HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS IN POVERTY MONITORING AND ANALYSIS, A CASE

OF UGANDA

ByJames W. Mubiru, Deputy Executive Director

&

Johnson L. Kagugube, Principal Statistician

Uganda Bureau of Statistics

Governments have had to accept conditionalities to receive the HIPC funds. Thus obliged to set targets in

their PRSPs as follows:

Poverty reduction to about 10% of the population; To achieve full enrollment rates in schools; Reduce AIDS prevalence; Maternal mortality; Infant mortality and Under 5

mortality rates

Uganda has:- assessed data requirements;- Collected the data;- Developed policies to help the poor;- Used both qualitative and quantitative approaches;

Here we are examining the quantitative side.

A typical Household which is the survey unit

Poverty Monitoring is;

Investigating Levels Changes Causes

Poverty Monitoring Strategy (PMS) Outlines;

All the institutions involved in Poverty Monitoring and Analysis

UBOS is one the major institutions MFPED at the center of Poverty Monitoring Poverty Status Report assess the progress and

challenges in the implementation of the PEAP

Institution Role in Monitoring

Poverty Monitoring and Analysis Unit, and the Economic Policy Development and Research Department, Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MFPED)

-Co-ordinate data collection-Analyse data-Publish the information-Disseminate information

Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) -Collects data-Construct the national accounts-Analyse trends in the data

Uganda Participatory poverty Assessment Process (UPPAP) -Collects data of qualitative nature

Ministry of Public service (MOPS) -Conducts the National Service Delivery Survey

Planning Units of the Sectoral Ministries -Design indicators and compile administrative data

Budget Department, MFPED Coordinate the design of indicators under the Medium Term Expenditure Framework

Poverty Action Fund (PAF) Monitor implementation of directly poverty reducing expenditures

Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) Coordinating data and policy response on AIDS

District Authorities -Develop a database at the district level-Collect information on output and inputs

Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) Implement research on all aspects of economic policy including poverty

Directorate of Employment, Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development (MOGLSD)

-Identify data needs for monitoring of the labour market

Other academic institutions and NGOs -Conduct research on all aspects of poverty

INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED IN POVERTY MONITORING AND THEIR ROLES

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1988

/89

UD

HS

I

1989

/90

HB

S

1992

/93

IHS

1993

/94

FMS

1994

/95

SM

S

1995

UD

HS

II

1995

/96

TMS

1997

UN

HS

I

1999

DR

EPS

1999

/200

0U

NH

S II

2000

NS

DS

2000

/200

1U

DH

S II

I

Duration of Uganda's Household Surveys in Months

Survey Duration in Months

Strengths of the UBOS’ Household Survey Data is;

-the rich database with annual information dating back to 1988 (with

breaks in 1991 and 1998).

-Some Examples,…………..

 

Graph 1: Trend of Poverty in Uganda, 1993-2000

 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1997 1999/2000

Pov

erty

Lev

els

(P0)

National

Rural

Urban

 

  Graph 2: Distribution of Income (Gini Coefficient): 1992/93-1999/2000

00.050.1

0.150.2

0.250.3

0.350.4

0.45

1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1997 1999/2000

Gin

i Cof

ficie

nt

Rural Urban Total

 

Challenges of Household Surveys in Poverty Monitoring:

Address the data demands of the lower administrative units

Provide timely information on all indicators identified in the Poverty Monitoring Strategy

Making comparisons across surveys Consumer Price Index being urban based and not

covering all areas

The results from the household surveys have influenced policy as follows:

Included in the Background to the Budget Report; Re-orientation of the Poverty Action Plan; e.g. water,

health and education sector; Included in the PMA; Used during the revision of the PEAP; Led to the formation of Poverty Eradication Working

Groups; Guided planning at the various administrative levels