Work-in-progress workshop in the Netherlands, 7-9 September 2016

As part of the pilot testing of SDG 6 monitoring in 2016, pilot countries gathered in Delft, the Netherlands, to discuss their experience to date - this page provides a brief summary of the main conclusions, as well as the report of the meeting

What and why?

To take stock of the pilot testing of the draft monitoring methodologies for SDG 6 global indicators, a «work-in-progress» workshop was held in Delft, the Netherlands in September 2016, gathering representatives from five pilot countries – Jordan, the Netherlands, Peru, Senegal and Uganda – to share their experiences from testing and implementing SDG 6 monitoring.

Main conclusions

The main conclusions from the workshop include the following:

• Much data are already available at the country level, but need to be collected from across ministries and institutions; novel sources of data present opportunities but need to be accepted by the national government; SDG 6 reporting can be successful also without complete data sets
• The draft monitoring methodologies could be more comprehensive; clearer definitions are needed to ensure a universal understanding of the terminology; the monitoring ladder should be elaborated on, to reduce the monitoring burden on countries; further clarity is needed on the process and frequency of reporting
• The model of an intersectoral monitoring team is very useful, bringing relevant stakeholders from across ministries and institutions together (sometimes for the first time)
• The purpose of data collection is to support policy and operations at the country level, to identify where action is needed (otherwise it is useless); the monitoring methodologies need to better explain how the data can be used to this end
• The SDG framework is a dynamic, 15 years long, learning and evolving process, and so is the monitoring of SDG 6; to ensure sustainability over time, it is essential to align monitoring with existing structures and processes at the country level, and to have sufficient resources
   

What is needed to implement SDG 6 monitoring at country level?

The workshop included a so-called World Cafe, where participants discussed a number of pressing issues linked to the implementation of SDG 6 monitoring, including questions about political support, data for policy- and decision-making, intersectoral communication and collaboration, as well as technical support needed. These important issues are of relevance to any country implementing SDG 6 monitoring.