Missing Dimensions Projects
OPHI has been testing and refining the modules, and undertaking data collection since early 2007. Details of the projects and resources used, including the survey questions in several languages, are listed here.
OPHI has ongoing collaboration with teams around the world to test and improve the modules and to produce new data and qualitative and quantitative analyses on the missing dimensions. Currently, OPHI and partners are fielding a nationally representative survey in Chad, and the first nationally representative dataset and analyses were conducted in Chile. Projects have also be conducted in Philippines, Nigeria and Sri Lanka, plus a first smaller project in Chad.
Missing Dimensions, Poverty and Vulnerability in Chad
The Government of Chad, the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), Oxford University, and UNICEF-Chad are together working on a study to explore the multi-layered connections between poverty and vulnerability in Chad. The project is designed to support improved data and evidence on multidimensional poverty, deprivation and vulnerability in Chad.
Household survey
To help address these bottlenecks the study will draw upon a large-scale nationally representative household survey of over 7,000 households to be carried out early in 2012. The household survey data analysis together with the relevant secondary research would allow the three collaborators to generate policy-relevant evidence to support advocacy and follow-up measures for accelerated action towards the stated objectives.
Exploratory study
Chad is one of the world’s poorest countries and faces numerous challenges that hinder its progress on human development and toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It was ranked 183 out of 187 countries according to UNDP’s 2011 Human Development Index (UNDP 2011). The data currently available makes clear that the country must confront a wide array of deprivations, spanning well beyond income poverty. This exploratory study aims to stimulate innovative and high-impact policy responses to persistent deprivation in the country.
Full project page: Multidimensional Poverty and Vulnerability in Chad ~ Understanding the Connections.
Missing Dimensions of Poverty Survey in Chile
The ‘Missing Dimensions of Poverty’ dataset collected in Chile is the first nationally representative survey to include the five OPHI modules. The data contains indicators of quality of work, empowerment, physical safety, the ability to go without shame and psychological wellbeing – in addition to standard poverty data already collected on income, health, education, housing quality and employment. OPHI has collaborated with Ministerio de Planificación y Cooperación (MIDEPLAN), República de Chile and Centro de Microdatos, Facultad de Economía y Negocios and Universidad de Chile to collect and compile these data.
The new survey was administered in 2008/9 to a subsample of 2,000 households from the 2006 CASEN household survey (Encuesta de Caracterización Socioeconómica Nacional). In addition to the new data, all the CASEN 2006 data are available for the surveyed households, and numerous questions from the 2006 CASEN were repeated: the entire income module, most of the employment module, and several questions on health, education and housing. Therefore, the dataset has interesting panel, as well as cross-sectional, elements.
A set of methodical analyses of the data are being undertaken:
- Comparing unidimensional and multidimensional poverty measures
- Using cluster analysis to define a taxonomy of households according to their multidimensional wellbeing
- Correlates of income poverty (and Missing Dimensions)
- Income shifts and the Missing Dimensions
- Social benefit receipts and the Missing Dimensions
- New measures of gender inequality in Chile according to the Missing Dimensions
- Social polarization and inequality measures using Missing Dimensions
- Multidimensional aspects of child poverty in Chile using the Missing Dimensions
- Links between self employment and subjective wellbeing
- Female labour force participation and Missing Dimensions
- Measuring the quality of employment in Chile from the capability perspective
- Entrepreneurship, self-employment and welfare
- Quality of employment and ‘decent work’
- Quality of employment and job satisfaction
- Comparing psychological/subjective wellbeing and objective deprivations
- A descriptive analysis and validity testing of the module on shame and humiliation and its link to group inequality
- A descriptive analysis and validity testing of the module on physical safety
- A descriptive analysis and validity testing of the empowerment module
Dataset available to download
The full dataset is available to researchers who are working with OPHI and who have signed a Data Share Agreement. These correspond to all the accepted proposals from the ‘Call for Proposals for Analysis of Chilean data on Missing Dimensions’ made public on our website. If you have received a password, the data can be accessed here.
Resources (add version and date to metadata of each document)
Full Original MD Questionnaire Implemented in Chile – Spanish
Full MD Questionnaire in Chile – English Translation
Full Report from MICRODATOS (Zip file)
Piloting of the OPHI Missing Dimensions Modules in Chad, Nigeria and Sri Lanka
OPHI is working with the Poverty and Economic Policy Research Network (PEP Network) to pilot the missing dimensions survey modules. These have been carried out in communities in Chad, Nigeria and Sri Lanka.
The questionnaires, which were administered in French, Igbo, Sinhala and Tamil, are available to download.
Full MD Questionnaire Implemented in Sri Lanka – Tamil, 2009
Full MD Questionnaire Implemented in Sri Lanka – Sinhala, 2009
Full MD Questionnaire Implemented in Nigeria – Igbo, 2009
Full MD Questionnaire Implemented in Nigeria – English Translation, 2009
CBMS Philippines
OPHI is working with the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) in the Philippines. This has involved piloting the missing dimensions modules among 500 households in one rural and one urban community in and around Manila.
Full MD Questionnaire Implemented in Philippines – Tagalog, 2009
MPhil Theses
Student Research Grants
OPHI offers a small number of grants to MPhil and DPhil students from Development Studies, Economics, Economics for Development, Sociology, Applied Statistics and other related subjects at the University of Oxford. The grants are for research related to OPHI’s research themes and are advertised with guidelines for applications in February or March of each year. Selected papers resulting from OPHI’s research grants are published in OPHI’s Research in Progress Series.
Collaborating with OPHI
We welcome expressions of interest from any individuals or organizations seeking to test any (or ideally all) OPHI survey modules. For more information about these indicators and associated research, or if you plan to use them in your own work, please contact ophi@qeh.ox.ac.uk.
