2018 United Nations E-Government Survey
The 2018 UN E-Government Survey is available online. The
2018 Survey provides new analysis and evidence on how to further utilize the
potential of e-government to support the 2030 Agenda. It also examines how Member
States can use e-government and information technologies to build sustainable and
resilient societies. Click
here for more information.
ECOSOC endorses principles of effective governance for sustainable development
ECOSOC took up the latest report of CEPA on 2 July 2018 and adopted the Committee’s expert recommendations on a range of institutional issues relating to implementation of the SDGs. The Council also endorsed the principles of effective governance for sustainable development contained in the report, to be used as an initial reference point in building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. “Institutions play a critical role in the achievement of all the SDGs and targets, but public-sector reforms needed to implement the SDGs continue to be a major and vexing challenge in many countries,” said Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Chair of CEPA, in her briefing to the Council on the outcome of the seventeenth session. This view was echoed by ECOSOC, reaffirming the need for ongoing, practical improvements in national and local governance capabilities to achieve the 2030 Agenda and other international agreements. The next challenge for CEPA will be to identify well-defined practices that are clearly related, feasible to implement and based on sufficient empirical evidence of their impact on the achievement of the SDGs. Click
here for more information.
Call for contributions – World Public Sector Report 2019
The World Public Sector Report (WPSR) has been published by the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) of UNDESA since 2001. The forthcoming edition will focus on public institutions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), examining trends in relation to the implementation of institutional principles highlighted in SDG 16.
This call for contributions invites researchers and experts to submit inputs and policy briefs highlighting issues, trends, research findings or solutions in relation to the research questions that the report seeks to address
The deadline for submissions is 15 September 2018.
Click here for more information
SAI Leadership and Stakeholder Meeting – Contributions of Supreme Audit Institutions to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals
A meeting of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) leadership and stakeholders on “SAI Contributions to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals” will take place from 19 to 20 July 2018 at UNHQ, jointly organised by UNDESA and the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI). The meeting will provide a space for debate and learning on how to audit the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and facilitate information sharing on SDG audits, reflecting on common challenges and opportunities and the engagement between governments, SAIs and other stakeholders in the follow-up and review of the SDGs. Emerging findings and lessons learned from conducting audits of preparedness for SDG implementation in different regions will be shared. The outcomes of the meeting will inform ongoing initiatives to support SDG implementation, follow-up and review undertaken by INTOSAI and its members SAIs and SDG follow-up processes. Over 100 participants, including SAI leadership, members of audit teams conducting SDG audits, government officials, experts, and selected representatives from civil society, UN system agencies and other stakeholders will participate. Click here for more information.
CEPA 17th session findings and recommendations move forward
The report of the 17th session of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA), held in April 2018, is now available in the six official UN languages. A key message of the session was that institutions play a critical role in the achievement of all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and associated targets and that a wide range of ongoing improvements in national and local governance capabilities can yield important long-term results. Building on the work of the 16th session, the Committee agreed on a set of principles of effective governance for sustainable development that could serve as an important reference point in building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels and in support of the implementation of all SDGs. These and other matters are reflected in a draft resolution and decision for review and adoption by the Economic and Social Council at its coordination and management meeting in July 2018, as well as in the Committee’s input to the 2018 High-Level Political Forum. More information is available here.
2018 UN Public Service Awards Winners
The 2018 UN Public Service Awards winners have been selected. Eight public institutions from Austria, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand will be awarded for their innovation and excellence in public service that supports the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The winners will receive the Awards at the UNPSA Ceremony that will take place on 23 June during the 2018 UN Public Service Forum in Marrakesh, Morocco. Click here for more information.Click here for more information.
UN Public Service Forum Panel Discussion
On 11 May 2018, a panel on the UN Public Service Forum (UNPSF) was held at UN Headquarters in New York. The panel brought together the current and several former host countries of the UNPSF to discuss how the Forum could be further leveraged as a global platform to promote policy dialogue, knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning on innovative approaches to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read more.
Divisional name changed to Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government
The Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has been renamed as the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG). The new name reflects the realignment of the Division’s work with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The change is part of a larger reorganization of DESA to better support Member States in implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). DPIDG’s organigramme can be viewed here.
Compendium of national institutional arrangements for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
In order to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), many countries have been adapting their policy and institutional frameworks and are actively mobilizing all parts of government, parliaments, supreme audit institutions, as well as non-state actors. Based on the information provided by the 64 countries that presented voluntarily reviews of implementation of the SDGs at the high-level political forum at the UN in 2016 and 2017, the compendium of national institutional arrangements for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reflects institutional approaches taken by countries facing different contexts and circumstances. The compendium aims to facilitate exchanges on institutional practices and lessons learned among governments and other stakeholders, thereby helping them to support the realization of the SDGs. The compendium is available here.
World Public Sector Report 2018
The World Public Sector Report 2018 (WPSR 2018) examines how governments, public institutions and public administration can foster integrated approaches to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. The report examines key challenges and opportunities for integrated approaches from the perspective of public administration, highlighting experiences from past decades both at the systemic and sectoral levels. It also examines how governments across the world have chosen to address existing interlinkages among the SDGs, and the implications of this for public administration and public institutions. The report thus aims to produce a comprehensive empirical analysis of policy integration for the SDGs at the national level, with a view to drawing lessons on how emerging initiatives aiming to enhance policy and institutional integration might lead to long-term success in achieving the SDGs, in different developmental and governance contexts. More information is available here.
CEPA discusses readying institutions for SDG implementation
The 17th Session of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) discussed three overarching issues from a variety of perspectives, namely: (1) Readying institutions and policies for implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; (2) building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels; and, (3) supporting the transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies by enhancing and equipping institutions. The Committee adopted an input to the High-level Political Forum and a draft resolution for ECOSOC. The CEPA meeting was held from 23 to 27 April at the UN Headquarters in New York. More information is available here.
UNPAN Partner’s Meeting during 17th Session of CEPA
UNPAN partners met during the 17th Session of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) held at the UN Headquarters in New York. The meeting was opened by Mr. Stefan Schweinfest, Director of the Statistics Division and Officer-in-Charge of the Division for Public Administration and Development Management of UN DESA. In line with the principles of integration and transformation expressed in the 2030 Agenda, UNPAN partners agreed to revitalize UNPAN’s core mission as a network of institutions, with an emphasis on producing and managing knowledge through thematic sub-groups in support of the sustainable development goals. UNPAN Members agreed in principle to contribute to a holistic governance and public institutions framework for capacity development by sharing good practices, methodologies and tools in SDG-related sub-thematic areas. More information is available here.
Submission for nomination to 2018 UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) is now closed. Organized and managed by DESA/DPADM in collaboration with UN-Women, the 2018 UNPSA recognizes innovation, achievements and contributions by public service institutions in the following categories: 1) Reaching the poorest and most vulnerable through inclusive services and partnerships; 2) Making institutions inclusive and ensuring participation in decision-making; and 3) Promoting gender responsive public services to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Click here for more information.
Guide on Lessons for Open Government Data Action Planning for Sustainable Development
The benefits of Open Government Data (OGD) and enhanced access to public information are very relevant in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. DESA’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) developed a “Guide on Lessons for Open Government Data Action Planning for Sustainable Development”. The guide compiles findings from the capacity development activities conducted by DESA/DPADM. The project raised awareness of OGD requirements and helped Bangladesh, Nepal, Panama and Uruguay in developing action plans for implementing OGD initiatives.The Guide can be accessed here.
A Symposium on Governance for Implementing the Sustainable Development Commitments in Africa, organized by UNDESA, UNDP, UNITAR and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), in cooperation with UNECA, took place from 11 - 13 December 2017 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Symposium brought together participants from all African countries and provided a common space for debate and learning on how to implement the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 in an integrated fashion. Participants discussed how the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 could be localized, implemented and reviewed in an integrated way. Many countries have been localizing the SDGs and integrating them in their institutions, policies, plans and oversight and review systems. Success requires a collective effort of national and local governments working as partners with civil society, the private sector, academia and others. There was a strong message that realizing the vision of the two Agendas hinges on establishing an adequate institutional framework and a truly new paradigm of governance. More information can be found here.
UNDESA's Division for Public Administration and Development Management, through its Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Korea, organized a Symposium from 5 to 8 December 2017 on “Building Effective, Accountable and Inclusive Institutions and Public Administration for Advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The Symposium aimed at strengthening public governance for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and enabling governments to respond to the SDGs in innovative ways, drawing from the strategies that different countries are implementing and the related successes, challenges and difficulties. The Symposium allowed participants to identify good practices and ideas and enhanced cooperation between countries, between central and local governments and among all actors. This included discussions on actions for localizing the SDGs, improving public services delivery, engaging all stakeholders, particularly civil society organizations and the private sector, enhancing means of implementation, and adapting plans and policies to the SDGs and to national situations. More information here.
The Latin American Center for Administration for Development (CLAD) and the Government of Spain, through the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration and the National Institute of Public Administration (INAP), in cooperation with DESA/DPADM and other partners, organized the XXII International Congress of CLAD on Reform of the State and Public Administration in Madrid, Spain, from November 14 to 17, 2017. DESA/DPADM held a Ministerial Roundtable titled "Public Policies and Innovation for Sustainable Development in Latin America" within the context of the above mentioned Congress on the Reform of the State and Public Administration. More information here.
UNDESA/DPADM organized two workshops during the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) 38th Capacity Development Roundtable Conference The two workshops addressed the topics of “Developing competences for the future to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs” and “Developing transformative leadership in Africa’s public-sector institutions: integrating the SDGs in the curricula of the Management Development Institutes”. The Conference was held in El Jadida, Kingdom of Morocco, from 6 to 10 November. It was on the overall theme “A Transformed Leadership: Managing National Resources to achieve the Objectives of Africa Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals”. More information can be found here.
DPADM organized an Expert Group Meeting on Integrated Approaches to International Migrations, on 1st November in Conference Room 8 of the United Nations Conference Building. It sought to collect inputs of experts and representatives of the United Nations and other organizations and individual experts from around the world on how public administration can link international migrations with effective and inclusive implementation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The meeting aimed to inform the preparation of the World Public Sector Report 2017. The concept note of the meeting and other relevant information can be found here.
DPADM organized an Expert Group Meeting on Integrating Sustainable Development and Peace in Post-conflict Situations on 25 October at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The meeting examined innovative governance approaches to enhance recovery and state-building for sustainable peace and development both at the national and local levels. It informed the preparations of the World Public Sector Report 2017 through exchange of experiences among UN Agencies and experts on the role of public institutions and public administration to integrate sustainable development and peace in post-conflict situations. The meeting's agenda and other relevant information can be found here.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has approved the nomination of 24 experts of the Committee of the Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) for a term of office beginning in 2018 and ending in 2021. CEPA is a subsidiary advisory body of ECOSOC. The members are nominated in their personal capacity by the Secretary-General and are appointed by ECOSOC for a period of four years. The Committee is responsible for supporting the work of ECOSOC concerning the promotion and development of public administration and governance among Member States notably in relation to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in support of the implementation and progress reviews of the Sustainable Development Goals. Read more.
UNDESA and the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) jointly organised a meeting of Supreme Audit Institutions’ (SAI) leadership and stakeholders on “Auditing preparedness for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” from 20 to 21 July 2017 at UNHQ. The meeting enabled substantive discussions on issues related to auditing preparedness for SDG implementation, including the integration of the 2030 Agenda in national contexts, capacities and means of implementation, and follow-up and review. Discussions highlighted the vast diversity of SAIs’ contexts, mandates, capacities and resources, and the challenges related to focusing on issues of performance and inclusiveness. The need of a whole of government approach, which considers the inter-linkages between SDGs and issues of policy coherence and integration, and wide multi-stakeholder engagement were identified as distinctive features of auditing preparedness. Participants reflected on the value-added of SDG audits and SAIs’ contribution to follow-up and review processes, and shared information on ongoing efforts related to auditing SDGs in different regions. Over 100 participants, including SAI leadership, government officials, and selected representatives from civil society, UN system agencies and other stakeholders contributed to the meeting. The meeting report and other information can be found here.
DESA/DPADM in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Governance (CAG) held a study tour on “Strengthening Capacities of Least Development Countries to Integrate SDGs into National Development Plans and Public Service Delivery” from 10 to 14 July in Beijing, China.
This was a follow-up to the 2016 study tour in China which was part of a DA project to strengthen capacities of the public sector in LDCs to deliver quality services equitably through the transfer and adaptation of innovative practices. The 2017 tour focused on the integration of the 2030 Agenda in China’s national development plans, including eradication of poverty and gender equality.
The participants, from 11 countries, learned about China’s initiatives to SDG implementation in the national development plan, including policies and practices aimed at poverty alleviation and promoting gender equality. The event showcased good practices in institutional coordination for possible adaptation in participants’ countries, and aimed to build the capacities of the participants on the incorporation of the SDGs in national development plans and policies. Read more.
The 2017 UN Public Service Forum concluded on 23 June with a ceremony during which Awards were given for excellence and innovation by local, national and regional governments.
For two days, participants debated how innovative policies can be fostered to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development even when resources are scarce, objectives are highly ambitious and interests are disparate. They focused on ways to channel the efforts and creativity of Governments into effective SDG implementation in areas as diverse as children and youth, health, sustainable cities, leave no one behind, circular economy, and sustainable energy, among many others. A wealth of lessons learned were exchanged based on existing initiatives.
There was a key message that, at a time of great change, government needs to work differently, harnesses the enormous potential of public administration and mobilize all actors towards a more effective, inclusive and accountable governance, as envisioned by SDG 16. Synergies with the other Goals and Targets of the Agenda 2030 and actionable strategies on how to translate them into integrated and effective policies took centre stage in the discussions.
Many public institutions have been experimenting with innovative approaches in areas related to the SDGs. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a clear roadmap with measurable and adaptable targets to realize an ambitious vision.
See more here for information on the UNPS Forum.
UNDESA/DPADM organized two events at the annual World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum. Those addressed the role of private sector in mobilizing ICTs for the SDGs; and the role of digital government in eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity. The sessions underscored the important role of ICT for realizing the SDGs and the role of government, private sector and other actors in realizing these promises. They discussed ways to ensure that these benefits are maximized and risks are addressed, including through developing focused actions to respond to actual needs or developing some agreements or principles in some areas. More details about these sessions including presentations and speakers can be found below.
Also during this year’s Forum, UNDESA/DPADM, together with ITU, briefed on the launch of a task group on ICT for SDGs as part of the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development. The objective of the task group is to propose a thematic list of ICT indicators that could be used to measure ICT availability and use in sectors relevant to the SDGs that are not covered in the SDG indicators framework.
For more, click here.
A high-level policy session was also held on the WSIS action lines and 2030 Agenda implementation, where UNDESA/DPADM participated as WSIS action line facilitator. Click here for more information.
On 31 May-2 June 2017, DESA/DPADM and the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) jointly organised a symposium on the contribution of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) to SDG follow-up and review and digitalization, open data and data mining. The meeting showed that INTOSAI and its member SAIs are responding to the 2030 Agenda. INTOSAI has developed four approaches for SAIs’ to contribute to the SDGs (namely: assessing national readiness for implementing and reporting progress on the SDGs; undertaking performance audits of programs that contribute to the SDGs; assessing and supporting the implementation of Goal 16, and being models of transparency and accountability). The meeting discussed several initiatives under these approaches. It was also felt that aggregating information from SAIs’ audit work under each approach could help inform the SDG review in the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF). INTOSAI and its members will continue working to develop implementation frameworks to produce high-quality SDG-related information. The meeting adopted a set of conclusions and recommendations.
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here for more information.
On 26 May 2017, the Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM), UNDP and the International Budget Partnership (IBP) jointly organised a workshop on “Budgeting for the SDGs. Progress in budget reforms, monitoring and accountability for the SDGs”. The workshop took place in New York, after the Financing for Development Forum. The workshop aimed to foster a conversation on policy coherence, by anchoring the SDGs in budgets, sharing good practices of SDG budgeting, monitoring and reporting. More than 20 stakeholders engaged in SDG budgeting, monitoring and reporting, including senior representatives from Ministries of Finance, Supreme Audit Institutions, Parliaments, civil society organizations, UN entities and development partners shared their experiences. Discussions focused on the alignment of SDG policies and budgets, how SDG-related public spending can be monitored and reported on, and how accountability actors can play a stronger role in ensuring that public resources are used effectively.
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here for more information.
The expert group meeting on the “Preparatory Process for the United Nations E-Government Survey 2018” held from 10 to 11 May 2017 at the UNHQ covered a wide range of topics such as the comparative analysis of global and regional e-government assessments; e-government in the context of the SDGs; overview of current Survey methodology in relation to the principles of 2030 Agenda; emerging technology trends in the public sector, and innovations in support of sustainable development. The outcomes and recommendations included expanding e-government benchmarking to the local level especially to assess the evolution of smart cities, further evaluating mobile services in light of ubiquity of mobile technologies, piloting user satisfaction on e-government services in response to SDG indicator 16.6.2 (Proportion of the population satisfied with their last experience of public services) and others on presentation of the results and further extending existing e-government country profiles. Click here for more information.
The Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) met from 24-28 April 2017. It considered the theme ‘Ensuring effective implementation of the SDGs: leadership, action and means.’ The Experts underscored that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) depend greatly on the institutions and governance. The Committee started to develop principles of effective governance within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Read more.
The Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) is pleased to announce the formation of the Informal Advisory Working Group in support of the preparation of the United Nations E-Government Survey 2018. This informal working group will act as a think tank to provide advice on linking the UN-Government Survey with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Targets, the Actions Lines of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), and other international agreements. It is also expected to advise and review the existing methodology and indicators in the Survey as well as help identify new methodology approaches and indicators. Read more.