Applying Integrated Policy Approaches to Accelerate the 2030 Agenda

Integrated policy approaches are emerging among the key modalities of support to countries in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As COVID-19 disrupted countries’ sustainable development trajectories just as we entered the Decade of Action for the SDGs, it is more important than ever before for UN agencies to come together and offer coherent expertise and integrated policy advice to UN Country Teams (UNCTs) and governments on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. This technical course aims to train UN personnel, policymakers and development practitioners on common approaches and practical tools for accelerating progress on the SDGs through policy integration.

This course was designed by UNDP and UNICEF, with support from the UN System Staff College. It particularly targets technical-level development practitioners involved in the implementation of programmes and projects related to the 2030 Agenda on the ground. It consists of four modules:

Applying Integrated Policy Approaches to Accelerate the 2030 Agenda.
Assessing SDG Alignment.
Identifying SDG Accelerators.
Enabling SDG Coherence and Coordination.

This course is offered free-of-charge and accessible on the e-learning platform of the UN System Staff College.

Participants in this course are welcome to join the Integrated Policy Practitioner’s Network to connect with peers and participate in discussions of relevant tools and methods.

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Target Audience

UN staff from headquarters, country teams or regional offices, government representatives, development practitioners as well as members of civil society, the private sector, academia and foundations.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will:

Understand and use the theoretical frameworks of UN approaches to policy integration in development practice.
Be aware of the range of practical tools and methodologies available to support Governments in diagnosing complex development challenges from a systems-thinking and cross-sectoral perspective.
Take part in inter-agency and inter-disciplinary teams to support UNCTs and governments on integrated approaches to SDG implementation which could take the form of technical analysis, policy design and/or strategic priority setting.
Design integrated policy options that manage bottlenecks and harness interlinkages and synergies across sectors for the acceleration of the SDGs.
Apply integrated policy thinking on post-emergency, humanitarian and/or recovery context.