24 April 2018: OECD-DAC countries are struggling to translate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into domestic frameworks, according to Charlotte Gornitzka, Chair of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC), and Anthony Pipa, Brookings Institution. The authors highlight key factors that would enable national governments to achieve the SDGs.

The OECD-DAC and Brookings’ Global Economy and Development program hosted a roundtable on SDG implementation in DAC countries, where DAC members shared their experiences. The discussion highlighted challenges related to leading whole-of-government efforts to implement the SDGs and mobilizing stakeholders.

The authors propose that national governments consider a two-dimensional approach to SDG implementation. First, they recommend adopting a “whole-of-government” approach, in which governments set priorities based on their national circumstances, while simultaneously investing internationally to support global progress. Second, they suggest, governments should use a “whole-of-society” approach that mobilizes and harnesses the potential contributions of a diverse group of stakeholders.

Gornitzka and Pipa emphasize the importance of high-level political buy-in for implementing the SDGs, noting that implementation requires national governments to reorient policy frameworks, plans and budgets. They stress the importance of “leadership from the top” in fostering institutional collaboration and creating ownership across domestic and global institutions. The authors further underscore the role of finance ministers and treasury departments in ensuring sufficient resources to achieve the SDGs and in unleashing financing for development, particularly blended finance.

The authors also highlight the role of auditors in providing leadership on the SDGs. They explain that auditors can support governments in their efforts to achieve the SDGs by incorporating the SDGs into performance objectives and outcomes, which will promote policy coherence across different levels of government. Auditors can also support the collection of information on national progress towards the SDGs, as part of follow-up and review efforts.

The authors recommend that governments invest in a conflict resolution mechanism to support tough decisions on trade-offs among government objectives.

Also on policy coherence, the authors recommend that governments pursue “a coherent policy and regulatory environment to mainstream the SDGs across sectors.” To address challenges related to conflicting government objectives, they recommend investing in a conflict resolution mechanism to support “tough decisions on trade-offs” and obstacles related to ownership. They further highlight the importance of collaboration among DAC members and other international partners to promote global SDG progress.

On localization, the authors recommend that national governments work to ensure alignment and policy coherence with provincial and city governments. They suggest governments can focus on progress in a specific place or location and facilitate local level leadership.

On stakeholder involvement, the authors highlight the role of national leadership in encouraging and harnessing contributions from citizens, civil society and the private sector for maximum impact. They stress the need to engage stakeholders in regular, systematic ways. As an illustration, Gornitzka and Pipa describe how Luxembourg hosts regular public hearings and workshops with external stakeholders to raise awareness on SDG implementation and support stakeholder involvement in influencing government policy on the SDGs.

In conclusion, the authors propose that governments adapt “servant leader mindsets” in which they guide but do not dominate, embrace new ideas, and complement and challenge existing structures to support the 2030 Agenda domestically and internationally. [Brookings Institute Blog Post][SDG Knowledge Hub story on role of Supreme Audit Institutions]