Using SDGs to support a country-focused results approach

Challenge

New Zealand’s Pacific and Development Group – Ngā Hoe Tuputupu-mai-tawhiti, or “The paddles that bring growth from afar” – is a section of the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Its results system needed a refresh. This was due to recent changes, including:

• the ministry’s integration of foreign policy and international development co-operation

• a new international development co‑operation policy affirming support for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• introduction of new four-year plans for bilateral relationships.

The ministry also recognised that the existing system, while well aligned to the SDGs, focused too strongly on the corporate level at the expense of country context.

Approach

The corporate level of New Zealand’s performance system has been simplified to focus on the contribution of development co-operation to the ministry’s integrated Strategic Framework. There is a strong focus on accountability at this level. The number of indicators was significantly reduced, from 27 indicators to 6 at Level 1 (development results), and from 21 to 13 at Level 2 (development co‑operation results). For example, instead of aligning to individual SDG indicators, the ministry uses the Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s SDG Index to report annually on the number of partner countries with improving trends for more than 50% of goals.

At the country programme level, the focus is on learning and mutual accountability. Each four-year plan now includes a theory of change, with 3-4 long-term outcomes aligned to key indicators, many of which are SDG indicators, prioritised by that country. Partners are consulted, and the plans will be shared on the ministry website by the end of 2021 and refreshed on an annual basis.

The ministry also produces Statistical Snapshots for each partner country. These are based on a broad range of relevant indicators, including many SDG indicators, and are aligned to the ministry’s thematic priorities. The snapshots are used to assist with planning and monitoring country progress towards shared development goals. Importantly, the ministry does not develop separate country-level results frameworks.

Internal governance groups have responsibility for monitoring progress towards achievement of the four-year plans. Annual reflection reports and governance group discussions provide the opportunity for evidence-based learning and programme-level decision making. The ministry reports back on four-year plan progress to partner governments via annual high-level consultations. This provides an opportunity to discuss what has been achieved in partnership, and to test whether four-year plans remain fit for purpose.

Results

The changes described above have supported the development of a performance system that:

• recognises that each partner country operates in a different context and that aggregation or generalisation of results at corporate level can mask this

• focuses more strongly on supporting and using country-owned SDG data, with greater visibility of data gaps

• reflects a more balanced approach to use of evidence in an integrated environment, balancing quantitative results data with qualitative reporting and reflection for learning and decision making.

The ministry has only recently implemented the new system (2020/21), and it is therefore too early to assess the overall effectiveness of the approach. However, anecdotal feedback suggests that staff appreciate the simplified approach and value the annual reflection process in particular. The approach will be monitored and further refined over the next three years, with a view to strengthening and streamlining internal policies and processes, enhancing external transparency and communication, and focusing on the use of SDG data and other evidence to inform consultations with partner governments.