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