Supporting Process: Communication and Awareness Raising

Rationale

Internalizing the SDGs into the national development policy and regularly monitoring the achievements made towards the 2030 Agenda is a comprehensive process that will involve the whole country and that will require investing in capacities, tools and practices. People will be asked to participate actively in and contribute to this national objective. In order to bring them into this huge endeavour, it is important to explain to them why such an effort is to be made and what are the benefits that could be drawn from it. 

The communication plan should thus help building a national consensus on the national “conversion plan” and the related monitoring system or, at least, it should allow the circulation of a comprehensive and transparent information to all actors involved in an easy-to-read and accessible way. The investment should be made at different levels: 

• First, the SDG framework is generally not very well known by all the segments of the population. Only a limited number of people, in general high level staff in government and academics, have been exposed to the development of the 2030 Agenda and had a chance to read existing documents. Without going into all the details, it is important to circulate a basic set of information on the 2030 Agenda and on the prospects that it opens for the future, building on concrete examples, 
• Second, if a national SDG platform (or alike) has been created it is crucial to advertise the content of the platform as e.g. the national SDG indicators, the corresponding data and the respective analyses; to promote its use and to make information publicly (and broadly) available. It is also important to gather and include results of studies and analyses from outside the “official/government” circuit, such as the work done by consultative and legislative bodies (Parliament, Social and Economic Committees), the civil society organisations and the private sector (businesses, Trade unions, professional associations),
• Third, the results of the analyses and research studies on the SDGs (global research, sector research, topical research) should be disseminated largely in order to feed the debate among the various stakeholders with evidences and relevant conclusions. Regular information on these outputs should be provided (Science communication).
• In addition, the investment made for the collaboration at regional level (sharing of experiences, of the lessons learned and of good practices) as well as the one linked to the international reporting (in the framework of the HLPF) should also be largely presented and promoted. This may bring a larger and more objective perspective and some practical examples into the national debate. 

In terms of communication, one size doesn’t fit all and targeted promotion tools should be sought for making sure that the messages sent are relevant and understandable. The social media and the journalists should be specifically considered as important relays of information towards all the users and stakeholders.