While innovation in the public sector is often overlooked due to its gradual and understated nature, it holds immense potential as a catalyst to accelerate the implementation of SDGs. However, it is necessary to broaden our understanding of innovation beyond just technological advancements and to view it as a new approach to policymaking, business processes, partnership and service delivery for enhancing effectiveness and efficiency in public sectors. Innovation does not happen in a vacuum. It requires a cultural shift within the organization and leadership, as well as the institutional setting, including promoting an enabling environment, cultivating creative mindsets, fostering strategic partnerships, taking calculated risks, and accepting failures. The project aims to build and complement the efforts of the governments in four target countries by encouraging the prioritization of innovation practices and fostering innovation experimentation in the public sector. Countries with innovation strategies or dedicated innovation entities within the government exhibit a stronger commitment to finding creative solutions to address today’s challenges and preparing for future uncertainty. While having an innovation strategy or creating an innovation unit is not an end in itself, it can provide a clearer roadmap for achieving the SDGs and position governments at all levels to better utilize their limited resources to promote inclusive development and create a resilient society . The project intends to enhance the institutional capacities of government officials in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam to outline a vision for public sector innovation in line with their existing national development plan or SDG implementation plan. The project will be implemented by the Division of Public Institutions and Digital Government of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DPIDG/UN DESA), in close consultation with the UN Resident Coordinator System and the UN Country Teams as applicable.

The achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs largely depends on inclusive national and local actions. The primary objective of the present proposal is to support the acceleration and scaling up of SDGs implementation and localization through the preparations of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) of SDG implementation in the target countries and regions and, through this process, to build the capacities of government officials at the national and subregional levels for effective SDGs implementation at all levels, including the subnational level and reviewing and monitoring of progress. The proposed activities will form a comprehensive support structure for the development of the VLRs and their linkages to Voluntary National Reviews in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and local governments in the cross-border Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, in collaboration with the participating local governments and the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Offices and United Nations country teams. The activities respond to a direct request received, respectively, from  the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare of Zimbabwe,submitted through the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office (dated 21 August 2021), requesting support for the development of VLRs and from the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Paraguay (dated 28 April 2021), requesting support for the development of a Voluntary Local Review in El Chaco Region (Western region) and potentially in other interested entities. The Offices of the Resident Coordinator in Argentina and Bolivia have also expressed their interest in participating in the present project, as has Argentina’s Commission for Sustainable Development Goals. These activities will also be implemented in line with the priorities identified in the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks for each country.

This project aims to enhance the capacity of Malawi, Sri Lanka, and Nepal to utilize non-traditional data and integrated data sources for evidence-informed policy formulation in response to national and global crises. It underscores the critical importance of informed policymaking, aiming to bridge the gap between data developers and users while fostering effective coordination among stakeholders. By equipping these countries with tools and knowledge, the objective is to mitigate the impacts of food, fuel, and finance crises and contribute towards the achievement of the SDGs. The cost-of-living crisis, characterized by rising food prices, increasing energy costs, and tightening financial conditions, disproportionately affects vulnerable populations and perpetuates poverty cycles, impacting approximately 1.6 billion people.The project will support the three countries in building national statistical capacities, leveraging innovative sources, methods, and tools. It will draw upon experiences such as the Data for Now Initiative, guidance materials from the Inter-Secretariat Working Group on Household Surveys, and ongoing work on citizen-generated data and fast economic indicators under the UN Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science in Official Statistics. The project will also build on DESA’s experience in supporting countries in evidence-informed policy making.The project seeks to strengthen national statistical and data eco-systems and foster collaboration among different stakeholders. The project also aims to enhance data usage for crisis response policies by effectively utilizing data produced from nontraditional data sources and integration across data sources. The expected progress includes increasing the capacity of Malawi, Sri Lanka, and Nepal to produce and effectively utilize non-traditional data effectively for evidence-informed policy formulation. In this context, capacity-building programs for government officials and policymakers to enhance their data analysis skills and use of innovative data sources will be undertaken. This will help to enhance the use of innovative approaches, integration of data sources, in-depth analysis, and fostering stakeholder coordination and collaboration. The project will generate valuable insights through pilot and case studies, empowering these countries to develop and use evidence to make informed decisions and formulate policies for sustainable development.

The objective of the project is to enhance the presence and leadership of women in public institutions at national and local levels in selected countries of the Africa and Asia regions, currently identified as Mauritius and Senegal, Bhutan and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, respectively. The initiative will enhance the capacity of the governments in the four project countries to develop and implement an action plan that prioritizes gender equality in public administration at the national and local levels and promotes women’s career progression towards leadership positions in the public sector. It will also stimulate a South-South knowledge transfer and cross-fertilization by enhancing the awareness of a broader group of governments (partnering countries) on the importance to prioritize gender equality in public administration. Direct beneficiaries include high- and mid-level government officials from ministries and governmental institutions at the national and subnational levels. Indirect beneficiaries include citizens and communities at large.