UNDP Accelerator Labs

The mission of UNDP Accelerator Labs is to bridge the gap between traditional development methods and the urgent pace of change by identifying and promoting innovative solutions to achieve the SDGs. As part of their strategic plan, they aspire to provide clean and affordable energy to 500 million people by 2025, particularly in crisis contexts and hard-to-reach areas.

Over the course of four months, our network of solutions mappers meticulously identified 359 grassroots energy solutions spanning diverse regions, demographics, and energy sources. This intensive effort underscored the need to acknowledge the ingenuity and problem-solving capacity inherent in many communities, which could significantly contribute to UNDP’s overarching mission of sustainable development. Recognizing the urgent need for innovative approaches, particularly amidst contemporaneous crises and inertia in inter-governmental climate negotiations, there arose a critical necessity to visually represent the data. We recognized that effective visualization would not only advocate for the importance of local solutions but also highlight their added value and potential contribution to broader development efforts. Consequently, the call to action emerged: to showcase the value of grassroots innovation through clear and impactful visualizations, thereby advocating for a more sustainable future.

I began by analyzing their data and delving into the organization’s background and objectives. Through this process, I identified key insights and data points that aligned with their narrative. Utilizing tools like Tableau and Tableau Prep, I crafted visualizations that effectively communicated the value of grassroots innovation in sustainable development. Collaborating with Tableau experts, I refined the design and layout of the dashboard, incorporating branding and images to personalize the data story. After presenting my work to the UNDP Accelerator Labs team, I received positive feedback and was subsequently contacted to update the dashboard for publication on their website. This collaborative process ensured that the visualizations effectively advocated for a more sustainable future and resonated with diverse audiences, from government partners to the general public.

The visualizations were utilized in a global communication campaign during the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) and a #PeoplePowered energy campaign leading up to the event. The audience included government partners, international donors, development practitioners, climate experts, academia, and the general public.