Potential users

If you are considering using an Open SDG platform, we would love to hear about it. Please email the Open SDG team at opensdg@outlook.com or raise an issue on GitHub to let us know and ask us questions.

For general information about Open SDG, please also see the FAQ page and the Features page. When you are ready to start setting up your Open SDG platform, check out the quick start guide.

Considerations

Some things to consider when thinking about setting up an Open SDG platform are:

1. How much data and metadata has been collected?

Setting up an Open SDG platform doesn't take too much time. The length of time it takes to get the platform populated will depend on how much data and metadata has already been collected.

It's good practice to collect and upload metadata at the same time as collecting and uploading data.

2. What is the structure and format of your data and metadata?

Data can be input in:

  • CSV (default)
  • SDMX (SDMX-ML and SDMX-JSON - either through uploading files or by connecting to SDMX-API endpoint)
  • CKAN

Metadata can be input in:

  • YAML (default)
  • CSV
  • Excel

Depending on the structure and format of your data and metadata, you may need to carry out some transformation and conversion.

3. What technical abilities and resources are required and available?

You will need resources to:

  • set up the platform
  • populate the platform with data, metadata and any additional information

To set up the platform out of the box and carry out basic customisations, you will need to use a computer and GitHub. If you want to customise your platform further, you may need additional technical resource such as a developer.

To populate the platform, the skills and resources you need will depend on what input format you choose and any conversion that may need to be done.

4. What language do you want your Open SDG platform to be available in?

Open SDG platforms can be set up in a single language or in multiple languages.

Translations are readily available in the six official languages of the UN (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) and more (for example, German and Armenian).

Translations can also be added for additional languages.

5. Will you be reporting national indicators as well as global indicators?

It is possible to report national indicators alongside global indicators straight out of the box. See Kyrgyzstan's Open SDG platform for an example.

However, some countries, such as Germany, have chosen to set up a separate platform to report their national indicators and have linked their global and national platform together. See Germany's Open SDG platform.

Knowing if and how you want to report national indicators from the start will make the process more efficient.

6. Do you have any deadlines for getting Open SDG platform live?

To help you plan the set up of your platform and any support you may need, it's useful to be clear on any deadlines and targets you may have. For example, some countries want their Open SDG platform launched ahead of, or alongside their Voluntary National Review (VNR).

Overview of setting up an Open SDG platform

To see an overview of the processes involved with setting up an Open SDG platform, download this summary diagram