MAPS Approach for Localizing Sustainable Development Goals in Sindh

Localization of Sustainable Development Goals in Sindh requires active participation of multiple stakeholders, with key emphasis on establishing strong data protocols and monitoring and reporting systems. MAPS, which stands for Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support, was adopted by the UNDG in October 2015 as a common approach to its support to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the country level. The MAPS approach captures the core components of the UNDG’s upstream support to the SDGs:

  1. Mainstreaming work to raise public awareness on the 2030 Agenda and ensure that the principles and goals of sustainable development found in the 2030 Agenda are fully integrated into national and sub-national policy formulation, planning and budgetary processes.
  2. Analytical work that informs policy makers of the drivers and bottlenecks to sustainable development at the country level, and that contributes to the design of policy interventions that can accelerate progress towards achieving national SDGs by 2030.
  3. Policy Support, in terms of joined-up approaches that will enable the UN to deploy its technical expertise and advice to Member States in support of SDG implementation in a coherent and integrated way.

In addition to these three core elements, the MAPS common approach recognizes the importance and the need to support partnership development, accountability and data efforts, as key ingredients to the success of its policy engagement on the SDGs at the country level.

Guided under the MAPs approach, SDGs Support Unit is endeavoring to achieve 04 key outputs.

Output 1: Aligning plans, policies and resource allocation to 2030 Agenda

The SDGs Support Unit is working closely with parliamentarians, line departments, local government, civil society, and academia to generate awareness and align policies, plans, and strategies and their implementation frameworks with SDGs. 04 parallel platforms have been developed to steer strategic forethought across multi-stakeholder groups: (1) Parliamentary Task Force has actively engaged parliamentarians and members of the Provincial Assembly; (2) Provincial Technical Committee is overseeing project’s activities; (3) Core Group on SDGs is developing SDGs Framework for Sindh; and (4) 6 Thematic Sub-Committees. Evidence-based analysis and thematic research is being conducted to identify priority SDGs, establish baseline and set targets. With the inputs from multiple stakeholders at different levels, SDGs Framework will be developed that will serve as the road map for development and attainment of Agenda 2030 and achieving priorities established by Government of Sindh

Output 2: Strengthening monitoring and reporting

In order to establish baseline report, SDGs Support Unit is working closely with Bureau of Statistics. Several consultations have taken place and a comprehensive Data Gap Analysis Report has been prepared. The Unit plans to conduct capacity-building of Bureau of Statistics and line departments to help establish standard data protocols to support reporting progress towards SDGs in Sindh. With the accurate data identified and baseline established, SDGs Support Unit will develop an Online SDGs Dashboard, where Sindh’s progress can be virtually tracked.

Output 3: Increasingly aligning financing flows with 2030 Agenda

The SDGs Support Unit is exploring Social Impact Financing and role of private sector for financing towards SDGs. The Unit will be working towards development of SDG responsive budgetary frameworks and Medium Term budgetary frameworks/white paper in discussion with finance department. Furthermore, guidelines and strategy for SDG responsive development framework will also be developed, while support is offered to finance department in formulating SDG responsive PFC award and targeting resources to priority SDGs.

Output 4: Applying innovative approaches to accelerate progress on priority SDGs

The SDGs Support Unit is developing SDG localization plans for selected districts. It is also exploring concepts/ideas for pilot initiatives, which entails using youth, and looking at districts/regions that are lowest on MPI, ensuring that no one is left behind in our quest to achieve sustainable development in Sindh.

With participatory decision making and active involvement in implementation of multiple stakeholders, Sindh will be on its way to localize SDGs, whereby, four key activities, with the technical support of UNDP and SDGs Support Unit, will play an instrumental role in making SDGs a reality at the local level: 1 Baseline for SDGs, prioritization of SDGs, 3-Development of SDGs framework – a road map for implementation, 4-implementaiton and monitoring and reporting of SDGs.