Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene January - February 2016 vol.11 no.1 | Page 36

Publications

Goal 16 –The Indicators We Want
Virtual Network Sourcebook
on Measuring Peace, Justice and
Effective Institutions
This report is the outcome of a
discussion among many experts,
who were actively engaged in the
design of sound indicators for
measuring Goal 16, as an input to
the work of the United Nations
Statistical Commission’s InterAgency and Expert Group on
SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDG) and
the Praia Group on Governance Statistics. It is also meant
to provide inspiration and guidance for the development
of Goal 16 indicators at the regional and national levels.
The Virtual Network for the Development of Indicators
for Goal 16 brought together governance experts,
development practitioners, statisticians, UN agencies and
civil society organizations to advice on the best possible
set of indicators for measuring progress on goal 16 in the
Post-2015 development framework.
In the first section of the sourcebook, reflections on
recent experiences with data collection and use of
indicators related to peace, justice and institutions are
shared. That section also provides guidance on the process
of identifying indicators and a brief discussion on types of
indicators and their relevance. It highlights the importance
of complementary and supplementary indicators, as well
as the need for disaggregation. The section concludes with
some considerations for effective implementation.
In addition to the practical guidance in the sourcebook,
Annex 1 is a reference document for government agencies,
National Statistics Offices, civil society organizations
and other users. That reference document identifies and
describes suggested indicators for each target, followed
by alternative specifications and supplementary indicators
necessary for a proper monitoring of the target at national
and regional levels.
‘Norms, Knowledge and Usage’, Frontiers of CLTS:
Innovations and Insights
Issue 7, Brighton: IDS.
Chambers, R. and Myers, J. (2016)
The partial or total non-use of toilets, with some or all in
a household defecating in the open, is a growing concern.
Although all households may have a toilet, communities
cannot remain open defecation free unless they are always
used by everyone.
This is not just an issue of maintenance and accessibility
but also of social norms, mind-sets, and cultural
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Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • January - February 2016

preferences. The problem is
widespread but most evident in
India.
This issue of Frontiers of CLTS
asks how serious the problem is,
why it occurs, what can be done
about it, and what more needs to
be known.
It is an attempt to summarize
current knowledge as a first step in
exploring and learning about this
growing obstacle to attaining and sustaining ODF status in
some parts of the world.
MDG Progress Reports - Africa
Assessing Progress in Africa toward the Millennium
Development Goals
Having made encouraging progress on the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), African countries have
the opportunity to use the newly launched Sustainable
Development Goals to tackle remaining challenges and
achieve a development breakthrough, according to the
2015 Africa MDG report.
Leadership, innovation and
targeted investments in a number
of social sectors have led to
transformative interventions and
in many cases revolutionized
people’s lives.
Africa has seen acceleration in
economic growth, established
ambitious social safety nets and
designed policies for boosting
education and tackling HIV and
other diseases. It has also introduced women’s quotas
in parliament, leading the way internationally on gender
equality, and increased gender parity in primary schools.
Although overall poverty rates are still hovering around
48 percent, according to the most recent estimates, most
countries have made progress on at least one goal.
Much more work lies ahead to ensure living standards
improve for all African women and men. While economic
growth has been relatively strong, it has not been rapid or
inclusive enough to create jobs. Similarly, many countries
have managed to achieve access to primary schooling
however considerable issues of quality and equity need to
be addressed.
Poor implementation mechanisms and excessive
reliance on development aid undermined the economic
sustainability of several MDG interventions, the report
adds.