply because 'this is what we have always done'.

Information, evidence and sustainable development

Development is a process of change. In order to recognise and understand change it is necessary to gather information that records the starting point for change, the different stages of the change process and the outcome. In addition to 'quantitative' or number based information, it is important to understand how the people whom it affects experience the change process; this 'qualitative' information can be gathered through meetings and surveys or through a variety of creative means that people have for expressing themselves. The evidence that guides the process of sustainable development includes a combination of quantitative and qualitative information. This combination constitutes the evidence for sustainable development.

How does information and evidence affect you group?

Your group is likely to want to make a positive difference in some way. This difference might be a change for the better in the quality of life of other people or it might be to improve the quality of life of your own members. In order to make this difference you will call on the practical or financial support of your members or community or of charities, your local authority or central government. In order to gain this support you will be asked to show that what you have done has made the difference you set out to achieve. You will also be concerned to show that the way in which you have achieved your aim has not caused damage in some other way. Providing information of this kind is an essential feature of the accountability that sustainable decision making requires.

Developing your ability to use information

Your group decided that it would like to develop a more evidence based approach to decision making and you pledged yourselves to an action you could take to show that you have achieved this. A three step approach will help you to clarify your pledge and to put an action plan in place:

Develop your understanding of how information is used in decision making that affects your community.
Think about how your group uses information.
Review your pledge and plan what you will do.

When you have clarified your pledge and agreed on your action plan, a range of organisations are available to help you.

Helpful organisations

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Useful resources