Summary
Summary report of ILAC’s session “Learning While Doing: Experiences from Piloting the SDGs” at Stockholm Forum on Security and Development in 2016.
The breadth and ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pose practical questions about the capacities and actions needed to deliver and monitor SDG 16’s aim of building e ective institutions. Of the utmost importance is the question of how to ensure that the SDGs become tools for government authorities in promoting development, rather than a distraction or an additional demand on institutions already limited by resource and capacity constraints. This brief explores how to ensure that the SDGs become tools for government authorities in promoting development, rather than a distraction or an additional demand on institutions already limited by resource and capacity constraints.
Recommendations
1. Develop institutional cooperation between states to build solidarity and promote exchange
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- Establish new structures in support of SDG implementation such as working groups, implementation teams and communities of practice
- It will be important for developed countries not only to provide support and technical assistance, but also to listen to the experiences of developing countries in implementing the MDGs, and build on their experi- ence.
2. Invest in statistical capacity
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- In fragile and con ict-a ected states, where there may not be an existing bank of data on these indicators, the capacity to collect and analyse data is restricted by a number of factors. On one hand, it may be unsafe or infeasible to travel to dangerous areas or those which are inaccessible due to lack of infrastructure. On the other hand, if trust in government is low, individuals may be wary about sharing their personal informa- tion.
- To be sure that no one is left behind, data will need to be disaggregated in many ways. There’s a limitation to the level of disaggregated data that surveys alone can provide.
- Donors and partners should support statistical capacity through nancing, IT infrastructure and training for national statistics personnel to ensure that baseline data and future progress can be measured methodo- logically.
3. Countries should be prepared to support one another in the prioritization of the SDGs and targets
- Di erent national contexts must sequence their interventions and invest their resources according to the urgency of di erent development needs. In fragile and con ict-a ected states, prioritization is of the utmost importance.
- In many cases national governments will need to delegate roles and responsibilities to local authorities. Assistance to help them coordinate these is vital.