Telesis: The Uses of Indicators to Set Goals and Develop Programs to Change Conditions

TELESIS - the application of intelligence to attain desired goals - employs social indicators to set goals and monitor progress toward achieving goals. The model links culture values to desirable goals which are identified by a change in social indicators statistic. Understanding appropriate steps to take, based upon experience and experimental knowledge, is vital in developing programs. Human and fiscal resources also are critical. Healthy People, a U.S. program to extend life, is presented as an example of the process, with the program to stop cigarette smoking reviewed in detail. Another example is the U.S. Goals for Education program with its 50 objectives to improve learning. The Kids Count, a program supported by a private foundation, is designed to improve the well-being of children and youth. It is an example of the telic process that engages local initiatives. From these examples, a summary of lessons learned provides suggestions for the application of the telic process.