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Background
UNICEF is a global leader in child poverty measurement and analysis, working in over 80 countries in the past few years. Understanding the situation of child poverty is a foundation in building child-sensitive social protection programmes that improve the lives of children. UNICEF has unique advantages and experiences in assessing child poverty and vulnerability. National poverty lines are the mainstream reference point for poverty reduction. Ensuring that children are routinely reflected in these poverty lines is key.
Multiple Overlapping Deprivation Analysis (MODA) provides a comprehensive approach to the multidimensional aspects of (child) poverty and deprivation. It is developed by the UNICEF Office of Research, with support from the Division of Policy and Strategy, to facilitate the analysis of inequities and to provide instruments to identify deprived children. MODA adopts a holistic definition of child well-being, concentrating on the access to various goods and services which are crucial for their survival and development.
Available evidence suggests that children are more likely to live in poverty than adults. It emphasizes the need to specifically focus on children in national development plans. Addressing child poverty is key to breaking the vicious cycle of intergenerational transmission. Accurate measurement of the magnitude of child poverty is an important first step in eradicating poverty. To measure child poverty effectively, factors beyond household disposable income that affect a child’s well-being must be included.
Ending child poverty is both crucial for fulfilling the rights of every child and for the future of Botswana. If not comprehensively addressed, poverty keeps children from reaching their full potential and undermines the nation’s growth, including progress towards Botswana’s Vision 2036. In 2014/15, Botswana, under the leadership of the Office of the President and with technical assistance from UNICEF, developed a nationally owned methodology to measure child poverty for the country.
The National Multidimensional Overlapping Deprivation Analysis (N-MODA) has been applied to create a framework for facilitating child-focused poverty and multidimensional deprivation analyses in Botswana. The employed methodological approach and key findings were presented in UNICEF-commissioned report on “Child Poverty in Botswana: A Multiple Overlapping Deprivation Analysis”. This report provides comprehensive estimates of child poverty in Botswana using both monetary and non-monetary multidimensional measures based on the 2009/10 Botswana Core Welfare Indicator Survey (BCWIS).
In 2018, the Government of Botswana and UNICEF agreed to collaborate to enhance national technical knowledge and expertise around multidimensional child poverty. The areas of interest include: integrating child poverty measurement into national processes (national development plans, SDG reporting, statistical reports, etc.); updating child poverty estimates; and conducting capacity development activities.
UNICEF Botswana and the Government of Botswana are therefore looking to contract the services of a Consultant to provide technical advisory support to Statistics Botswana on measuring child poverty and deprivations.
Scope of Work
Goal and Objectives
The main purpose of the consultancy is to produce complete estimates of child poverty in Botswana using both monetary and non-monetary approaches. It has two objectives:
1. To generate estimates of national multidimensional deprivation and monetary poverty rates among Botswana children, as measured by N-MODA, using the 2015/16 Botswana Multitopic Household Survey (BMTHS).
2. To support Statistics Botswana in strengthening its technical capacity to measure child poverty and deprivations by:
2.1. Designing a Manual on N-MODA that presents a detailed step-by-step guideline how to carry out a multiple overlapping deprivation analysis;
2.2. Conducting a training workshop on N-MODA methodology.
Work Relationships:
The selected Consultant will work closely with the Research Support Team (RST), comprising representatives from UNICEF (Social Policy Manager and M&E Officer) and Statistics Botswana (Department of Social and Demographic Statistics). The RST will provide technical and management assistance, as well as constructive feedback to the Consultant at all stages.
The consultancy is expected to take 50 days over the period 15 May to 15 August 2019. The consultancy will follow the schedule in line with the expected deliverables and timelines. It will only be negotiated if the delay is due to conditions beyond the control of the Consultant.
Activities and Tasks:
- Finalize the research proposal in consultation with the RST;
- Analyse the 2015/16 BMTHS data and produce complete estimates of child poverty;
- Submit and discuss the preliminary estimates of child poverty with the RST;
- Draft a report based on key findings and estimatations;
- Develop a step-by-step guidelines to the N-MODA;
- Conduct an in-country visit to present key findings and to train technical staff of Statistics Botswana;
- Finalise and submit the report.
More Information
- Job City Gaborone
