OPHI Short Courses and Materials

Each year OPHI runs a summer school that offers participants a thorough conceptual and technical introduction to current literature and techniques of measuring and comparing capabilities. In addition, OPHI offers other short courses in multidimensional poverty measurement, the capability approach, and other human development topics.

The 2012 schedule of OPHI short courses is currently under construction. If you are interested in being updated when this schedule is put together, please send an email entitled “Please send me OPHI training course updates” to ophi@qeh.ox.ac.uk.

Details of previous courses, as well as materials from our regular summer schools, including PowerPoint presentations, problem sets and solutions, and lecture videos are available via links below.

Previous Courses and Materials

Summer School on Capability and Multidimensional Poverty, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, 24 August – 3 September 2011
UNDP Oxford Course 2011 – Concepts, Measurement and Policy Implications
2010 Summer School on Multidimensional Poverty, Santiago, Chile (Spanish Language)
2010 Summer School on Capability and Multidimensional Poverty, Amman, Jordan Access Course Materials
2009 Summer School on Capability and Multidimensional Poverty, Lima, Peru Access Course Materials
Distribution and Development, University of Oxford, 2009
Poverty and Human Development, University of Oxford, 2009
2008 Summer School on Capability and Multidimensional Poverty, Delhi, India Access Course Materials
Poverty Measurement with Professor James Foster, 2008

Previous Courses and Materials

Please click on the title of the course for further information and online course materials including Powerpoint presentations, lecture videos, and problem sets (both conceptual and in Stata).

Summer School on Capability and Multidimensional Poverty, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, 24 August – 3 September 2011

The capability approach formulated by Amartya Sen, and further developed by the philosopher Martha Nussbaum and others provides a conceptual framework that grounds many multidimensional approaches to poverty and social protection, including the MDGs, PRSPs, rights-based development, integrated social policy, and other specific initiatives.

In the past few years, interest in multidimensional quantitative techniques of analysis has surged. New quantitative methodologies have been developed for measurement, comparisons, and analysis. Many more are still under development. It is a fast-moving area.

The purpose of this intensive summer school is to provide a thorough conceptual and technical introduction to current literature and techniques of measuring and comparing capabilities, drawing on various techniques of multidimensional measurement and of statistical analysis.

Information about this course, including the course outline, materials and photos

UNDP Oxford Course 2011 – Concepts, Measurement and Policy Implications

OPHI and the UNDP Human Development Report Office organised a UNDP Human Development Course on “Concepts, Measurement and Policy Implications” at Eynsham Hall just outside Oxford, United Kingdom from 28 February – 11 March 2011.

The course was aimed at staff in Ministries of Planning, Finance, Economy and national statistics offices who have experience and roles linked to development policy planning and monitoring, including Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and MDG-based strategies, as well as UNDP staff working on related issues including Resident Representatives, Deputy Resident Representatives, Advisors, and Human Development Focal Points. The course offered an in-depth review and policy-oriented introduction to key human development concepts, measures and analytical tools, and policy implications introduced in the Human Development Report 2010. A particular focus was placed on the new measures introduced in the HDI 2010, a topic on which country and staff demand has already been expressed.

The course was organized in two phases over two weeks. The first week offered an introduction to concepts and measures, and the second week was devoted to more detailed discussions and practical exercises on HD measurement methodologies and techniques.

Further information about the course is also available on the UNDP Human Development Report website: http://hdr.undp.org/en/nhdr/training/oxford/.

2010 Summer School on Multidimensional Poverty, Santiago, Chile (Spanish Language)

The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) co-organized a summer school on multidimensional poverty measurement with Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL/ECLAC), the Ministry of Planning, Chile (MIDEPLAN) and the Foundation for Overcoming Poverty (FSP).

The course was held from 6-15 of December 2010 at Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) in Santiago, Chile. The entire course was conducted in Spanish language, and was specifically directed at policy makers, technical experts in government agencies and civil society, academic and professional investigators involved in the measurement of poverty.

This course was held as part of the Programme to Support Social Cohesion EU-Chile implemented by various public institutions to promote policies that help overcome inequality and promoting social dialogue. In its first phase, the programme has funding of 20.5 million euros, provided equally by the European Union and the Government of Chile, under the coordination of the International Cooperation Agency of Chile (ACGI).

Link to course materials

2010 Summer School on Capability and Multidimensional Poverty, Amman, Jordan

Access course materials for 2010 summer school

Co-organised by OPHI and the Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA)

Taught by: OPHI Director, Sabina Alkire, and OPHI Researchers and Colleagues.

Course purpose: To provide a thorough conceptual and technical introduction to current literature and techniques of measuring and comparing capabilities, drawing on various techniques of multidimensional measurement and of statistical analysis.

2009 Summer School on Capability and Multidimensional Poverty, Lima, Peru

Access course materials for 2009 summer school

Co-organised by OPHI and the Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA)

Taught by: OPHI Director, Sabina Alkire, and OPHI Researchers and Colleagues.

Topics: Unidimensional Inequality Measurement and Dominance, Unidimensional Poverty Measurement, Poverty Orderings, Statistical Tests for Unidimensional Dominance, Introduction to the Capability Approach, Normative Issues in Multidimensional Poverty Measurement, Multidimensional Data Reduction Techniques, Multidimensional Poverty: Properties and Measurement, Multidimensional Dominance, Robustness in Weighting, Multidimensional Inequality Measurement, Inequality Adjusted HDI, Vulnerability, Latent Variable Model with Multiple Indicators (MIMIC Model), Missing Dimensions, Fuzzy Sets Approach.

Distribution and Development, University of Oxford, 2009

Taught by: James Foster, Professor of Economics and International Affairs at George Washington University and OPHI Research Associate.

Course purpose: A focused discussion on the distributional impacts of economic development.

Topics: Materials for this course coming soon.

Poverty and Human Development, University of Oxford, 2009

Taught by: OPHI Director Sabina Alkire

Course purpose: To introduce human development and discuss economic growth and human development; measures of poverty and inequality; and agency, empowerment and democratic practice.

2008 Summer School on Capability and Multidimensional Poverty, Delhi, India

Access course materials for 2008 Summer School

Co-organised by OPHI, Human Development, Capability and Poverty International Research Centre, Pavia, and Human Development and Capability Association.

Taught by: OPHI Director Sabina Alkire and OPHI Researchers and Colleagues.

Course purpose: To provide a thorough conceptual and technical introduction to current literature and techniques of measuring and comparing capabilities.

Topics: Intro to Stata, Intro to Capability Approach and Dimensions Choice, Overview of Empirical Analysis, Intro to Undimensional Poverty and Inequality Measures, Robustness and Sensitivity, Properties of Multidimensional Measures, Missing Dimensions, Multidimensional Inequality Measures, Multidimensional Poverty Measures, Stochastic Dominance Analysis for the Study of Multidimensional Well-being, Weights in Multidimensional Measures, Poverty Dynamics, Fuzzy Set Theory, Capability Production Function, Measuring Freedoms, Instrumental Variables.