Page 54 - SDG Report

2. CAPACITY BUILDING AND AWARENESS
A key component to the SDG Localization is the need to cascade the implementation of the goals across all levels of the organization so as to improve the alignment. Currently capacity building and targeting our middle management around the awareness and capacity building on the SDG and understanding the role they play in SDG implementation. Through the SDG Institutionalization Committee, the city is enabled to reach a far wider range of municipal departments. The localization of the SDGs cannot be seen as just a compliance-driven process but more so a journey that has its foundation in good planning practice. Therefore, capacity building and awareness becomes central to identifying one’s role and responsibility in achieving the SDGs
3. POLICY COHERENCE
There is now a greater need for policy coherence and collaboration between different spheres of government to achieve the SDGs. Sustainable development requires cities to have a whole of government approach which works in concert with each other to achieve the outcomes of the global agendas. The implementation of the District Development Model has the potential to address joint planning, budgeting and implementation across the three spheres of government. The Addis Ababa Agreement clearly states that there is no additional funding for SDG localisation programs and that cities would need to identify their own internal revenue streams to fund any SDG processes. Therefore the coordination of public sector expenditure becomes critical to address the implementation of the SDGs.
4. IMPROVED PARTICIPATION
There needs to be a holistic approach to participation between local governments and the recipients of services, this includes participatory planning, budgeting, and monitoring of programs and projects that address the SDGs. It is further noted that participation in this context refers to all stakeholders including donor agencies and businesses.
5. URBAN PLANNING AND LINKAGES
In September 2015 the UN adopted the territorial urban planning guidelines for countries to consider. These guidelines were developed as part of a collaborative effort between all spheres of government at a global level. One of the key areas highlighted in the guidelines is the need to strengthen the economic, environmental, and social linkages in planning as opposed to a secular approach. Greater emphasis on developing better linkages between urban and rural areas in an eThekwini Municipal context is critical as over 66% of the extent of the municipality is classified as rural. The Municipal Spatial Development Plan together with the Integrated Development Plan are key strategies that would assist in addressing a holistic approach to urban rural planning.
6. FINANCE
The UN is clear that the SDGs need to appear in the national development plans and appropriate budgets assigned to achieve these goals. For local governments to achieve these targets there is a need to ensure that there are adequate resources made available to implement projects. Therefore, there should be a review of existing funding mechanisms between all levels of government, this review should include the quantum of funding as well as the processes to acquire funding. In the review of financing the SDG, there should be a concerted effort to find creative, sustainable, and equitable financing mechanisms for local government. Transfers of funds from higher levels of government should be commensurate with the roles, responsibilities and functions allocated to local government.
7. DATA, INFORMATION AND REPORTING
Accurate data and information at a local government level becomes increasingly important in measuring the success of the implementation of the SDG. This area is in most cases where the MDGs failed. Whilst accurate data is required to assess the progress of achieving the goals there is also a dual purpose of providing localized accurate data for city planning and monitoring of city development at a local level. Local government should review its current IT frameworks to ensure that the data required can be accessed and readily available to report on, in saying this there needs to be standardization in the reporting framework as the nature of the SDG requires multi-level reporting between all stakeholders. Transparency and increased access to data should also be promoted. It is also critical to note that there is no duplication of reporting and a clear reporting framework with roles, responsibilities and timeframes for reporting are developed and agreed upon by the national states. For a more accurate reflection of the SDG there should be an aggregation of the data as per the different levels of government.
8. PEER TO PEER LEARNING
There is a need to ensure that cities and countries share learnings and knowledge about their approaches to achieving the SDGs. While many countries and cities have existing agreements and processes in place to ensure that knowledge is exchanged, there is an overwhelming need for this knowledge to be exchanged with lesser resourced countries and cities. A knowledge management portal should be created at a global level where countries and cities are able to share information in an open and transparent manner. However, in identifying the need to share best practice, strategies, policies and solutions must be locally derived and issue-oriented without merely transplanting best practices across countries — no ‘one size fits all’
Concluding Remarks, The SDGs and the New Urban Agenda are ambitious, comprehensive, and socially progressive. They have the potential and ability to aid the transition to more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities by acting as tools for challenging
52 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS GOOD PRACTICE