Past ACCFs
Head, Centre for Well-Being, New Economics Foundation, London
Nic Marks is head of the centre for well-being and has led the well-being programme at nef since 2001. Nic is a recognised expert in the field of well-being research and undertakes innovative research in the use of well-being indicators in public policy environments. Nic has expertise in relation to individual, social, economic and environmental indicators of well-being and has previously applied his work in policy fields as diverse as sustainable development, health and social care, education, culture and the arts, and employment. Nic has experience of devising methodologies to measure well-being, statistical and analytical skills, and a proven ability to interpret findings in a way that makes sense for policy makers, practitioners and the general public. He also has a particular interest in how objective and subjective measures can be used alongside each other to create national and local accounts of well-being and in how we can best increase well-being within our environmental limits.
Nic is regularly asked to attend speaking engagements and occupies a number of advisory positions as a result of his pioneering research. He is an advisor to the Government of Bhutan, working with the Centre for Bhutanese Studies, on how to construct indicators for assessing Gross National Happiness (GNH). Nic has also been invited by the Office of Science and Innovation within the Department for Trade and Industry to act as an advisor on well-being as part of the UK Government's Foresight Programme, a programme designed to provide challenging visions of the future to inform current policy making.
Nic has a degree in Management Studies from Cambridge University, a Master's degree in Operational Research from Lancaster University and a postgraduate diploma in Change Agent Skills and Strategies from the Human Potential Research Group at the University of Surrey. He is also a qualified psychotherapist and a member of the International Society for Quality of Life Studies - ISQOLS
Recent and current projects
* Exploring the relationship between sustainable development and well-being and its policy implications, Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
* Constructing Regional and National Indices of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW):
- East Midlands Development Agency (emda)
- Yorkshire Futures
- South East England Development Agency (seeda)
- NHS Health Scotland
- UK
* Design and analysis of personal and social well-being questions for the 2006 European Social Survey, together with consortium partners including Cambridge University
* Older people and well-being, Hampshire County Council and Portsmouth City Council
* Health, human needs and well-being, NHS Dumfries & Galloway
* Design of an employee well-being survey for the Department of Health
Publications
Marks N, Abdallah S, Simms A and Thompson S (2006) The (un)Happy Planet Index: An index of human well-being and environmental impact. London: nef. Submitted to Social Indicators Research for a potential special issue.
Marks N, Potts R and Walker P (2005) Spoiled Ballot: Why less than three per cent have a fair share of democratic power in Britain. London: nef.
Marks N (2005) 'Good Jobs: well-being at work'. In Reflections on employee well-being and the psychological contract. London: Chartered Institute for Personnel Development.
Shah H and Marks N (2004) A Well-being Manifesto for a Flourishing Society. London: nef. Reprinted in the Journal for Mental Health Promotion and Huppert F, Baylis N and Keverne B (eds) (2005) The Science of Well-being. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Marks, N. 2004. The Power and Potential of Well-being Indicators: Measuring young people's well-being in Nottingham. London: nef.
Jackson, T. and Marks, N. 1995. Measuring Sustainable Economic Welfare - A Pilot Index : 1950 - 1990. nef (new economics foundation) and Stockholm Environment Institute (this work has since been updated in 1997 and again in 2004 as Chasing Progress).
Jackson T and Marks N (1999) 'Consumption, sustainable welfare and human needs' Ecological Economics 28, pp. 421 – 441.
Jackson T and Marks N (1998) 'Found wanting' In Christie I and Nash L (eds) (1998) The Good Life London: Demos.