Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Glenn L. Starks

Abstract

AbstractDespite adopting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG-16, to transition the Sudan’s Darfur Region out of fragility, limited progress has been made in achieving peace and long term development. Prior studies investigated the reasons for the slow pace focusing on the factors driving fragility. None have examined the different visions of development organizations as a barrier to multi-stakeholder collaboration to achieve the SDGs. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore how development organizations’ perceptions of SDG-16 affect their collaboration as multi-stakeholders to implement the SDGs. The research question examined how the development organizations’ perceptions of SDG-16 affected their collaboration as multi-stakeholders implementing the SDGs in the fragile Sudan’s Darfur Region. The main data source was a review of SDG official documents and survey transcripts, complemented by key informant interviews with six officials of the development organizations working within the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Sudan to implement the SDGs. Data were analyzed using content analysis and inductive thematic coding informed by complexity theory and systems thinking perspective. Key findings were that fragmented understandings of SDG-16, weak leadership and loose governance structure of the UNCT impeded collaboration of the multi-stakeholders to achieve the SDGs. This study provided guideposts for policy makers’ decisions in designing awareness campaigns and training programs for future leaders of the UNCT as a multi-stakeholder governance platform for implementing the SDGs in Darfur leading to positive social change.

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