Have you ever wondered what are the root causes of poverty in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and why some communities seem more affected than others? These are some of the questions that the Country Poverty Assessment Project of St. Vincent and the Grenadines aims to answer.
What is a Country Poverty Assessment?
A Country Poverty Assessment or CPA provides information on the causes and consequences of poverty in a country and examines how public policies, expenditures, and institutions affect poor people. The CPA describes the poor, details their living conditions, describes their changing situation over time, and clarifies the main challenges facing poor people when they try to emerge from poverty. It also considers how labor-intensive growth, human resource development, and social protection programs can alleviate poverty (The World Bank).
Why Should You Participate in the CPA?
All levels of Government and non-government organizations and groups rely on CPA information when developing essential programmes (health, education, poverty reduction, etc.). Businesses also rely on this information to provide suitable goods and services for your community. The information you provide is an investment that benefits all residents of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Is Your Information Kept Confidential?
All information collected during the surveys and assessments is strictly confidential and is protected
by the Statistics Act. The Statistical Office cannot release any information to others that would
identify you or any member of your household. Furthermore, personal information cannot be made
available under any other law.
What’s Involved in a CPA?
The CPA will involve these five components:
§ Survey of Living Conditions-Household
Budget Survey
§ Participatory Poverty Assessment
§ Institutional Analysis
§ Macro Socio-Economic Analysis
§ Poverty and Vulnerability Mapping
Let’s take a closer Look!
Each component of the CPA will assess a different aspect of poverty within our Vincentian society. When combined, the results generated will provide a holistic picture of the national poverty situation.
Survey of Living Conditions and Household Budget Survey
The Living Conditions and Household Budget Survey asks questions about the spending patterns of the residents of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The survey looks at how much money households spend on various items such as food, clothing, rent, entertainment, health expenses, car repairs, etc.
It also collects socio-economic and demographic information about households, that is, information about age, gender, employment status, social security, among others.
Participatory Poverty Assessment
This Assessment attempts to understand poverty through the eyes of the poor. It involves one-on-one and group discussions with persons living within communities that are identified as poor or indigent. With this assessment, the poor can relay his or her own experience, and tell their own story. Among the groups assessed here are the elderly and the disabled.
Institutional Assessment (IA)
Poverty has many forms and dimensions, in addition to lack of adequate income and resources. Other factors such as low educational attainment, access to health care, poor health and gender inequality also determine poverty levels. The IA helps to provide a clearer understanding of the institutions and services that are critical to improving living conditions and reducing vulnerability to poverty in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Macro Socio-Economic Analysis
This analysis aims to provide information on how the global economy has influenced poverty in our country. It reviews the geographic and political relationships that St. Vincent and the Grenadines share with regional and international partners, including its governance system and commitment to
key treaties and accords. It also reports on trends in social indicators such as education, health, crime and unemployment, highlighting major risks to and/or successes in meeting development targets.
Poverty and Vulnerability Mapping
This Poverty and Vulnerability Mapping (PVM) combines all the information gathered in the other four components and generates maps that show the different factors affecting poverty and vulnerability in our country. The maps can be used to help design interventions by demonstrating geographic variations and areas that are lagging in development that might be targeted with specific actions.
Do Other Countries Do This Assessment?
All Countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) will be conducting this assessment within the next five years. This assessment is done almost every ten years in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
For further information, please contact
The Statistical Office
Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, Sustainable
Development and Information Technology
1st Floor Administrative Building
Kingstown
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Tel.: 784 457 2921
[email protected]; [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/SVG.Statistics/
https://www.stats.gov.vc
