Small area estimation poverty maps help policy makers in many countries to:

• get a deeper understanding of poverty 
• shift the discourse on poverty
• provide motivation for new strategies and approaches
• elaborate the operational details of specific programmes
• increase accountability through easily understandable, transparent and objective information
• develop capacity and interest in evidence-based policy making
  

However, there are limitations to the use of poverty maps. For instance, a poverty map is only as accurate as the data and the methodology used. Also, the following aspects should be considered:

• which dimension of poverty has been meausured
• correlation does not imply causality
• possible constraints on the degree of disaggregation
• issues in updating poverty maps
  

Poverty maps are best viewed not as decision-making tools, but as sources of detailed poverty data. To enhance a broader application of poverty maps, this volume explores ten steps of the poverty mapping process:

• defining the scope of the mapping exercise, its objectives and stakeholders
• building support with key players
• creating demand by setting up user groups, explaining possible applications
• overcoming conflicts with agencies by presenting the poverty map as a complementary tool
• establishing institutional arrangements to embed the poverty map in a broader policy-making and monitoring process
• addressing access to and quality of data and software
• producing poverty maps and testing their validity
• distributing poverty mapping products
• supporting users and providing follow-up
• engaging external development partners
  

To further explore the application of poverty maps, the volume explores the case studies of Albania, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

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