The Metrics of Change: Opportunities and Challenges in Analyzing Transformation

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers a comprehensive framework to advance progress in people, the planet, and prosperity. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of economic, social, and environmental goals, recognizing that long-term success in one area is dependent on the success of the others.

The SDGs, along with their indicators and targets, form a complex network of interdependencies. Statisticians, data analysts, and evaluators have made substantial efforts to study these linkages, identifying potential synergies and trade-offs. However, effective policymaking demands moving beyond traditional, linear methods of measuring progress. A more systemic approach is required to navigate the inherent complexity and interconnected nature of the Agenda 2030.

This webinar will examine the opportunities and challenges in measuring and analysing transformational change. It will draw on evidence from multiple perspectives, including data and statistics, evaluations, adoption of systems thinking approaches, and country level insights in evidence-based planning.

In this webinar, we will explore the following themes:

• Evaluating long-term impacts within the SDG framework
• Addressing challenges related to data availability, infrastructure, and cross-country comparability for SDG measurement
• The role of systems thinking in understanding transformative change
• Country-level perspectives on using data and evaluations for SDG-related transformations
• The influence of cross-sector partnerships on measuring and achieving transformation
• Organizational and individual capacity to effectively measure and analyse change

Speakers:

• Andrea Cook, Executive Director, United Nations Sustainable Development Group System-Wide Evaluation Office
• Steve MacFeely, Chief Statistician and Director of the Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD
• Azusa Kubota, UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka
• Charles Abani, UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana
• Welcome and opening: Silke Weinlich, Deputy Director, Learning and Knowledge Services, UNSSC
• Moderation: Itziar Arispe, Evaluation Learning Specialist, UNSSC

The webinar will take place on Thursday, 05 December 2024, from 14:00-15:15 CET. Interested participants are invited to register below:

This is the sixth webinar of the UN Transformation Series: Building Capacities Amidst Crises. Learn more here.