SUMMER SCHOLARS BLOG: Oscar Orozco
Johannesburg, South Africa, where the UNFPA’S ESARO is located.
During this summer, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the East and South Africa Regional Director’s Office (ESARO) of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) thanks to the Summer Scholars Fellowship — a unique opportunity that due to COVID had a couple of modifications and ended up being virtual. I’ve been taught that when facing challenges, we need to stay positive and be flexible, grateful and open to learning. For this opportunity, it was not going to be different. In the end, my greatest takeaway was the importance of data and data management. The UNFPA is the UN Agency that focuses on sexual and reproductive health, and from my point of view has one of the most humble and compassionate missions: “…to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.” Among all the different activities that I had the opportunity to help with, the management and organization of data was the one that I believe contributed the most to supporting the Regional Office towards achieving the SDGs.
It is widely known that to ensure the achievement of the SDGs, global cooperation and financial commitment by every actor involved is a must. Thus, the measurement of these commitments through tracers or indicators is a competence that UN agencies must possess in a reliable, replicable, and feasible way. For example, the UNFPA Strategic Plan measures impact and outcome-level indicators through large-scale surveys and other data-gathering methods, such as reviews of program records. This data is further disaggregated by selected characteristics, depending on the program, or project, and ultimately by sex, age, wealth quintile, and location, among others.
One of the projects I collaborated on examined the link between SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 10 (reduce inequalities), SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and the most important one for the project and for the agency itself, SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals). The project involved a cornerstone of the UNFPA’s Programme Areas — partnerships and analysis of their impact — and it highlighted key strategic partnerships, successes and the strides made by the office.
In general terms, SDG 17 seeks to “strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development,” but to assess the importance of partnerships in providing a multilateral response to global issues, different tracers and indicators need to be considered. UNFPA partnerships have yielded more than 1,000 commitments that involve billions of dollars. UNFPA’s support has impacted how data is collected in censuses, demographic, and health surveys, as well as providing technical support on the analysis and dissemination of the data generated. But strengthening data for Sustainable Development, like SDG 17.18.1 addresses, involves more than just its management and dissemination. I learned that investing in data collectors is furthermore important because it involves the basis of the system. It is well addressed in the UNFPA’s Strategic Plan, which pursues strengths in collaborations, including planning, implementation, and finally reporting. This multilevel and multistakeholder approach reflects the people-centered nature of the 2030 Agenda.
Thanks to the opportunity provided by UNA-NYC, I felt what it is like being part of the change we want to see in the world. I had the opportunity to support a UN agency in its efforts to build a better and more resilient world through a cornerstone of their mission: the data process. Data is changing the world; data is providing all the necessary resources to predict, assess and act on time. Investing in standardized, reliable, and strong data systems is a key part of achieving the SDGs.
Our Summer Scholars Blog showcases our fellows’ experiences with the UN agencies and non-governmental organizations they worked with this summer. Learn more about our Summer Scholars Fellowship program and this year’s other fellows here.