The 4th Meeting of the IAEG-SDGs: SDG Indicators and Data News

The fourth meeting of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on the Sustainable Development Goal Indicators took place last week (November 15th-18th, 2016) in Geneva, Switzerland. Here are the outcomes:

1. The updated tier system was presented. 23 Indicators were modified from their previous tier classification. A method for tier revision was also put forward. Indicator tiers will be evaluated and published once a year, following the IAEG-SDG meeting.
2. A workplan for Tier 3 indicators was presented. These indicators are in the process of being identified to be “fast tracked” to Tier 2. Ten indicators still remain without a custodian agency. These indicators will be revised as necessary until an agency can be appointed.
3. A detailed framework and model for refinement and review of indicators was presented, including plans and protocols for future revision. General principles for these changes define refinements as corrections, minor changes, splitting indicators, etc. Revisions are defined as adding, deleting, or changing indicators that will disrupt the current framework. Revisions will be presented in 2020 and 2025. These are major changes to the data used to monitor the SDGs, and include instances where new data or technology changes the current indicator framework.
4. Data flow from the National level to the Global level was discussed, and roles of national and international statistical agencies were further defined and clarified.
5. Disaggregation of data continues to be a priority for the SDGs. A work plan is in the stages of development, and the IAEG-SDGs have dedicated a working group to the topic of disaggregation.
6. Work Plans and next steps were developed and presented looking forward to the March 2017 meeting of the IAEG-SDG.

Other events and outcome documents include the World Bank side-event on House Hold Surveys and the SDGs as well as the publication of the progress on the SDG Interface Ontology, the project to clarify and quantify the different uses of language in the goals. The original presentation of the project can be found here.