This page is a summary of the main features of SET4HEI. For the full details on its functionalities and methodology you can download the user guide (available in English and Spanish).

The self-assessment tool allows higher education institutions to map their contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and identify areas for improvement. The tool can be accessed online for free. The platform that hosts the tool, Campus IESALC, is administered by UNESCO IESALC.

Learn more about why this tool was created and what makes it stand out as the first of its kind: Why this tool. 

The self-assessments address contributions to each one of the 17 SDG. Users can choose which SDG they want to fill in separately. Each SDG contains indicators across four areas: 

• Teaching and Learning. 
• Research. 
• Engagement. 
• Governance, administration and non-academic services. 

An additional introductory assessment on basic good practices accross all SDGs is also available. This can be a good starting point for new users, as it is a shorter assessment which introduces the main types of indicators.

Each indicator is phrased as, either: 

• A good practice that the institution is either implementing fully, partially or not at all. These indicators require the user to select an option from a single-choice list, typically offering two to four options, which can be different for each indicator.
• A percentage. 

Most indicators have an additional explanatory text providing clarification of concepts as well as examples. This text can be deployed by clicking on the question mark icon once the assessment is open.

Many indicators share a common structure or part of their wording across several SDGs.

Independently from the formulation, the answers will be converted into a score from 0 to 1 point for each indicator. 

Scores for the self-assessment are expressed as a percentage of the maximum number of points possible. Each indicator has the same weight within one SDG. Not all SDGs have the same number of indicators, but each SDG has the same weight within the 17 SDGs.  

Some indicators can be answered as ‘Not Applicable’, in which case they are excluded from the score calculation. For example, institutions that do not do research as part of their mission can skip all research-related indicators altogether thanks to a filter question in the second section of each assessment. Institutions which only provide online learning can also mark as ‘Not applicable’ several indicators related to campus management and local community engagement.