Training on Voluntary National Review (VNR) Reporting

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the Member States, established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets to guide global efforts toward inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development. To support accountability, transparency, and mutual learning, countries are encouraged to report their progress through Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) presented at the (HLPF).

Voluntary National Reviews are country-led and country-owned assessments that showcase progress, challenges, lessons learned, and future priorities in implementing the SDGs. VNRs provide governments with an opportunity to evaluate national development strategies, strengthen policy coherence, improve stakeholder engagement, identify implementation gaps, and share best practices with the international community.

Preparing a VNR is a complex process that requires coordination across government ministries, national statistical offices, local governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia, development partners, and other stakeholders. It involves collecting and analyzing data, assessing policy effectiveness, documenting progress toward SDG targets, identifying challenges, and developing recommendations for accelerating implementation.

High-quality VNRs go beyond reporting indicators. They demonstrate how national development plans align with the SDGs, highlight innovative solutions, present evidence-based analysis, and reflect inclusive stakeholder participation. They also strengthen national monitoring and evaluation systems, support evidence-based policymaking, and improve accountability for sustainable development commitments.

As countries increasingly focus on SDG acceleration and reporting, strengthening national capacities for VNR preparation has become essential. Effective VNR processes help governments improve coordination, mobilize resources, engage citizens, and enhance national ownership of sustainable development agendas.

This course provides comprehensive training on Voluntary National Review reporting. Participants learn how to plan, coordinate, prepare, draft, validate, present, and follow up on VNRs while ensuring high standards of data quality, stakeholder participation, and policy relevance.

Through reporting simulations, stakeholder engagement exercises, data analysis workshops, policy reviews, case studies, and practical drafting activities, participants develop the skills needed to produce impactful and credible VNR reports.

Duration

5 Days

Who Should Attend

• National SDG coordination unit personnel
• Government planning and policy officials
• Ministry of Finance and Treasury staff
• National statistical office professionals
• Monitoring and evaluation specialists
• Sustainable development practitioners
• Public administration professionals
• Local government representatives
• Civil society and NGO personnel
• Development partner representatives
• Researchers and academics
• Communication and reporting specialists

Individual Impact

• Strengthen expertise in SDG reporting and monitoring
• Improve policy analysis and reporting skills
• Enhance stakeholder engagement and facilitation capabilities
• Develop stronger data analysis and interpretation competencies
• Improve strategic communication and presentation abilities
• Strengthen professional effectiveness in sustainable development management

Organizational Impact

• Improve national SDG reporting quality
• Strengthen evidence-based policymaking
• Enhance stakeholder participation and ownership
• Improve inter-agency coordination and collaboration
• Support accountability and transparency in SDG implementation
• Accelerate progress toward national development priorities and SDGs

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the purpose and structure of Voluntary National Reviews
• Align national reporting processes with SDG implementation frameworks
• Coordinate multi-stakeholder VNR preparation processes
• Collect, analyze, and interpret SDG-related data
• Assess progress toward national and global SDG targets
• Draft evidence-based and stakeholder-informed VNR reports
• Integrate policy analysis, lessons learned, and recommendations into reports
• Strengthen reporting quality and accountability mechanisms
• Prepare for VNR presentation and international engagement
• Develop post-VNR action plans to accelerate SDG implementation

Module 1: Introduction to VNRs and the Global SDG Reporting Framework

• Overview of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs
• Purpose and principles of Voluntary National Reviews
• Role of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF)
• VNR guidelines and reporting expectations
• National ownership and stakeholder engagement
• Exercise: VNR readiness assessment
• Case Study: Exemplary VNR reports

Module 2: Planning and Coordinating the VNR Process

• Establishing institutional arrangements
• Roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders
• Developing a VNR roadmap and work plan
• Coordination across ministries and agencies
• Resource mobilization and process management
• Exercise: VNR planning workshop
• Case Study: National coordination mechanisms

Module 3: Data Collection, Analysis, and SDG Progress Assessment

• SDG indicators and monitoring frameworks
• Data sources and quality assurance
• Quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques
• Assessing progress, gaps, and trends
• Integrating national and local development data
• Exercise: SDG data analysis simulation
• Case Study: Evidence-based SDG reporting

Module 4: Drafting and Validating the VNR Report

• Structuring the VNR narrative
• Integrating policy analysis and lessons learned
• Reporting achievements, challenges, and opportunities
• Stakeholder consultation and validation processes
• Communication and visual presentation techniques
• Exercise: VNR drafting workshop
• Case Study: Effective stakeholder-informed reporting

Module 5: Presentation, Follow-Up, and SDG Acceleration

• Preparing for HLPF presentations
• Strategic communication and international engagement
• Translating VNR findings into policy actions
• Monitoring implementation of recommendations
• Future trends in SDG reporting and accountability
• Capstone Exercise: Develop a national VNR preparation and follow-up framework
• Case Study: Using VNRs to accelerate sustainable development outcomes