Child Poverty Indices in Vietnam: a new policy tool Keetie Roelen, Franziska Gassmann and Chris de Neubourg, 27 June 2007.

Child Poverty Indices in Vietnam: a new policy tool

Keetie Roelen, Franziska Gassmann and Chris de Neubourg, 27 June 2007

Development of a child poverty approach for Vietnam

• Research project for Unicef Vietnam, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (Molisa);

• First part of project completed in December 2006, extension of project takes place from July 2007 – June 2008;

• to develop a practical child poverty measurement tool.

Why do we want to measure child poverty?

• Children are more vulnerable to poverty;• Poor children become poor adults;• Children have different basic needs than adults;• “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”.

Why do Unicef Vietnam and Molisa want to measure child poverty?

Two main purposes:

1) Advocacy; putting the issue on the agenda

2) Policy information; feeding into the policy process

What did we learn from existing child poverty approaches?

• Approaches range from income- or consumption based to multi-dimensional focus;

• Approaches range in using single indicator output products to all-compassing analyses;

• Approaches are built up around the same structure:- overall concept and rationale- dimensions- indicators- end products

(Child) poverty as understood in Vietnam

• Monetary concept;• Poor children represent one of nine categories of

Children under Special Circumstances;• Input based rather than outcome based.

Concept of child poverty approach

• Multi-dimensional;• Outcome based;• Based on the Conventions of the Rights of the Child

(CRC) and the basic needs approach;• Incorporates children up to 16 years of age.

Theoretical framework (1) – choice of domains

Use of various selection methods:

1) Assumptions and expert opinion;

2) Public consensus;

3) Participatory processes;

4) Assessment of data availability.

Theoretical framework (2) – choice of domains

8 domains:

- Education;- Nutrition;- Health;- Shelter;- Water and sanitation;- Labor;- Leisure;- Social inclusion and protection.

Theoretical framework (3) – selection of indicators

Selection criteria:

- Child-specific;- Easily observable and measurable;- Easily interpretable;- Objective;- Decomposable.

Theoretical framework (4) – selection of indicators

Illustrations of the selection process:

- access to education: indicator on travel distance or travel time to school?

- having private space: indicator on m2 per household member of having own room/bed?

- dental hygiene: indicator on number of visits to dentist or use of toothbrush?

Recommendations for end products/presentation of output

Advocacy purpose:Child poverty rate

Policy input purpose:Child indicator matrixChild domain indicesChild poverty index

What distinguishes this approach from other child poverty approaches?

• Approach is country-specific;• Approach has a positive outlook;• Approach is child-specific;• Approach is versatile.

Next steps

Applying the theoretical framework to the data:

- use of VHLSS 2004 and MICS 2006

Child Poverty Indices in Vietnam: a new policy tool

Keetie Roelen, Franziska Gassmann and Chris de Neubourg, 27 June 2007

keetie.roelen@governance.unimaas.nl