Multidimensional Child Poverty: from Measurement to Policy Action Chris de Neubourg Social Policy Research Institute (SPRI), Brussels, Belgium Rabat, May 17th, 2017

Français, Spanish and Arabic version of the presentation https://spriglobal.org/research/presentations/

Monetary Child Poverty: measurement and policy action 1 Measures: number of children living in poor households = hsh’s with financial resources below the poverty line Policy action ? Make households with children more prosperous/less poor (get all children out of poor households) Policy instrument ? many options little guidance by “child poverty rate”

Monetary Child Poverty: measurement and policy action 2 Policy instruments options: GIVE households with children more money: Cash transfers to poor households Cash transfers to households with children Cash transfers to poor households with children ensure that parents of (poor) children MAKE more money: Provide jobs (i.e. public works) Provide better paid jobs – minimum wage Ensure that parents of (poor) children to SPEND LESS i.e. on food (subsidies), on petrol (subsidies), provide free (cheaper) education, free (cheaper) health (not really lowering poverty – making poverty less miserable)

Monetary Child Poverty: measurement and policy action 3 End of the story: Monetary Child Poverty Rate does not tell me Which category of instruments to use (give, make, spend less) Which specific instrument to use Example cash transfer; Should we use child benefits/child grant? Should it be targeted to all children or to children on poor families only? Should it be conditional (CCT) or non-conditional? Monetary Child Poverty Rate cannot answer the blue questions IS it different when we turn to Multidimensional poverty?

Multidimensional Child Poverty measurement and policy action 1 Measures: Number (#) of children lacking at least 2 things they need = number of children that are multiple deprived Not always: MPI & CONEVAL: # of HOUSEHOLDS that are multiple deprived (including children who lack things they need) MODA = Child level measurement = unit of analysis

Multidimensional Child Poverty measurement and policy action 2 Policy options ? Reduce the number of children experiencing deprivations (MODA) Reduce the number of households wherein members (including children) who experience deprivations (MPI) Policy instruments option ? Many and in this case measurement is somewhat more helpful because Multidimensional Analysis (MODA) provides more information This is also due to its way of aggregating indicators into dimensions (combinations, weighting, union approach)

COUNTING Dimensional DEPRIVATIONS FOR EACH CHILD Outline – MODA objective – Methodology – Country case – Conclusion

Distribution children over all deprivations Burundi 0-17 Outline – MODA objective – Methodology – Country case – Conclusion

Multidimensional Child Poverty Rate: the number of multiple deprived children as a percentage of total Number of deprivations 1 2 Multidimensional Poverty line (k=3) 3 4 5 6

Multidimensional Child Poverty measurement and policy action 3 Policy instruments ? Multidimensional Analysis provides more information (but still) Single deprivation analysis provides information on incidence of deprivations experienced by children By dimension By indicator

Deprivation rates by dimensions Burundi 0 - 4

Deprivations by indicators Burundi 0 - 4

Multidimensional Child Poverty measurement and policy action 4 Policy instruments ? Multidimensional Analysis provides more information Multiple deprivation analysis provides information on Overlap between deprivations in dimensions

Overlap by 3 (2) dimensions 1 Burundi 23 – 59 months

Overlap by 3 (2) dimensions 2 Burundi 5 – 15 years

Overlap by 3 (2) dimensions 3 Mongolia 24 – 59 months

Multidimensional Child Poverty measurement and policy action 4 Policy instruments ? Multidimensional Analysis provides more information (but still) Single deprivation analyses By age-group (life cycle approach) Multiple deprivation analyses Overlap between deprivations in dimensions Indices H, A and M0

H, A and M0 H = Multidimensional Child Poverty Rate The number of multiple deprived children as percentage of the total number of children = MCPR A = Multidimensional Child Poverty Depth or Intensity = MCPD The average intensity of deprivation of the multiple deprived children M0 = Multidimensional Child Poverty Index = MCPI the number of multiple deprived children multiplied by the average number of deprivations in which they are deprived

Multidimensional Child Poverty Depth or Intensity: the number of multiple deprived children as a percentage of total possible deprivations of the deprived A Number of deprivations 1 2 Multidimensional Poverty line (k=3) 3 4 5 6

Multidimensional Child Poverty Rate (H), Intensity (A) and index (M0 or MCPI)

Multidimensional Child Poverty measurement and policy action 4 Policy instruments ? Multidimensional Analysis provides more information (but still) Single deprivation analyses By age-group (life cycle approach) Multiple deprivation analyses Overlap between deprivations in dimensions Indices H, A and M0 Profiling variables Additional analyses (details, regressions)

Profiling variables for deprivation levels by dimensions and indicators Profiling variables for overlapping deprivations and for indices By region, by area (rural/urban) By characteristics of the child By characteristics of the household By characteristics of the mother Also in combination with Monetary Child Poverty (overlap CPR and MCPR – CONEVAL)(but also in MODA and MPI if 1 database is used)

Multidimensional Poverty Maps

http://nmoda.spriglobal.org/?locale=en Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Kenya Kosovo Lao PDR Lesotho Libya Mongolia Morocco Rwanda South Africa State of Palestine Swaziland Tajikistan Thailand Zambia Zimbabwe Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Cote d’Ivoire DRCongo Ethiopia Guinea-Buisau

Examples bringing MODA and policy design together Changing the mind-sets of policy makers and programme managers – all countries Using at the basis for SitAn – Guinée Using as the introductory chapter for SitAn – Zimbabwe Used as a basis for additional analysis i.e. on stunting and ECD – Cambodia, Lao PDR Used as a basis for additional qualitative analysis on services provision in health, nutrition and WASH – Kenya Used as a basis for improving geographical targeting of cash transfers – several countries

Multidimensional Child Poverty measurement and policy action Policy instruments ? Multidimensional Analysis provides more information but still: For choosing specific and precise instruments to be used in order to reduce MCPR often more specialised studies are necessary: Example nutrition Example ECD …