Valuing the SDGs for Localization in Patiala, India
With no precedents and no impetus from central and state governments to use the language of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most Indian cities are resisting efforts to adopt them. They view the UN resolution laying out these goals, Agenda 2030, as an additional and foreign framework competing with their day to day priorities. And yet city-level SDG data and monitoring platforms can be used to align city development efforts across the country and ensure that no one is left behind. To maximize the value of SDG localization in Indian cities, Community Systems Foundation’s (CSF) OpenCities Institute (OCI) worked with the city of Patiala in Punjab1 to develop a proof-of-concept city-level SDG data system, which includes a model indicator list and data dashboard and provides a one-stop visualization tool to aid the city’s decision-making and planning efforts. This brief outlines an easy-to-use, four-step methodology tested in Patiala to demonstrate to cities the simplicity, feasibility, and value of subnational SDG monitoring through data visualization design and technology. It proposes ways to kickstart localizing the goals with “what is available” rather than “what is missing.” The aim is to develop a long-term view for sustainability, to optimize municipal efficiency, and to bolster inter-departmental and citizen participation. This is done by setting a precedent for SDG localization for Indian cities that have less exposure to national programs, technical expertise, and the international stage. This model provides a roadmap for initiating a full-scale city-level SDG observatory, inclusive of a living reference data dashboard, which can be adapted to other cities irrespective of their size, geographic location, and existing capacities.
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