How to Localize the Sustainable Development Goals: Los Angeles’ Four-Phased Methodology for Implementation at the Local Level
Written by Angela Kim and Erin Bromaghim
This Fall, TReNDS members co-hosted a public workshop with the City of Los Angeles that included insights into how the City is localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including its unique four-phased approach for success at the sub-national level. Los Angeles’ localization efforts were documented as part of TReNDS’ Local Data Action Solutions Initiative.
With support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, in 2017, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti committed the City of Los Angeles (L.A.) to adopt and localize implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Beginning in early 2018, with additional support from four key academic partners (Occidental College, Arizona State University, University of Southern California, and University of California Los Angeles), L.A. laid out its four-phased approach for this effort. This approach was developed at the outset of the effort, to frame the first two years of activity. Knowing L.A.’s goal was not just to adopt, but to prove the value of implementing the Goals at the local level, this four-phased approach was influenced by the Global Taskforce for Local and Regional Government’s “Roadmap for Localizing the SDGs: implementation and monitoring at subnational level,” published in June 2016 with support from UN Habitat and the UN Development Programme.
Source: City of Los Angeles
Phase 1, Mapping and Alignment to the SDGs, sought to inventory current “activity,” such as plans, policies, initiatives, measures of impact, services, or business areas, beginning with those led by, with, or through the City, as they related to the SDGs. By aligning these activities to the SDGs at the target level, the City was able to identify stakeholders through their support for this work, and also begin to understand where gaps in policy and operations may exist.
During the second phase, the City analyzed what those gaps might infer, including consideration of the jurisdictions and authorities of the regional governing bodies. For example, the majority of K-12 education and public health programs are managed outside of L.A.’s city government, by an independent Unified School District and the L.A. County government, respectively. Phase 2, Gap Analysis, began to illuminate the key partners (not just those in government) necessary to achieve progress across all of the SDGs.
With the baseline and context from Phases 1 and 2, L.A.’s third phase was a methodology unto itself. Phase 3, Localization, considered how the language of the SDGs (including the targets and indicators under each goal), written and adopted by the United Nations’ member states at the national level, could be applied to the local context. This localization process, pioneered by 18 students from the four academic partners who supported L.A.’s SDG implementation during the Summer of 2018, involved five steps, captured below.
Source: City of Los Angeles
Revising or replacing SDG language was both essential for incorporating what is important to the local community and highlighting where disparities in outcomes may exist between communities. This was done in three ways. First, by disaggregating the data at the indicator level across demographic and geographic indicators. Second, by adding new leading indicators that might explain disparities in outcomes in the lagging indicators (e.g. indicator 3.4.3 on depression and mental health counseling). And third, by adding new targets to measure progress on inclusion of populations that are omitted from the global framework (e.g. target 10.x on LGBTQIA+ inclusivity).
The first three phases of implementation are iterative and continuous. As new activities are indexed and mapped to the SDGs, new gaps are identified and new indicators and targets can be added at the local level to monitor progress and gaps.
Phase 4, Mobilization, is where Los Angeles believes the SDGs can be a “force multiplier” for adding value back to the local community while accelerating real progress toward the Goals. Mapping, analyzing, and localizing to the SDGs may help a local government better understand its gaps, trends, and stakeholders, but marrying them together to spin off new ideas, new partnerships, and new initiatives is how the common language of the Global Goals becomes a catalyst for progress.
This four-phased approach to localizing the SDGs exemplifies how the SDGs can help mobilize local actors and communities to ensure that no one is left behind and deliver the world - and the future - we want.
For more information about Los Angeles’ localization efforts, click here.
About the Authors:
Erin Bromaghim serves as the director of Olympic and Paralympic Development in the Office of the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti. In this role, she is focused on realising the City’s plans to make Los Angeles more sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and innovative as we prepare to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028 and on the enduring legacy the Games will leave for all Angelenos. This legacy includes her work as the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Fellow, through which she uses the framework of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 to align, measure, and track the City’s progress toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Angela Kim is the SDG Data Associate in the Office of the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti. Angela is responsible for the continued development of the City of Los Angeles’ SDG Data Reporting Platform as well as the use of quantitative and qualitative data to identify gaps and opportunities for sustainable development in Los Angeles.