Designing a multidimensional poverty index
(14 March, 2022)

A multidimensional poverty index (MPI) complements traditional monetary poverty measurements by capturing information on severe deprivations in education, health, living standards, employment, safety and other dimensions of poverty. Using country and sub-national examples, this course offers detailed practical guidance for policymakers, technical experts and other stakeholders on how to design an MPI at national and local levels.

This course allows learners to understand the steps involved in developing a robust MPI; examine the normative choices and technical requirements of multidimensional poverty measurement; understand key aspects of stakeholder engagement in designing and using an MPI; and monitor, analyse and report progress in reducing multidimensional poverty at national and local levels, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This course draws on the handbook, How to Build a National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): Using the MPI to inform the SDGs.

Course Details

Duration: 7 weeks (14 March - 29 April 2022)
Estimated Effort: 2 - 3 hours per week
Languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic
Course type: Massive Open Online Course
Partners: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA), Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI)

Course highlights and outcomes

Gain hands-on tools to develop a comprehensive MPI capturing multiple simultaneous deprivations faced by the poor
Take a deep dive into rich learning materials
Receive a certificate of completion from premier international development institutions

Course topics

Module 1: Introduction to the Multidimensional Poverty Index
Module 2: Generating support for the national MPI
Module 3: The technical process of creating a national MPI – Part 1
Module 4: The technical process of creating a national MPI – Part 2
Module 5: Using national MPIs as policy tools
Module 6: Applying the MPI towards a COVID-19 recovery

Learning objectives

By the time the course is completed, you will be able to:

Understand the steps involved in developing a robust MPI
Examine the normative choices and technical requirements of multidimensional poverty measurement
Understand the key aspects of stakeholder engagement in designing and using an MPI
Monitor, analyze and report progress in reducing multidimensional poverty at national and local levels, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Course completion requirements

To receive the certificate of course completion, participants must:

Complete five online lessons
Pass five module quizzes
Watch all course lectures
Pass the final test
Complete the course survey

Join the course