The document discusses the role of evaluation in connecting evidence to decision-making processes to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It argues that evaluation can help make sense of wealth of SDG data by identifying context-specific trajectories, linking evidence back to Agenda 2030 principles, and investigating interactions between social and environmental systems. However, the document notes that evaluation also needs to change to better assess future impacts and sustainability in light of challenges like climate change, promote mutual accountability across all levels, and evaluate progress toward goals like equity and policy coherence.

1. www.iied.org @IIED
Evaluation to
connect national
priorities with
the SDGs
IMAGE CREDIT
Stefano D’Errico
EEEN2020 Forum

2. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.orgEvaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 2
The SDGs: Navigating through complexity
2015, a turning point?
➢ In October UNGA adopted
Agenda 2030 and the SDGs
➢ In December parties to the
UNFCCC reached a landmark
agreement to combat climate
change during COP21 in Paris

3. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.orgEvaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 3
The SDGs: Navigating through complexity
But the world is changing, the SDGs gradually form a new common-language and
the Paris agreement has set a new virtuous trajectory

4. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.orgEvaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 4
The SDGs: Navigating through complexity
The SDGs:
17 goals, 169
targets, 232
indicators,
and one question:
how do we know if
we are on the right
track?

5. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.org
The SDGs have helped to
boost the creation
of data on sustainable
development.
This is a necessary but
let alone insufficient
piece of the jigsaw.
Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 5
The SDGs: Navigating through complexity

6. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.org
How do we bridge the gap
between evidence and
its use?
Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 6
The SDGs: Navigating through complexity

7. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.org
Evaluation can help decision
makers and civil society
to make sense of this
wealth of data to identify
context specific trajectories
towards sustainable
development
Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 7
The role of evaluation

8. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.org
✓ By connecting evidence to national and local decision-
making processes
✓ By providing the rationale and analysis underpinning
value judgements
✓ By linking the data back to the founding principles of
Agenda 2030
Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 8
How?

9. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.orgEvaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 9
The role of evaluation
Connecting evidence and
politics
Evaluation can be used by
decision makers and civil
society to negotiate value
judgements on the current
direction of travel, on what
has been achieved and
what needs to change
Source: D’Errico S et al (2020), Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs,
available at: https://pubs.iied.org/17739IIED/

10. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.orgEvaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 10
The role of evaluation
Connecting evidence and
politics
…but this is possible only if
evaluation is embedded into
national and local political
cycles, and there are clear
plans and strategies to
implement the SDGs
Source: D’Errico S et al (2020), Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs,
available at: https://pubs.iied.org/17739IIED/

11. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.org
Understanding complexity
It can help to investigate the
interactions between the
coupled human and nature
systems, and understand the
interconnected effects and
rationale of different policies
and programmes
Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 11
The role of evaluation
Source: D’Errico S et al (2020), Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs,
available at: https://pubs.iied.org/17739IIED/

12. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.orgEvaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 12
Agenda 2030 principles to see
the forest rather than the trees
ØIntegration/coherence
ØLeave no one behind
ØEquity
ØResilience
ØEnvironmental sustainability
ØUniversality
ØMutual accountability
The role of evaluation

13. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.orgEvaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 13

14. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.org
Evaluation needs to change
Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 14
BUT

15. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.org
Assessing future fit
Climate change and
biodiversity loss are constantly
shifting baselines. Evaluating
past impact and effectiveness
alone is no longer sufficient, it
is now crucial to also assess
the future fit of national and
local policies and programmes.
Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 15
Evaluation needs to change
Projected timing of global warming - MAGICC scenarios
Source: Brooks N et al (2019), Framing and tracking 21st century climate adaptation, IIED,
available at: https://pubs.iied.org/10202IIED/

16. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.orgEvaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 16
Mutual accountability
Evaluations are often top-down
exercises to assess how public
money is spent along a chain of
investors and implementers. The
SDG require asking difficult
questions about the processes
and systems at the top of the
chain.
Evaluation needs to change

17. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.org
Equity and no one left behind
Global income inequality has
been rising – driven by the rise of
the 1%. Global income inequality
is hard to measure; this data
draws from a range of sources
(household surveys, tax data,
national accounts)
Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 17
Evaluation needs to change
Source: Alvaredo, Chancel, Piketty, Saez, Zucman, 2018, World Inequality Report

18. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.orgEvaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 18
Integration and coherence
Easier said than done. We all feel
we need to do it, but who knows
how to do it?!
Possible ideas: expert
judgements, drawing systems,
participatory assessment of
synergies and trade offs, in-depth
assessment of extreme cases,
cost benefit analysis of
externalities, etc…
Evaluation needs to change
Source: SEI – NDC – SDGs Synergies, online tool available at: https://klimalog.die-gdi.de/ndc-sdg/synergies

19. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.org
Assessing universal effects
To be completed tomorrow
Evaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 19
Evaluation needs to change
Source: figure 6.2, page 209, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) (2018). TEEB for
Agriculture & Food: Scientific and Economic Foundations. Geneva: UN Environment.
Palm Oil Value Chain

20. Stefano D’Errico/ Stefano.derrico@IIED.orgEvaluation to connect national priorities with the SDGs 20