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Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development
This self-paced online course is designed to equip participants with an understanding of why a focus on policy coherence is key for achieving sustainable development. The course explores concepts related to policy coherence with country examples, as well as specific tools and mechanisms.
Conventional approaches to development often focus on sector-specific economic results, working under the assumption that markets function perfectly. Such approaches do not adequately consider externalities and their impact on society, equity or the environment. They also often ignore the transboundary and inter-generational effects which results in siloed, contradictory policies that can undermine one another.
This course explores ways to foster integration across the Sustainable Development Goals, against a backdrop of political economy analysis. It explores the concept of cross-organizational and cross-sectoral policy coherence at the national, regional and international levels. It aims at equipping participants with an understanding of what coherent policymaking entails, and what are some specific tools, mechanisms and approaches that can be employed to foster it.
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be better able to:
- describe the vision and principles underlying the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the evolution of the concept of policy coherence for sustainable development;
- identify entry points and levers for transformative pathways and recognize system interconnections, and their importance when dealing with complexity;
- explain the relevance of policy coherence as an approach and a tool to achieve sustainable development outcomes;
- use specific tools, mechanisms and approaches that can be employed to foster policy coherence for sustainable development, including partnerships and multi-stakeholder engagement.
UNSSC online courses are designed to deliver maximum learning outcomes through optimal time investments into carefully chosen high-quality learning materials and are specially tailored to the needs of the professional interested in developing skills to advance their career or deepening their knowledge through our self-paced study modules, which include applied learning components such as case studies.
UNSSC online courses give learners the opportunity to complete activities when it best fits their schedule. UNSSC online courses incorporate the same high academic rigour as any UNSSC face-to-face programme, while participants are free to determine their own study plan.
Module 1 provides an introduction to the vision and principles of the 2030 Agenda and the evolution and concept of sustainable development.
Module 2 discusses the political economy of sustainable development and introduces the concept and evolution of policy coherence for sustainable development, and elaborates upon vertical and horizontal coherence, as well as the different mechanisms that enhance policy coherence across the policy cycle.
Module 3 discusses the importance of policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD) in the context of Sustainable Development Goal 17 of the 2030 Agenda. It focuses on the different approaches towards understanding the concept of PCSD and the importance of policy coherence at national, regional, and international levels.
Module 4 focuses on the UN Development System Reform and guidance for UN Country Teams in addressing the gaps and overlaps in UN capacity and functions. It also discusses the role of Resident Coordinators and explains the purpose of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
Module 5 looks at the importance of partnerships and stakeholder engagement for PCSD, introducing tools and review mechanisms to assess integration of the 2030 Agenda at the national level. It examines the significance of tracking progress on policy coherence.
Module 6 focuses on the synergies, trade-offs and strategic interventions for the future to foster policy coherence for sustainable development.
This course is offered exclusively to UN Staff members who have an interest in policy coherence for sustainable development or work on policy coherence at the national and local level.
This online course is offered free of charge for the staff of the United Nations Secretariat.
Staff from other UN entities can access this course upon payment of the course fee.
Certificates from the United Nations System Staff College will be awarded to participants upon completion of the course.
