Mainstreaming the SDGs in AlbaniaPossible roles for SDG

“Mainstreaming” the SDGs in Albania—Possible roles for SDG dashboard Ben Slay UNDP senior advisor 17 April 2018, Tirana

“MAPS” and SDG dashboards • “MAPS” platform for the SDGs – Background – Methodology • SDG “Mainstreaming” • SDG “Acceleration” • SDG “Policy support” – On-going mission in Albania (1620 April) • SDG dashboards – General overview – A beta version for Albania?

Agenda 2030 and the SDGs • At the Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September 2015, UN Member States adopted: – Global Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 – Sustainable Development Goals • 17 goals • 169 targets • 232 indicators • Key features: – Universality – Integration – “Leave no one behind”

Member states expect SDG implementation support • UN Development Group offers “MAPS” platform: – “Mainstreaming”—Alignment of national development strategies, programmes, policies with SDGs – “Acceleration”—Identifying activities that can accelerate progress towards several SDGs simultaneously – “Policy support”—Policy dialogue, technical assistance on national sustainable development challenges, responses • Technical experts from UNDG agencies—and World Bank —visit countries, at government request – 25 countries had MAPS missions during 2016 -2017. . . –. . . Another 25 planned for 2018 – Albania: First MAPS mission in Western Balkans • Special focus on alignment with EU accession

Albania MAPS mission team • Ben Slay (UNDP)—Team leader, representative of UN Issue-based Coalition on Social Protection • Nigina Abaszade (UNFPA)—Representative of UN Issue-based Coalition on Gender • Keith Holmes (UNESCO)—Representative of UN Issue-based Coalition on Data • Bettina Menna (WHO)—Representative of UN Issue-based Coalition on Health • Sarangoo Radnaaragchaa (UNECE)—Environment, water, energy • Daniela Zampini (ILO)—Representative of UN Issue-based Coalition on Youth • Evis Sulko—World Bank • Edina Halapi—EU Delegation

SDG dashboards—What they are. . . And are not • SDG dashboards ARE: – A metric showing how close (or far) a country is to meeting the SDGs – Prepared by UNDP for every MAPS mission (in Europe and Central Asia. . . ) • . . . As an instrument for governments to use • UNDP SDG dashboards ARE NOT: – A “black box” to be applied without appropriate national contextualization – External judgments about whether or not a country is “on track” to achieve the SDGs

Comparator: Bertelsmann Foundation & Sustainable Development Solutions Network • National progress in SDG implementation is compared according to own indicators • Only about one third of these are taken from the UNStat global SDG indicator set

SDG dashboards: Some assembly required (I) • Data to monitor SDGs: – National, or international? • Monitoring at SDG target level? Or at SDG indicator level? • Problems: – Albania’s national SDG indicators, targets have not yet been selected – Global SDG indicators are not yet “fit for purpose” • Only 40% are “Tier I” – National data gaps • Compromise solutions? – Use global SDG targets – Supplement national with international data

SDG dashboards: Some additional issues • Some global SDG targets are formulated very broadly – 3. 9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution. . . – 4. b By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries • Setting baseline (2015? ), interim, final (2030? ) values for these targets requires philosophical judgements – Assembling an SDG dashboard may require “stepping into the Government’s shoes”

To assemble this beta version of an SDG dashboard for Albania: • Some more assumptions were made: – Baseline values taken for 2015 – Final values set at 2030 – Comparators taken as: • EU averages, or • Data for Croatia (most recent new EU member state, also from Western Balkans) • The argument. . . –. . . is NOT that these assumptions are correct. . . –. . . But rather that the Government of Albania can replace them with its own assumptions • Data base, metadata: http: //bit. ly/2 Hij. Fs. F

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Some concluding observations • UNDP prepares dashboards for each SDG “MAPS” mission – Our hope is that national partners will adapt the dashboards for their own uses • These dashboards can really only be used after “SDG nationalization” is finished – This may not happen in Albania for some years. . . –. . . But the dashboard can be used for simulations in the meanwhile

Thank you very much! Ben Slay ben. slay@undp. org (For more information about this dashboard, please contact Mr. Mihail Peleah mihail. peleah@undp. org)