I'm excited to announce that the Egypt PPI is now completed and available at: http://www.progressoutofpoverty.org/country/egypt
This PPI is about 5 years in the making and long appeared a lost cause. The successful outcome is as a result of important connections, personal intercessions, a trip to Cairo by Mark Schreiner and lots of leg work by Grameen Foundation staff, Grameen-Jameel staff and Grameen-Jameel partners in Egypt along the way.
As many of you know, each country specific PPI is based on data specific to that country. The data sets are generally made available for free or a for a nominal fee by that country’s government (through the ministry of statistics or a similar department.) When I refer to a “data set” I’m talking about electronic files covering every single indicator and response of the survey in question. The number of indicators on these surveys ranges from a couple of hundred to more than a thousand. And of course, to be nationally representative the sample sizes number in multiples of 10,000. In some cases, all of that data is clearly and cleanly laid out with supporting documentation. In many cases it is not! Dr. Schreiner will then sift through all of the data and pull out the individual indicators that are most strongly linked to poverty levels. Once Mark comes up with a draft set of 10 indicators and poverty line tables we share that draft with local practitioners for field testing. The end result of the process, with a few more steps thrown in of course, is the PPI. In some cases the whole process takes little more than a month. In others, like Egypt, the delays are interminable.
Development delays aside, Egypt is an exceptionally important proving ground for the PPI and I'm excited to begin the process of supporting Egyptian organizations in better tracking their clients' poverty levels. Taking immediate advantage, Sharlene and the Grameen-Jameel team head to Cairo in 3 weeks for a training session and to kick off Grameen-Jameel partner PPI pilots.
Want to learn more about how the PPI is constructed? Visit the FAQ section!
Jeff Toohig is the Deputy Director of the Grameen Foundation Social Performance Management Center. He is based in Washington, DC.
