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IPS175 Pietro Gennari et al.

Validation of methods and data for SDG
indicators
2
1
Pietro Gennari , Dorian Kalamvrezos Navarro
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
3

Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator framework represents a
major challenge and a unique opportunity for the advancement of the global
statistical system, in terms of both methodological development and
governance. Over the last three years, the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on
SDG indicators (IAEG-SDG) has gradually developed a number of documents
providing criteria and guidelines for regulating the data flows from countries
to custodian agencies to inform the global SDG reporting process. The
validation of methods and data for SDG indicators, while being apparently two
separate procedures, have been closely interlinked in the SDG process.
National Statistics Offices (NSOs) when validating country data are also
certifying the specific methodology used by the custodian agency for the
compilation of the indicator, in particular, the data source used and the
adjustments made to harmonize national definitions and classifications. This
article highlights some of the main challenges in the practical implementation
of the guidelines, identifies areas in need of further guidance from the IAEG-
SDG and provides some proposals aimed at improving the global SDG
reporting process.

Keywords
Guidelines on data flows; Global statistics governance; International
Standards; Non-official data sources; Independence of Official Statistics

1. Introduction
The SDG indicator framework, initially adopted by the UN Statistical
Commission in 2016 and subsequently endorsed by UN General Assembly in
July 2017, represents a major challenge and, at the same time, a unique
opportunity for the advancement of the global statistical system, in terms of
both methodological development and governance. Many indicators included
in the framework were completely new and did not have an internationally
agreed methodology for their compilation (the so called “Tier III indicators”).

1 Pietro Gennari is Chief Statistician at FAO. pietro.gennari@fao.org
2 Dorian Kalamvrezos Navarro is Programme Advisor at FAO’s Office of the Chief Statistician.
3 The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of FAO 4 UNGA resolution 71/313, Op. Cit.
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