Sustainable Development Goals: evaluating progress for a brighter future

Every country has 2030 as the date for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Some are well on the way to meeting targets, others have further to go. In this new three-part mini-series, we explore how to evaluate progress against the goals. 

In episode one 'Adaptive evaluation: considering climate risks in theory and practice', IIED hosts a discussion about the principles, practice and challenges of considering climate risks in evaluation of programmes aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

This episode features Stefano D’Errico, head of monitoring, evaluation and learning in IIED's Strategy and Learning group; Emilie Beauchamp, senior researcher in IIED's Strategy and Learning group; Nick Brooks, adaptation specialist and director of Garama 3C; and Samson Machuka, director of the monitoring and evaluation department in the State Department for Planning and Statistics within the National Treasury and Planning of the Government of Kenya.

1. Adaptive evaluation: considering climate risks in theory and practice

Sustainable development is every country’s goal. How they achieve it isn’t always straightforward. Evaluating progress against the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their multiple targets is complex. Few countries have done a formal evaluation but where they have, they have learnt lessons that could be shared with others.

In the second episode of podcast mini-series ‘Sustainable Development Goals – Evaluating progress for a brighter future’, Dirk Hoffmann and Nataly Salas Rodríguez from DEval host two discussions, one in English and one in Spanish, about how an SDG evaluation is done.

In the English-language episode, experts discuss what an ‘SDG evaluation’ actually means and the importance of judging progress against a range of objectives and principles set by the 2030 Agenda - rather than an advance against one target only. They shine light on the case of Finland.

2.  Defining and scoping an SDG evaluation – how do you get started?

El desarrollo sostenible es el objetivo de todos los países, pero la forma de conseguirlo no siempre es sencilla. Evaluar el progreso de los 17 Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) y sus múltiples metas es algo complejo. Pocos países han realizado una evaluación formal, pero los que lo han hecho han aprendido algunas lecciones que podrían ser útiles a otros.

En el segundo episodio de la miniserie de “Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. Evaluando el progreso para un futuro más brillante", Dirk Hoffmann y Nataly Salas Rodríguez de DEval presentan, en dos charlas, una en inglés y otra en español, cómo realizar una evaluación de los ODS.

El episodio en español se centra en el caso de Costa Rica, líder mundial en políticas climáticas y de biodiversidad, que realizó su evaluación de los ODS en 2020.

2. Definición y alcance de una evaluación de ODS ¿por dónde empezamos?

With the COVID-19 pandemic diverting everyone’s attention, including national and sub-national governments, progress towards achieving Agenda 2030 has slowed down. 

Now there’s a need to refocus policy planning to get back on track, bearing in mind that budgets are stretched in many directions.  

In the third and final episode of this podcast mini-series ‘Sustainable Development Goals – Evaluating progress for a brighter future’, Kassem El Saddik, co-chair of EvalSDGs, hosts a discussion on what country-led evaluations can bring to assessing progress towards the SDGs.

3. Country-led evaluations: revealing the progress of Agenda 2030

IIED's mission is to build a fairer, more sustainable world, using evidence, action and influence in partnership with others. We link local priorities to global challenges and aim to deliver positive change on a global scale.

This channel will host IIED's mini podcast series on specific topics affecting our world.

1. Adaptive evaluation: considering climate risks in theory and practice

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