This guide is a first and preliminary guide on how to “get started” with implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It aims to help stakeholders, including governments at all levels (national, regional, and local), to understand the SDG Agenda, to start an inclusive dialogue on SDG implementation, and to prepare SDG-based national development strategies (or align existing plans and strategies with the goals). It draws upon lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and proposes guiding principles to help countries navigate the SDG Agenda. The guide reflects the universality of the SDG Agenda by recognizing countries’ different starting points.
We underscore the preliminary nature of this document and welcome comments and suggestions for improvement. These will be integrated into subsequent versions of the guide.
What is in the guide?
Chapter 1 introduces the concept of sustainable development, explains the evolution from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals, and discusses the importance of goal-based planning.
Chapter 2 offers practical guidance on how to get started with implementing the 2030 Agenda, including how to measure current performance, convene a multi-stakeholder dialogue, and prepare a roadmap for the design of SDG strategies.
Chapter 3 provides a set of tools to support the design of sector- and goal-based strategies to achieve the SDGs.
Who is this guide for?This guide has been written primarily for:
1. SDSN Member Institutions, notably universities
2. Businesses trying to get oriented around the SDGs
3. National and local policy makers responsible for thinking through the implementation of the SDG agenda
4. Citizens and civic groups