National Multidimensional Poverty Measurement in Mexico and Colombia: The Design Processes of the Official Multidimensional Poverty Indices and its Use in Social Policy
24th May 2022
Tuesday 24 May | 12 – 1 pm
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85956185836
Approaches to poverty measurement have evolved over time from a unidimensional perspective to a multidimensional one that covers a more comprehensive and sophisticated understanding of deprivation. As the multidimensional concept of poverty has been on the upswing, its measurement has been introduced at global, regional, and national levels. Although the development of multidimensional poverty measures is closely associated with political processes, most of literature have mostly seen poverty dimensions and indicators as methodological artifacts. This research aims to critically assess the processes which lead to the definition of national-level multidimensional poverty measures and their use in policy. More specifically, it will investigate the design processes of national multidimensional poverty measures, the monitoring system, and its use in social policy in in Mexico and Colombia using document analysis and semi-structured interviews. This research will ultimately contribute to the existing literature by taking a critical perspective on poverty dimensions and indicators and considering the political implications of national multidimensional poverty measures in Mexico and Colombia.