Overview Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 is a formidable challenge and requires governments to strengthen the full range of “building blocks” of SDGs implementation, including governance, planning, financing, data monitoring and reporting. These components are interdependent and need to be addressed in an integrated manner to achieve the global Goals. Challenges Public servants, at all levels of government, are the key implementers of the SDGs. The 2030 Agenda recognizes that governments at all levels need the skills and means to steer and support the transformations that it envisions. Yet, across several countries, training for SDG implementation among public servants has not been prioritized and many need assistance to implement the SDGs effectively. Context Since 2015, Pakistan has adopted the SDGs as an integrated development framework and—with international support—has taken concrete steps to implement the Goals. However, much more needs to be done in the country, in practical terms, to realize progress in the remaining years to 2030. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives—and specifically the Planning Commission within it—is in charge of oversight, coordination, and monitoring of the planning processes for government projects. The agency is also responsible for maintaining and reporting on SDG targets and indicators. In the most recent Voluntary National Review[1] launched in 2022, Pakistan identified that an integrated planning approach to the design, planning, budgeting, and implementation of development projects is necessary to accelerate SDG implementation. Supported by the technical assistance program “Advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” ADB worked with Pakistan’s SDG Support Unit in early 2024 to improve the integration of the SDGs into government projects. Solutions A key reform by the government of Pakistan has been the reformulation of the Planning Commission Form-1 (PC-1). The PC-1 is the primary planning tool for all government agencies and departments to guide preparation of proposals for development projects, including budgetary requirements, and is used for both new projects and the revision of ongoing projects. Given the huge number of development projects across multiple departments under planning and implementation at any given time in Pakistan, the contribution of the PC-1 in planning the country’s development outcomes is significant. Aligning with the SDGs in the PC-1 ensures that the project’s results are measured and reported in line with the progress achieved on the SDGs. To this end, the PC-1 template was assessed for its functionality and reviewed against the SDG targets set by the Government. ADB’s Asif Turangzai addresses participants during the ADB-supported Workshop on Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into Pakistan’s Intelligent Project Automation System held in Islamabad on 20 February 2024. Photo credit: ADB. The project also conducted trainings with government officials at national and sub-national levels and developed a comprehensive manual and design of subsequent workshops that trained government officers in using the revised PC-1 tool. This series of practical training workshops were conducted in several regions, including Balochistan, Khyber, Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh, as well as the capital, Islamabad. Participants learned from the practical hands-on training approach with examples based on real-life projects. The training manual will continue to be used by government officials in the future and further nurture provincial level planning skills aligned with the SDGs. Integrating the SDGs in this way helps Pakistan ensure that all its development efforts are producing tangible development outcomes for the SDGs across sectors and provinces. Results The 1-day advocacy workshop, 4-day capacity building workshop, and the subnational training workshops were attended by a total of 447 participants across 40 government departments at the federal, provincial and regional levels. Attendees included representatives from departments of Health, Education, Water & Power, Irrigation, Population Welfare, Law, Communication & Works, and Minerals, as well as representatives from the ministries of Climate Change, Human Rights, Commerce and Textile, and Information Technology and Telecommunication. Participants were guided on the thematic interventions of their respective projects through the Planning Commission Form-1, linking the projects to various SDGs, such as No Poverty, Good Health, Quality Education, Affordable Energy, etc. Representatives from different government offices participated in the Workshop on Integrating the SDGs into Pakistan’s Project Automation System for public sector development projects held in Islamabad on 20 February 2024. Photo credit: ADB. Lessons The capacity building exercise was appreciated by the government officials, who also shared feedback and inputs with the organizers after the workshops. Some of the key recommendations emerging from the workshops include the need to improve capacities of planning commission staff at the department level; organize training of trainers to extend training to more staff; assess the Planning Commission’s programmatic portfolio against the targeted SDGs targets and indicators; harmonize the project automation systems at federal and provincial levels; improve the functionality and usability of the Intelligent Project Automation System of the planning tool and boost its effectiveness; and launch a mobile application and focal persons in departments responsible for SDG tagging and reporting. Additional insights included the usefulness of sharing financial allocations against each SDG to help prioritize implementation responsibilities, the need to potentially arrange separate trainings on relevant SDGs with governmental departments, and the need for more practical exercises on working with the SDGs on intelligent project automation systems. While the workshops and exercises summarized here were held in Pakistan, they can be tailored to different country contexts to help build awareness and understanding on SDG implementation, including how to associate SDGs with departmental priorities. This, in turn, can help with integrated planning, budgeting, implementation, and review. To learn more about how ADB drives knowledge solutions in implementing the SDGs in Asia and the Pacific, visit Mobilizing Finance and Knowledge for the SDGs. [1] Voluntary National Reviews, or VNRs, are part of the official follow-up and review process of the 2030 Agenda, through which countries assess and present national progress on implementing the 2030 Agenda. Resources Asian Development Bank (ADB). Pillars of Progress: ADB's Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals. ADB. Regional: Advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development–Subproject 2. ADB. Sustainable Development Goals. Ask the Experts Asif Turangzai Climate Change Officer, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, Asian Development Bank Asif Turangzai is geospatial engineer by background (specializing in GIS and Remote Sensing). He works in the field of Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction & Management, and Resilient Urban & Regional Development. Prior to becoming an ADB staff, he worked as an ADB consultant for 5 years and supported the implementation of the disaster risk reduction output under the Flood Emergencies Reconstruction and Resilience project. He also successfully completed several consulting assignments with national and other international agencies. Carla Ferreira Senior Results Management Specialist, Strategy, Policy, and Partnerships Department, Asian Development Bank Carla Ferreira, a national of Portugal, holds a Master's degree in Criminal Justice Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Bachelor's degree in Social Psychology from the University of Kent at Canterbury, United Kingdom. She brings 18 years of experience in organizations of the United Nations system, in country operations, quality assurance, technical cooperation, and workforce planning. In ADB, she leads a team who are ADB’s focal point for the Sustainable Development Goals. Asian Development Bank (ADB) The Asian Development Bank is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region. Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance. Follow Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Leave your question or comment in the section below: View the discussion thread.