This paper argues that the Global Indicator Framework required to support the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals will not be successfully populated, using only existing approaches and mechanisms. Official statistical systems must adapt and consider new approaches if only partial success is to be averted. This paper presents a proposal to accredit unofficial statistics as official for the purposes of compiling sustainable development goal indicators. While there may be some reluctance, and there are certainly risks with this proposal, the arguments put forward highlight the potential for collaboration.

In August 2019, the IAOS discussion platform was launched with a special session at the ISI World Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The first paper published as part of that discussion series was ‘You say you want a [data] Revolution: A proposal to use unofficial statistics for the SDG Global Indicator Framework’. This follow-on paper looks back over the year since the launch, summarizes the online debate, highlights some other relevant papers, and reflects on where the discussion rests today.