Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to inform you of the upcoming free online course on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development. This engaging online course is designed to equip participants with a sound understanding of why policy coherence is important for achieving sustainable development, what coherent policy-making entails, and presents specific tools, mechanisms and approaches that can be employed to foster policy coherence. This course has been designed by the UN System Staff College Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development, in collaboration with the OECD Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development Unit in Paris, and in coordination with the National University of Singapore acting through its Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Hertie School of Governance based in Berlin.

The five-week online course will cover the following:

  • Week 1 will provide an introduction to the vision and principles of the 2030 Agenda, the concept and evolution of policy coherence for sustainable development, and focus on how far we have come in our commitment and the urgency to act now.
  • Week 2 will discuss the importance of policy coherence for sustainable development as a means of implementation under SDG 17 of the 2030 Agenda, explains the need for integrated approaches, introduces key elements of PCSD and the OECD approach to understanding the concept.
  • Week 3 will focus on the importance of policy coherence at national, regional, and international levels and discuss examples of policy coherence for sustainable development.
  • Week 4 will look at tools and review mechanisms to assess integration of the 2030 Agenda at the national level and tracking progress on policy coherence.
  • Week 5 will recap core notions of PCSD and focus on partnerships and multi-stakeholder engagement to foster policy coherence for sustainable development.

At the end of the five weeks, participants will be able to:

  • Have a sound understanding of the vision and principles underlying the 2030 Agenda, the evolution of the concept of policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD) and the importance of policy coherence and integrated approaches for sustainable development;
  • Have a good understanding of the relevance of policy coherence as an approach and a tool to achieve sustainable development outcomes, and be able to recognize policies that are mutually reinforcing across governance levels;
  • Be equipped with knowledge of the specific tools, mechanisms and approaches that can be employed to foster policy coherence, including partnerships and multi-stakeholder engagement.

UNSSC online courses are designed to deliver maximum learning outcomes through carefully chosen high-quality learning materials. Our facilitated online courses combine self-paced study modules with applied learning components, such as case studies, interactive exercises, and collaborative group work, specially tailored to the needs of the professional interested in deepening their knowledge on a particular subject matter. Participants will benefit from live moderated webinars which feature valuable inputs from renowned subject matter experts and allow real-time dialogue with high-level speakers. Webinar recordings are made available to ensure that participants have a flexible and seamless learning experience.

An expert facilitator guides and assists participants throughout the course, and provides real-time feedback on activities and exercises. Our user-friendly social online learning platform provides participants with the opportunity to connect with peers from diverse organizational backgrounds, fostering peer-to-peer learning. UNSSC online courses give learners the opportunity to complete activities when it best fits their schedule. Participants are largely free to determine their own weekly study plan. Lasting five weeks and demanding six hours of study per week, UNSSC online courses incorporate the same high academic rigour as any UNSSC face-to-face programme.

This online course will run from 15 June – 17 July 2020.

For more information and to register, please go to http://bit.ly/PCSD-2020

Deadline for enrolment is 18 May 2020.

Should you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact sustainable-development@unssc.org.

All the best,

Your UNSSC Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development Team

UNSSC KNOWLEDGE CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT