MPPN Roundtable Discussion in Cape Town
The MPPN Roundtable discussion took place on 17 and 18 October 2024, in Cape Town, South Africa. The meeting was co-hosted by the Parliamentary Budget Office, the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa and the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN).
The roundtable offered a vital opportunity for exchange and learning on multidimensional poverty among experts and leading voices from governments and international institutions. This meeting presented a unique chance to enhance capacity and foster dialogue on high-impact policies and effective strategies to alleviate poverty in all its forms using the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
Poverty is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that goes beyond the simple lack of income to include deprivations in health, education, housing, clean water, and more. Target 1.2 of the SDGs clearly recognises the multidimensional nature of poverty and calls on countries to reduce by at least half the proportion of the population living in poverty in all its forms by 2030.
In response to the multidimensionality of poverty, a growing number of countries have adopted an official national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), tailored to their local contexts and priorities, to provide the necessary information to guide poverty reduction policies. Countries are using MPIs to track progress in reducing poverty, report on the SDGs, guide budget allocation, target social programmes, coordinate multi-sectoral strategies, and evaluate poverty reduction policies.
In early 2014, Statistics South Africa produced a national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) – the South African Multidimensional Poverty Index (or SAMPI). The measure has been designed to 'improve poverty measurement for the country and to align ourselves with the growing international trend towards measuring poverty beyond the traditional money-metric method'. It is intended to complement the money-metric measures already used in the country, including the food poverty line, the lower-bound poverty line and the upper-bound poverty line.
As South Africa continues to reinforce policies to leave no one behind and target the most vulnerable, the MPI serves as an effective and high-impact tool for policy. The Parliamentary Budget Office has recently revised and developed its capacity to analyse budget allocations in the context of multidimensional poverty, offering Members of Parliament valuable insights into the challenges facing South Africa. Additionally, as the world faces new challenges, including conflict and climate crises, this meeting will provide a unique opportunity to facilitate and contribute to national and regional dialogue.
In this spirit, the goals of the MPPN Roundtable discussion were to:
- Facilitate or contribute to National Dialogue: The meeting provided a platform for in-depth discussions on the specific challenges South Africa faces in addressing multidimensional poverty. It brought together key stakeholders from various sectors to explore innovative approaches and share best practices for poverty reduction.
- Contribute to MPs’ Capacity Building for Oversight: The meeting offered comprehensive training sessions for MPs on multidimensional poverty analysis, monitoring, and evaluation. This capacity building is crucial for empowering MPs to effectively scrutinise budget allocations and advocate for policies that prioritise poverty reduction.
- Share Best Practices: By inviting international experts and policymakers from other countries, the meeting fostered a global exchange of knowledge and experiences. This enabled South African Members of Parliament to learn from successful poverty reduction strategies implemented elsewhere and adapt them to our unique context.
Programme
Presentations from the event
- Ms Sara Hamouda, Continental and Global Governance Division, M&E Directorate - Aligning the Multi-Poverty Index (MPI) With Agenda 2063 for the Second-Ten Year Implementation Plan
- Corinne Mitchell, Executive Director, OPHI - National Practices of Multidimensional Poverty as a Policy Tool
- Corinne Mitchell, Executive Director, OPHI - Workshop on MPI
- Dr Shanelle van der Berg - Regional Office for Southern Africa, United Nations Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner, Exploring a human rights economy to address poverty and inequality in South Africa
- Solly Molayi, Acting DDG: Population & Social Statistics, Stats SA - Poverty Measures - SAMPI
- Sabina Alkire, OPHI Director - Evolution of MPI as a global standard
- Dr Asghar Adelzadeh, Director and Chief Economic Modeller, Applied Development Research Solutions (ADRS) - Forward Looking Model of Multidimensional Poverty for South Africa