Finland sets an example in evaluating sustainable development
Finland has been a forerunner in conducting national evaluations of sustainable development. The new second edition of a guidebook compiles experiences from various countries and provides practical lessons for planning and implementing country-led evaluations of sustainable development.
In 2015, UN member states committed to the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to eradicate extreme poverty and promote well-being in an environmentally sustainable manner.
In 2019, Finland became the first country to conduct a national evaluation of its sustainable development policiesLinkki toiselle sivustolle. The evaluation produced recommendations for actions to promote sustainable development nationally. The second assessment, completed in 2023, examined the progress made in implementing these recommendationsLinkki toiselle sivustolle.
Finland's experiences were compiled in 2020 into an international guidebook that supports countries in conducting sustainable development evaluations. The newly published second edition of the guidebook includes new examples from different countries.
"With the year 2030 just five years away, now is a crucial moment for countries to conduct national evaluations on sustainable development. This will help them to understand where they have succeeded and why, and to plan future actions to promote sustainable development," commented Nea-Mari Heinonen, Lead Evaluation Specialist at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' Development Evaluation Unit, at the guidebook's launch event in Rome on March 5.
The guidebook offers practical tips
The second edition of the guidebook includes practical tips to support the planning and implementation of the evaluation process. The book encourages countries to conduct national evaluations of the 2030 Agenda and use evaluative evidence in decision-making.
The guidebook supports the implementation of the 2023 UN General Assembly resolution (A/RES/77/283), which encourages member states to use evaluative evidence as part of the 2030 Agenda knowledge base and reporting. The UN's 2024 Future Summit also emphasized the importance of producing reliable information to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The second edition of the guidebook was produced by the Development Evaluation Unit of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in collaboration with the International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS), the German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval), and UNICEF. The Prime Minister's Office, which coordinated Finland's national evaluations, also supported the process.