Sustainable Development Solutions Network “Indicators and a monitoring framework for Sustainable Development Goals”

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has revised the working draft of its report on Indicators and a monitoring framework for Sustainable Development Goal” to align it with the draft Sustainable Development Goals as developed by the Open Working Group (OWG). The SDSN plans to engage with experts and statistical institutions to strengthen the indicator framework and fill some of the gaps as highlighted in the draft report. The SDSN welcomes comments on the ideas outlined in the draft report, which should be sent to info@unsdsn.org  

Designing Indicators and a Monitoring Framework for Sustainable Development Goals.

The SDSN notes that insofar as the OWG is proposing 17 goals and 169 targets, of which 40 focus on means of implementation, it is not meeting the Rio+20 requirement that the goals and targets be “concise, easy to communicate [and] limited in number.” The SDGs will require a “data revolution, as called for by the High-Level Panel of Experts on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and others, which will “address the essential nuts and bolts of monitoring the SDGs in every country.” 

The draft report is set out as follows:

Main report outlines the rationale and criteria for indicators, including suggestions as to how the data might be collected. The first table summarizes the proposed ‘Core Indicators’ and suggested ‘Tier 2 Indicators’. 

Annex 1 suggests principles for setting goals, targets and indicators. This is also available as a stand-alone document 

Annex 2 describes each Core Indicator in detail and suggests Tier 2 Indicators 

Annex 3 describes how indicators might be disaggregated 

Annex 4 describes how the indicators map against the goals and targets proposed by the SDSN 

Annex 5 illustrates how cross-cutting issues can be captured in an integrated indicator framework

Annex 6 lists frequently asked questions 

The SDSN points out that this is a preliminary analysis, despite the extensive public consultations and discussions with experts and that it is too premature to recommend detailed technical definitions. They recommend “a broad public discussion, and further dialogue with international agencies and national statistical offices that will be responsible for indicator collection and reporting.”

They also recommend limiting the overall number of indictors to no more than 100 as well as the importance of developing new indicators and the need for additional metrics not covered in their report, insofar as “governments, local authorities, businesses, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders will also require management data, geospatially disaggregated information, real-time data, performance metrics and other data, which will not be provided by a set of 100 global indicators.” Finally, they stress the urgency for preparing an SDG monitoring framework.

The SDSN sets out the criteria for SDG indictors. They should be clear and straightforward; consensus based in line with international standards; broadly consistent with systems-based information; constructed from well-established data sources; disaggregated; universal; and managed by a designated organization. Four priorities priority challenges need to be addressed with urgency: (1) Fill indicator gaps; (2) move towards annual reporting; (3) determine financing needs and mechanisms; (4) identify complementary unofficial metrics and ensure coherence with SDG framework.

The suggested indicators within the sexual and reproductive health and rights framework are included under Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well being for all at all ages (see page 15) and Goal 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls (see page 17) They are explained in more detail in Annex 2

The full report is available on the SDSN website at http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/140724-Indicator-working-draft1.pdf