Indicator 17.14.1 - Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development - Indicators For The Sustainable Development Goals

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the UN Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

Indicator

Indicator 17.14.1: Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development

Target

Target 17.14: Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development

Organisation

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Definition and concepts

Definition:

For the purpose of this methodology ‘policy coherence of sustainable development’ has been interpreted as the coherence between policies in general that cover the dimensions of sustainable development. This indicator is a composite indicator which covers mechanisms related to:

Institutionalization of Political Commitment
Long-term considerations in decision-making
Inter-ministerial and cross-sectoral coordination
Participatory processes
Policy linkages
Alignment across government levels
Monitoring and reporting for policy coherence
Financing for policy coherence

Concepts:

Scope of “Sustainable Development”: For the purpose of this methodology ‘policy coherence of sustainable development’ has been interpreted as the coherence between policies in general that cover the dimensions of sustainable development, rather than adopting a narrower definition of mechanisms put in place to support the coherent implementation of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), so as to promote coherent policy for sustainable development well beyond the current agenda’s timeframe. The policy coherence mechanisms set out in this methodology may therefore include mechanisms already in place before the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in 2015, and any mechanisms established during the next decade leading up to 2030 should aim to continue well beyond that timeframe. However, given the role of Agenda 2030 and the individual goals in defining the specific parameters of sustainable development, it is likely that governments will focus, in implementing this methodology, on bringing coherence in their policy approaches to implement the goals.

The concept of Policy Coherence: The textual formulation of the indicator covers “policy coherence”. In order to make the indicator universally applicable and adaptable to various national contexts, the mechanisms measured by the methodology cover a wide range of mechanisms that, although aiming to achieve the same objective, use slightly different language. In order to properly assess and report on this indicator, similar concepts such as “whole of government approach or “integrated approach” will be interpreted in the same spirit as the concept of “policy coherence”. However, it is important that the used concept considers policies that cover the various dimensions of sustainable development. Hence, a mechanism focusing solely on the concept of policy coherence for development (which is often limited to coherence between Official Development Assistance (ODA) and other policies, in the spirit of the Millennium Development Goals) will not be considered by this framework.

Unit of measure

Percent (%)

Data sources

Data provided by national governments, including entities responsible for SDG implementation.

Data providers

Data are provided by national governments, including entities responsible for SDG implementation.

Comment and limitations

There are many mechanisms that could be useful to assess at the national level which would be relevant to enhance policy coherence for sustainable development. This methodology aims to provide a basis for countries to engage in discussions around what policy coherence means at the national level and how it could be improved. Such discussions and strategies to improve policy coherence that may results from it could feed into a country Voluntary National Review (VNR) or National Development Strategy or Plan development, to inform further efforts by the country to improve its ability to implement Agenda 2030 through better policy coherence. This document should be considered a living document which is regularly updated with the country experiences in putting in place and assessing mechanisms for policy coherence. These experiences, and related challenges, lessons learned and solutions, can be shared so that UNEP as custodian agency, with partners, can further refine this methodology and disseminate it not only as a tool to enable effective reporting but also to support national efforts toward policy coherence.

Method of computation

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has developed a composite indicator framework for SDG 17.14.1 based on initial research on existing work, literature, partners and existing indicators on similar issues. This indicator includes 8 domains. Each domain is scored on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means none of the requested mechanisms are implemented, 10 means all the requested mechanisms are in place. The percentage of points out of the total 80 points is then computed for each country. It is recommended that Governments convene a stakeholder group for self-scoring. The below table is used for scoring. Full details are in the document “Methodology for SDG-indicator 17.14.1: Mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence for sustainable development”.

Table 1: Scoring for mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence for sustainable development

Theme	Domain	Points	National Score
1. Institutionalized political commitment	Political commitment expressed/endorsed by the highest level	5
1. Institutionalized political commitment	Additional specific commitments (1 point each, maximum of 5 points): • Set timelines for the achievement of policy coherence objectives; • A dedicated budget; • Defined roles and responsibilities; • Regular reporting mechanism; • Explicit consideration of international commitments; • Other nationally relevant commitment.	5
2. Long-term considerations	Long-term objectives going beyond the current electoral cycle included in national strategies	5
2. Long-term considerations	Additional specific mechanisms (1 point each, maximum of 5 points): • A commissioner, council or ombudsperson for future generations; • Other mechanisms of scrutiny or oversight on possible future effects; • Mechanisms for regular appraisal of policies; • Impact assessment mechanisms; and • Other nationally relevant factors.	5
3. Inter-ministerial and cross-sectoral coordination	National mechanism for regular coordination	5
3. Inter-ministerial and cross-sectoral coordination	Additional elements (maximum of 5 points): • A mandate to make decisions regarding trade-offs (2 points); • Coordination body is convened by a centralized government body (1 point); • Coordination at both political level and technical level (1 point); • Mandate for aligning internal and external policies (1 point); • Other nationally relevant mechanism (1 point).	5
4. Participatory processes	Relevant stakeholders are consulted at the early stages of development of laws, policies, plans, etc.	5
4. Participatory processes	Additional elements (scored as follows): • Consultations take place in a comprehensive manner at various stages of the policy cycle (1 point); • Institutions disclose the rationale for not including inputs from consultations (2 points); • An accountability mechanism that allows public intervention (2 points).	5
5. Integration of the three dimensions of Sustainable Development, assessment of policy effects and linkages	A mechanism for assessing and addressing issues in terms of the contribution of a policy (new or existing) to broader sustainable development, including transboundary elements.	5
	Additional mechanisms (1 point each, maximum of 5 points): • The application of the above mechanisms at all levels of government; • An indicator framework for tracking policy effectiveness towards sustainable development; • Cost-benefit analysis of policy impacts across all sectors; • The identification of measures to mitigate potentially negative effects and to optimize synergies as part of policy and planning; • The consideration of international spill-overs, such as cross-border and international impacts; and • Other nationally relevant mechanisms.	5
6. Consultation and coordination across government levels	Any of following mechanisms (5 points each, 10 points total – two mechanisms are enough for 10 points): • Mechanisms to systematically collect the inputs of sub-national government entities; • Arrangements for regular formal exchange between central government and subnational levels; • Mechanisms to ensure enhance substantive coherence (templates & checklists); • Planning cycle timeframes that facilitate alignment.	10
7. Monitoring and reporting for policy coherence	Monitoring and evaluation framework for policy coherence for sustainable development.	5
	Aspects of policy coherence for sustainable development are integrated into reporting processes.	2
	Data and information management system for sustainable development data.	3
8. Financial resources and tools	Any of following (5 points each, 10 points total): • Check-lists to ensure that plans and budgets reflect policy coherence for sustainable development; • Integrated financial information systems; • Mechanisms to ensure that cooperation funds are aligned with national policies and priorities; • Additional points for mechanisms that could promote alignment between internal and external policy coherence.	10
TOTAL		80	Sum
Mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence for sustainable development (%)		$\frac{S u m}{80} \times 100 %$

Metadata update

2024-07-29

International organisations(s) responsible for global monitoring

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Related indicators

Not applicable

UN designated tier

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Indicator 17.14.1 Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development