Progress out of Poverty Resource Center

This information and communication technology (ICT) initiative provides MFIs with a step-by-step guide and training toolbox for implementing the PPI. This methodology is designed to assist organisations in the accomplishment of their stated social objectives, and not merely the reporting of clients' poverty levels. The idea is that, by providing researchers with access to a set of poverty scorecards for countries with significant microfinance activity, the "poverty likelihood" of a person or group of persons can be identified and used to shape programming decisions. The scorecards use a small set of what are meant to be simple, easily observable, and objective indicators - e.g., family size, the number of children attending school, and the type of housing - to estimate the share of clients who are below an absolute poverty or extreme poverty line (PPP$1/day, PPP$2/day, PPP$4/day), a national poverty line, and/or a national extreme poverty line. While the PPI is built on a universal methodology, each PPI is country-specific and based on that country's best nationally representative income and expenditure household survey.

The Progress out of Poverty Resource Center is designed to enable PPI users to share their knowledge, experience, and resources. This online collection of information includes country-specific PPIs - e.g., the ownership of a pressure cooker may be an important factor to consider in India but may not be a relevant factor in Africa - and illustrates how the Grameen Foundation is using the assessment tool in these 9 specific countries. The Resource Center also includes 2 case studies detailing the experience of Grameen Foundation MFI partners who have piloted and implemented the PPI.

Economic Development.