Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative progress measure revolving around the utilisation of three key constructs: resources, infrastructure and environment. 
Design/methodology/approach – This paper utilises an interdisciplinary approach to construct a composite indicator to measure progress. Furthermore, a weighting technique based on public opinion, and a non-monetary evaluation, is employed. 
Findings – The findings reveal that the methodological approach employed above allows components that are vital to progress to be incorporated. 
Research limitations/implications – The research could be applied to countries with regard to issues dealing with project selection and resource allocation, while it is hoped to also promote interdisciplinary research between schools. 
Originality/value – The paper proposes an alternative measure of progress for nations. The advantage of the proposed method is that it has the capability to capture aspects important to progress.