The Ministry of National Mobilisation, launched the Participatory Poverty Assessment (PPA), Monday 10th, September, 2018, at the Frenches House with an opening ceremony which had the feature address being delivered by Hon. Frederick Stephenson, Minister of National Mobilization, Social Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Persons with Disability and Youth.
The Minister in his presentation informed the gathering of the purpose of the PPA. He stated: “The purpose of the PPA is to better understand poverty, through a variety of methods. A combination of group discussions, community workshops, and one-on-one formal or informal interviews will be conducted in by trained facilitators in selected communities (8) across Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). The PPA is part of the Country Poverty Assessment (CPA), which will provide a complete picture of the living conditions and poverty in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.” He encouraged the country to participate as this will help to provide the necessary information on the condition of poverty thus allowing his ministry to respond in meaningful ways to the community needs.
In his summation he pointed out: “The emphasis continues to be strengthening the system’s performance, which includes the need to modernize service delivery; improve objectivity of targeting; reduce duplication of benefits; improve monitoring and evaluation and establish a policy foundation for the social protection system nationally. The results of the PPA when completed would greatly propel this process.”
The training include class room and theoretical components with transect walk and field simulations being done during the time slated for the training.
The training sessions are being facilitated by the Director of Social Development, Mrs. Merissa Finch-Burke, of the Ministry of National Mobilisation and Mrs. Amonia Paul-Rolle, the Social and Gender Analyst (E-CPA) Enhance Country Poverty Assessment Project at the OECS Commission.
Mrs. Amonia Paul-Rolle, while addressing the gathering brought greeting from the OECS Commission and expressed her pleasure of being a part of the process. This exercise is being funded by the CDB. She lamented on the need to have research facilitators adequately trained to collect the required data. She further stated “the overall objective of the CPA is to improve the availability of timely and reliable data which is critical to support evidence based decision making and improved frameworks development.”
In summary, the PPA complements the SLC – survey of living conditions, it generates or utilize qualitative data; answers question that cannot be adequately dealt with using numbers. It is deliberate action to give a voice to persons living in poverty or vulnerable condition and to those whose living conditions are restricted by structural conditions in the society, change in the policy environments or natural disasters.
SOURCE: Ministry of National Mobilization, Social Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Persons with Disability and Youth
