Towards an integrated approach for implementing the SDGs within National Planning Processes: Cross-country Experiences of Integrated Approaches, Opportunities & Gaps in Africa David Smith PEI Africa Manager, Poverty-Environment Initiative, Nairobi Poverty-Environment Partnership 20 th meeting Edinburgh, May 2015

UNDP-UNEP POVERTY & ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE (PEI): WHAT WE DO The UNDP-UNEP PEI supports governments to: Include pro-poor environmentally sustainable natural resource use as a core objective in development planning & implementation Build capacity so that decision-makers know : – How pro-poor environmental sustainability contributes to development & – How to include pro-poor environmental sustainability in development planning & implementation. PEI regional programmes in Africa, Asia-Pacific, ECIS & LAC PEI Africa full country programmes in Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi & Mozambique. Support to Kenya & Botswana Fully joint programme with joint UNDP-UNEP teams at global & regional level working through Government-UNDP Country Office teams at country level with regional PEI team support. Started in 2005.

PEI AFRICA: A PRACTICAL, PROVEN MODEL OF APPLYING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH WITH MANY LESSONS FOR SDGS Integrated economic-social-environmental approach is the essence of PEI Relevance to SDGs identified by donors & countries Relevant in terms of – Programme content – Means of implementation – Monitoring, accountability & reporting Experiences & lessons reflect trial & error, ongoing learning & adapting – there is always room for improvement PEI increasingly requested to provide support to country discussions on how to implement the SDGs

INTEGRATED APPROACHES – KEY ELEMENTS IN PEI AFRICA COUNTRIES Integrated UN Support – UNDP & UNEP, using a fully joint programming approach: One UN in Action Integrated programme design at the country level focusing on country circumstances, development planning processes & priorities. Cross government approach: Planning/Finance, Environment & key ENR sectors (E.G. Agriculture) Focus on influencing Planning/Finance by demonstrating how sustainable ENR will help achieve economic & social development Five to ten years of UN support: Poverty-environment mainstreaming is a year process of institutional change Catalysing the large resources for P-E investments from governments & donors.

KEY LESSONS PEI focus on integrating ENR sustainability & CC adaptation into Planning/Finance led development planning & budgeting process & into key Sector policies & plans because: – P/F set national development priorities & budgets – P/F have responsibilities for cross-sector links & broader cross- government co-ordination – Sectors make the decisions that impact the most on environment – Environment Ministries usually lack capacity & status to m/s by themselves. Yes, we want to build up capacity in Environment sector – But we need to convince key decision makers who set national & sector priorities & budgets that ENR unsustainability & CC are also development problems. – Then policies will be adopted & more funds will be allocated for ENR sustainability & CC adaptation. An active commitment to co-ordination & working together is vital – otherwise P-E m/s is a bureaucratically agonising process & likely to fail.

KEY LESSONS Carry out economic analyses to show how environmentally sustainable natural resource use can improve economic & social development. – Use very specific examples. Use non-market or informal values also – e.g. family fishing or fuel wood collection – Use economic evidence tactically – e.g. Briefing notes Present evidence repeatedly in different meetings & working groups – Present good news as well as bad news – e.g. costs of unsustainability & benefits of investing more in sustainable ENR use and CC adaptation

KEY LESSONS Support key sector policy & budgetary development processes to ensure sustainability objectives operationalised Design mechanisms for long-term increases in budgets for ENR sustainability e.g. – Prepare Environment- Natural Resource Sector support programmes for funding by major donors based in country Proactive, energetic use of PEI programme outputs is vital to generate change Ensure there is a substantive focus on summarising & communicating key messages according to audience – Prepare Policy briefs based on the key message – Repeat key messages over & over again targeting the specific audience (Planners, ministers, parliamentarians, donors etc) Inclusion & application of p-e indicators in the national monitoring system vital

OPPORTUNITIES Applying PEI lessons to assist countries to set the SDGs into the national context (IE Domestication of SDGs). PEI country programmatic content relevant: – E.g. collection & application of economic & other evidence of the integrated nature of environment-economic-social problems. PEI country programme means of implementation relevant: – E.g. Joint programming, cross-government, focusing on influencing national development planning & their implementation processes. PEI country programme challenges provide guidance for implementation of SDGs – In identifying theory of change, developing & applying indicators to track change – In ensuring an adequate focus on the poverty side of p-e m/s

GAPS/CHALLENGES P-E M/S Is a complex development policy problem – implementing the SDGs will be more complex. Complex problems require appropriate techniques to address them. Stronger political-economy support will be required compared with MDGs. Institutional co-ordination – horizontal & vertical - more important Capacity constraints Financial constraints Adequate monitoring SDG implementation & impact plus ensuring monitoring results are used to improve implementation will be very demanding

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