SDG impact rose

The SDG impact rose is a methodology to improve system thinking and to show the impact of a (planned) lesson, project, action/activity ... On which SDGs did an action/activity have a positive impact? Did it also have a positive impact on other SDGs? Think about it together and figure out how you can improve your action/activity.

 

SDG Impact Rose

You can download the Impact Rose.

 

Goal

Students and teachers learn about the complexity and interrelations of the SDGs. They discover how lessons, actions/activities and projects can have an (unintentional) negative and positive impact in a lot of different ways.

When to use this tool?

  • When you want to develop a lesson, an action/activity or a project, you can use the impact rose beforehand to make the lesson, action or project as impactful as possible.
  • After the lesson, activity or project, you use the SDG impact rose to evaluate what impact it had.

How to get started? 

Print out the blank SDG impact rose or project it on a (digital) board.
Put an action/activity, project or lesson in the center that you want to screen for SDGs.
Reflect about the impact on every SDG.

  • Is there a significant positive impact on the SDG? In other words: does your lesson, action/activity or project clearly contribute  to the goal in the long term? If so, put a mark on +2.
  • Is there a limited positive impact on the SDG? In other words: does your lesson, action/activity or project contribute somewhat to the goal? If so, put a mark on +1.
  • Is there no impact on the SDG? If so, put a mark on zero.
  • Is there a negative impact on the SDG? In other words: does your lesson, action/activity or project have a negative influence on the goal? If so, put a mark on -1.
  • Does your lesson, action/activity or project have a heavy or long-lasting negative influence on the goal? If so, put a mark on -2.

Mark the corresponding ‘impact level’ for every SDG. When you’ve gone around the entire circle, connect the dots.

How to interpret the impact rose?

When the impact rose has been drawn, you can reflect on it.

  • Does the shape lie mostly in the positive or negative zone? Why?
  • Is there a negative impact that you weren’t expecting? Why?
  • Is there a positive impact that you weren’t expecting? Why?
  • Can I adapt my lesson, project, action/activity to generate a bigger impact? How?
  • Did I cause something with my lesson that I didn’t mean to?