Poverty Reduction Strategies

Design-Intentionality Gaps: Explaining Expectation Failure of Information Systems in Developing Countries

by Silvia Masiero

In this piece, I focus on explaining expectation failure – conceptualized as lacking capacity of an information system... more In this piece, I focus on explaining expectation failure – conceptualized as lacking capacity of an information system to meet a stakeholder group’s expectations – with reference to Information Systems (IS) implementation in developing countries. Having reviewed the main model of IS failure in developing economies, devised by Heeks (2003) and grounded on design-reality gaps, I contend that this model, while working properly for interaction failure – i.e. lacking utilization of an information system by its intended users – does not hold for expectation failure. As such, I devise an alternative model, centred on what I refer to as “design-intentionality gaps”: these are gaps between the characteristics of a system as it is designed, and the objectives to be pursued in the intentionality of designers. I argue that the deeper the gap between these two dimensions, the higher the likelihood of expectation failure, because, if system design is inherently mistargeted, its capacity of meeting stakeholders’ expectations is undermined at its very basis. I apply my model to the case of RCMS, an information system devised in Kerala, southern India, for computerizing the process of ration card delivery.

“Are We Doing Fine?” The Views on Poverty Reduction Strategies Among Front-Line Workers in the Field of Social Assistance in Turkey

by Gonca Polat

Sustainable Development and Malawi

by Naomi Weir

Kentsel Yoksullukla Savaşım Noktasında Politik Bir Enstrüman: “Sosyal Belediyecilik” | A Political Instrument in Fighting Against Urban Poverty: “Social Municipality”

by Serhat Ozgokceler

Özet

Günümüz dünyasında önde gelen kentsel sorunlardan birisi kentsel yoksulluktur. Bu nedenle gerek... more Özet

Günümüz dünyasında önde gelen kentsel sorunlardan birisi kentsel yoksulluktur. Bu nedenle gerek merkezî yöntemler gerekse yerel yönetimler, yoksullukla mücadele kapasitelerini artıracak yeni yöntemler bulma arayışındadırlar. Bu bağlamda sosyal belediyecilik, yerel yönetimlerin sosyal risk gruplarına yönelik “eğitim, sağlık, konut” ve benzeri alanlarda hizmetler geliştirme ve özellikle yoksul kesimlere yönelik devlet tarafından belirlenen yoksullukla mücadele politikalarının yerel düzeyde uygulayıcısı olma misyonlarını ifade etmektedir. Bu çalışmada,
(i) sosyal politika perspektifli sosyal belediyecilikle ilgili kuramsal bir arka plan oluşturulması ve (ii) Bursa-Yıldırım Belediyesi örneğinden hareketle bu uygulamaların tüketicileri konumunda olan vatandaşlar tarafından, sosyal belediyeciliğin nasıl algılandığının ortaya konması hedeflenmektedir. Çalışmada, sosyal belediyeciliğin genel olarak belediyenin muhtaç durumda olanları koruması ve yoksulluğun azaltılmasına katkı sağlaması şeklinde “algılandığı” saptanmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Sosyal belediyecilik, kentsel sosyal politika, yerel yönetimler, kentsel yoksulluk, Bursa
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Abstract

Urban poverty is one of the leading urban problems at the present day. For that reason both the central and local governments are seeking to find new methods to increase their capacity to fight against poverty. In this context, the social municipality, refers to the missions of local governments to develop services in education, health, housing and other related areas for social risk groups and to be an implementing institution at local level in fighting against poverty policies which are constituted by the state particularly for poor people. In this study it is aimed to (i) develop a theoretical background in social municipality with a social policy perspective and (ii) reveal how the social municipality is perceiced by the citizens which are at the consumer position of these practises,based on the example of
Bursa-Yıldırım Municipality. The research indicated that the social municipality, in general, is understood as the protection of people in need by the municipality and a contribution in order to decrease poverty.

Keywords: Social municipality, urban social policy, local governments, urban poverty, Bursa

Mobility with joint forces - The decreasing of deep poverty with conditional transfers

by TARKI Social Research Institute

This study was prepared by TÁRKI Társadalomkutatási Intézet Zrt. [TÁRKI Institute for Social Re-search Co.Ltd.] and Budapest Szakpolitikai Elemző Intézet Kft. [Budapest Institute for Policy Analy-sis Ltd.] under order from the Patriotism and Progress Public Policy Foundation, on the basis of a contract signed in July 2011.

The study reflects the views of BI and TÁRKI, its contents do not necessarily coincide with the standpoint of the Patriotism and Progress Foundation.

Editors:
- Márton Medgyesi, Lead Researcher (TÁRKI Co. Ltd.)
- Ágota Scharle, Managing Director (Budapest Institute for Policy Analysis Ltd.)

Participating experts of the research:
- Mariann Dósa, Analyst (Budapest Institute and Oxford University)
- Árpád Földessy, Analyst (Budapest Institute)
- Márton Medgyesi, Lead Researcher (TÁRKI Zrt.)
- Ágota Scharle, Managing Director (Budapest Institute)
- Balázs Váradi, Lead Researcher (Budapest Institute and ELTE)
- Márton Varga, Analyst (Budapest Institute and Nova School of Business and Economics - Lisbon)

A workshop discussion was organized in Tárki on 5 January 2012 on the findings of the research project that provided the basis for this report. We express our gratitude for the valuable contribu-tions of the invited speakers, particularly György Csepeli, Károly Czibere and János Köllő.

ÁRKI Social Research Institute and Budapest Institute prepared a report on poverty in Hungary commissioned by... more ÁRKI Social Research Institute and Budapest Institute prepared a report on poverty in Hungary commissioned by Patriotism and Progress Public Policy Foundation, which was presented on the policy conference of the foundation on 29th of March in Budapest.

The Patriotism and Progress Public Policy Foundation launched its research programme in the spring of 2011. The objective of the programme is to study the poverty situation in Hungary and to develop new policy instruments to reduce extreme poverty. The research project aimes to find more efficient, effective and sustainable policy initiatives to deal with poverty. The programme includes the monitoring and evaluation of conditional social and cash transfers, which are not discriminating but stimulating and more acceptable for the majority of people who are living in better circumstances.

women, poverty, and Credit Unions

by annette rimmer

Rethinking Jeffrey Sachs and the 'Big Five': New Proposals for the End of Poverty

by Jason Hickel

2011. Pambazuka, 470.

Returns to education of young people in Mongolia

by Francesco Pastore

Post-Communist Economies, 22(2): 247-265.

Relatively little is known about the youth labour market in Mongolia. This paper studies returns to education of... more Relatively little is known about the youth labour market in Mongolia. This paper studies returns to education of 15-29-year-olds by taking advantage of a recent ad hoc School to Work Transition Survey. Based on augmented Mincerian earnings equations, education and work experience appear to be important determinants of earnings. Vocational does not provide higher wages than compulsory education. Factors bearing wage gains include: living in the capital city and in urban areas in general. Factors bearing wage penalties include: gender, informal work, training, using informal job search networks, herding. Union membership, being a migrant, the civil status are wage neutral.

Recht und Entwicklung bei der Weltbank: eine Kritik

by Matthias Ebenau

[2012] Article in Peripherie. Zeitschrift für Politik und Ökonomie in der Dritten Welt, 32(1)/125, 43-66.

Assuming a critical perspective on "law and development", this article analyses the World Bank’s... more Assuming a critical perspective on "law and development", this article analyses the World Bank’s contemporary politics in this field. It argues that the better part of its objectives and practices of an "inclusive liberalism" are marked by a fundamental continuity in regards to the economistic, Eurocentric, as well as market- and business-centred beliefs of the neoliberal paradigm. Thus, even though the Bank, as part of its governance agenda, is giving greater attention to institutions, the latter are still mainly judged on the basis of their market-supporting qualities. The strategy articulated by the Bank’s Legal Vice Presidency translates this premise into a focus on reforms to secure property and contract rights, as well as judicial independence which, in effect, largely obscures socio-economic conflicts of interest and relationships of domination. The Bank’s current strategy also reflects on its concrete practice of project financing and, accordingly, writes itself into the political strategies of borrower countries (e.g. in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers – PRSP). On the level of knowledge production, through their one-sided operationalisation, quantitative indicators (e.g. Worldwide Governance Indicators – WGI – and the Doing Business Index – DBI) exert significant influence over political and economic actors and support the legitimisation of the Bank’s practices. While the new Justice for the Poor Program (J4P) represents some noteworthy progressive innovations compared to the Bank’s mainstream practices, ultimately it remains bound to inclusive liberalism and will, thus, probably contribute to paradigm maintenance rather than to progressive transformation.

Beyond pro-poor tourism: (re)interpreting tourism-based approaches to poverty alleviation in Vanuatu

by Adam Trau

Trau, A.M. (2012) Beyond pro-poor tourism: (re)interpreting tourism-based approaches to poverty alleviation in Vanuatu. Tourism Planning and Development, iFirst, 1-16.

ABSTRACT In Vanuatu—a least developed country in the south-west Pacific region—the villages of Mangaliliu and Lelepa... more ABSTRACT In Vanuatu—a least developed country in the south-west Pacific region—the villages of Mangaliliu and Lelepa Island in the north-west region of Efate (known collectively as the Lelema communities) are attempting to alleviate conditions of poverty through a communally owned and managed tour enterprise known as Roi Mata Cultural Tours. This paper critically examines the ways in which the Lelema communities are (re)interpreting globalised tourism-based approaches to poverty alleviation—addressed here under the rubric of pro-poor tourism (PPT)—in terms of notions that reflect local realities and locally valued measures of poverty reduction. The approach advocated in this paper adopts a more local or grassroots perspective on PPT as a means of generating a more nuanced understanding of the scope for PPT initiatives within Vanuatu. The current international discourse of PPT fails to address or comprehend the more complicated and contingent forces operating at the local level in polities such as the independent Melanesian states. An approach to PPT which emphasises grassroots perspectives is proposed that promotes local cultural reconfigurations of tourism through a process of glocalisation. However, without the implementation of broader support structures, mechanisms and networks, these glocalised business models will struggle to compete in the global market economy and to meet local community expectations.

A review of “Tourism and Poverty”

by Cristina Jönsson

Published in Tourism Geographies 2012 1-3. Available online 20 Feb, 2012

Are the Teachings of Jesus Relevant for Today?

by Daniel Keeran MSW

by Daniel Keeran, MSW

In this brief review of the Sermon on the Mount and Sermon on the Plain, the teachings of Jesus are categorized as... more In this brief review of the Sermon on the Mount and Sermon on the Plain, the teachings of Jesus are categorized as Peace and Nonviolence, Psychological Well-Being, and Social Teachings.

The contribution of urban subsistence production to incomes in Jakarta

by Hans-Dieter Evers

The Non-Contributory Pension Programme In Argentina: Assessing the Impact on Poverty Reduction

by Fabio Bertranou

Poverty, Risk and Families' Responses: Evidence from Young Lives

by Kirrily Pells

This paper brings together existing Young Lives research and policy analysis, alongside new findings, to argue that... more This paper brings together existing Young Lives research and policy analysis, alongside new findings, to argue that poverty and inequalities are at the heart of childhood risk, shaping
which children are at risk, access to sources of protection, and children’s life chances. Drawing on the rounds of survey and qualitative data collection conducted to date, it illustrates
how risk is mediated through poverty and structural disadvantage, meaning that children from groups with low social status, from rural areas and the poorest households, have increased risk of having poorer outcomes in education, health and subjective well-being indicators. Policymakers concerned with reducing risk and improving protection should not focus on
enabling individual children to ‘beat the odds’ but instead on ‘changing the odds’ (Seccombe, 2002). This means targeting the root causes of children’s poor life chances, namely poverty
and inequalities, rather than just the symptoms of risk.

Poverty and Gender Inequalities: Evidence from Young Lives

by Kirrily Pells

Tackling gender inequalities has become central to poverty reduction strategies, including the Millennium Development... more Tackling gender inequalities has become central to poverty reduction strategies, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, gender dynamics between children growing up in poverty, and how these change over time, are poorly understood, yet a number of assumptions prevail. Young Lives is a study of childhood poverty which is following two cohorts of children over 15 years in Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam. Analysis of Young Lives data challenges assumptions and suggests that gender is one source of inequality, alongside poverty, geographical location, ethnicity or caste status, which can intersect to impact negatively on children’s life chances and on girls differently from boys. To improve equality of life chances, policy interventions will have most success by targeting absolute poverty and broader structural inequalities.

Social capital in firm-stakeholder networks: A corporate role in community development

by Robert Boutilier

2007. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 26, 121-134

Corporations can contribute to sustainable development goals like poverty reduction by bringing linking social capital... more Corporations can contribute to sustainable development goals like poverty reduction by bringing linking social capital into community and stakeholder networks. Often their well-intentioned efforts produce disappointing results because they encounter a variety of pitfalls like unorganised communities, self-serving elites, violent opposition, and conflicting stakeholder demands. This article applies the social network analysis concepts of social capital, bridging, bonding, and core-periphery structure to firm-stakeholder networks. The result is a three-dimensional classification scheme showing 12 patterns of social capital. It is proposed that each of the 12 is associated with a different pattern of outcomes for the stakeholders and the company, exemplified by the aforementioned pitfalls. Measures of the stakeholder network’s current pattern of social capital can be compared with the 12 classification patterns to find the closest match. It is proposed that a match predicts pitfalls and therefore can guide movement towards the patterns that most facilitate sustainable development.

Pauvreté et conditions socio‐économiques à Al‐Fayhâ’a : Diagnostic et éléments de stratégie

by Bruno Dewailly

Le Thomas C. dir, 2009, Tripoli Al‐Fayhâ’a Sustainable Development Strategy, AfD - iecd, 217 p.

When God Became Poor

by Daniel Keeran MSW

by Daniel Keeran, MSW

When the Son of God was conceived in a young virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, God entered humanity in a poor unwed... more When the Son of God was conceived in a young virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, God entered humanity in a poor unwed mother who was delighted that the Lord had recognized the low status of His servant.

She declared that God has visited the poor and powerless and done the opposite of what was expected by the rich and powerful, in bringing His Messiah into the world. The theme of his life was to reach out to those in trouble and to the whole world separated from God by sin.

The hearer-reader is asked to be aware of thoughts and feelings that come up inside as God reaches out and acts in his and her experience.

Exit doors, productive inclusion and extreme poverty eradication in Brazil

by Raquel Tsukada

Co-authored with Ricardo Paes de Barros and Rosane Mendonça