Developing a Thematic Set of Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals Request for Proposals 17 August 2016 Background As described in the concept note in the Annex of this Request for Proposals, to better reflect the role of STI in achieving the 2030 Agenda, there is a need for a fuller set of information than currently included in the core set of global SDG indicators, to provide broader and more detailed information on the STI components of the SDGs and targets as well as on the STI commitments made in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. UNESCO, through the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) will lead the process to develop a thematic set of STI indicators for the SDGs. An initial proposal, to be developed by a consultant, will be brought before an Expert Meeting, before being finalised and launched in early 2017. Interested parties are invited to submit a proposal for the development of a first list of thematic STI indicators for the SDGs. Tasks The consultant will propose a first list of thematic STI indicators for the SDGs, by taking into account:  STI content of the SDG targets and indicators;  Linkages to other SDG targets where relevant;  STI commitments in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. The list of indicators should include a discussion of data sources and data availability. The deadline for submitting the work will be 14 October 2016. Request for Proposal If you are interested in carrying out this assignment (or if you would like more information) please contact Martin Schaaper ([email protected]). Please include the following points:  Your Proposal  Your credentials for the assignment;  Your professional fee;  A current version of your CV. Your offer should be submitted to Martin Schaaper and reach us by the 26th of August 2016. Annex Developing a Thematic Set of Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals Concept note Background In September 2015 UN Member States, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including 17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 associated targets.1 These Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have come into effect on the 1st of January 2016 and will run until the year 2030. The 2030 Agenda is very ambitious, and will require major efforts at all levels. Crucial, in this respect, will be the contribution of science, technology and innovation (STI). Even though there is no specific goal for STI, the role of STI will be essential for reaching each and every SDG. Indeed, because of its cross‐cutting nature, STI appears in many of the targets, spread out over all the SDGs. In addition, the importance of STI is clearly highlighted in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA)2, which outlines financing for development and other key means of implementation for the 2030 Agenda. In order to ensure a systematic follow‐up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the global SDG indicator framework has been developed by the Inter‐Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG‐SDGs). The agreed final list of proposed global SDG indicators3 has been endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2016, adopted by the Economic and Social Council in June 2016 and is expected to be adopted by the UN General Assembly. A global agreement on a limited set of indicators to cover the whole breadth of the 2030 Agenda is a major achievement. However, exactly because of the wide scope of the SDGs, it is impossible to comprehensively cover each individual aspect of the agenda through the global set of SDG indicators. In this context, Member States also agreed that additional national, regional and thematic indicators would complement the global set of indicators to ensure a comprehensive follow up and review process as well as efficient thematic monitoring. Such thematic monitoring is already under discussion in a number of other areas, such as education, health, gender and governance. STI would also benefit from a 1
United Nations (2015), “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, A/RES/70/1 United Nations (2015), Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (Addis Ababa Action Agenda) 3
United Nations (2016), “Report of the Inter‐Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators” E/CN.3/2016/2/Rev.1 2
thematic focus and the development of a list of thematic indicators to complement the limited number of STI indicators in the current list of global STI indicators. A thematic set of STI indicators To better reflect the role of STI in achieving the 2030 Agenda, there is therefore a need for a fuller set of information than currently included in the core set of global SDG indicators. UNESCO, through the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), mandated to collect STI statistics, is therefore proposing to develop a thematic set of STI indicators for the SDGs. Such a thematic set would provide an integrated approach covering all aspects of STI, provide a means of advocacy for STI and raise its visibility, give information to policy makers on where to focus their efforts to achieve the SDGs, and point to areas where there is the greatest need for capacity building. A thematic set of STI indicators for the SDGs should provide broader and more detailed information on the STI components of the SDGs and targets as well as on the STI commitments made in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Outputs The main output will be the thematic list of STI indicators for the SDGs itself. The list will be accompanied by technical guidelines on how to collect or collate the indicators, which will be important for countries to conduct national assessments, and which will form the basis for capacity building activities for the indicators. In addition, a discussion on data collection and reporting will be an integral part of the development of the STI thematic set of indicators. It is proposed that, once collected, the data will be published either in a stand‐alone “STI in SDGs Monitoring Report”, or as part of the UNESCO Science Report series, and will be included in the country profiles on the UIS website and of the UNESCO Global Observatory of Science Policy Instruments (GO‐SPIN). Process The UNESCO Institute for Statistics will lead the process to develop the thematic set of STI indicators for the SDGs. An initial proposal, to be developed by a consultant, will be brought before an Expert Meeting, before being finalised and launched in early 2017. Once the thematic list has been developed, the results will be presented to the Inter‐Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG‐SDGs). It will also be proposed as an input into the annual Multi‐stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals, which is one of the outputs of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda to promote coordination, coherence and cooperation within the United Nations system on STI related matters, enhancing synergy and efficiency, in particular to enhance capacity‐building initiatives.