Download Actividades de asistencia técnica y financiera 2010-2011

Samuel Freije
Senior economsit
poverty and gender unit
LAC-PREM

There are several “political” arguments behind
the idea of multidimensional measures…
◦ The objective of the 2006 Bolivian National Development
is... ”Vivir Bien” (Living well)
◦ The new (2009) Constitution of the Plurinational State of
Bolivia has in its preample:
“Un Estado basado en el respeto e igualdad entre todos, con principios de soberanía, dignidad,
complementariedad, solidaridad, armonía y equidad en la distribución y redistribución del producto
social, donde predomine la búsqueda del vivir bien;… “
◦ The Andean Indigenous Peoples Bureau 2010 report on
“Vivir Bien” (suma qamaña , suma kwasay)

There are also “economic” reasons behind the
search for multidimensional measures…
◦ Monetary poverty rates have been unsensitive to
large economic and political changes
◦ There are several multidimensional measures of
welfare/poverty produced during the last decade
 HDI by UNDP in 2004, Child Poverty by UNICEF in
2009, NBI by Bolivian INE in 2001, Capacity Gaps Index
by World Bank in 2006, …

The authorities in the country may not be
aware of the technical difficulties behind the
production (and use) of multidimensional
measures:
◦ What is the purpose of the index?
 Targeting beneficiaries of social programs?
 Describe and profile poverty/welfare ?
 Monitor and analyze social programs?
◦ What is to be measured welfare or poverty?
◦ How will the dimensions be chosen?
 Rights approach (Constitution, National Laws, Human
Rights Declaration, Millenium Goals…)
 A priori (academic references Sen(1999), Nussbaum
(1998)…etc)
◦ How will the indicators be chosen?
 Theory driven vs data driven ?
 Inputs vs outputs vs outcomes
 Short-term vs long-term
◦ How and why the dimensions will be aggregated?
 Aggregation vs dashboard





Currently the Bank is producing a review of
existing multidimensional measures in Bolivia
It is also producing a Human Opportunities
report for Bolivia
It will provide support for reviewing monetary
measures of poverty
It can provide technical support regarding newer
multidimensional measures discussed in the
current international debate
Future Poverty Assessments need to be more
comprehensive and have a multi-instrument
approach to poverty/welfare measurement
Thanks!
Samuel Freije-Rodríguez