The SDG Monitor is a unique tool that helps local authorities translate the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into concrete local action. Originally developed in PowerBI, the tool has now been transformed into a fully digital web application, offering municipalities in Flanders accessible, up-to-date insights into their sustainability progress. This project was developed by IDEA Consult in collaboration with UNU-CRIS, CIFAL Flanders and VVSG.

The challenge

Local governments face the difficult task of monitoring progress on sustainability across a very wide range of themes: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships. Tracking these requires hundreds of indicators that go far beyond the capacity of traditional monitoring tools. The challenge of this project was to build a robust monitoring system that tracks over 200 indicators across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and translates them into clear insights for municipalities.

Approach & results

The development of the SDG Monitor followed several phases. A first step was the identification of relevant indicators and sub-indicators for municipalities, aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each year, this indicator set is revised: some sub-indicators are added or removed, while statistical adjustments ensure historical comparability. Behind the data lies a sophisticated methodology: synthetic indicators are constructed and regression models are applied to detect underlying dynamics.

Originally built in PowerBI, the SDG Monitor has since been redeveloped as a standalone web application in 2024. The tool enables local authorities to explore raw indicators, compare results against regional averages, benchmark themselves against the median of other municipalities, and assess performance relative to model-based predictions. New functionalities, such as the “SDG quadrant” and drill-down views of indicator scores, offer municipalities practical instruments to interpret results and design policies based on evidence.

Today, the SDG Monitor provides municipalities with free, transparent access to sustainability data, supported by advanced analytics and continuous updates.

The SGD Monitor can be visited here: https://sdgmonitor.ideaconsult.be/