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Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development
This self-paced online course is designed to help participants understand why prioritizing policy coherence is essential for achieving sustainable development. It explores key concepts related to policy coherence, illustrated through country examples and supported by specific tools and mechanisms.
Traditional development approaches often emphasize sector-specific economic outcomes, operating under the assumption of perfectly functioning markets. These methods frequently overlook externalities and their broader impacts on society, equity, and the environment. They also tend to disregard transboundary and intergenerational effects, leading to fragmented and conflicting policies that may undermine each other.
This course examines strategies for promoting integration across the Sustainable Development Goals, framed within a political economy perspective. It delves into the concept of cross-organizational and cross-sectoral policy coherence at national, regional, and international levels. The course aims to equip participants with a clear understanding of coherent policymaking and introduces specific tools, mechanisms, and approaches to support its implementation.
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be better able to:
- describe the vision and principles underlying the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the evolution of the concept of policy coherence for sustainable development;
- identify entry points and levers for transformative pathways and recognize system interconnections, and their importance when dealing with complexity;
- explain the relevance of policy coherence as an approach and a tool to achieve sustainable development outcomes;
- use specific tools, mechanisms and approaches that can be employed to foster policy coherence for sustainable development, including partnerships and multi-stakeholder engagement.
UNSSC online courses are designed to maximize learning outcomes through optimal time investment in carefully curated, high-quality learning content. These courses are specifically tailored for professionals seeking to enhance their skills for career advancement or deepen their subject matter expertise. The self-paced modules feature applied learning elements, including case studies.
Learners have the flexibility to complete course activities at their own convenience.
UNSSC online courses maintain the same high academic rigour as their face-to-face counterparts, while allowing participants to set their own study schedule.
Module 1: provides an introduction to the vision and principles of the 2030 Agenda and the evolution and concept of sustainable development.
Module 2: discusses the political economy of sustainable development and introduces the concept and evolution of policy coherence for sustainable development, and elaborates upon vertical and horizontal coherence, as well as the different mechanisms that enhance policy coherence across the policy cycle.
Module 3: discusses the importance of policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD) in the context of Sustainable Development Goal 17 of the 2030 Agenda. It focuses on the different approaches towards understanding the concept of PCSD and the importance of policy coherence at national, regional, and international levels.
Module 4: focuses on the UN Development System Reform and guidance for UN Country Teams in addressing the gaps and overlaps in UN capacity and functions. It also discusses the role of Resident Coordinators and explains the purpose of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
Module 5: looks at the importance of partnerships and stakeholder engagement for PCSD, introducing tools and review mechanisms to assess integration of the 2030 Agenda at the national level. It examines the significance of tracking progress on policy coherence.
Module 6: focuses on the synergies, trade-offs and strategic interventions for the future to foster policy coherence for sustainable development.
This course is offered exclusively to UN staff members who are either interested in policy coherence for sustainable development or actively engaged in related work at the national or local level.
This online course is offered for the staff of the United Nations Secretariat and other UN entities upon payment of the course fee.
Certificates from the United Nations System Staff College will be awarded to participants upon completion of the course.
