Breathing life into the achievement of the UNSDGs through data analysis

Achieving any goal depends on making the right decisions. In turn, making the right decisions is subject to the availability of relevant and accurate data. This also applies to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). So much so that at the opening of a Statistical Commission session, the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General metaphorically described data as the “lifeblood” of decision-making. However, according to a report published in 2019, this “lifeblood” is in too short a supply. As a result, minimal progress has been made towards the SDGs since their adoption in 2015.

The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) took up the challenge. This global network has made it its mission to ensure that the necessary data is available to support the achievement of the SDGs. To successfully fulfill this crucial mission, the GPSDD, aware that “complex problems require partnerships”, teamed up with GVG in 2020 to help build data for decision-making capabilities in multiple African countries. From a general perspective, the collaboration between GVG and the GPSDD will help promote the UNSDGs and strengthen the GPSDD and the UN Economic Commission for Africa’s (UNECA) capacity-building program, called “COVID-19: Data for a Resilient Africa”.

GVG specializes in Big Data analysis for the effective governance of various economic sectors, and therefore has the relevant expertise. Furthermore, we are committed to promoting knowledge transfer in its areas of expertise with a view to meeting the need for capability building in Africa. Indeed, we have implemented a pioneering initiative that consists of installing digital Zoom rooms to promote training programs that help close the social and cross-border gap in the post-Covid era.

In the context of its partnership with the GPSDD, GVG takes part in a skills and knowledge transfer program involving various National Statistical Offices across Africa. This training program will complement already-existing activities and enhance the latter’s impact by focusing on the following topics: data contracts, data ethics, risk management, business process mapping (BPM) and infrastructure modernization. GVG is responsible for the BPM aspect of the program and started the process with a training session that took place on 12 August. The well-attended session covered, among others, the rationale behind BPM, as well as the benefits and the various steps involved in the process, to end with a practical demonstration.

Such knowledge and skills transfer initiatives are key to building the capabilities of the government institutions involved in ensuring the achievement of the UNSDGs. Through the BPM training session, GVG seeks to equip the participants, which were representatives from various African statistical offices, with the tools they need in order to efficiently and comprehensively analyze the “life-giving” data that is urgently needed to promote the UNSDGs.

Do you want to find out more about how data supports sustainable development? Click here.