Enabling Integrated Policymaking with the SDGs: An Application to Ireland

Panel, Title: Cross-sectoral coordination and institutional innovation in water governance Chairs: Manuel Fischer (University of Bern), Nicolas Jager (University of Oldenburg) Abstract: Policy coherence is widely seen as important for implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), however, governments are typically not well-organized to track interactions between SDGs and integrate policies where needed. This article demonstrates by way of an example to SDG14 the important role that dashboards of indicators can play as tools to coordinate interrelated government ministries for integrated policymaking. Specifically, a monitoring tool is proposed based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators, analysis of SDG interlinkages, and mappings of SDG responsibilities across ministries. Drawing on studies in sustainability science of SDG interlinkages, the article presents a five-step procedure that government departments can use to construct indicator sets from official SDG indicators to support integrated policymaking in a specific sector. I apply the method to Ireland’s marine sector. Ireland is an interesting case because although many countries report mapping SDG responsibilities across ministries, Ireland’s Voluntary National Review explicitly maps these responsibilities for all 17 SDGs and 169 targets. Using performance gap analysis (cross-country baseline assessment), concrete recommendations are developed for the lead department of the marine along three dimensions: which departments to cooperate with, on what policy areas discussions should focus, and how Ireland performs in each area compared to a selection of peer countries. In particular, the article recommends cooperation with nine other departments on fifteen policy issues connected to SDG14 achievement. Relative to peers, Ireland is ranked among “leaders” on three issues and among “laggards” on nine issues. The proposed procedure, which has wide application as a starting point for integrated policymaking, can help to raise awareness among policymakers of outcomes in linked policy areas and enable dialogue between ministries on coherent policies to address interrelated gaps in sustainability. A way to re-organize departments to support integrated policymaking is also proposed. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/18/7800