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As a member of the group, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya joined the Second Meeting of GPEDC’s Monitoring Advisory Group (MAG) on 28-29 September in Paris. The issues addressed include the Conceptual and Practical Relevance of GPEDC Monitoring Framework, and the framework in connection with the SDGs’ targets & indicators.

Apart from members of the MAG, representatives of the GPEDC’s Co-Chairs’ offices, and the UNDP-OECD Joint Support Team attended the event.

The MAG acknowledged the significance of effective development co-operation in connection to the successful delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlighted the key role that the GPEDC monitoring framework can play in the SDG and FfD follow-up and review mechanism. Making the GPEDC monitoring framework “politically irresistible” and meaningful at the country level was called for.

The MAG agreed on a work plan, including the following areas:

– Track 1 – Finalising the methodology for the 4 new indicators: (a) Recommendations on the finalisation of the methodology for Indicator 4 (transparency)

– Track 2 – Strengthening the second monitoring round: (a) An overall think piece on the underlying/implicit Theory of Change (TOC) that informed the current monitoring framework and a proposed approach for the subsequent review; (b) Recommendations on the 2016 Progress Report’s structure, informed from the overall Theory of Change; (c) Recommendations on the set of the review/testing questions that will be used by the Joint Support Team to collect country level stakeholders’ feedback on the monitoring framework and process, following the second monitoring round.

– Track 3 – Strengthening the relevance of the GPEDC monitoring in the post-2015 context: (a) An analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the current 10 indicators, application of the TOC to each indicator, identification of missing elements, and recommendations on how to strengthen/revise the existing monitoring framework

The MAG also appointed Brian Tomlinson as its Chair, and agreed to host the next meeting in February 2016.