6 languages added to SDG Impact Assessment Tool
SDSN Northern Europe has led an ambitious project in partnership with five other chapters of SDSN, the SDSN Paris Secretariat, and partners in the XPaths project to translate the SDG Impact Assessment Tool into six new languages. This year-long initiative exemplifies SDSN’s commitment to breaking language barriers and fostering cross-cultural engagement to assess opportunities and risks on the path towards a sustainable world.
Advocating for the SDG Impact Assessment Tool is one of our key priorities at SDSN Northern Europe. Over the past year, we’ve led an exciting initiative to translate this tool into six additional languages, from English to French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish.
The translations involved collaborations with SDSN Amazonia, SDSN Germany, SDSN Italy, SDSN Mediterranean, and SDSN Spain, along with the research project XPaths – Intersecting Pathways to the SDGs across Scales in the Drylands – and the SDSN Secretariat in Paris.
Partners involved in two steps
The journey began with translating the tool into Swedish as a pilot, setting the groundwork for the subsequent translations. For each language, we engaged partners to take on specific translation steps. One partner handled the initial translation, while another carefully reviewed the final rendition on the website. In both steps, each partner used their profound understanding of both the SDGs and the target languages to ensure linguistic accuracy and conceptual precision. This approach ensured high quality of the translated texts.
The SDG Impact Assessment Tool is a free online resource for making self-assessments of SDG impacts. It was originally created for universities and smaller companies, but with the assistance of the SDSN the user base of the tool has expanded. Now, the tool has more than 19 000 users from various sectors and all parts of the world, demonstrating its value and adaptability in various contexts.
Varied user scenarios
In the field of education for sustainable development, the tool has been used in numerous courses and programs, where students have engaged in hands-on sustainability analyses. It has also been used in research and for attracting research funding. Furthermore, it has served as a valuable asset in strategic planning by, for example, universities, companies, and municipalities. Notably, the United Nations High-level political forum has recognised the tool as one of the top ten recommended resources for scrutinising policies and strategies related to SDG implementation, specifically supporting Voluntary National Review Processes.
The tool’s adaptability and usefulness in various scenarios underscore its significance as a multifaceted instrument. Therefore, this project stands as a testament to SDSN’s shared commitment to democratising sustainable development insights and facilitating global progress towards achieving the SDGs.
The translations were organised by Hilda Klingvall and Nina Silow at the SDSN Northern Europe secretariat. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our colleagues in SDSN Amazonia, Germany, Italy, the Mediterranean, Spain, and the Paris Secretariat. Their contributions have made these translations possible, enabling people worldwide to assess their impact on the SDGs. A special acknowledgment goes to the XPaths project and its partners, instrumental in the initial translations to French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
This news was first published on the global SDSN web: SDSN Networks Collaborate to Translate SDG Impact Assessment Tool into Six Languages