Localizing the United Nations 2030 Agenda to leverage shared accountability through collaborative governance

Abstract

This study examines how collaborative governance and shared accountability, situated within a multi-level and multi-dimensional institutional setting, can advance the localization of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Since localization demands aligning global priorities with local contexts through a nuanced understanding of needs and interests, it calls for innovative institutional mechanisms and collaborative dynamics. Focusing on the Metropolitan City of Bologna and its 54 municipalities, the research adapts an existing framework of collaborative governance to investigate the interplay between multi-dimensional and multi-level institutional arrangements as well as retrospective and forward-looking accountability systems as elements to advance sustainable development in multi-faceted urban settings. The case study reveals how collaboration, shaped by multi-stakeholder dialogue, and exacerbated by consensus-oriented and deliberative processes, strongly influence the ability of stakeholders to have a comprehensive grasp of the underlying functional linkages, focusing not only on their cherry-picked goals but also on evaluating integration efforts seriously, thus encouraging a shared sense of responsibility towards a sustainable future. Nonetheless, challenges related to data availability and interoperability persist, continuing to hinder the symbiotic effectiveness of accounting systems and shared accountability mechanisms.

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