OPHI e-update February 2016

President Correa launches new national MPI for Ecuador

Ecuador has become the latest country to launch its own National Multidimensional Poverty Index. The Index, which has been developed with technical support from OPHI, was presented by the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, at an event in Quito on 5 February, 2016.

OPHI Director Sabina Alkire, who attended the presentation, congratulated Ecuador on the elaboration of a technically rigorous National MPI that enjoys broad support, as evidenced by the enthusiastic response from across the government and national institutions. She also said that the Index will be very helpful in Ecuador’s efforts to tackle poverty and ensure that policy efforts leave no one behind. More on the launch and the Ecuador MPI.

MPI study for Indonesia presented in Jakarta

On February 10, a new MPI study for Indonesia was launched in Jakarta. The study was the product of research by Prakarsa – Welfare Initiatives for Better Societies, a think-tank focusing on welfare-related topics. The study, which is an example of an MPI in Indonesia covering the 2012-2014 period, was carried out nationally and for over 500 districts. The study aims to fuel public discussion about the usefulness of an MPI to national and local policy making. OPHI Director Sabina Alkire participated in the launch event.

New OPHI working paper on how to measure destitution

A reduction in overall poverty may not necessarily improve the situations of the poorest members of society; the destitute. In order to reach and assist this group of people, it is crucial to distinguish them from people who are ‘moderately’ poor. The new OPHI Working Paper, Identifying Destitution through Linked Subsets of Multidimensionally Poor: An Ordinal Approach (pdf), discusses how best to measure who is destitute. The Working Paper is written by OPHI Director Sabina Alkire and OPHI Research Associate Suman Seth.

PUBLICATIONS

OPHI Working Paper: Identifying Destitution through Linked Subsets of Multidimensionally Poor: An Ordinal Approach - Suman Seth and Sabina Alkire.

OPHI Research in Progress: Towards Frequent and Accurate Poverty Data (supplementary data - xlsx) - Sabina Alkire.

OPHI Briefing: Public Private Partnership: The Multidimensional Poverty Index - John Hammock and Jose Aguilar (draft submitted to UNDP’s forthcoming Human Development Report, Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, New York: UNDP.)

OPHI Briefing: The Global MPI: 5-year methodological note (an updated and comprehensive guide to estimating and reporting the Global MPI) - Sabina Alkire, Adriana Conconi, Gisela Robles, José M. Roche, María Emma Santos, Suman Seth and Ana Vaz.

OPHI Briefing: Poverty Maps - Sabina Alkire and Gisela Robles.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The MPPN and OPHI will be hosting a High-Level Side Event in New York at the 47th UN Statistical Commision Meeting on Monday, March 7 from 1:15-2:30 PM (NY time) in Conference Room A (CB). More information.

The 2016 OPHI Summer School will be held from 1 - 14 August 2016 in Beijing, China. Applications are now accepted; please visit the course webpage for further information.

Video lectures from the 2015 OPHI Summer School are now available on our website.

OPHI is looking for a new Research Officer. The application deadline is 3 March.

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