Stats Bureau can now measure poverty levels using

Facilitators and participants of the training multi-dimensional method

Participants engaged in the training exercise

Staffers of the B u r e a u o f Statistics are now better positioned to measure poverty levels in Guyana using the Multi-dimensional PovertyIndex(MPI).

This was made possible after several staff members recentlyconcludedhands-on capacity building exercise conducted at the Bureau's headquartersinGeorgetown.

The training was facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)andwillseeGuyana utilising this method for the firsttime,thebureausaidina pressrelease.

P r e v i o u s l y , measurement of Poverty levels in Guyana by the Bureau was primarily done using the Consumption Expenditure method, which utilises data on household expenditure.

OtherAgencieshavealso used the income method which relies on household income data However, i n c o m e s a r e o f t e n understated and therefore not the most reliable metric forpovertymeasurement.

According to facilitator of the training exercise and t h e U N D P M u l t idimensional Poverty Specialist, Renata Pardo, the M P I m e t h o d i s a complementary one which examines other dimensions to poverty which are not covered by monetary measures. These include school attendance, educational achievement, barriers of access to health services, unemployment, food insecurity and overcrowding in homes, among others.

While Guyana has a Multidimensional Poverty Index calculated at a global stage, the specialist explained that there are dimensions of poverty that are unique to eachcountry

Ensuring that the participants of the training have a greater understanding of those dimensions was thereforeamainaspectofthe exercise.

This will now allow for the design and computation of the country's first Multidimensional Poverty Index at a national level

M e a n w h i l e , C h i e f Statistician, Errol La Cruez highlighted the important role of the Bureau of Statistics in providing accurate, quality, and timely data and analysis that is vital for policy and decision makers to construct plans andinterventionsthatreduce p o v e r t y , p r o m o t e development and improve people's quality of life Therefore, this training and thesubsequentmeasurement of poverty using the MPI would be very useful to all stakeholders in identifying areas for development and tracking progress in this regard.