PRIORITY AREAS OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AT THE LEVEL OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES

Abstract

The article examines the priority areas of monitoring and evaluation of the Sustainable Development Goals at the level of territorial communities in Ukraine; analyzes the importance of implementing effective monitoring tools for achieving the SDGs at the local level, which is an important element on the path to implementing national sustainable development strategies. The main aspects that affect the success of the SDG implementation are identified, in particular: community participation in planning and implementing sustainable initiatives, resource efficiency, and monitoring of environmental, social, and economic indicators. One of the key aspects is the development and adaptation of monitoring systems capable of measuring progress in achieving specific SDGs at the level of territorial communities. In particular, the author draws attention to the need to implement integrated data collection systems that allow assessing not only quantitative but also qualitative indicators of community development, taking into account environmental, social and economic factors. It is noted that the greatest importance is not only the collection and processing of data, but also the active involvement of citizens in monitoring processes, which contributes to increasing the effectiveness of the implementation of sustainable initiatives. The article also considers problems associated with the imperfection of existing monitoring systems at the local level, including the lack of a single standard for assessing progress, limited resources for the implementation of sustainable projects, as well as the low level of cooperation between local governments and other stakeholders. To overcome these problems, the integration of local initiatives with national strategic plans is proposed, which allows for a more coordinated and effective achievement of the SDGs. Particular attention is paid to the issues of assessing the environmental sustainability of territorial communities, since environmental aspects are one of the main directions of the SDGs. The best practices of implementing monitoring systems in individual communities are highlighted, which can be used as models for other regions. The need to improve monitoring mechanisms at the level of territorial communities is proven to achieve sustainable development, which includes not only economic growth, but also social justice and environmental sustainability.