Innovative Approaches to Assessing Progress in the SDGs

This Policy Brief analyses some of the key issues related to the lack of timely evidence that can assist policymakers in tracking the progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The quality of official statistical information still lags behind the data needs, and barriers to the universal achievement of similar levels of data capture persist. There is a need to balance international comparisons with contextualised understanding of local needs to ensure that policies, drawing on progress data, are evidence-based. The G20 can lead a concerted rethink on more agile approaches to monitoring progress and understanding how to pivot effectively based on evidence and insights. Recommendations include triangulating summative, formative, and developmental evaluation; seeking hidden, unintended consequences of adopting specific indicators; repurposing existing data to improve the currency of information; and incorporating greater use of leading indicators.