What Are the Sustainable Development Goals?
In 2015, all United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which established a shared framework for advancing social, economic, and environmental well-being around the world by 2030. At its centre are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which address a wide range of interconnected issues, including poverty, inequality, health, education, economic growth, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, and peace and justice.
Although the SDGs are global and national in scope, progress toward them ultimately depends on action across local and municipal contexts. SDG localization refers to the process of translating these broader objectives into priorities and actions that reflect local responsibilities, circumstances, needs, and available resources. This helps connect progress within individual communities to broader national and international efforts to advance the SDGs, while allowing local approaches to reflect the contexts in which they are being implemented.
Many of the decisions and activities of municipalities and other organizations already intersect with the SDGs. By applying the framework locally, organizations can more easily recognize these existing connections, identify opportunities for further action, and align local priorities with broader Canadian and international objectives. At the municipal level, this alignment can help advance gender equality and inclusion, foster decent work, and drive the development of resilient and innovative infrastructure. It can also promote inclusive and sustainable communities and encourage more responsible patterns of consumption and resource use.
Introducing the SDG Self-Assessment Tool
The SDG Self-Assessment Tool was developed by ICTC to provide an approachable way for users to explore the practices and organizational capabilities that support the effective use of the SDG framework. Through four short assessments, users can explore their current practices related to Data Collection, Strategy Integration, Community Engagement, and Monitoring and Reporting, while identifying practical opportunities for further development.
The tool was developed as part of a broader ICTC initiative supporting SDG localization in Canada, funded in part by the Government of Canada's Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program. Building on ICTC's previous Smart Cities work, the project works directly with Canadian municipalities to strengthen their capacity to integrate the SDGs into local monitoring and evaluation, while building knowledge and engagement around SDG localization.
Who Is This Tool For?
The tool was developed primarily with Canadian municipalities in mind, reflecting the broader project’s focus on supporting SDG localization at the municipal level. It is designed to be accessible to municipalities of different sizes, contexts, and levels of capacity, allowing users to engage with the framework in a way that reflects their available resources and needs. Many of the practices and considerations explored through the assessments are also relevant to organizations in the broader public, private, and non-profit sectors.
The tool is intended to be useful at different stages of SDG localization. For users beginning to explore the SDGs, the assessments can provide an accessible starting point for understanding how existing priorities and activities relate to the framework and where to begin. For those with more established SDG-related practices, they can help identify opportunities for further development, provide examples of what more advanced practices can look like, and point toward areas that may benefit from more detailed analysis.
No previous experience working with the SDGs is required.
What Will You Get From the Assessments?
Each assessment consists of five questions covering a different aspect of effective SDG implementation. Responses are used to generate a score for the selected dimension and place current practices within one of three stages of development:
- Early Stages: Foundational practices are still being established, with opportunities to build greater awareness, capacity, and structure around the SDGs.
- In Progress: SDG-related practices are underway, with opportunities to make them more consistent, comprehensive, or integrated.
- Leading Practice: More established practices are in place, with opportunities to further strengthen, expand, and share effective practices or otherwise contribute to the Canadian body of SDG knowledge.
The results provide additional context for each response and suggest next practical steps based on the user's current stage. Recommendations are designed to provide useful direction regardless of where an organization currently stands, ranging from accessible first steps for users beginning their SDG journey to opportunities for strengthening and formalizing more established practices.
Each assessment also connects users with additional literature, frameworks, guidance, and examples of best practices from relevant national and international organizations. These resources provide opportunities to explore individual topics in greater depth and connect users with the broader body of work informing SDG implementation.
The four assessments offer a structured starting point from which users can better understand their current practices, consider how the SDGs relate to their existing activities, and identify practical directions for continuing their SDG journey.
Explore the Four Dimensions
Data Collection
Reliable and regularly updated data provides an important foundation for understanding local conditions and measuring progress toward the SDGs over time. The Data Collection assessment can help users consider whether their current data practices provide the information needed to understand where they stand and support evidence-informed action.
Take the Data Collection questionnaire.
Strategy Integration
The SDGs can provide a common framework for connecting broader development objectives with organizational priorities and day-to-day decision-making. The Strategy Integration assessment can help users consider how firmly the SDGs are embedded within their organization and where there may be opportunities to strengthen that connection.
→ Take the Strategy Integration questionnaire.
Community Engagement
Localizing the SDGs requires an understanding of the priorities, experiences, and needs of the communities that organizations serve. The Community Engagement assessment can help users consider how communities and stakeholders are involved in shaping SDG-related priorities and activities, and how those relationships can be strengthened over time.
→ Take the Community Engagement questionnaire.
Monitoring and Reporting
Monitoring progress allows organizations to understand how conditions and outcomes are changing over time, while reporting can help make that progress visible to communities, partners, and other stakeholders. The Monitoring and Reporting assessment can help users consider how effectively they measure, communicate, and share information about their progress toward the SDGs.
→ Take the Monitoring and Reporting questionnaire.
An Evolving Resource
The SDG Self-Assessment Tool is intended as a contribution to the broader SDG ecosystem in Canada and may continue to evolve through future refinements and iterations. We welcome feedback from users on their experience with the tool, including suggestions for how its assessments, guidance, and supporting resources could be improved or expanded.
Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program.
