OPHI Research in Progress
OPHI Research in Progress (RP) papers are preliminary documents posted online to stimulate discussion and critical comment. The series number and letter identify each version (i.e. paper RP1a after revision will be posted as RP1b) for citation. They are available to download here. The online Research in Progress are supported by a hard copy print-on-demand service upon request.
Multidimensional Targeting: Identifying Beneficiaries of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs. Viviane Azevedo and Marcos Robles (OPHI-RP-20a.pdf 2010). This paper applies the Alkire Foster method for multidimensional measurement as a targeting mechanism for conditional cash transfers (CCTs), and finds that it significantly improves selection of households with children who are most deprived in dimensions relevant to CCTs.
The Multidimensionality of Child Poverty: an Empirical Investigation on Children of Afghanistan. Mario Biggeri, Jean-Francois Trani and Vincenzo Mauro (OPHI-RP-19a.pdf 2010). This paper examines multidimensional poverty among Afghan children by applying Alkire and Foster’s (2007) methodology for multidimensional poverty measurement to survey data collected by Handicap International.
Capability and Group Inequalities: Revealing the Latent Structure. José Manuel Roche (OPHI-RP18a.pdf 2010). This paper shows how the sociological academic tradition in social stratification can complement the capability approach theoretically and methodologically in order to enhance the study of group inequalities.
Quality of Employment and Job Satisfaction: Evidence from Chile. Lea Cassar (OPHI-RP-17a.pdf 2010). This paper investigates the determinants of job satisfaction in a developing country, Chile, using OPHI’s national dataset on missing dimensions of poverty data.
A Comparison Between the Pearson-based Dissimilarity Index and the Multiple-Group Overlap Index. Gaston Yalonetzky (OPHI-RP-16a.pdf 2010). This paper proposes a simple extension of the overlap index to measure between-group inequality and compares it to an index based on Pearson's goodness-of-fit statistic.
Conceptual Overview of Human Development: Definitions, Critiques, and Related Concepts. Sabina Alkire (OPHI-RP-15a.pdf 2009). A draft background paper for the 2010 Human Development Report.
Measuring group disadvantage with indices based on relative distributions. Gaston Yalonetzky (OPHI-RP-14a.pdf 2009). This paper proposes a family of new indices which measure and are sensitive to inequality between pairs of groups whenever that inequality implies disadvantage for a group of concern. The indices are applied to quantify the degree of gender inequality across the missing dimensions of poverty in Chile, using the 2009 OPHI addendum to the CASEN 2006.
The Pink Streak in a Grey Market: Queerness and Poverty in the Urban Philippines. Ryan Thoreson (OPHI-RP-13a.pdf 2009). This paper undertakes an anthropological exploration of the Missing Dimensions among gay communities in the Philippines.
Agencia de los padres y logros de los hijos: Explorando el caso de America Latina. Maria Emma Santos, Emma Samman, Gaston Yalonetzky (OPHI-RP-12a.pdf 2009). This background paper, prepared for the 2009 Human Development Report in Latin America and the Caribbean, is the first effort to measure agency in the capital cities of three Latin American countries and explores the role of parents’ agency in reducing intergenerational transmission of ‘low outcomes’. (In Spanish).
Child Poverty Measurement: An Assessment of Methods and an Application to Bangladesh. José Manuel Roche (OPHI-RP11b.pdf 2009). This paper applies Alkire and Foster’s (2007) methodology to the measurement of multidimensional child poverty using the 2006 Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. It examines how this methodology can complement other measures of child poverty, and considers the implications of the results for policy makers.
Agency and Empowerment: A review of concepts, indicators and empirical evidence. Emma Samman and Maria Emma Santos (OPHI-RP-10a.pdf 2009). This review corresponds to the first part of a background paper for the 2009 Human Development Report in Latin America and the Caribbean on Agency, Empowerment and the Intergenerational Transmission of Inequality in Latin America
Testing for stochastic dominance among additive, multivariate welfare functions with discrete variable. Gaston Yalonetzky (OPHI-RP-9a.pdf 2009). This paper shows how to expand already existing conditions of stochastic dominance for additive welfare functions and proposes a test for multiple discrete variables based on Anderson's (1996) nonparametric test.
The MDGs: Multidimensionality and Interconnection. Sabina Alkire with James Foster (OPHI-RP-8a.pdf 2009).A background paper to the UK White Paper on Development on ‘Eliminating Poverty’, which is under construction.
Determining BPL Status: Some Methodological Improvements. Sabina Alkire and Suman Seth (OPHI-RP-7a.pdf 2009). A draft paper on the 2002 method for identifying Below the Poverty Line households in rural India, which argues that mis-targeting is significantly influenced by the measurement methodology, not only by corruption as has been supposed.
Multidimensional Measures of Poverty & Well-Being. Sabina Alkire and Moizza B Sarwar (OPHI-RP-6a.pdf 2009). A background paper for the European Commission Report, ‘An Agenda for a Reformed Cohesion Policy’, and surveys institutions that are implementing multidimensional measures.
Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index: Methodology and Results. Sabina Alkire (OPHI-RP-5a.pdf 2008). An informal note on the Gross National Happiness Index that was released by the Centre of Bhutan Studies. For more information on the data and index in general please see the website http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com.
Gross National Happiness and Poverty in Bhutan: Applying the GNH Index Methodology to explore Poverty. Sabina Alkire, Maria Emma Santos, and Karma Ura (OPHI-RP-4a.pdf 2008). Paper presented at the Gross National Happiness Conference in Bhutan, at 26 November 2008, re-analyses pilot GNH data, using 'poverty' cutoffs rather than, as in the GNH Index, 'sufficiency' cutoffs.
Amartya Sen. Sabina Alkire (OPHI-RP-3a.pdf 2008). Draft entry for the Edward Elgar Handbook of Ethics and Economics.
The Capability Approach to Quality of Life Measures. Sabina Alkire. (OPHI-RP-2a.pdf 2008). A background paper for the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress, instigated by President Sarkozy.
Counting and Multidimensional Poverty. Sabina Alkire and James Foster (OPHI-RP-1a.pdf 2007). A non-technical policy-oriented summary of Working Paper 7 by Alkire and Foster, which was presented at the IFPRI meetings in Beijing, October 2007.
