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Evaluating SDGs - Measuring and Managing Projects, Programs and Policies

Guest Editors:

André Martinuzzi, Institute for Managing Sustainability, WU Vienna, Austria, andre.martinuzzi@wu.ac.at   

Wolfgang Meyer, Saarland University, Germany, w.meyer@mx.uni-saarland.de

Andrew Jenkins, BRAC University, Bangladesh, andrewjenkins@btinternet.com

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2019

In 2015, the General Assembly of the United Nations endorsed Agenda 2030, including globally valid Sustainable Development Goals. Monitoring and evaluation are explicitly mentioned as key success factors for achieving the SDGs. However, these efforts have to deal with a high level of complexity, potential trade-offs, interconnectedness and systemic effects, as well as different perspectives and interests of various actors. While the present discussions mainly focus on indicators, evaluation is only rarely addressed-although some debates are taking place in different, but only loosely linked, scientific communities. Bringing together these different discussions is the goal of this Special Issue.

This effort is especially necessary in times, when evidence-based policy making is disregarded and false claims of fake-science undermine the credibility of sound scientific methods. A resilient society needs reliable and supportive evaluations of interventions implemented for reaching commonly shared goals on different levels (policies, programmes, projects etc.). Therefore, a critical reflection on the institutionalization of evaluating SDGs in the public and the private sector may provide new insights on how to improve both quality and impact of such kind of tools, methods, and scientific approaches.

We encourage researches and practitioners to

(a)            Provide sound background information on the respective project, programme or policy, its governance system and the way monitoring and evaluation of SDGs is implemented

(b)           Elaborate in-depth on the evaluation approach and link it to the current scientific debate as well as to sustainability

(c)            Present evidence on experiences, challenges and lessons learned (and are therefore neither concepts not pure theoretical contributions) regarding the evaluation approach and/or the implementation of SDG evaluation

(d)           Critically reflect and discuss the transferability and generalizability of the specific case

(e)            Highlight the contributions to the scientific debate as well as to the practice of implementing the SDGs

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Further information can be found under the following link: http://www.mdpi.com/si/19325

-------------------------

Florian Findler, M.Sc.

Teaching and Research Associate

Institute for Managing Sustainability

WU

Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien

Vienna University of Economics and Business

Building D1, 2nd Floor, Welthandelsplatz 1

A-1020 Vienna

phone: +43-1-31336-5133

email: florian.findler@wu.ac.at

www.wu.ac.at/sustainability