所面临的挑战是，所需要的与可持续发展目标有关的数据范围较广，仅靠官方统计无法满足需求。可持续发展目标正在锁定官方统计以前未曾涵盖的领域，比如治理。它们还需要传统领域的新统计数据，以评估资源可持续性或可负担性，并查明掉队的弱势群体。此外，还有一些说明各国遵守具体政策情况的非统计指标，由于公正原则，官方统计资料无法制作这些指标。这需要国家统计部门与其他政府机构、私营公司、学术界和民间社会等其他数据制作者建立新型伙伴关系。这种伙伴关系对统计系统而言是新现象。例如，“不让一个人掉队”的原则需要关于很多弱势群体的数据，这类数据往往数量很小，并且既难以接触到，又难以确定。制作这类数据的成本很高。其他政府机构、私营公司或民间社会可提供有助于更高效地制作弱势群体数据的信息。
The challenge was that the data needed in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals were broader than could be met with official statistics alone. The Goals are targeting areas that have not previously been covered by official statistics, such as governance. They also require new statistics in traditional areas to assess the sustainability or affordability of resources and to identify the vulnerable groups left behind. In addition, there are a number of non-statistical indicators on the adherence of countries to specific policies that cannot be produced by official statistics because of the principle of impartiality. That requires new types of partnerships between the national statistical office and other data producers, such as other government agencies, private companies, academia and civil society. Those kinds of partnerships are new to the statistical system. For example, the principle of “no one left behind” requires data on many vulnerable groups, which are often small and difficult to reach and identify. Producing such data is costly. Other government agencies, private companies or civil society may provide information that will help to produce data on vulnerable groups more efficiently.