1.4.2. Monitoring: Methodology and applications

Monitoring is a major task for assessing the implementation and impact of a strategy for sustainable development. A variety of data and statistics are required for monitoring and to capture this, methodologies to measure the indicator, collect the data accurately and timely, outline the apt unit of measure and method of computation, etc., are developed by three key bodies, namely the UNSC, HGL-PCCB, and IAEG-SDGs.

Monitoring is crucial in evaluating if sustainable development strategies are effectively put into practice. It involves gathering a wide range of data and statistics that help measure progress towards sustainability goals. Several organizations—like UNSC, HGL-PCCB, and IAEG-SDGs—develop specific methodologies for this purpose. These methodologies help define how to collect data accurately and in a timely manner, what units of measurement to use, and how to compute the results.

Think of monitoring as a report card for a student. Just like teachers collect data about students' performance through tests and assignments to assess their learning, monitoring in sustainable development collects data on various indicators to assess how well societies are achieving sustainability goals.

The latter has selected custodian agencies, such as UNEP, WHO, World Bank, FAO, UNESCO, OECD, etc., for periodically collecting and updating data on indicators, across themes, at global, regional, and national levels.

To ensure that data is collected systematically, specific agencies are assigned the role of custodian agencies. Organizations like UNEP (United Nations Environment Program), WHO (World Health Organization), and World Bank are responsible for regularly gathering and updating the relevant data on various sustainability indicators. They operate at different levels—global, regional, and national—to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Imagine these custodian agencies as the different departments in a hospital, where each department specializes in a particular area of healthcare. Just as a cardiology department would monitor heart health statistics, these agencies monitor specific sustainability indicators at their assigned levels.

Ten principles for Global monitoring indicators (UNSDSN, 2015) entail: 1. Limited in number and globally harmonised, 2. Simple, single-variable indicators, with straightforward policy implications, 3. Allow for high frequency monitoring, 4. Consensus-based, 5. Consensus-based, in line with international standards and system-based information, 6. Constructed from well-established data sources, 7. Disaggregated (by sex, age, location, income, spatial - rural/urban), 8. Universal, 9. Mainly outcome-focused, 10. Science-based and forward-looking.

For effective monitoring, certain principles guide the development of indicators. These principles emphasize that indicators should be few in number and standardized across the globe to facilitate comparison. They should measure a specific variable clearly, allowing for monitoring at frequent intervals. Additionally, the development of these indicators should be based on a collective agreement among experts and rely on reputable data sources, ensuring they are applicable across different contexts and populations.

Imagine if a school wanted to measure student success. Instead of using a hundred different tests, they decide to focus on a few core subjects that everyone agrees are important. This simplification allows for easier tracking of progress and comparisons between students across different classes.

Indicators to be measured are categorised with respect to global, national and thematic, and Data in turn, is sourced from census data and Household surveys (Demographic and health surveys, Fertility and Family Surveys, Reproductive health surveys, Labor Force survey, R&D Surveys etc); Administrative data (formal waste collection and management data from municipalities, National production, international trade statistics); Civil registrations (birth certificates, death certificates, etc), Vital statistics and health records; School-based or citizen-led learning assessments; as well as from Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that uses remote sensing, GPS (global positioning system), aerial photographs, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and satellite imagery from US Geological Survey/NASA Landsat data, for mapping and surveying.

Data for sustainability indicators comes from a variety of sources. These include census data, health surveys, administrative records, and registration documents. This data is essential, as it helps distinguish between global, national, and thematic concerns. Moreover, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) play a critical role, utilizing advanced technology like satellite imaging and GPS to provide spatial data and visualize complex information about different areas.

Consider how a city planner uses maps and statistics to plan public parks. By analyzing population data (census) and geographical data (like GIS), they can decide the best locations for new parks based on where people live and highest needs, ensuring that public resources are allocated effectively.

GIS is an application that uses geographical and spatial data in conjunction with attribute (additional information in tabular form) data to map, analyse and assess indicators. It uses imagery data-type, which includes aerial photos, satellite images, thermal images digital elevation models, scanned maps, land maps, land classification maps, etc.

Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, are powerful tools that combine geographical data with additional contextual information to help map, analyze, and evaluate critical sustainability indicators. By using different types of imagery, such as satellite images or aerial photographs, GIS can visualize how areas develop over time and how various environmental factors interact.

Think of GIS like a detailed recipe book that not only lists ingredients but also shows images of each dish. It allows users not only to see the final product but to understand how the ingredients combine at different stages and how they can affect each other. Similarly, GIS helps policymakers visualize the interactions between various ecological and social factors.

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