1 / 16

Poverty Maps: Policy Applications

Poverty Maps: Policy Applications. Ken Simler Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) Poverty Reduction Group Poverty Analysis Workshop for Western Balkans Countries January 25, 2007. Poverty Maps: More than a pretty picture. Beyond the obvious targeting applications

cutler
Download Presentation

Poverty Maps: Policy Applications

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Poverty Maps:Policy Applications Ken Simler Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) Poverty Reduction Group Poverty Analysis Workshop for Western Balkans Countries January 25, 2007

  2. Poverty Maps: More than a pretty picture • Beyond the obvious targeting applications • not the targeting panacea initially hoped for • Building awareness, changing perceptions, opening poverty dialogue • Revisiting existing ideas and exploring new options (spatial correlates of poverty, coordination, etc) • Tailoring interventions to local needs (regional variations, location of intervention, funding formulas) • Strengthening accountability • Promoting evidence-based decision-making • Limitations

  3. Increasing awareness about poverty • Raise the profile of poverty in public discourse • Morocco: Initiation of new National Human Development Initiative • Thailand: Maps revealed pockets of poverty • Contribute to debate on poverty definitions • Sri Lanka: Competing poverty lines had been in use; maps helped harmonize methodology. • Mexico: Numerous deprivation measures in use.

  4. Correlating with other spatial data • Numerous overlays to examine the correlates of poverty and coordinate programs • Sri Lanka: Poverty and isolation/accessibility • South Africa: Containing a cholera epidemic • Tanzania: Changes in poverty and market access • Ecuador: Compare poverty maps at two points in time.

  5. Each dot is randomly placed within a DS unit and represents 500 poor persons Sri Lanka overlays

  6. Tailoring interventions to local needs • Cambodia: WFP combined with maps of nutrition, infrastructure, and vulnerability to flooding & drought to identify potential areas for WFP programs. • Morocco: Maps suggested different mechanism for urban vs. rural areas. • Vietnam: Validated targeting approach of Program 135.

  7. Targeting interventions: Funding formula • Mexico: PROGRESA & Oportunidades • South Africa: Municipal grant amounts based on estimated number of poor • Kenya: Poverty incidence one of several criteria for Constituency Development Fund • Maps’ contribute to transparency and accountability • Limitations of geographic-based targeting

  8. Promoting evidence-based decision making • Making fuller use of census data • Raising the profile of statistics in policy dialogue (government, donors, NGOs) • Strengthening statistical and analytical capacity

  9. Limitations to remember • Poverty maps no better than the survey or census • Only as good as the analytical practices used • Maps capture one of many dimensions of poverty – a complementary source, not a replacement. • Map overlays show correlation – establishing causation requires deeper analysis. • Maps are static, and updating is infrequent. • Is geography the most relevant dimension?

  10. Increasing the impact:10 Lessons about Process • Defining the scope of the effort • Define the objectives of the poverty map and how it fits into the larger organizational structure • Stakeholder analysis: identify potential and actual stakeholders and how they can be involved • Building political support • Identify champions to promote the poverty map. Should be (a) knowledgeable, (b) well-connected, and (c) senior. • Identify appropriate focal point for the poverty map process. • Engage early with key agencies and supporting counterparts. Strengthen support by broadening the audience at an early stage.

  11. Increasing the impact:10 Lessons about Process • Create demand: build a network of users • Establish a users’ group early, drawing from different agencies. • Explain how the poverty map can be used • Keep users (including key policymakers) informed of progress and early findings • Remember the limitations of SAE poverty maps • Overcoming challenges, conflicts, tensions • Selecting an “official” poverty metric • Explain that different information sources are complementary • Role of poverty map as benchmark or validation • Recognize inertia and lack of incentives to change existing practices

  12. Increasing the impact:10 Lessons about Process • Institutional arrangements for map production • Define work program • Identifying an institutional “home” • Benefits of multiple agency ownership • Creating institutional links with users • Embedding poverty map in broader poverty analysis and policymaking process • Integrating poverty map within the national monitoring system

  13. Increasing the impact:10 Lessons about Process • Data issues • Securing access to census and survey data • Agreeing on access policy for poverty estimates and maps • Compatibility of data sources and platforms • Ensuring data quality for production • Matching census and survey data (esp. location identifiers) • Include experts on census and survey

  14. Increasing the impact:10 Lessons about Process • Invest in long-term capacity to produce maps • Establish clear responsibilities & incentives • Identify capable people & transfer skills • Hardware & software needs • Dedicated human & financial resources • Disseminating poverty map products • Need dissemination plan (objectives, audience, formats, outlets, funding, etc.) • Different mediums and formats for different audiences • Identify appropriate events and venues • Remember the limitations

  15. Increasing the impact:10 Lessons about Process • Supporting users (follow-up) • Building statistical literacy • Building capacity to analyze and use the data further • Showing applications • Role(s) of development partners • Various: Technical support, funding, dissemination

  16. More Information • More Than a Pretty Picture: Using Poverty Maps to Design Better Policies and Interventions (June 2007) • http://www.worldbank.org/povertymap/ • http://www.ciesin.org/povmap/

More Related