Progress report for
PCSD Partnership – A multi-stakeholder Partnership for Enhancing Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development
Achievement at a glance
The PCSD Partnership is on an excellent track. It has launched well over 100 initiatives - many of them open-ended - since its inception in July 2016, all aiming to enhance policy coherence for sustainable development (SDG17.14). Ten new Partners joined the PCSD Partnership during the reporting year 2017-2018, bringing the total number of members to 33, operating in 24 countries with some of the partners having a global reach. During 2017-2018, the PCSD Partnership achieved 28 deliverables; 82 are in progress; 3 have been postponed; and 2 have been cancelled. An additional 16 deliverables were achieved during 2016-2017. Several key events were successfully organised to raise awareness and showcase methodologies for enhancing policy coherence in SDG implementation (Learning session and side event during the 2017 HLPF in New York; session on applying PCSD tools during the meeting of national focal points for policy coherence in Paris in June 2017). A first face to face meeting was organised with a number of Partners in the margins of the 2017 HLPF. Methodologies and tools developed by Partners helped to strengthen capacities of governments and key stakeholders in applying PCSD in practice including in Finland, Mongolia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This year several Partners have contributed with opinion pieces to OECD's annual report on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development 2018. Their contributions are written with the 2018 HLPF theme, Transformation towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies, in mind (SDGs 6,7, 11, 12, 15 and 17).Challenges faced in implementation
Policy coherence for sustainable development embodied in SDG target 17.14 as means of implementation that cut across all SDGs, is challenging to conceptualise, analyse, apply and communicate to decision makers and the public. It is also a difficult target for which to track progress, with the methodology for the global indicator 17.14.1 still to be developed (UN Environment is the custodian of this indicator). Against this background, some Partners find attracting funds for their projects particularly challenging; PCSD can be a "hard sell". This makes it difficult to undertake country case studies or to replicate, test and apply existing initiatives in more than one location - these are activities that require both time and resources, as well as capacity building. Resource constraints are also a common challenge particularly in developing countries committed to pursue PCSD where some of the partners operate. Yet, the PSCD Partnership, which is a knowledge-sharing partnership, has managed to achieve many of its core initiatives with limited or no extra funding. It encourages partner institutions that work on similar issues to exploit complementarities, add value to ongoing work, and avoid duplication.Beneficiaries
Beneficiaries include members of the OECD Network of National Focal Points for Policy Coherence, policy makers, parliamentarians, researchers, civil society organisations and private sector actors that work to implement the SDGs locally, nationally and globally.