The Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s (SDSN) annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) brings together leading thinkers and students in sustainable development from around the world. As a side event to ICSD, SDSN TReNDS–the Thematic Research Network on Data and Statistics–hosts a “Data Day,” convening these attendees with leading academics and practitioners to discuss the use and governance of data for sustainable development. This Data Day is unique in that it brings together voices in academia–established experts and upcoming scholars–and real-world insights from practitioners and partners to engage in meaningful conversation and exchange.

This year’s event, produced in partnership with SDSN’s USA Sustainable Cities Initiative, centers on the theme “Aligning the Local and Global: Supporting cities to produce the data they need for both local and national SDG reporting.” The half-day event will explore the relationship between national and sub-national data reporting for the SDGs: top-down approaches, achieved by compiling and analyzing readily available federal and nationally comparable statistics, and bottom-up approaches to data compilation at the local level, providing proxies for the national SDG indicators. Through presentations and panel discussions featuring local and national stakeholders, as well as breakout sessions designed to encourage collaboration on emerging research and potential projects among attendees.

Please note that space is limited to 74 participants.

PROGRAM
To be updated as speakers are confirmed

9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Introduction and welcome

9:15 – 9:45 a.m. Presentation on the Mexican Cities Index

9:45 – 10:00 a.m. Refreshment break

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Panels and moderated discussion: Multiple perspectives on local-national SDG data alignment
Moderated by Jessica Espey, SDSN TReNDS

• Improving capacity and consistency from top to bottom
  

• Opening national tech platforms to local reporting with Center for Open Data Enterprise’s (CODE) National Reporting Initiative

Additional panels and moderated discussion topic to be confirmed

11:00 – 11:15 a.m. Refreshment break

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Breakout discussions based on main themes identified in moderated discussions, featuring representatives from earlier panels

• Topic 1: Aligning cities with one another and national government or topic from moderated discussion
  Facilitated by: Jessica Espey, SDSN TReNDS
  

• Topic 2: Using data to align cities and national governments politically for mutual aims or topic from moderated discussion
  Facilitated by: Melika Edquist, SDSN Sustainable Cities Initiative
  

• Topic 3: Technical approaches to open data or topic from moderated discussion
  Facilitated by: To be confirmed

12:30 – 12:45 p.m. Wrap-up discussion
Facilitated by: Jessica Espey, SDSN TReNDS