Monitoring Human Development on more than one Dimension HDI and MDG indicators Ronald Jansen United Nations Statistics Division

The UN/DESA perspective Part I  UN Statistical Commission and HDI Part II  HDI, a composite indicator  MDG indicators Part III  One or more dimensions?

UN Statistical Commission and HDI 2000Critical note on the quality of the Human Development Report brought to the attention of the UN Statistical Commission 2001Friends of the Chair report an assessment of the Human Development Report The findings are welcomed by the UNDP Office, which commits to take action on these. Main recommendations: PPP exchange rates should be used instead of US$ exchange rates, which exaggerates the discrepancies between cost-of-living in developed and developing countries More technical expertise should be applied to the review of the HDR HDRO manuscript management and quality control procedures be reviewed and strengthened Closer cooperation with suppliers of key data series to draw upon additional expertise and knowledge of specific data sets

UN Statistical Commission and HDI 2008The UN Statistical Commission at its 39 th Session Underscored the importance of the Human Development Report at national and international levels as a source of information on development issues Welcomed actions taken to ensure the quality of data and indicators published in the Human Development Report, oCreation of a statistical advisory panel, oInstitution of a statistical peer review process and oInitiative on holding regular consultations with Member States Emphasized the need for the Human Development Report Office to further improve transparency in the process of preparing the Human Development Report

UN Statistical Commission and HDI ( continued) in particular, the Commission urged the Office in 2008 to: 1.Intensify consultations with countries on the statistics used in the calculation of the Human Development Index; 2.Make additional efforts, in accordance with ECOSOC resolution 2006/6, to use country data instead of international estimates whenever and wherever those data are available; 3.Conduct pre-publication quality checks on data and indicators with national statistical offices; 4.In respect of missing data, handle the use of international estimates in the preparation of the Human Development Report with care, in full consultation with countries and in a transparent manner;

Part II – HDI and MDGs Part I  UN Statistical Commission and HDI Part II  HDI, a composite indicator  MDG indicators Part III  One or more dimensions?

HDI, a composite index The Human Development Index is based on three dimensions, namely 1.A long and healthy life; 2.Knowledge; 3.A decent standard of living; Each of these three dimensions is measured by one or more indicators, namely 1.Life expectancy at birth (1/3); 2.Adult literacy rate (2/9) and Combine gross enrolment ratio (1/9); 3.GDP per capita (PPP US$) (1/3);

MDG indicators There are 8 Millennium Development Goals with 21 targets measured with 60 indicators (originally 18 targets and 48 indicators) Millennium Development Goals 1.Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; 2.Achieve universal primary education; 3.Promote gender equality and empower women; 4.Reduce child mortality; 5.Improve maternal health; 6.Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; 7.Ensure environmental sustainability; 8.Develop a global partnership for development.

MDG indicators

EXAMPLE GOAL 2: Achieve universal primary education Target 3 - Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling Indicator (i) - Adjusted net enrolment ratio in primary education Indicator (ii) - Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach grade 5 Indicator (iii) - Literacy rate of 15–24 year-olds

Part III – One or more dimensions Part I  UN Statistical Commission and HDI Part II  HDI, a composite indicator  MDG indicators Part III  One or more dimensions?

One or more dimensions Long Life Life expectancy at birth Knowledge Adult literacy Combined enrolment Prosperity GDP per capita Question: Is HDI seen and treated as one dimension? HDI

One or more dimensions Question: Are more dimensions more useful?

One or more dimensions Handbook on Constructing Composite Indicators Defining Concepts Measuring Variables Quality Assurance Normalization Weighting and Aggregation Validation Comment: There are many problems in the construction of a composite indicator !

One or more dimensions Handbook on Constructing Composite Indicators Defining Concepts Measuring Variables Quality Assurance Normalization Weighting and Aggregation Validation Comment: There are a few less visible problems in the construction of a composite indicator !

Concluding Remarks  Less question on Validity oIndicators are very close to the Targets and Goals  Internationally agreed Targets oAre there too many Targets? oIs the message diluted by too many numbers ??  Measurement Problems oCapacity Building initiatives  Internationally recognized Trademark oSmall changes  Measurement Problems oShould the variables be changed?  Questions on Validity oDoes HDI represent Human Development? HDI MDG