Database and Development Indicators

Tajikistan
Building a Poverty Monitoring Mechanism
(November 2002 - April 2003)

• Issues
• Purpose
• Key Activities
• Contact

Issues

A comprehensive poverty assessment in Tajikistan published by the World Bank in 2000 depicted a worrying situation (Republic of Tajikistan; Poverty Assessment, The World Bank, Washington, D.C., June 2000, Report No.20285-TJ). The break up of the Soviet Union, the civil war and unrest (1992 to 1997), and other factors had adverse consequences on the standards of living of the Tajik population. According to the Tajik Living Standard Survey data (TLSS), 83% of the population was below the national poverty line in 1999. One third was considered very poor and 20% extremely poor. The same data showed an acute food security situation, low access to safe water and sanitation, and poor housing conditions. Major problems in the provision of education and health services were revealed, with barriers and constraints both on the supply side and the demand side. The participation in the labor force is low compared with other republics of the Former Soviet Union, with disturbingly large number of young people unemployed.

In order to provide the Government with a continual flow of relevant information that can inform future revisions to the national poverty reduction strategy and assist foreign donors in targeting and assessing their own assistance, a poverty monitoring mechanism must be developed. A key prerequisite of a monitoring system is the ability to generate timely and reliable socioeconomic statistics disaggregated at sub-national levels. Although poverty data is available and is being used to develop the poverty reduction strategy, the national capacity to generate, analyze and disseminate such information is still limited and needs to be strengthened.

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Purpose

The overall objective of the technical assistance (TA) is to set-up an institutionalized and affordable statistical poverty monitoring mechanism, which will serve the implementation of the national poverty reduction strategy and of the Poverty Partnership Agreement to be signed between ADB and the Government. The specific objectives are (i) to develop a statistical data collection and dissemination program (action plan) for monitoring poverty, (ii) to strengthen the capacity of the national statistical agency, the State Statistics Committee (SSC), to collect and analyze poverty statistics, and to update selected poverty indicators by conducting a sample household survey, and (iii) to produce a first poverty monitoring report at the end of the TA.

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Key Activities

In order to fulfill the first objective, a list of statistical indicators to be monitored will be finalized and a workable poverty monitoring action plan will be designed. The TA will concentrate on outcomes and impact indicators.

The second objective of the TA is to strengthen the capacity of the SSC to produce and analyze outcome and impact indicators on a regular basis. Capacity will be developed through on-the-job training. Building on the capacity developed during the TLSS, a nation-wide poverty survey will be implemented. Primary responsibility for carrying out the survey will be with the SSC. The TA will provide international and domestic consulting services. The SSC will identify highly qualified counterpart staff to work with the international consultant to ensure proper transfer of knowledge. Training will be provided to the SSC staff by the international consultant on sampling, survey methodology, questionnaire design, data processing, and poverty analysis.

The third objective of the TA is to produce a first poverty monitoring report. Based on data collected by the SSC and other data producing agencies, the SSC assisted by domestic consultants will produce and disseminate a comprehensive report on the progress towards poverty alleviation.

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Contact

Mr. Olivier Dupriez, Poverty Statistician
odupriez@adb.org

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