Measuring and monitoring poverty: the case of Kenya

This paper describes Kenya's experience in measuring and monitoring poverty using a range of qualitative and quantitative tools, that feeding into Poverty Reduction Strategy consultation processes. In drawing out the merits and demerits of the various poverty assessment tools, the authors argue that they ultimately form a good benchmark with which to monitor poverty, as well as a springboard for further poverty diagnostics and feedback into the data collection systems. In terms of poverty analysis, relevant to the country's context, the authors flag up a series of issues as follows:

• 'command over non-market goods', may be a possible ommission in conventional poverty measures
• apart from survey errors, welfare measures may vary depending on the season the survey is conducted
• differences in the questionnaires used for Welfare Monitoring Surveys (WMS) are likely to have implications for the comparability of household welfare. Hence, sampling variations and timing of surveys should be harmonised in future
• WMS series do not capture the quality of food items.

In conclusion, the authors state that there is an urgent need to develop structures to enable communities to fully participate in the planning, implementation and monitoring of poverty programmes and projects.