Sustainable Indicators Framework Africa and Initial Compendium

1. Sustainable Indicators Framework Africa and Initial Compendium Mersie Ejigu Executive Director, Partnership for African Environmental Sustainability (PAES) March 2011

2. Key issues What is an SD Framework? Why Now? � Where do we start from � understanding SD? How do we go about it? Assess and Measure or Measure and Assess The Beauty of being a Late Comer - No Need to Reinvent the Wheel � Identify Select Organize - Use What are we validating? � What Next?

3. SDIF - what is it? Provide the policy and institutional context for developing SD indicators Clarifies the conceptual underpinning Elaborates key linkages among the dimensions of SD Systematically organizes and arranges indicators Outlines basic characteristics Sets criteria for identifying and choosing Develops themes, subthemes, core indicators

4. The Context for Developing SD Indicators for Africa The sustainable development idea Political, economic, social, cultural, and ecological realities Individual country and collective aspirations and commitments (regional and global levels): The African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources adopted in Algiers in 1968 The New Partnership for Africa�s Development (NEPAD) Agenda 21, JPOI The flagship Rio Conventions UNCBD, UNCCD and UNFCCC) The Millennium Development Goals (MDG�s)

5. What are we validating? The SD concept and its dimensions Approach/methodology for identifying, selecting, and organizing indicators Choice of framework for developing indicators Core SD themes for Africa Core subthemes Criteria for selecting and evaluating indicators Core set of indicators Strategy for testing at the country level, refinement, and adaptation

7. Approach/methodology for Identifying, Selecting, and Organizing Indicators Knowledge � understanding SD and ensuring effective synergy of concepts and indicators Defining the purpose (what indicators are to be used for, where, what level, and by whom Building on existing work (UNCSD, GEO, AEO, WB, etc.) Developing conceptual frameworks, where needed Selecting themes, subthemes, core and other indicators

8. Frameworks (UNCSD): Driving force-state-impact-response framework - show cause effect relationship Issue-or theme-based framework- involve categorizing and grouping indicators into issues/ themes in relation to sustainable development based on policy relevance Capital frameworks - calculate national wealth as a function of the sum of and interaction of financial, capital, produced capital goods, but also natural, human, social and institutional capital� Accounting frameworks - used for aggregating total goods and services produced by a country

10. SD Indicators will then: Capture and reflect changes in: human, natural, and produced capital wealth pressure factors responses effects/impact mitigation measures

11. Selecting and determining themes, subthemes, core and other indicators

12. Africa SD Themes

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14. Economic transformation/ wealth generation Is an economic agenda, social agenda, and environment agenda Involves placing Africa�s industrialization at the forefront of the development agenda and nurturing forward, backward, vertical, and lateral linkages of the economy Broadening the market size and investment capital through regional integration and diversifying exports by raising the share of processed goods in total exports. Transforming agriculture from subsistence (extensive) production methods to modern (efficient, value adding, and environment friendly) system of production

15. Economic transformation/ wealth generation (cont.) Strengthens NEPAD, which advocated for transforming African economies from raw material producers and exporters to economies that process raw materials, aim for maximum value addition and diversified exports, and develop national industrial production capacity that supports the agriculture sector with technological inputs (fertilizer, machinery and tools, agriculture chemicals, etc.). Yet, industrialization was not one of its priority sectors of NEPAD

16. From theme to core indicators Theme Sub-themes /issues Pressure/ constraints Response (negative & positive) Impact Mitigation Status

17. Criteria for selecting and evaluating SD indicators Relevance Effectiveness Reliability Understandable, unambiguous, and conceptually sound Availability Capacity to show trends over time and differences between places and groups of people; and Consistency with current practices including nomenclature, definitions, etc.

18. Economic transformation/ wealth generation

19. Poverty � as SD theme

20. Governance SD theme

21. Land SD Theme

22. Education SD Theme

23. Biodiversity SD Theme

24. Evaluating Indicators (cont.) Is it available � at the time and place needed? Is it also based on readily accessible data permitting the gathering of additional information to fill gaps, if any, in a timely manner and at reasonable cost? Does it show trends over time and differences between places and groups of people? and Is it consistent with current practices of multinational development and finance institutions and also many countries and facilitate comparison?

25. Sources of Indicators: Administrative records Field surveys and/or census � Statistical Bureaus Mapping and remote sensing institutions International organizations (e.g., climate data) Assessment studies and field research

26. Remember that: Good indicators come from reliable and trust worthy sources with well established verification system Good indicators also show trends over time Numbers are powerful tools to communicate messages and tell a story. Rule of thumb in indicators development is: never get stuck (it is a neo-classical disease) � use qualitative indicators

27. Monitoring and Evaluating Africa�s SD Indicators The African Sustainability Monitor (ASM) Is wealth created, sustained, and fairly shared? Are the ecosystem services and functions conserved? Is the country�s biodiversity sustainable used? Has economic efficiency improved? Poverty and inequity reduced? Pollution prevented? Is culture preserved? Is the country delivering on its international commitments?

28. Key instruments National sustainable development strategies / plans National sustainable development monitoring bodies National budget (development) Policy and capacity to implement policies Investment permit by sector Export and import permits

29. The Way Forward UNECA/AUC/ADB action plan for finalization, testing at the country level, continuous improvement, refinement, and institutionalization of indicators With ministries of finance and planning in the driver seat, putting in place participatory process for development and application while building an assessment and evaluative culture Raising awareness on continuous basis Strong national ownership and internalization of SD indicators through strengthened national statistical offices Coordinated and harmonized approaches from multilateral development and financial institutions.