Generating disaggregated indigenous community-data through the Indigenous Navigator Initiative to achieve the SDGs - United Nations Partnerships for SDGs platform

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Generating disaggregated indigenous community-data through the Indigenous Navigator Initiative to achieve the SDGs

Description of Good Practice
SDGs & Targets
Resources mobilized

Introduction

The Indigenous Navigator is a framework and set of tools for and by indigenous peoples to systematically monitor the level of recognition and implementation of their rights. By using the Indigenous Navigator, indigenous organisations and communities, duty bearers, NGOs and journalists access free tools and resources based on community-generated data. The Indigenous Navigator monitors the implementation of: The UNDRIP; relevant International Human Rights conventions, including ILO Convention No. 169; Essential aspects of the SDGs; and Outcomes of the WCIP. The Navigator exposes important links between these frameworks enabling gap analysis by indigenous communities.

Objective of the practice

Overall objective: Contribute to improved human development and social inclusion of indigenous peoples in the context of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by generating disaggregated indigenous community-generated data.

Specific objectives:
1. Key international development actors’ SDG programming and follow-up are responsive to indigenous peoples’ human development needs and aspirations, as reflected in UNDRIP and Convention No. 169.
2. Indigenous peoples’ development needs and aspirations, as reflected in UNDRIP and Convention No. 169, are addressed in the context of government and non-government actors’ national programming and monitoring in selected target countries.

The Indigenous Navigator Initiative consists of a series of interventions: a website, including the data portal and data collection tools, training and capacity building through participatory community workshops for local indigenous partners and on-site support for data collection, as well as building alliances with strategic partners at the national level. Building on and complementing these interventions, the objective of the project is to support the scaling-up of data collection as well as the design and preparation of knowledge products (reports, briefs, fact sheets etc.) on the situation of indigenous peoples, with the involvement and contributions of the communities concerned. These products will feed into country-level, regional and global advocacy and policy dialogues allowing indigenous peoples to engage with key development actors, both governmental, inter-governmental, and non-governmental.

Challenges:
● Uses of technologies applied in local context and user-friendliness for the end user
○ This included the redesign of the global portal; expanded technical and troubleshooting support for communities and national partners.
● Management of expectations towards the functionality of the tool
○ This was met by including clear communication, simple, clear language and focus on strengthening local capacity.
● Cultural sensitivity towards the definition of the targets of the SDG (poverty, gender violence, child labour).
○ Reformulation and adjustment of survey questions to meet community context. Design of survey framework and engine which allow for customisation.
● As this is the first tool to collect disaggregated data at a global level, an effective validation process that meets the contextual demands of the project and which takes into consideration the qualitative aspects of data, indigenous perspectives and bottom-up approaches has been a consistent challenge.
○ However, clear communication, discussions between consortium and national partners, and an open dialogue between all consortium members have helped to bridge these capacity gaps.

Key stakeholders and partnerships

Target groups: Indigenous peoples’ organizations at local, national, regional levels; Development actors, including government, the HLPF, UN agencies, and CSOs. Final beneficiaries: Indigenous peoples and organisations. Respecting indigenous peoples’ rights enhances the development of greater advocacy tools enabling more inclusive and democratic societies & enhances local capacity. Methods of engagement: Through participatory workshops, community survey, rights sensitisation, training in data gathering & constructive dialogue with local & national governments, UN agencies and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs). Innovative partnerships: The global partnership is innovative by bringing together local & regional indigenous organisations from three continents, NHRIs, INGOs & the IPMG.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

The activity has been applied in the eleven partner countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Philippines, Cameroon, Nepal, Cambodia, Surinam, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Bangladesh. Each country has national partners which, after being trained, have conducted the necessary sensitisation, outreach, and mobilisation of local Indigenous communities to participate in rights sensitisation, data collection/survey and the reporting process (Pillar 1). These surveys have been analysed and uploaded into the global portal, allowing for aggregation and comparison of the data. The data has been returned and is being used to guide and formulate advocacy materials, and reports to close the implementation gap between UNDRIP, ILO 169, and SDG adoption and implementation (Pillar 2). A small grants facility has been designed and is operating to support local community proposals based on the analysed data from Pillar 1 and 2.

The national and local levels are crucial for (1) securing collection of quality data that forms the basis for the development of documentation and advocacy materials feeding into national and global processes (2) supporting actions by communities to address immediate challenges. In the initial phase, integrated country strategies and action plans – based on situation and stakeholder analysis – were developed for each target country. Each target country appointed representatives which formed a global coordination team consisting of ILO and national lead partners. This team reports to the Steering Committee of the action. Based on thematic priorities and needs, country-level outputs include information briefs, reports, case studies and reports which rely on Navigator data and form part of the monitoring mechanism. The Consortium of partners, represented at the global level by the coordination team, are responsible for monitoring, supporting and ensuring that timebound milestones are kept, and that the action remains on track.

Results/Outputs/Impacts

● The participation of indigenous communities in data collection has been very strong. Often, indigenous communities were informed for the first time about their rights through the tools. The project provided a rare and new space for indigenous women to get together as actors rather than by bystanders, helping to leave no one behind.
● National human rights institutions and regional mechanisms have shown a great appetite for understanding and mastering the tools to make the SDGs a reality for indigenous peoples.
● The Indigenous Navigator has contributed to filling gaps in the absence of official statistics and also suppliers of statistical data are engaging with the initiative, especially in Peru, Philippines, Suriname and Tanzania. Partners have already been reaching out to national government counterparts, this includes the examples of National Bureaus of Statistics in Bangladesh, Kenya, Peru and Tanzania.
● Indigenous peoples, their networks and organisations have increased their capacity to monitor their rights and advocate to close the implementation gap.
● High level of engagement with the UN HLPF and other international development actors.

Quantitative results: Data disaggregated by ethnicity is collected and stored and used to promote indigenous peoples rights in development (100 community-generated surveys, over 200 indigenous communities engaged in data collection, 66 data-driven pilot projects drafted, 102 workshops and training in 11 countries).

Qualitative: Increased awareness of how to use data to make stronger cases and affect policy making; constructive dialogues on issues concerning indigenous peoples in development with key stakeholders on the SDGs. IPs empowered through new alliances and enhanced participation. Duty bearers/development actors know and use the Navigator framework and data

Long-term results: National laws, policies and development programmes are responsive to indigenous peoples’ rights and needs and their human development improved by having a tool that empowers them to monitor the implementation of their rights.

These results and outputs have also been recognised by an independent external evaluation conducted in 2018 and by the EU in 2019.

Enabling factors and constraints

Enabling factors: UN call for disaggregated data, support for the Indigenous Navigator framework by the UNPFII, EU engagement with and support for indigenous peoples’ rights, strong leadership from IPMG to coordinate campaigns and advocacy efforts at a global level (enabling strong presence at HLPF). Strong and mobilized previous consolidated network and alliances that enable trust and engagement with the innovative approach. DIHR provision of technical knowledge on the blueprint of the matrix enabling the generation of indicators to assess and monitor the implementation of indigenous peoples’ rights, flexible project design and collaboration between ILO and the European Union. Specific constraints that needed to be overcome and how this was done: access to digital technologies, and sensitization/outreach to remote areas where indigenous communities live and to indigenous peoples organizations and networks were a challenge. As was communication and support provision to these communities and local partners. Digital literacy was especially problematic at all levels of the project. This was overcome by leveraging financing and capacity support to national partners to ensure they could reach these communities and activate them to participate in the practice. Ideas/technologies/ways of thinking that it was able to leverage: mobile technologies, interactive mapping and identification of linkages and synergies building between the UNDRIP, Convention No. 169, the SDGs, and the WCIP documents. This allowed for deeper guidance and contextualisation to the survey process, which brought (through technology) access and sensitization of rights and international human rights framework to indigenous communities, often for the first time. Interactive design and deeper linking within the survey engine also allowed for the implementation of a global portal which allowed for survey upload and automated analysis in three working languages (Spanish, English and French) overcoming linguistic barriers.

Sustainability and replicability

The action has a high level of replicability, given the fact the tools, surveys, and guidance documents are freely available to public users, as monitoring but also planning tools for indigenous organizations. The data and information generated by the project, and the related advocacy and dialogue initiatives, are expected to fill gaps and lack of disaggregated data on indigenous peoples that have been identified as important needs by the majority of governments of the pilot countries. On this basis, the project and the use of the Indigenous Navigator beyond the project duration is expected to influence each country’s medium and longer-term development strategies and policies, and their implementation, in a manner that is more inclusive and reflective of indigenous peoples rights , conditions and development needs. The data and knowledge generated by the project will be available to target groups but also widely disseminated to policy-makers and actors in the development process more generally. The outputs of the project will reinforce the continuing enhancement of the Indigenous Navigator framework, the global web portal and the Navigator’s use by increasing the number of indigenous communities, researcher and development practitioners. In addition, indigenous peoples’ communities are particularly affected by the effects of climate change while they also play an important role in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation. By raising the visibility of indigenous peoples and their role in the fight against climate change in public policy making and by contributing to securing indigenous peoples’ livelihoods, traditional occupations and improved socio-economic conditions and sustainable economic activities, the project will contribute to national and global efforts on climate change.

Conclusions

The Indigenous Navigator project has created meaningful impact with regard to enhancing indigenous communities access to, knowledge of, and advocative capacity on their rights. It has enhanced the working relationships, local capacities, and availability of tools/resources for partner organisations, including the consortium partners including the Danish Institute for Human Rights, the ILO, IWGIA, AIPP, FPP, Tebtebba Foundation, and their respective national partners. In 2018 alone, over 200 communities engaged in data collection, which built upon training in data survey and sensitization on their human rights within each local context. 106 workshops were held in 11 countries, and 49 data-driven projects were drafted. Further, more than 120 community-generated surveys are being implemented by local partners, with 92 validated and published as of 15-1-19. The combination of rights sensitization, often for the first time, with local capacity building, data capture, ownership, and innovative cooperation linked by an online data portal and resource hub provided a novel practice. Additionally, the gender inclusivity of the project and its focus on local communities ownership of the data collection process allows for a rare opportunity to engage with indigenous women and provide a platform for their voice and perspectives.

Consortium partners have engaged with the Indigenous Peoples’ Major Group of the HLPF, increasing their visibility, communication networks, and agency at the international and global levels. Major lesson learned:Digital literacy and technical challenges in implementing ICT4D solutions in the field remained a key challenge, and lessons learned included revision and re-design of the digital tool, contextualization of survey design to local communities, and stronger technical support. It has proven possible for diverse partners operating in a variety of complex contexts have been able to combine their knowledge, specializations and resources to work across an array of countries and with a very diverse group of beneficiaries to inspire change. These conclusions form a preliminary assessment, as the project is still ongoing.

Other sources of information

Website: www.indigenousnavigator.com

https://nav.indigenousnavigator.com/index.php/en/

Data Portal:

https://nav.indigenousnavigator.com/1.3/project/navigator/index.php?tab=1-1-2-1-2

Info brochure:

https://nav.indigenousnavigator.com/images/Documents/About/Presskit/Info_brochure_Navigator_2017_web.pdf

Comparative matrices on Data and rights:

https://navigator.humanrights.dk/

Indicator frameworks:

http://nav.indigenousnavigator.com/index.php/en/tools/indicators

Press Kit:

http://nav.indigenousnavigator.com/images/Documents/About/Presskit/Final_Press_Kit_Indigenous_Navigator.pdf

Partner news articles and updates:

http://nav.indigenousnavigator.com/index.php/en/news

http://nav.indigenousnavigator.com/images/Press/27-april-2017-press-release-making-the-sdgs-work-for-Indigenous-peoples.pdf

https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/news-and-events/navigating-indigenous-views_en

Goal 1

1.1 - By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day

1.2 - By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions

1.3 - Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable

1.4 - By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance

1.5 - By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters

1.a - Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions

1.b - Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions

Goal 3

3.1 - By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births

3.2 - By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births

3.4 - By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being

Goal 4

4.1 - By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes

4.2 - By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education

4.3 - By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

4.4 - By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

4.5 - By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations

4.7 - By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

Goal 5

5.1 - End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere

5.2 - Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation

5.3 - Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation

5.5 - Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life

5.b - Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women

Goal 6

6.1 - By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all

6.3 - By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally

6.4 - By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity

6.5 - By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate

6.6 - By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes

6.a - By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies

6.b - Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management

Goal 8

8.4 - Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead

8.5 - By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value

8.7 - Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms

Goal 9

9.a - Facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States

9.c - Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020

Goal 10

10.2 - By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

10.3 - Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard

10.7 - Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies

Goal 11

11.4 - Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage

Goal 12

12.2 - By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

12.8 - By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

12.b - Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products

Goal 15

15.1 - By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements

15.2 - By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

15.3 - By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world

15.4 - By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development

15.5 - Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species

15.6 - Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed

15.9 - By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts

15.a - Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems

15.b - Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation

15.c - Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities

Goal 16

16.1 - Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere

16.2 - End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children

16.3 - Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all

16.6 - Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels

16.7 - Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels

16.8 - Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance

16.9 - By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration

16.10 - Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements

16.b - Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development

Goal 17

17.3 - Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources

Technology -

Systemic Issues - Policy and Institutional coherence

17.16 - Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries

17.17 - Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

Data, monitoring and accountability

17.18 - By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts

17.19 - By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

Other, please specify

Capacity building, advocacy support, financial and in-kind donation, administration and project management support, technical support / troubleshooting and analytical support