Why Are Alignment Mechanisms Key for SDG Success? Lessons from Ethiopia’s Landscape and Forest Restoration Initiatives : Policy Brief

Summary

Achieving the 17 SDGs requires implementing the goals using integrated approaches, which needs
the establishment of alignment mechanisms to create policy coherence among development actors and effectively reconcile the inherent synergies and trade-offs in the economic, social, and
environmental dimensions of the goals. Establishing alignment mechanisms also helps to reduce
the likelihood that the development actors will selectively implement their most desirable SDGs only, thereby, leading to more integrated SDG implementation in the country.
Key Findings
1. Inter-departmental alignments can be enhanced through the use of central government efforts,
inter-departmental collaborations, policy integration, and regulatory impact assessments.
2. Collaborative governance and integrated reporting methods help to create alignments between
public and private actors.
3. Budget support and sector-wide approaches are important tools to create donor-recipient
alignments.
4. Trust funds and Donor working groups help to create inter-donor alignments.