Implementation and Diagnostic Tool Thanks for inviting me and for coming today! […who am I? what is my role?] The project is a collaboration of the United National Statistics Division, United Nations Environment Programme, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity It is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This training module will focus on Implementation, especially on Strategic Planning using the Diagnostic Tool

Overview Background Implementation steps The Diagnostic Tool (Strategic Planning) Group exercise (20min)  Elevator speech We’ll give a bit of background on the need for integrated information. This reviews some of the material in the opening presentation. Implementation of the SEEA is a multi-step, multi-stakeholder process. The first step in implementation is Strategic Planning. The Diagnostic Tool helps us guide the conversation among stakeholders, experts and supporters. The last section will be a group exercise where we’ll use the steps of the Diagnostic Tool to develop a short proposal. An “elevator speech” is a practiced, 2-minute presentation. If you see your Deputy Minister in the elevator and you have 2 minutes, what would you say? SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 2

Background Decisions and national visions are becoming more cross- sectoral and complex Sustainable development, green economy, maintaining natural capital to support jobs & economic growth… Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020: Aichi Target 2: by 2020 to integrate biodiversity values into national planning and economic accounting Environmental-economic accounting (SEEA) provides an integrated, coherent & comprehensive platform for integrating environmental statistics and linking to economic accounts SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool

Implementation steps Strategic planning Producing accounts Building statistical and institutional mechanisms Strengthening national statistical systems Producing accounts Implementation is a cycle of planning, building, strengthening and production. The objective is not only to produce accounts. In doing so, we need to ensure that the accounts address policy needs. We also need to create mechanisms improve the national statistical system so that producing the accounts becomes easier and the results are more useful. SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool

Implementation: 1. Strategic Planning Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & constraints Build capacity Develop & integrate data, knowledge Strengthen institutional mechanisms (+collaboration) Inform proposals & work plans Build on existing capacity, work and initiatives Engage partners (data providers, users, supporters) Link demand for integrated information with supply (data, capacity) We need strategic plans to identify the policy and institutional landscape. Before we start working on compiling accounts, we need to engage partners, identify the priorities, and understand what we already have in terms of data, capacity and ongoing initiatives. We can then use the strategic plans to inform our work plans and proposals to obtain support. What is important is to link the needs in your country (indicators for policies) with what you have (data and capacity). There is no point in developing capacity and accounts that no one will use. SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool

Implementation: 2. Building statistical and institutional mechanisms Needs leadership and coordination Engage stakeholders, technical experts and financial partners Make resources available Monitor progress and overcome obstacles Develop implementation plan The next step in implementation is building the statistical and institutional mechanisms to support and implement your work plan. SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool

Implementation: 3. Strengthening National Statistical Systems Integrate statistical production across government: Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM) Paris21 – National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) Quality guidelines (DQAF) Statistical standards (SNA, SEEA) Collect data once  sharing Centralize expertise and processes  efficiency Apply same quality guidelines  quality Improve primary data  quality Identify gaps and collect new data comprehensiveness The next step is to work together to better integrate the National Statistical System. This is the view that departments should collaborate on all aspects of data collection, quality and dissemination. The GSBPM is a structure for organizing statistical processes. Many statistical offices are centralizing processes into areas of expertise. For example: Methodology is done by a central methodology group; Survey collection is done by a group of central survey experts; Dissemination and publication is done by a central dissemination group This leaves subject-matter divisions to concentrate on the subject matter. SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool

Implementation: 4. Producing accounts Build and maintain capacity of teams Develop detailed design specifications Establish mechanisms for data inventorying, exchange, collection, quality assessment, improvement Revise data, if required to harmonize with SEEA concepts and classifications Create or adapt statistical infrastructure and dissemination mechanisms To produce accounts, it is important to be able to do them more than once. It gets easier over time, but you have to maintain your capacity and build these into ongoing statistical processes. SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool

First step: Strategic Planning The Diagnostic Tool helps guide a conversation about: National policy priorities (vision) Institutions (stakeholders) Knowledge (information sources) Progress (status) Context (other related activities) To better: Determine priority accounts Understand opportunities and constraints The first step in Implementation is Strategic Planning. This will be the focus of this session. The Diagnostic Tool is all about preparing for Strategic Planning… SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 9

Strategic planning… 1. Policy priorities 2. Institutions 3. Knowledge 4. Progress 5. Context 6. Priorities for ecosystem accounting 7. Constraints & Opportunities = Work plan A. Understand B. Do C. Evaluate You need to understand… Before you do… And then evaluate and understand more… SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool

First step: Strategic Planning The Diagnostic tool is flexible and iterative: Repeat the process with new stakeholders Start at any step: May focus on leveraging existing work (Step 4) There may be institutional mechanisms in place with specific priorities (Step 2) Useful for comparing notes with other countries SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 11

Understand: 1. Policy priorities What are your national priorities related to the environment, sustainability, biodiversity and green economy? Are there immediate concerns about key ecosystem assets and flows of ecosystem services from them? Where would you find a statement of these priorities? This becomes your Vision Statement Priorities can be found in legislation, national development plans, sustainable development strategies, Ideally, they would link environment and economy (e.g., natural heritage, jobs, poverty reduction, food security…) Ecosystem assets/issues Water Wetlands Biodiversity, Protected areas/species Land Forests Agricultural areas Climate/carbon SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 12

Understand: 1. Policy Priorities Policy priority (Examples): Economic development Jobs Food security Water security Ecosystem assets of concern (Examples): Natural heritage Biodiversity, habitat, species Wetlands, freshwater, coastal zones Forests, soil, protected areas, degraded areas (Could ask for suggestions from participants and list on flip chart or screen) SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 13

Understand: 2. Institutions Who are the stakeholders in environment, sustainability and green economy? Producers of information Users of information Supporters of improved information and statistical processes Are there institutional mechanisms already in place to make decisions? Some stakeholders may be interested in promoting the use of their data Others may be looking for data to use Others may be looking for opportunities to improve the efficieny data collection and production of indicators SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 14

Understand: 2. Institutions Stakeholders (Examples): National statistical offices Environment & natural resource agencies Finance & planning departments Industry, development, business, NGOs Institutional mechanisms (Examples): Sustainable development committees Reporting to international agencies Interdepartmental working groups Commissions… National statistical offices can help integrate data and apply quality frameworks Environment and natural resource agencies can provide and use data Finance and planning agencies also have and need data Industry, development, business and NGOs can support and use data Institutional mechanisms SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 15

Understand: 3. Knowledge What are the key national data sources that can be used as a basis for SEEA-EEA? What are the key documents and research initiatives related to these sources? SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 16

Understand: 3. Knowledge Key data sources (Examples): Geospatial data, soil inventory, land use maps Water supply & quality, forestry, agriculture, fisheries Environmental quality, species, habitats Socio-economic statistics Documents and research initiatives (Examples): Ecosystem assessments State of the Environment Reports Ecosystem services studies (www.evri.ca) Sustainability indicators… SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 17

Understand: 4. Progress What progress has already been made in work related to the SEEA? SEEA-CF Environmental-economic accounts SEEA-EEA Ecosystem accounts TEEB studies WAVES studies SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 18

Understand: 3. Progress Examples of existing accounts: SEEA-CF accounts: Assets (land, soil, timber, aquatic, water) Supply and use (timber, fish, water, air) Monetary flows (protection expenditures) SEEA-EEA: Ecosystem Extent, Condition and Capacity Carbon Biodiversity Ecosystem Services Supply (physical or monetary) SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 19

Understand: 5. Context What related statistical development activities could benefit (and benefit from) SEEA? Statistical standards, quality and process guidelines Spatial data standards Environmental data inventories Biodiversity or ecosystem assessments Reporting on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) Green economy studies Identify opportunities to build on and work with related initiatives SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 20

Do: 6. Set Priorities for new work Now that we understand the: Priorities Institutions Knowledge Progress and Context What does this suggest as priorities for future development of SEEA accounts? SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 21

Do: 6. Priorities for new work Which accounts (or components) should be developed first? (Examples): Extent Accounts support many objectives Water Accounts inform water supply Ecosystem Condition Account is an opportunity to harmonize environmental quality information and identify gaps Carbon Accounts can inform climate change Biodiversity Accounts can prioritize which ecosystems need to be protected SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 22

Do: 7. Consider Opportunities and Constraints What are the opportunities for immediate actions to address these constraints? (Examples) National Plan, SD strategies being developed Need to address SDG indicators Funding available, need a proposal NBSAP: Link biodiversity targets to accounts International initiatives (REDD+, SDGs, WAVES, IPBES, CBD…) Have much data, need to integrate SEEA training REDD+ is the initiative to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation SDGs are the Sustainable Development Goals as recommended by the Post 2015 development agenda WAVES is World Bank Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services IPBES is the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services CBD is the Convention on Biological Diversity SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 23

Do: 7. Consider Opportunities and Constraints What are the constraints to achieving these priorities? (Examples) Too little technical capacity Too few people with expertise No platform for integrating spatial data No funding Needs work to prepare national engagement: meetings, mechanisms, prototypes… SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 24

Do: Develop a Work Plan Identify a 3-5 year Work Plan that Addresses national sustainable development priorities Engages stakeholders Leverages knowledge, progress and current initiatives Overcomes constraints Takes advantage of opportunities to develop priority accounts within an integrated statistical infrastructure SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 25

Do: Develop a Work Plan Immediate next steps (data, institutions, capacity) (Examples): Create a platform for sharing data Engage partners in addressing data needs for international initiatives Initiate national SEEA training program Seek a coalition of partners for funding Develop a prototype (proof of concept) Establish working groups and design a process Develop pilot SEEA accounts SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 26

Questions? The next activity is a group exercise to use the Diagnostic Tool to develop a short proposal Before we start this, are there any questions? SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool

Group exercise Situation: Deputy Minister asks you for a proposal to ensure your country meets its obligations for reporting on Sustainable Development Goals by 2020: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts. Funding is available, depending on work plan Requires a proposal by tomorrow to convince other Deputy Ministers to collaborate Hint: Think like a Deputy Minister (Achieve goals, Focus on what is required? No need for details…) It is most important to think like a Deputy Minister. A Deputy Minister wants to support the mandates of the department and the government. He or she is not necessarily interested in technical details or process. SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 28

Group exercise Task: Give elevator speech (2 minutes) to convince Deputy Minister what is required: Given the national priority to ___________________, which requires collaboration among _____________, we propose to integrate data on ________________, to create accounts for _____________________, by building on our experience in ________________. There are opportunities to support this by ______________, however the constraints that need to be overcome include ________________. The work plan to __________, and ___________ will require approximately ____ years and ______ dollars. See handout [20min group work, 2min each to report] (Hand out answer sheets: One per group) Assuming DM has steering mechanism in mind… We know what needs to be done. We have the technology to do it. We can make progress by addressing the constraints. Immediate actions that can be taken will take some time and funding. You should work in groups of 3-5 people. These can be country/departmental groups, or countries/departments may collaborate. I will leave this on the screen while you discuss and write your ideas on the answer sheets provided. We do not need to collect your responses. (Depending on timing, could work through coffee break to discuss and report after.) SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 29

After this Training Workshop… Work through the Diagnostic Tool with: Your directors & DGs Other potential stakeholders Use it as a basis for a more refined: Elevator speech One-pager to describe intent to potential collaborators Conduct a more formal assessment using materials developed for this project Synthesize it into a proposal for a 3-5 year Work Plan People have found the Diagnostic Tool a useful way to engage their departments in conversations about what needs to be done. Remember, this is an iterative process. This is a way of engaging new stakeholders in the process and broadening the scope of the work. SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 30

What is next for you? Individual report: Discuss with colleagues and managers Study policies and related initiatives Study SEEA Find available data Seek more training (on what topic?) SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool

Acknowledgements Materials prepared by: Adapted from: Michael Bordt Regional Adviser on Environment Statistics ESCAP Statistics Division bordt@un.org Adapted from: Advancing Natural Capital Accounting, a collaboration between The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and is supported by the Government of Norway. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/envaccounting/eea_project/default.asp Contact: seea@un.org SEEA-EEA: Implementation and diagnostic tool 32