Fund8Proposals + SDGs - Cardano AIM

[IMPACT]

Why UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) measurements are key for Cardano

About the SDGs - https://sdgs.un.org/goals

We would like to highlight some of our achievements thus far:

• The research analysis of the proposals in Fund 6, shows a vast relationship to SDGs. 27.5% of the proposals are directly related to SDGs and 68.5% are indirectly. The reason is that Blockchain technology in general and the objective of Cardano in particular is making the world more transparent, traceable, and accessible, which all support SDGs objectives.
• As a result of our previously funded proposals and the tireless work of committed members of the Cardano community, the SDG Proposer Tool is now part of the Proposer Submission Form in Fund 7.
• The abstract and manuscript that summarizes the research and perspectives resulting from the Fund 6 research of how Project Catalyst connects to UN SDGs has been undergoing peer review, in the open access online journal, Frontiers: Blockchain for Good - Blockchain for United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This research topic journal is relatively new, with 7490 views to date (7th March 2022). We forecast this research area to be a huge field that will grow as blockchain technology matures and becomes more prevalent. As such, Cardano, as a blockchain renowned for being built from the ground up on peer-reviewed research, we think that Project Catalyst and the immense potential that it unlocks to catalyze cascading disruptive innovation, should be analyzed and evaluated using a global framework and language that is used by multinational corporations, governments, non-governmental organizations and civil society. https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/18154/blockchain-for-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs (Blockchain for Sustainable Development Goals Journal).

Here is a link for an excel that shows the proposed tasks and achievements for the proposals:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12Y7YaowiljTBH0_A8eqqLaGxB3AQudX7AkvqC0BXPfo/edit#gid=0

* We have developed a SDG Search tool to help proposers integrate SDGs into proposals https://cardanocataly.st/proposer-tool-sdg/#/

• The information was already useful to share with external and internal sources
• The results were already presented at the Catalyst Sustainability Goals Conference meetup (November 2021)
• Results communicated to IOG impact team

* Members of our team have are continuing to map the Cardano ecosystem of Catalyst impact projects that connect to SDGs, and porting them over into the open access Positive Blockchain database as part of a partnership and collaboration with https://positiveblockchain.io

* As a result of our work, Seedstars.com submitted 7 proposals for Fund 7, and received funding for 3 proposals.

* Participated in Building Bridges conference and in talks with the Accelerate 2030 organisation and with relevant partners to bridge their ecosystem and stakeholders with a Cardano Impact Network https://www.buildingbridges.org/2021-edition/building-bridges-week

While we continue our work based on Fund 7 objectives, we ask the community to continue supporting our work also for Fund 8. Giving our team the capacity to provide the data and analysis that helps measure and track how Project Catalyst and its projects are financing solutions that solve wicked problems, using global frameworks in a common language as used by Governments, the United Nations and Multilateral Organizations.

Guiding questions:

• How can we ensure future efforts benefit from the work that is funded today?

Our research proposal seeks to continue the work of fund 6, and build upon the current research we are carrying out this Fund 7. We will analyze Fund 8 funded proposals and present our analyses in an accessible database format search tool, which is currently live as and open access:

https://cardanocataly.st/sdg-search-tool/#/

It will continue to be open access, and richer with up to date proposals that have been evaluated as to their connections to UN frameworks (SDGs, Human Rights, planetary pressures adjusted HDI) providing stakeholders with insights into how Project Catalyst is financing projects, the type of projects, impact both actual and forecasted.

This open access data and information can help inform decision making within the Cardano ecosystem, and across the different open source communities and sectors to facilitate multi stakeholder decision making, problem sensing and solving using the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Human Rights and planetary pressures adjusted Human Development Index as common frameworks.

• How do we align between different open source community efforts?

We include a quote from SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals:

"17.18 By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts"

Essentially, open source data is KEY to achieving all sustainable development goals: https://blogs.worldbank.org/digital-development/sustainable-development-goals-and-open-data

"We must undertake a concerted global effort to encourage and invest in the creation of digital public goods: open source software, open data, open AI models, open standards and open content." (United Nations, 2020)

"Even when the relevant digital public good or open source solution is found, support and additional investment are still required to scale them up and successfully implement them" (2020, p. 9). Hence here we are, in this decentralized innovation fund experiment that is Project Catalyst! *- https://www.un.org/en/content/digital-cooperation-roadmap/*

• What are the next steps to fuse IOG development with the community?

We have successfully collaborated with IOG with integrating the SDG Proposer Tool into the Fund 7 proposer submission form. Now, we want to carry out continued research into the activities of our Cardano community of Catalyst stakeholders for Fund 8, and share the learnings with Cardano entities and public benefit to catalyze a positive multiplier effect.

• How can we encourage experts to collaborate and share their knowledge and work?

We are actively working on this front. Our team is currently wearing several hats, part of interconnected teams and projects that make up a constellation of Impact oriented projects. We are in talks with, and have developed working relationships and partnerships with stakeholders within the Cardano for Impact ecosystem, and the wider Blockchain for Good, and Impact Investor world. Examples include:

• Cardano4Climate
• Sustainable ADA
• Cardano AIM
• Frontiers in Blockchain - Blockchain for Good - UN Sustainable Development Goals Journal
• Carbon Neutral Cardano Blockchain
• Veritree
• Cardashift
• Accelerate 2030
• Seedstars
• Positive Blockchain
• Wada
• Catalyst School
• Cardano Foundation
• The Commonwealth Online Learning Platform
• IOG

• How can we develop a sustainable ecosystem while sharing knowledge and efforts?

• We are actively working on this front with our research and bridge building collaborative activities. Opening up new avenues for impact changemakers to find like minded individuals and teams, and access alternative sources of finance and resources in addition to Catalyst.
• Our affiliated proposal connects with this in seeking to create a sustainable model for impact lead generation by Catalyst community members:
• https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/397339 Decentralized Impact Lead Generator

• As we approach the community to fill out a voluntary survey to evaluate their own project proposals, and self-report how it connects to the UN frameworks, there is the risk that proposers don’t complete the form due to a lack of capacity and time. Also there may be a gap in understanding the UN frameworks and how they connect to their projects.
• We factor this in our research approach and methodology, by triangulating with our own team of experts evaluating each proposal, and interviews with the teams where appropriate.

• Stakeholders and members of the Cardano community may be sceptical of the relevance of UN agencies, frameworks and concepts in this decentralized community of changemakers.
•  As we are focusing on impact related collaboration, and have developed strong multisectoral relationships, with a common vision to build a better world FOR ALL, we are building bridges for global communities to connect, and collaborate for impact and at scale. Working together on projects that are inclusive and diverse builds trust. We propose to facilitate a continuation of this.

• The UN SDGs framework has its critics for being too overwhelming, too ‘big picture’ and with too many indicators that can be worked on in siloes . Challenging to measure and translate into measurable, easy to communicate and understandable impact on the ground. Furthermore, a research that seeks to synthesize an analysis of the SDGs with the UN Human Rights and Planetary Pressures adjusted Human Development Index is an unventured field of research within the case of Catalyst.

• Our research used mixed research methods; qualitative and quantitative, and we accept that evaluating a proposal and how it connects to UN frameworks can be subjective, but we have endeavored to use a scientific approach and will make all resources and results of the study open access.
• We have a globally diverse, multicultural and multisectoral team, who have been funded since Funds 5,6, and 7, and understand the needs and challenges within the Catalyst community. Also the needs and challenges in synergistic, interrelated networks that stand to mutually benefit with a clear and coherent plan of action to collaborate and share resources and knowledge, to move the needle and reach a tipping point whereby our collective intelligence feeds a movement that not only thinks, but acts, with integrity. We propose in both word and deed to bring together people to tackle real problems, create new and leverage existing solutions. This research is intended in this spirit. 
• We encourage the creation of new key performance indicators that align with the global SDGs e.g. Quality Education for All, and to provide an open access educational resource that can provide a fertile ground for further impact and research.

[FEASIBILITY]

May 2022 - July 2022:

Go through all Fund 8 funded proposals, in addition to a voluntarily completed survey by proposers. Determine and assess the current state of Catalyst proposals using the sustainable theoretical framework lens. Analyse the results and compare to fund 7 results.

July/August 2022:

Collate results into a publicly accessible database and prepare a written paper and PowerPoint to share the findings internally in the Cardano ecosystem, as well as with related journals, media, and potential partners (coordinated with Cardano foundation & IOG)

Continue improving the open access database and SDG proposer tool and promote through our network, blockchain for good and SDG networks.

Budget:

• Collection of data and analysis, evaluation = $5,000
• Article & PPT = $1,000
• Database integration and improvements = $1,000
• Communications and Promotion = $500
• Project Management = $1500
• Total budget = $9,000

Team:

Cardano AIM (Assembly Inspiring Masses), an active Catalyst Community member and currently designs and builds tools that support the community. These include the popular voter-tool (https://cardanocataly.st/voter-tool/#/), the Community Advisor Tools (CA and vCA-tools) (https://cardanocataly.st/ca-tool/#/ & https://cardanocataly.st/vca-tool/#)))))))) as well as the community landing page (https://cardanocataly.st/), the SDG Proposer Tool (https://cardanocataly.st/proposer-tool-sdg/#/), and the SDG Search Tool (https://cardanocataly.st/sdg-search-tool/#/).

Razali is an Educator, Editor, Digital Economy, Blockchain & Sustainability Researcher, Social Entrepreneur, Catalyst Proposal Mentor, Wada UN SDG and Education Coordinator, Co-Founder of Sustainable ADA, Contributor at Positive Blockchain & Catalyst School Core Member https://www.linkedin.com/in/razali-samsudin

Cole Bartlett https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-bartlett

UNITE 2030 Youth Delegate, a recent graduate in Economics & Sustainability, Founder of Sustainable ADA, Contributor for Positive Blockchains, Blockchain & Sustainability Researcher, & Social Entrepreneur, Ecoquest Education Foundation - Sustainability Research, B Impact Clinic part of UNH's Changemaker Collaborative - Kikori, Sustainability Splash Program Organizer, Bronze UNH Sustainability Award Winner

Lucio is a developer with 9+ years of experience (mainly focused on web/mobile. Languages and frameworks: PHP, Javascript, Typescript, Python, Ruby - Laravel, Ruby on Rails, Wordpress, Angular.js, Vue.js, Node.js). CA and vCA, co-creator of the Community Tools (Proposer/CA/vCA/Voter Tools).

Yoram has 20+ years of business experience working with technology companies (strategy, partnerships, investors). In the last years, Yoram is focused on combining impact and business. 4 years ago he left his comfort zone and worked for 2 years for an NGO Earthworm.org focusing on sustainable business models across agriculture supply chains. Yoram also constantly works with startups as an advisor and mentor i.e. GivingWay.com. https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoram-ben-zvi-446836

Cardano4Climate.com (C4C) community includes overs 200 members and growing. C4C is organizing weekly meetups and monthly events and collaborating with multiple impact communities (i.e. climateneutralcardano.org), companies (i.e. Veritree, Cardashift) and the Cardano companies (IOG, Emurgo, Cardano Foundation)

SustainableADA.com team is focusing on educational services, research and communication of impact projects on the Cardano blockchain, spreading the word of the work and impact of the Cardano ecosystem  

[AUDITABILITY]

A summary article and slides to be shared internally in the Cardano ecosystem, to journals, and partners, and posted on social networks will be delivered upon completion of the research.

Example:

https://www.sustainableada.com/post/research-connecting-fund-6-project-catalyst-funded-proposals-to-sustainable-development-goals

A Frontiers Journal Perspective Article Manuscript is currently submitted and pending peer-review.

* An open access database has been built, and will include the results of this research, building upon research into Fund 6 proposals and their connection to SDGs. Current research connecting Fund 7 proposals to the UN SDGs is underway in relation to this successfully funded Fund 7 proposal:

https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/383625

Results will be ported over into the open access SDG search tool (https://cardanocataly.st/sdg-search-tool/#/) which was made as a result of funded proposals:

https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/383692

https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/369300

Overall success criteria include:

Updating of the SDG search tool with the results of this research into Fund 8 connecting proposals to SDGs, and being searchable in the open access SDG search tool.

We achieved our goal to be included in the Proposal process by Fund 9. The SDG Proposer Tool is part of the Proposal Form process currently in Fund 8. The results will continue to show the importance of the SDGs to Project Catalyst and projects that go live.

Our goal is for funded proposals to be connected to the relevant SDGs where applicable, and included in an open access database for public benefit, for use by researchers, private and public entities. This work is underway. The open access SDG Search tool is live and found at: https://cardanocataly.st/sdg-search-tool/#/

We work with external partners to promote the use and promotion of these tools in their ecosystem and wider network of multilateral organizations, multinational corporations, foundations, institutional and impact investors, entrepreneurs and civil society bridging new people into Catalyst and the Cardano community. Success will be when these open access tools are part of the toolkit of ecosystems and changemakers throughout the Cardano for Impact network, the Blockchain for Good community, and beyond!

This is a hybrid in that it is both a continuation of previously funded projects, and seeks to develop and open up new fields of inquiry and research in what is an area of investigation that is not being systematically researched, and shared as open access research. The previous funded proposals that this proposal builds upon are:

Fund 7:

*Fund7Proposals + SDGs - Cardano AIM

https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/383625

Fund 6:

*Proposal Framework Tool

https://cardano.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Proposal-Framework-Tool/369300-48088

*Research in Applying Frameworks-AIM 

https://cardano.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Research-in-Applying-Frameworks-AIM/369294-48088

*Add SDG ratings to proposals - AIM

https://cardano.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Add-SDG-ratings-to-proposals-AIM/367569-48088

SDG Rating

SDG goals:

Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

SDG subgoals:

4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development