Strengthening the Bangladesh Civil Service for SDG Implementation: A Focus on SDG 16 and Leadership Capacity

This study explores the level of competency among members of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Bangladesh Civil Service is the core agency that implements the SDG effectively. The role of civil services is also directly linked to SDG 16.6, 16.7, and 16.a. The global development targets denote the development of effective, accountable, and transparent institutions, and they also refer to ensuring responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels. Therefore, competency is the key to effective and accountable institutions. The study employs a mixed method research approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative data, based on the competency framework of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA). The aim was to assess the difference between the required level of competence and the existing level among civil service employees in Bangladesh, in terms of implementation of SDGs in the country. Primarily, the study reveals a gap in terms of competency among Bangladesh civil servants, resulting in an ineffective, nonresponsive, and nonparticipatory phenomenon in public administration. Consequently, it leads to weak institutions posing significant challenges in achieving the targets of SDG 16 in Bangladesh. The study result could be used by the Bangladesh Civil Service authority and training institutions to develop capacity-building strategies as well as to take required actions to develop the individual capacity of Bangladesh Civil Service for the smooth implementation of SDGs.