URBAN MONITORING FRAMEWORK
AN INSIDER ’ S GUIDE
Dr Kevin Johnson , Managing Director , Geografia
INTRODUCTION The guiding theme at the recent National Economic Development Conference ( NEDC22 ) asked participants to consider what effective economic development looks like . It was a useful framework for considering the role of economic development practitioners and local government in stimulating the economy .
We can define economic development through characteristics such as meaningful , well-paid jobs , preferably with more available than the number of skilled residents in the local labour market . There is also diverse commercial investment , high quality , well-maintained public infrastructure and profitable businesses . However , development measured in this form takes little account of unsustainable economic , social and environmental trends .
If we are to thrive and survive in the 21st Century , it is important to have a clear understanding of the difference between what economic development currently looks like and what it needs to look like . This is an important distinction . Moreover , as economist Tim Jackson said , “… a scientific understanding of our best available information … is absolutely vital to proper economic planning .” ( Jackson , 2015 : 124 ). By that , he means we need to be able to reliably measure whether we are guiding our economies in the direction they need to be going .
The United Nations ’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals are designed to help nation states with that . They implicitly define good ( and therefore bad ) sustainable development practices and trends , providing a framework for measuring progress towards a more sustainable future . But for many subnational states , monitoring and mapping the SDGs is too large a task . In many cases , the SDGs focus on conditions and trends that are national responsibilities and over which subnational governments have little influence .
Yet , without question , subnational governments have a role in the drive towards sustainable development . It is important , therefore , to find better monitoring systems for them . This is not straightforward . Identifying the right data , metrics , and the most suitable measurement tools is difficult in a rapidly changing data and technology environment with a crowded market of private , not-for-profit and public entities promoting their measurement tools .
In 2020 , the UN agency , UN-Habitat , was commissioned to fix this . This led to the Global Urban Monitoring Framework ( UMF ). This article provides an insider ’ s guide to the development of the UMF . It outlines :
1 . The impetus for the UMF project 2 . The basic structure of the UMF 3 . The case for subnational governments and , in particular , Australian local governments to deploy the UMF in their economic , social , environmental and community development .
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOL 15 NO 3 2022 09