VANI - Voluntary Action Network India

Amplifying Indian CSO’s role and effectiveness in implementation of SDGs through awareness building and multi-stakeholder connect

In July 2017, the government of India presented its first Voluntary National Report (VNR) and while the civil society is collaborating with the government and private sector in implementation of SDGs in India, its role as a key player implementation and monitoring of SDGs is not getting articulated in the reports being prepared and presented. VANI envisions enhanced role play and visibility of the Voluntary Sector in monitoring and implementation of SDGs in India. The project helped VANI build the capacities of Indian (small and grass-root level) CSOs by raising their awareness about SDGs, its processes, linkages with Centrally Sponsored Schemes and their work area, state level progress variances. The raised awareness and peer-linkage resulted in increased interest of grassroot level CSOs to play a vital role in implementation and monitoring of SDGs at local levels. Advocacy, undertaken both at organizational level as well as through collective efforts, helped in Government initiating an inclusive consultation process (through the governmental think-thank called Niti Aayog) with and by Civil Society in the initial stages of VNR 2020 formulation.