Sustainable Development Goals and Statistical Capacity Building

Statistical capacity building enhances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by strengthening countries' abilities to produce, manage, and disseminate high-quality, reliable, and timely statistics and indicators essential for monitoring progress toward the goals.

1. Improving Data Availability and Quality

• Many countries, especially low- and middle-income ones, lack the infrastructure and skills to produce disaggregated, accurate, and timely data for all SDG indicators.

• Capacity Building Impact:

  • Enhances technical skills of statisticians and data providers.

  • Upgrades data collection infrastructure (e.g., surveys, censuses, administrative records).

  • Encourages adoption of international standards and classifications, ensuring comparability and reliability of data.

2. Fostering Data Disaggregation

• To ensure no one is left behind, SDG monitoring requires data disaggregated by gender, age, geography, income, and other factors.

• Capacity Building Impact:

  • Develop tools and methodologies to collect, process, and analyse disaggregated data.

  • Builds expertise in modern techniques like small-area estimation and big data analytics.

  • Empower countries to report on vulnerable groups and specific regions.

3. Strengthening Statistical Systems

• Weak national statistical systems (NSSs) limit a country's ability to measure progress comprehensively.

• Capacity Building Impact:

  • Supports the development of National Statistical Development Strategies (NSDSs).

  • Ensures better coordination among data providers and statistical producers (e.g., national statistical offices, ministries, agencies).

  • Introduces frameworks like UN NQAF and GSBPM to standardise processes and improve governance.

  • Supports the Cape Town Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development Data.

4. Facilitating Timely and Responsive Reporting

• Delayed or outdated data impede timely decision-making for SDG interventions.

• Capacity Building Impact:

  • Introduces modern data collection technologies (e.g., mobile surveys, geospatial tools).

  • Builds capacity for real-time monitoring and nowcasting methods.

  • Encourages the use of administrative data to complement traditional sources.

5. Enhancing Policy and Decision-Making

• Policymakers need evidence-based insights to design effective interventions aligned with SDGs.

• Capacity Building Impact:

  • Improves understanding and application of data in policy formulation.

  • Builds data visualisation and communication capacities, making statistics more accessible and actionable.

6. Promoting Accountability and Transparency

• Lack of reliable data undermines trust in SDG progress reporting.

• Capacity Building Impact:

  • Enhances data integrity and adherence to global quality principles.

  • Promotes open data platforms, enabling public access to SDG statistics and indicators.

  • Encourages participatory monitoring by involving civil society and stakeholders.

7. Fostering International Collaboration

• SDGs are a global agenda requiring cross-country comparability and harmonised reporting.

• Capacity Building Impact:

  • Aligns national practices with global statistical standards (e.g., UN SQAF, SDMX for data exchange).

  • Encourages regional and global capacity-building partnerships for knowledge sharing.

  • Prepares countries for peer reviews and collaboration on multi-country indicators.

8. Reducing Data Gaps

• Many SDG indicators suffer from significant data gaps in developing countries.

• Capacity Building Impact:

  • Focuses resources on priority indicators with significant gaps.

  • Develop proxy indicators or innovative solutions for hard-to-measure targets.

By building robust statistical systems, enhancing skills, and fostering innovation, capacity building ensures that countries can:

• Monitor SDG progress effectively.

• Identify challenges and disparities.

• Design evidence-based policies.

• Report accurately and transparently.