Measuring progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals is a daunting task for all countries, with 230 distinct indicators to quantify.
The specific challenges for low- and middle-income countries are starting to become clear as states assess their capacity, determine their needs and create action plans. While preparedness varies by country, representatives of some of the first countries to present their SDG plans to the United Nations told Devex they need better data — in terms of geographical coverage, frequency and specificity — and will require some help, be it through capacity building assistance, funding or partnerships.
Most countries have started by assessing what data exists and its quality. Almost all countries, including the most developed, lack at least some data needed to measure the SDG indicators.