Story of Impact #2 – SDG-6 Policy Support System (PSS)

Story of Impact - SDG-6 Policy Support System

Since 2016, 65 countries have joined Project Water in the World that We Want, an SDG 6 policy support system that assists countries in creating a ‘fit-for-policy’ evidence framework even under limited data conditions. A tool has been created to examine six critical components for the achievement of SDG 6, including Capacity Assessment, Finance, Policy and Institutional Assessment, Gender Mainstreaming, Disaster Risk Reduction/Resilience, and Integrity.

Following the development and launch of the online tool, supported by a three-hour e-course, regional workshops have been held as a platform for peer countries to exchange experiences and for dissemination of the tool. The project has been led by a consortium of partners (United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD); United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH); UNESCO International Centre for Water Security and Sustainable Management (UNESCO i-WSSM); and Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water). The partners are further supported by four regional hub countries, Brazil (Latin America and the Caribbean), Pakistan and the Republic of Korea (Asia) and Tunisia (Africa), who have further supported the project as workshop hosts and publicising the tool at global and regional meetings.

For Brazil, the tool has been a critical component in bringing together disparate data and working effectively across government. Using the six components, Brazil was able to evaluate the indicators holistically, showing its strengths in delivering safe drinking water but also highlighting issues around gender inclusion and finance. These insights enabled effective stakeholder collaboration and helped experts provide policy and implementation recommendations.

For Pakistan, the tool has facilitated collaboration among federal and provincial governments, academia, NGOs, and private stakeholders, addressing jurisdictional overlaps and fostering unified action, identifying data gaps and funding needs. Workshops and training sessions have helped over 70 professionals use the tool effectively and promoted evidence-based policy making.

Both Brazil and Pakistan have documented their experiences with the SDG 6 PSS tool. Brazil has published a comprehensive report on the application in Brazil of the decision-making support tool related to SDG6 (SDG-PSS). The project team from Pakistan has developed an explanatory handbook driven by the user experience for understanding SDG-PSS for a better understanding of SDG-PSS features for its effective implementation.

As the Project Water in the World that We Want moves into Phase 4, the partnership looks forward to continuing to support countries across the world in achieving SDG 6. In 2024, we will be holding our Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean regional workshops and are excited to continue to collaborate with countries across the world to build capacity, share knowledge, and drive impactful solutions toward a sustainable water future for all.