1. The relevance of “new metrics” (measurement tools and indicators) for the evaluation of SDGs with a focus on “leaving no one behind”
Thank organisers – many familiar partners and friends.
Light power point – oxymoron
Only one NOT running for president……
25 years of happy life without evaluators – now MDG, 3rd speaking engagement (UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA), World Bank, system-wide.
Stefan Schweinfest
Director, UN Statistics Division/DESA
Technical Seminar: “Evaluating the SDGs…”
New York, 16 March 2016

2. 5 points Evaluators and Statisticians Reflection on metrics/indicators
The Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG indicators (IAEG-SDG)
A word on ‘disaggregation’
UN Statistics Division’s programme on gender statistics (an appetizer)
Can’t talk to us these days if you don’t’ use IAEG-SDG at least 3 times per sentence
Disaggregation = ‘statistical language’ for leaving no one behind
As a captive audience – have to endure our institutional advertisement

3. Evaluators and Statisticians
Not afraid of numbers
Believe in evidence
Aware of the limits of quantitative information
Don’t like to be ‘police’ – forward looking
Long term perspective
Common objective: build national capacity!
Not running away at a dinner party when I say ‘statistician’ – running social experiment “information manager”.
NOTE – Director of Statistics saying this.
Evaluation is not only rear view mirror – but future oriented.
Anecdote: our division’s objective!! USE of information
There is live after 2030…… dangerous to say in UN.
Making a movie – not snapshots.

4. Reflection on metrics/indicators
Poor indicators can’t do it all alone… Need for national information systems (indicators, statistics, qualitative info, big data, geospatial data…)
What is a good indicator? Relevance, solidity, over-time/across space comparability, credibility
System – implies ‘integration’ – spirit of the Sustainable Development. Institutional implications. National Data Councils…
Statistical community working on this – partnerships. It’s not ‘big data’ versus ‘official data’..
Various quality dimensions:
Relevance – number of police
Essence of the Statistical Commission – norm/standard setting, enables comparison and aggregation – not straight jacket but common language – enables capacity building!
Communication – good indicator = used indicator; indicator that changes behaviour/decisions.

5. Work of the IAEG-SDG
Subsidiary body to Statistical Commission (created 2015; 28 Senior Statisticians; regional balance)
Predecessor: IAEG-MDG
Long-term mandate
2015/2016: open consultative process to develop global indicators (proposed 230);
Agreed by Statistical Commission (47th session)
Now before ECOSOC and GA (June 2016)
IAEG-SDG (Statistical Commission) expect new mandate to work on ‘refinement’ (GA to decide ‘who’ and ‘when’?)
Predecessor more ad-hoc – regional balance is big difference; also balance between countries/agencies.
Long term mandate by Stat.Com: Not only indicator development: methods, data traffic, identify data gaps (hand over to High Level Group); annual report.
Forget green/grey – now Tier 1-3.

6. IAEG- SDG (2): Implementation of Global SDG indicator framework
The first important step will be the assessment of the status of the indicators proposed. The indicators will be classified into three tiers:
Tier I: an established methodology exists and data are already widely available;
Tier II: a methodology has been established but for which data are not easily available; and
Tier III: an internationally agreed methodology has not yet been developed.

7. IAEG (3): A “framework” of indicators?
Global indicators
Include:
Key indicators (limited in number)
Elements of disaggregation
Different population groups
Inequality issues
Thematic/sectorial indicators
Include:
Additional indicators on each of the elements covered by the global indicators
Indicators that are only relevant at the national level
Elements of disaggregation
Sub-national indicators
Include:
Some of the global indicators
Some of the national indicators
Different population groups
Additional data sources (most innovative, more opportunities?)
National indicators
Include:
Some of the thematic indicators?
Some (all?) of the global indicators
Different population groups

8. A word on data ‘disaggregation’
Leave no one behind [political concept] = coverage/disaggregation [statistical concepts]
IAEG-SDGs included an overarching principle of data disaggregation
Cost of disaggregation [eg. Sampling size]
Privacy/confidentiality concerns
Various dimensions of disaggregations – population groups specified in the overall agenda – target specific disaggregations (e.g. country groups)
Cost – not only surveys – also census + administrative records. Big data can help
Fundamental bargain between respondent and statistician. BEWARE of the power of geospatial information.

9. UN Statistics Division’s programme on gender statistics
Started in early 80s
Organised 5 Global Fora on Gender Statistics
Data publications: World’s Women 2015
Methodological work: Handbook on statistics on violence against women; EDGE project
Normative work: Statistical Commission endorses in 2013 Minimum Set of 52 indicators
Programme strength: “double” integration

10. THANK YOU http://unstats.un.org/unsd/gender/default.html