Is a mashup superior to a dashboard? Reflections on the policy relevance of multiple deprivation measures
Charles Meth, University of Cape Town
In 2010, the UNDP began publishing the Alkire/Foster Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI). Strenuous efforts have been made by its creators in the Oxford Policy and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) in the University of Oxford, to have the MPI adopted as ‘measure of choice’ by low- and middle-income governments around the world.
The presentation will look briefly at the nature of the MPI, including a glance at its claimed ability to measure ‘capabilities’, before looking at three countries where attempts have been made to install the MPI.
The countries are South Africa, Mexico and India.
If there is time, we will plunge into a political economy of the attempts at developing a multi-dimensional measure for child poverty in the UK, a project that has necessitated downplaying the importance of income poverty (uni-dimensional) measures
About the speaker
Charles Meth is a research affiliate in the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town (2003-present). He was also an Honorary Research Fellow, Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield (2009-2012) and Honorary Research Fellow, School of Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal (2006-2013). He completed his PhD at University of KwaZulu-Natal (University of Natal) and his research interests are related to official statistics (especially their weaknesses), labour productivity, unemployment, poverty and inequality, public finance (Economics of the Welfare State) and social and economic policy.
Venue: Conference room (room 0.16 & 0.17)
Date: 17 March 2016
Time: 12:30 - 13:30 CET
