Decision-making fitness of methods to understand Sustainable Development Goal interactions

The integrated nature of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) presents a challenge to implementing 2030 Agenda. Analytical methods support decision-makers are often developed without explicitly incorporating decision-makers’ views and experience. Here, we investigate whether existing fit-for-purpose in supporting at national subnational levels. We identify prominent for SDG interaction analysis, which then evaluate by engaging directly (via survey interviews) with method developers Sweden. find that prioritize simple flexible apply able provide actionable understandable results. They less concerned accuracy, precision, completeness or quantitative knowledge. Prominent categories include self-assessment, expert judgement, literature-based, statistical analyses modelling. Interviewed consider these line features prioritized but highlight low performance on they value highly, such as extent results overall ease use. Methods have limited awareness priorities requirements, so hindering methodological advancement. should focus practical applications decision-makers, resource-constrained organizations those seeking multiple cases. Existing help capture interactions across do not incorporate experience intended users. Using case Sweden, this study shows most largely align what require their application show some critical features.