Steering Process: Resource Mobilisation

Rationale

The transformations that are implied by the 2030 Agenda  are to be achieved through a “combination of public and private investments, improved public services, fiscal transfers to vulnerable populations, regulatory changes, and behavioural changes at the individual and household level”. The main objective of the SDG monitoring system is to bring evidences to the national debate. Putting in place this system will be a costly activity that will compete with other spending priorities that may be far more concrete and visible.

Some countries may be able to deploy this combination but the less developed ones will certainly not have enough domestic resources to do it. The role of the SDG monitoring system will thus be even more important to ensure a relevant and adequate allocation of scarce resources and to highlight the gaps to be filled by external support. 

The key element that could trigger the mobilisation of resources is the realisation of a detailed SDG data needs assessment that will be the result of an inclusive and participatory process. On the basis of this assessments countries, regions, or cities can develop a financing strategy that should distinguish between: 

• private financing opportunities, nationally and internationally (philanthropy and other private funding channels),  
• incremental government resource mobilization as well as opportunities for greater efficiency in government spending, and where needed,
• international public financing (concessional and non-concessional). 

Financing statistics, and in turn financing the functioning of the SDG monitoring system, remains a specific challenge. These issues are generally not on the radar of the people and institutions who prefer to orient their investments towards more concrete and visible activities. Getting money for data production is still difficult and requires a high investment in promotion and awareness raising. 

How to sell statistics? 

• Official statistics are impartial and free from political or commercial influence (professional independence, Methods and procedures for collection, compilation and dissemination of statistical data are based solely on professional considerations, ethics and scientific principles, as well as internationally agreed concepts and methods
• They are of best professional quality. Professional peer pressure and review acts as a strong mechanism to maintain and improve the quality of official statistics, so they come with this assurance. 
• Provision of uniquely comprehensive information that is consistent over time. Furthermore, official statistics generally cover topics, regions, types of activities and other groupings that are essential to our societies but for which non-official producers of statistics may have no incentive to operate 
• Assured equal access to official statistics. It is a Fundamental Principle of Official Statistics to honour people’s right to information and secure equal access to statistics for everyone. 
• Official statisticians are trusted guardians of data and confidentiality. Statistical offices have a uniquely strong legal setting for ensuring strict confidentiality of individual data.