GIS for Monitoring SDGs and Development Indicators Course

Course Introduction

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development highlights the importance of reliable, timely, and disaggregated data for monitoring progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As governments, development partners, and organizations strive to measure progress, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become indispensable for spatially tracking indicators, evaluating disparities, and supporting evidence-based policy.

GIS provides powerful tools to visualize development indicators, identify geographic inequalities, and integrate diverse datasets across health, education, environment, economy, and governance. This capability allows stakeholders to monitor SDGs at national, regional, and local scales, ensuring accountability and targeted interventions.

This course, GIS for Monitoring SDGs and Development Indicators, equips participants with both conceptual understanding and hands-on technical skills in using GIS for SDG monitoring. It explores methodologies for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data to evaluate progress and gaps in development.

Participants will gain experience in integrating census, survey, remote sensing, and administrative data into GIS platforms to monitor indicators such as poverty, gender equality, climate action, and sustainable cities. They will also learn to design dashboards, thematic maps, and geospatial reports for communicating progress to decision-makers and the public.

The course emphasizes practical applications by linking GIS tools to SDG frameworks, reporting systems, and global platforms such as the UN SDG Indicators Database. It also explores emerging tools like Google Earth Engine, mobile data collection, and AI-based geospatial analytics.

By the end of the program, participants will have the capacity to apply GIS in development monitoring, create evidence-based insights, and support governments and organizations in tracking SDG progress for inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development.

Who Should Attend

• Government officials responsible for SDG monitoring and reporting
• Development practitioners in NGOs and international organizations
• Data and statistics officers in national bureaus and agencies
• GIS and remote sensing professionals
• Policy makers and planners in sustainable development sectors
• Researchers and academics in development studies, geography, and data science
• Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) specialists
• Climate change and environmental officers
• Civil society organizations working on accountability and transparency
• Graduate students pursuing careers in development and geospatial analysis

Duration

5 days

Course Objectives

• Provide a strong conceptual foundation of SDGs and development indicators.
• Train participants in using GIS for monitoring and reporting SDG progress.
• Demonstrate integration of spatial, survey, and administrative data for SDG analysis.
• Enhance ability to map inequalities in health, education, environment, and poverty.
• Equip learners with skills to design dashboards and spatial reports for SDG indicators.
• Introduce advanced tools such as Google Earth Engine and AI for SDG monitoring.
• Build capacity to track local-level progress towards global development goals.
• Strengthen knowledge of data standards and UN methodologies for SDG reporting.
• Explore participatory GIS and citizen-generated data for inclusive monitoring.
• Develop practical skills to design GIS-based SDG monitoring projects.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to SDGs and Development Indicators

• Understanding the 2030 Agenda and 17 SDGs
• Development indicators and their measurement
• Linking GIS to SDG frameworks
• Global and national SDG reporting systems

Module 2: Fundamentals of GIS for Development Monitoring

• Principles of GIS and spatial analysis
• Spatial datasets relevant to SDGs
• Data quality and disaggregation requirements
• Open data and global SDG resources

Module 3: Data Integration for SDG Monitoring

• Combining census, survey, and administrative data
• Remote sensing for environmental and climate indicators
• Spatial data interoperability standards
• Linking geospatial data with statistical databases

Module 4: Mapping Poverty, Inequality, and Social Development

• Poverty and livelihood mapping using GIS
• Gender and equity analysis through spatial data
• Education and health service access mapping
• Tracking progress on SDG 1, 3, 4, and 5

Module 5: Environmental and Climate Indicators

• Monitoring SDG 13 (Climate Action) with GIS
• Land use, biodiversity, and water indicators (SDG 14 & 15)
• Remote sensing for environmental sustainability
• Tracking resilience and disaster risk reduction

Module 6: Sustainable Cities and Infrastructure Indicators

• Urban growth and spatial planning analysis
• Transportation, energy, and infrastructure mapping
• Monitoring SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities)
• Integrating UHI and resilience indicators

Module 7: Tools and Technologies for SDG Monitoring

• Google Earth Engine for big data analysis
• Mobile GIS for SDG data collection
• AI and machine learning for indicator analysis
• Web-based mapping platforms and dashboards

Module 8: Participatory GIS and Inclusive Monitoring

• Citizen-generated data for SDG reporting
• Community mapping for local-level monitoring
• Engaging marginalized groups in SDG tracking
• Ethical considerations in participatory approaches

Module 9: Policy, Governance, and Reporting

• Integrating GIS outputs into national reporting systems
• Decision-support for policy and planning
• Linking SDG monitoring to development strategies
• Governance frameworks for geospatial data management

Module 10: Practical Applications and Case Studies

• International best practices in SDG mapping
• Case studies from different regions and sectors
• Hands-on practical exercises with real datasets
• Designing and presenting GIS-based SDG monitoring projects

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better