Progress and Challenges on the Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities

1. Progress and Challenges on the Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities Philippines EAPRO Social Policy Workshop 12-16 May 2008 Bangkok, Thailand

2. Key Players and Roles

3. Agreements during NY Conference • The Global Study is flexible, i.e., it can be prepared to highlight/focus on priorities of the participating country (in terms of country policy agendas/national statistical development programs); • The use of both quantitative and qualitative data is advocated by the Global Study to ensure that a more comprehensive coverage on the analysis on the situation of children;

4. Agreements during NY Conference • More analysis on the weakness of policy linkages; • In the presentation of data, need to show something more – ex. CI, to challenge methodologies, to encourage improve data tools, or to influence data collection; • On indicators in the Statistical Template: • better if policy-specific indicators will be included; • not only cover deprivation, but include rights-based indicators in consideration of the commitments made during the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC).

5. Challenges: Indicators • Statistical Template: 45 working tables (not to mention the level of disaggregation and cross-tabulation required) • providing a more focused/concise picture of “child poverty and disparity” may be an issue. • identify “core set” of indicators, which will be observed by all participating countries, while an “extended set” of indicators will address more country-specific issues/ concerns

6. Challenges: Data Availability • Most of the data needed are available from existing surveys of the PSS. • For some cases, further data processing is needed. • For example, on the table on children in poverty, this can now be filled-up as results of the RAV-JOE-BBB paper directly addressed this concern. In other cases, however, these may not be generated under the Study in consideration of the TOR, available resources, time constraints, etc.

7. Challenges: Disaggregation of statistics • Indicators in the Template have “detailed” cross-tabulations required. • While these may be possible for some indicators at the national level – the question is, how relevant these “interesting” statistics would be in terms of policy making, where program interventions are mostly at the local level and planning is decentralized.

8. Challenges: Disaggregation of statistics • Better if indicators would already have identified/proposed policy use – to ensure that these are really relevant and would really address issues of children in poverty. • Given that there are a lot of indicators, very detailed, disaggregated and cross-tabulated, collection sustainability is a concern.

9. Challenges: communicating statistics to policymakers and data users • While it is acknowledged that the design of the Statistical Template is meant to complement the Policy Template, it might also be helpful if this could be translated in a more “laymanized” manner to further maximize its use. • For example, improving it in such a way LGUs could easily understand the information/”story” behind the figures – to guide them in planning and programming of their activities.

10. Thank You!