Film 06 · 24 min
Happiness as Policy
How a governing philosophy becomes an instrument: the survey, the screening tool, and the decisions that have been refused because of it.
Who appears
Karma Tshering
Director of Programmes, BGLI
Ugyen Wangdi
Secretary, a Bhutanese ministry
The thinking behind it
Gross National Happiness is quoted internationally far more often than it is examined. The film examines it: the nine domains, the thirty-three indicators, the household survey, and the policy screening tool that projects must pass.
It shows the instrument being used against a real proposal, and it shows the argument that followed. That is more useful than any statement of philosophy.
It also carries the criticisms. Measurement of this kind is expensive, slow, and open to being used to justify decisions already taken.
The relevance to leadership is direct. Gelephu is being built inside this frame, so leaders trained there must be able to work the instrument, not merely admire it.
Sources
Centre for Bhutan and GNH Studies, GNH Index methodology
The nine domains and thirty-three indicators.
GNH Policy Screening Tool
The instrument applied to proposed policy.
Ura, Alkire, Zangmo & Wangdi (2012), An Extensive Analysis of GNH Index
The technical account.
Transcript
WANGDI: It failed the screening. We did not do it. That is the whole answer.
TSHERING: A slogan cannot refuse a project. An instrument can.