Impact pathways and shared evaluation as drivers of change

Finland’s sustainable development policy is being subjected to an all-encompassing and independent evaluation. The evaluation is expected to contribute to the parliamentary elections of 2019, government formation talks, the sustainable development policy of the next term of government and Finland’s reporting to the UN. This paper compiles the views of the Finnish Expert Panel on Sustainable Development as guidelines for the evaluation.

The panel recommends that national and international impact pathways connected to Finland’s activities on sustainable development policy should be recognised as focal points of the evaluation. In addition, it is necessary to evaluate how the ambitious goals set for the development of the national policy model for sustainable development in Finland have been implemented.

At best, both the commissioner of the evaluation and those taking part in it will be able to deepen their understanding of sustainable development in a manner that strengthens the commitment of different players in society to it. Instead of being merely a report produced by a solitary body that compiles follow-up information, the evaluation should be implemented as a broad-based process involving joint learning and shared interpretation.