Prepared by: Ghaith H. Fariz UNDP November – 2003

1. MDGRs: Monitoring & Campai- Ning Tools MDGs Workshop Cairo November 2003 The Millennium Development Goals Reports (MDGRs): … Monitoring and Campaigning Tools … Prepared by: Ghaith H. Fariz UNDP November – 2003

2. Achieving MDGs is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders including …governments, CSOs, individuals, international community…. The effective and active engagement of all stakeholders in the MDG processes is essential

3. Developmental Challenges in the Developing Countries are compatible to the MDGs….. Accurate and timely monitoring of advancement towards the MDGs is crucial….

4. What are we going to do to achieve the MDGs…..? The need to know where are we now…!? The need to know how can we move from where we are now to where we should be by 2015 …!?

5. Use of MDGs to initiate change in the engagement status …. and …hence… in the developmental status…. MDG Reports are needed…..

6. MDG Monitoring • Global level • Annual report by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly Country Level MDG Reports the government, civil society. … supported by the UN Country Team,

7. An MDGR is A Basic Policy/advocacy Paper, to include: • Basic developmental goals that the country is streaming towards achieving up till 2015 • The “kind” of change needed to be achieved • Indicators of “direction” of desired change • Indicators of “magnitude” of desired change

8. MDGRs are not detailed national developmental plans …yet… they provide planners and decision makers with goals that are agreed upon by all involved stakeholders MDGRs provide Basic “benchmarks” for preparation of national executive developmental plans. clear “starting points” representing the present socioeconomic status and “end points” representing the status desired to be achieved by 2015.

9. A MDGR serves as an advocacy tool for: Raising awareness. Consensus building Building alliances Ensuring continuous governmental and societal commitment towards achievement of the declared Millennium Goals

10. MDG Reports….are to be used for • Identification of indicators to measure status of the basic developmental issues • Raising internal awareness about most pressing developmental issues • Building national consensus • Building societal commitment • Ensuring continuous governmental and societal commitment towards achievement of the declared Millennium Goals

11. Acting as guiding principles and torches to the formulation of national policies, plans and projects • Resource mobilization (nationally and internationally) • Establishment of international alliances and linkages • Use of potential aid and commitments (goal # 8) • Monitoring achievements towards the MDGs….

12. Issues of MDGRs ……. National Ownership Involvement of the Government The societal and civil society involvement The importance of the process Need for establishment of reliable and recognized baseline data The data gap Filling in the gaps

13. Linkages with other strategies and policy papers NHDR, UNICEF & WHO studies, National Plans…. Establishment of interactive monitoring systems Capacity building Interaction with data users and generators The impact on decision makers and the developmental processes

14. Cont….. Tool for follow-up by decision makers, planners, and…. the public at large An early warning system to provide timely and accurate information to the decision makers and planners regarding progress towards achievement of MDGs

15. Data issues in MDG reports • International reports use, by their nature, internationally gathered data. • MDG country reports should be based, to the extent possible, on national generated data. • International data should be used only when there is no national data. • If national and international data give a different picture, efforts should be geared first to enhance statistical capacity in countries. • The same bottom-up spirit of the MDGs should be the dominant one in the data domain.

16. Dealing with international data • Regional reports are middle ground. They draw from international and national sources. • The UN lead effort to compile MDG data for the HDR 2003 is a step forward. • This MDG data provides a common reference ground. • However, data issues remain: • Aggregation. • Missing data. • Adequacy. • Consistency.

17. Issues of aggregation • Since, data is collected from several agencies from UN and elsewhere, it is not a simple task to: • Change aggregates when definitions for regions change (as in the case of Arab States). • Generate aggregates for relevant groups of countries within regions (e.g. Central American in the LAC region or oil-exporting in AS)

18. Issues of missing data.Proportion of the population with data to assess trends in the 1990s

19. Issues of adequacy: poverty lines • $1 per day is the agreed MDG poverty line (pv). • But, besides issues regarding its methodology (common poor basket, PPP values, etc.). • The coverage of surveys to assess poverty is frequently low, and lowest in Arab States. • $1 p.d. is not relevant for some countries, as in high-middle income countries, including several Arab States. • Going to a $2 per day poverty line is difficult to sustain on solid ground: national poverty lines should be favoured.

20. Issues of consistency • Goal 1, Target 2 uses 2 indicators (4&5) for hunger from different sources & methods. • These two alternative indicators for poverty hunger should point in the same direction. • However, they do not always do.

21. There is no pattern of relation between these two indicators for poverty hunger.

22. Discrepancies are not as large but the problem is similar in Arab States.

23. Issues of consistency. • There are also contradictory patterns between the two complementary indicators for maternal health. • Indeed, maternal mortality rates and the proportion of births attended by skilled health care personnel do not always point in the same direction.

24. Significant dispersion as we move down and to the right.

25. Arab countries show a similarly disperse pattern, including at least one clear outlier.

26. Issues of data and data/bases in developing countries • Insufficiency / lack of data ….. • Reliability and credibility of data • Lack of time series data • Inconsistency in definitions and descriptions • Levels of coverage (depth and width of coverage in geographic and societal strata's terms..) • Data use and analysis (in some cases data is available but not fully and timely utilized/analyzed)

27. Comparability of data (within and outside of a state) • Data dissemination (non distribution of data, data monopoly, unfriendliness of data reports) • Societal and political considerations…(social and political taboos!) • Insufficiency in capacities (human, financial, technical) • Connectivity and linkages between data users and producers AND INSUFFECIET ENGAGMEMENT OF STAKEHOLDERS(planning agencies, line agencies, researchers, CSOs, recipient groups…) • Impact on formulation of policies, strategies and programs..

28. Issues of MDG data and data/bases • The Arab States example… • MDG indicators have been subjected to all previously mentioned issues in the Arab states …. in addition to ….. • Need for establishment of reliable and recognized baseline data (The data gap, filling in the gaps ) • Lack of time series data in several cases (particularly starting • from 1990- benchmark and onwards…) • The complete lack of data in some cases….. • Unsuitability of some indicators in some cases (the 1$ poverty • borderline, women related indicators,.. • Inconsistency between statistical and administrative data…

29. Inconsistency between data sources (national, regionally and internationally) • Contradiction among relevant internationally published data • Other relevant issues included… • Unwillingness to engage in the MDGR processes… • Social and political constraints …(poverty, aids…) • National Ownership (Involvement of the Government, civil society involvement, the crucial relevance of MDGR processes) • Linking –not competing-- with national policies, strategies, plans and other relevant policy initiatives/documents (NHDR,National Plans….) • Legislative and administrative constrains

30. The way forward… • More MDGRs as tools for addressing data (and hence developmental) problems and issues…. Better MDGRs: Customized targets and indicators, disaggregated data Inclusive MDGRs: Involving UN Country Team, Governments, & CSO • Linking the MDGs to Policy Reform: Through 20/20, GSB, PRSP … • Building Statistical Capacities: Supporting MDG monitoring systems

31. Establishment of an interactive MDG monitoring systems Capacity building, Interaction with data users and generators, The impact on decision makers and the developmental processes Tool for follow-up by decision makers, planners, and…. the public at large… An early warning system to provide timely and accurate information to the decision makers and planners regarding progress towards achievement of MDGs

32. Data and Development…. Data and achievement of the MDGs Proper and timely knowledge (data) leads to proper and timely action ….. Reliable and credible knowledge (data) leads to better engagement and commitment of all involved stakeholders in the developmental processes… Data that is not utilized in building developmental policies, strategies and in programs’ formulation is useless …!

33. UNDP support to the MDG/MDGR processes • More MDGRs • Better MDGRs: Customized targets and indicators, disaggregated data and incorporating Goal 8 • Inclusive MDGRs: Involving UN Country Team, Governments, & CSO • Building Statistical Capacities: Supporting MDG monitoring systems • Linking the MDGs to Policy Reform: Through 20/20, GSB, PRSP …

34. The Supporting Role of The UN System (UNDG) Involvement of the UN Development Group The joint responsibility of UNDG members Distribution of work Involvement of the UNDP offices- The supporting role Facilitator’s role score-keeper role

35. Potential role of UNDG • Keeping the MDGs alive: Ensuring continuation of societal and governmental commitment • Capacity Building • Enhancing societal involvement • Resource mobilization • Monitoring and evaluation of achievements • Alliance building: national and international • Enhancing surrounding environments: governance, developmental planning and management…

36. Joint efforts among developed and developing countries countries towards achievement of the MDGs Availability of know how… (technologies, techniques…etc) Complimentarily in resources… (human, financial and environmental) Complimentarily of roles (developed and underdeveloped countries) Awareness of the need for achievement of MDGs

37. MDG Reports should be: • Short and easy to read • Messages should be sharp, concise, light • Use of simple diagrams helps get messages at quick glance. • Common assessment, not wordy or complicated • Based on existing reports: National Development Plans, CCA, NHDR, PRSP, etc. • MDGRs are not in-depth analytical reviews of policies or institutions

38. MDGRs should contain… • Development context at country level • Selection of indicators guided by global agreement but reflect national consensus • May add or reduce number of indicators • Greater level of desegregation by gender, rural and urban, ethnicity, etc. • For each goal: Status of progress Major challenges Resource requirements: internal and external Status at a glance Monitoring Capacity

39. Preparatory Stage Making MDGRs preparation a National Event National Consensus & support building. Awareness Advocacy Teaming with UNDG Accountable Ratifying & Executive Bodies in Place Mobilization of resources Plan of action.

40. II. Implementation / Execution Stage Available data & information collected and classified Gaps identified Established & ratified Basline Data Final list of targets & indicators established along with relevant goals First MDGR draft accomplished III. Preparation of final report Building national consensus on contents. (Baseline data & goals, targets and indicators). Final version of MDGRs

41. VI: Final printing and dissemination Nationally and internationally recognized MDGR Alliances, monitoring systems, built towards mobilizing resources for the actual achievement of MDGs V: Post - preparation…Support of Future Monitoring Monitoring & evaluating progress Towards the MDGs Continued national commitment to the MDGs. Actual achievement of MDGs by 2015

42. Challenges… • Enhancing channels of interaction between all stakeholders… • Transforming awareness and commitments into action • Establishing and enacting tools of implementation • Political stability