Tree of Truth reveals if Estonia is meeting targets
Statistics Estonia and the Government Office presented a new web application on Thursday, to show important national indicators and give a simple and objective picture of how the country is doing.
The new application is called the Tree of Truth and it compares results using 135 short, medium, and long-term goals. These come from the government action plan 2019–2023, reform programme Estonia 2020 and the Estonian National Strategy on Sustainable Development Sustainable Estonia 21.
The tree displays 15 types of data and the results are represented by green, yellow or red leaves.
The application can be used by public and private sector employees but is mostly meant for people who are interested in how the country is actually doing and wish to make informed decisions based on real data.
Director General of Statistics Estonia Mart Mägi explained at the presentation of the new application that the need for such a tool became evident last year when Statistics Estonia introduced sustainable development indicators.
Contrary to expectations, the audience included very few members of the Riigikogu who could take advantage of reliable and good quality information in decision‑making.
"Sorting through large amounts of data is often daunting and difficult. Coming to conclusions based on these data takes time. Often conclusions are not made or not used as much as they could be. The Tree of Truth shows the state's goals and governance principles in a more understandable way," said Mägi.
"Green leaves mean that the goal has been reached or we are on track. Yellow leaves signify that there is some progress to be made. Red leaves show that we have significant catch-up to do to achieve the desired goals," Mägi explained.
Henry Kattago, Director of the Government Office Strategy Unit, said that the comparisons visualised on the Tree of Truth are a good basis for planning strategic activities and analysing results currently and in the future.
"The tree shows very clearly where we currently stand. It should become an important tool for making decisions and planning activities in specific domains," said Kattago.
The launch of the Tree of Truth took place on Thursday in Kadriorg next to one of the oldest oak trees in Estonia.
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Editor: Helen Wright