Positioning the SDG3 GAP for country impact in the COVID-19 era

Overview

SDG3 Global Action Plan (GAP) Principals met in mid-July 2020 to review progress, lessons and challenges in early implementation of the GAP. They discussed the need to sharpen the focus of the GAP while maintaining its fundamentals; clearly articulate its added value in the COVID19 era and draw lessons from COVID-19- specific mechanisms; and strengthen national leadership and ownership and GAP’s country impact.

Similarly, the independent, joint evaluability assessment of the GAP undertaken by the evaluation offices of the 12 GAP agencies recommends that the agencies jointly review and revisit the purpose and shared objectives to clarify how the GAP operates and adds value to what is already in place, including at country level and in light of COVID-19. The assessment also recommends making the GAP more concrete and accountable (recommendation 3) and revisiting the linkages between and among the accelerators.

This paper responds to the guidance provided by the Principals in July and September 2020 and the recommendations in the evaluability assessment, building on discussions in the Sherpa group.