Coalesce civil society actors in the country to gather the feedback from local communities regarding their needs and priorities, ensuring to take into consideration the concerns of marginalized groups, such as women, girls, people with disabilities, and indigenous peoples. CSOs can use their voice to raise awareness of these needs and to advocate for policies and programs that address them. In this regard, National Platforms of NGOs are well positioned to coordinate the advocacy efforts of their member organizations and local/national civil society organizations, grassroots communities and activists, and to represent their collective voice on SDG-related issues.  Coordinated CSO engagement can lead to enhanced information flows, reinforced consistent messaging, and structured dialogues with governments. 

Influence policy decisions on sustainable development. CSOs can engage in policy dialogue with governments and other stakeholders to influence the development and implementation of policies and programs that support the SDGs. CSOs can jointly advocate for a cause and build or strengthen the national CSO coalition on SDGs. CSOs can also conduct research, produce reports, and organize public campaigns to raise awareness of SDG-related issues and to advocate for change. 

Promote citizen-centric, collaborative governance. CSOs can work with governments and other stakeholders to develop and implement policies and programs that are based on the needs and priorities of citizens. CSOs can also promote participation and transparency in decision-making processes. 

Monitor and report on SDG progress. CSOs can monitor and report on SDG progress at the national level to identify gaps and challenges, and to hold governments accountable for their commitments. This can be done in various ways:
- Contributing to the development of national VNR reports. CSOs can provide input to national VNR reports by submitting written comments, participating in consultations, and sharing their data and expertise. This can help to ensure that the VNR reports are comprehensive and inclusive, and that they reflect the voices of marginalized groups.
- Organizing shadow reports. CSOs can organize shadow reports to provide an alternative perspective on SDG progress. Shadow reports can be used to highlight gaps in SDG implementation, make recommendations for improvement, and amplify the voices of those who are often excluded from decision-making processes. - - Advocating for CSO participation. CSOs can advocate for their participation in the VNR process at the national and international levels. This includes calling on governments to create open and inclusive VNR processes, and urging donors to support CSO engagement in the VNR process. As civil society we can also advocate for a more meaningful role in UN spaces (i.e. UNmute civil society initiative)

Public Mobilization and awareness-raising. Informing and mobilizing the general public can build grassroots support for the SDGs, creating a bottom-up push for change. 

Providing services and support to communities, and building partnerships. CSOs can strategically work with communities to implement SDG-related projects and initiatives. CSOs can also build partnerships with other stakeholders, such as government agencies, the private sector, and academia, to work together to achieve the SDGs.