Adriana AlbertiSenior Governance and Public Administration Officer

Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM)

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

Framework for a Curriculum on the

Sustainable Development Goals

Symposium on “Building Effective, Accountable and Inclusive Institutions and Public Administration for

Advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, 5 to 8 December, 2017

Incheon, Republic of Korea

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CONTENTS

How are the SDGs different from the MDGs?

Why a Curriculum on Effective, Accountable and

Inclusive Institutions to Implement the SDGs?

What new capacities are required in the public sector to

implement the SDGs?

Possible elements for a Curriculum on the SDGs

Critical role of Schools of Public Administration and

Management Development Institutes

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2

3

4

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The Way Forward: Key Questions6

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1. HOW ARE THE SDGs DIFFERENT THAN THE MDGs?

The 2030 Agenda is an agenda for global action for the next fifteen years

– it is a charter for people and planet in the twenty-first century.

The SDGs build on the MDGs. Its core principles include:

• Universality

• Integration: Balancing the 3 dimensions of sustainable development

• Transformation

• Leave no One Behind

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1. HOW ARE THE SDGs DIFFERENT THAN THE MDGs?

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1. HOW ARE THE SDGs DIFFERENT THAN THE MDGs?

12 VNRs

in Asia

2016 2017 2018

• China

• Philippines

• Republic of

Korea

• Bangladesh

• India

• Indonesia

• Japan

• Thailand

• Lao PDR

• Singapore

• Sri Lanka

• Vietnam

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1) Effective, accountable and inclusive institutions and public

administration are critical to implement the SDGs

2) The 2030 Agenda’s vision calls for more coherent action

across a wider scope of issues and the engagement of a

broader range of stakeholders than ever before.

1) The implementation of the SDGs requires a

nationally-owned long-term vision through localization

1. HOW ARE THE SDGs DIFFERENT THAN THE MDGs?

Goal 16 commits to promoting effective, accountable

and inclusive institutions - critical to realize the SDGs

It is important to transform institutional architectures.

It is even more important to transform mindsets.

People’s vision of the future is crystallized in institutions

and translated into concrete programmes of action.

For nations to move forward on the SDGs, new capacities

at the individual, institutional and society levels are

needed.

1

2

3

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In the absence of effective, accountable and inclusive

institutions, none of the SDGs will be realized.

Norms and Rules

Values and

Behaviours

a. Effective institutions: Changing the formal rules of

institutions does not always produce desired results

Aligning Beliefs and Attitudes with expected

behaviors: Key to Any Meaningful Transformation

Consciousness

Attitudes Mindset

Awareness

Interpersonal skills

Behavior

The critical importance of aligning internal attitudes, shared values and beliefs with external behaviours, as well as norms with institutions and practices

Water

Values

(3) Services and Goods

(2) Visible Part

(1) Invisible Part of Government

Invisible Part of Government Institutions

Shared Norms

INVISIBLE

Culture

Myths

INVISIBLESymbols

AT INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

Group skills

Infrastructure

AT COLLECTIVE LEVEL

Institutions

Organizations

Policies

Relationships

Beliefs

LEADERSHIP AND HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

INSTITUTIONAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, PROCESSES

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

b. Inclusive institutions: people’s engagement at all levels is

essential to implement the SDGs and leave no one behind

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Deepen democracy, good governance and the rule of law

Localize national development plans and strategies for SDG

implementation

Shared ownership of the SDGs and trust in government

Informed and effective strategies for poverty eradication

Mobilize new resources, capacities and ideas

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2

3

4

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Sustainability and long-term progress6

Examples of new mechanisms for people’s engagement in

SDG implementation

Uruguay

Ukraine

Indonesia

Uruguay has held 10 social dialogues on the SDGs to design a

long-term vision

Ukraine launched nationwide consultations in order to raise

awareness of the SDGs and define sustainable development

priorities.

Indonesia has established a national coordination team with national

and sub-national action plans, involving various actors.

Morocco Morocco established an Economic, Environmental and Social Council

c. Accountable institutions

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Foster integrity and professionalism to ensure the SDGs are

implemented and to prevent corruption

Engage people in monitoring the implementation of the SDGs

Involve Parliament in the institutional framework for implementation

and review

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2

3

4

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Sustainability and long-term progress6

Review and auditing of SDGs through e.g.,

Supreme Audit Institutions

Enhance Transparency, through e.g., open government data

• “Localizing” is the process of taking into account national and

subnational contexts in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda

Roadmap for

Localizing the SDGs

• Awareness raising

• Advocacy

• Implementation

• Monitoring

Localizing the SDGs

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New competencies and mind-sets are required in the

public service to implement the 2030 Agenda’s

ambitious plan of action for people, planet and prosperity.

2. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO UPDATE AND/OR

DESIGN A NEW CURRICULUM TO REALIZE THE SDGs

BY 2030?

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� Inclusive institutions and integrated approaches – strengthening whole-of-

government approaches and mechanisms that support inclusive and integrated

policies and public service delivery.

� Policy coherence- strengthening national analytical and quantitative capacities

to conduct cross-sectoral analyses and identify policy options that help achieve

national goals.

� Social inclusion – providing visibility to disadvantaged groups to give them a

voice in national policymaking and implementation.

� Evidence-based policy – modernizing statistical systems to increase national

production and access to quality and disaggregated data for policy formulation

� Means of implementation – strengthening capacities of national systems to

mobilize resources for sustainable development and develop partnerships.

3. WHAT NEW KEY CAPACITIES ARE REQUIRED IN

THE PUBLIC SECTOR?

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• Raise awareness of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable

development among public servants

• Help to internalize the 2030 Agenda principles and transform

mindsets (through knowledge hubs on key curriculum)

• Increase ownership of the 2030 Agenda and facilitate

understanding

• Emphasize shared vision and facilitate engagement of

vulnerable groups

• Support capacity for continuous professional development

4. CRITICAL ROLE OF SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT

INSTITUTES IN SUPPORTING THE SDGs

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1. Purpose and Capacity Development Value: To build the

capacity of public servants to support the implementation of the

SDGs by engaging schools of public administration and others

through regional task forces

2. Content: (a) review existing curricula in light of the SDGs and

identify those that need to be updated; (b) identifying new

curricula that may be needed to facilitate implementation of SDGs;

(c) developing a curriculum on the SDGs.

3. Organization of the curriculum/a: structure, format and

sequencing decided

4. Delivery and training methods

5. INITIATIVE FOR DEVELOPING A CURRICULUM ON

“REALIZING THE SDGs BY 2030”

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From MDGs to SDGs:

Key Principals and

Strategies

From MDGs to SDGs:

Key Principals and

Strategies

Building National/Local

Capacities

Building National/Local

Capacities

Transformational

Leadership

Transformational

Leadership

Organizing Institutions

for SDG Implementation

at all levels

Organizing Institutions

for SDG Implementation

at all levels

Innovation and ICT for

Public Service Delivery

Innovation and ICT for

Public Service Delivery

Integrated Approaches

to Sustainable

Development Planning

Integrated Approaches

to Sustainable

Development Planning

Policy Integration,

including forecasting

and SD modelling tools

Policy Integration,

including forecasting

and SD modelling tools

Engaging people and

raising awareness of the

SDGs

Engaging people and

raising awareness of the

SDGs

Mobilizing resources for

SDG implementation

Mobilizing resources for

SDG implementation

Public accountability for

SDG implementation,

review and monitoring

Public accountability for

SDG implementation,

review and monitoring

Review and Follow-Up

of the SDGs, including

indicators framework

Review and Follow-Up

of the SDGs, including

indicators framework

Building PartnershipsBuilding Partnerships

5. POSSIBLE CONTENT/COURSES FOR A CURRICULUM ON

“REALIZING THE SDGs by 2030”

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Poverty EradicationPoverty Eradication ??

MigrationMigration

HealthHealth

??

??

5. POSSIBLE ELEMENTS FOR A CURRICULUM ON THE

SDGs AND UPDATE/REVIEW OF EXISITING ONESSectoral issues

7. Launch of the

Curriculum Framework

and pilot modules

during the UN Public

Service Forum, 21-23

June 2018, Morocco

3. A TF was already

launched in Africa and

Latin America

4. Public Administration

Schools or equivalent

can share with the TF

the existing curriculum

(e.g. through a survey)

5. TF Meetings/Online

discussion

January – June 2018

1. Report of Breakaway Group

Recommendations2. Establishment of a

Task Force (TF) in Asia

to update and develop

new curriculum and

agree on a roadmap

6. Refinement of

framework and

testing of C. with

SDG focal points

and HR managers

6. POSSIBLE STEPS FOR COLLABORATION

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6. THE WAY FORWARD: KEY QUESTIONS

1. What new competencies and skills are required in the public sector to

implement the SDGs based on your country experience?

2. What is the relative added value of a curriculum on “Realizing the SDGs

by 2030” vis a vis the overall SDG implementation efforts of a country?

3. What should the content of the curriculum be and what training courses

would be most relevant to your country situation?

1. How should the curriculum on realizing the SDGs by 2030 be organized?

1. What existing curricula could be updated and aligned with the SDGs?

1. What methodologies are best suited to transform mindsets in support of

the SDGs and develop new capacities?

Thank you

alberti@un.org

http://publicadministration.un.org