Publication: Can the Poor Influence Policy? Participatory Poverty Assessments in the Developing World, Second Edition
Date
2002
ISSN
Published
2002
Author(s)
Robb, Caroline M.
Abstract
This book focuses on the World
Bank's experience with Participatory Poverty
Assessments (PPAs). Some practitioners have argued that a
number of World Bank PPAs should not be included because
they were extractive, did not influence policy, and were not
participatory. However, both good and bad practice PPAs is
included in this analysis to facilitate learning from past
experiences. Participatory poverty assessments are showing
the World Bank and other outside observers of poverty that
are not the only poverty experts. Poor people have a long
overlooked capacity to contribute to the analysis of
poverty-and without their insights to know only part of the
reality of poverty, its causes, and the survival strategies
of the poor. The objective of a comprehensive poverty
analysis, therefore, should be to conduct participatory
research and household surveys interactively, so that they
enhance each other. If a PPA is conducted after the
household survey, the results will explain, challenge,
reinforce, or shed new light on household survey data. The
results of the household survey can also, of course,
explain, challenge, or reinforce the PPA. If the PPA is
conducted before the household survey, the PPA results could
assist in generating hypotheses, shaping the design of the
household survey, and developing survey questions
appropriate for the respondents. Ideally, this should be an
ongoing process whereby both PPAs and household surveys are
conducted periodically and feed into each other. The results
of past PPAs indicate that when they are used in conjunction
with household surveys, the final assessment is a much
fuller analysis of the varying dimensions of poverty, and
the policy recommendations are more relevant and informed.
Citation
“Robb, Caroline M.. 2002. Can the Poor Influence Policy? Participatory Poverty Assessments in the Developing World, Second Edition. © Washington, DC: World Bank. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/f2ee9a2b-6e00-5549-92ce-0b625274a6b9 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”