OPHI - Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative

05/09/2026

New article explores how locally tailored Multidimensional Poverty Indices can be practical tools for NGOs ⬇️

Calcutta Rescue is a medium-size NGO in Kolkata, India. In 2019, they created a bespoke MPI which reflected slum-specific deprivations and their own policy priorities.

The MPI results helped them to better identify the most deprived slum areas and the key indicators of poverty. This enabled Calcutta Rescue to refocus their policy priorities and resource allocation to address the most urgent needs.

When the NGO carried out the MPI survey again in 2024, they found that poverty had fallen across the nineteen comparable slums. Their MPI-informed interventions were working.

Find out more in a new Dimensions article by Suman Seth: https://www.mppn.org/can-a-locally-tailored-mpi-help-ngos-target-poverty-more-effectively/

04/09/2026

Este nuevo artículo analiza cómo los Índices de Pobreza Multidimensional (IPM) adaptados al contexto local pueden ser herramientas prácticas para las ONG ⬇️

Calcutta Rescue, una ONG de tamaño mediano que trabaja en Calcuta, India, creó un IPM propio en 2019, que reflejaba las privaciones específicas de los barrios marginales y sus propias prioridades para política publica.

Los resultados del IPM permitieron identificar mejor las zonas más desfavorecidas y los principales indicadores de pobreza. Esto permitió que el equipo de Calcutta Rescue, reorientara sus prioridades y la asignación de recursos para responder a las necesidades más urgentes.

Cuando la ONG volvió a realizar la encuesta del IPM en 2024, constató que la pobreza había disminuido en los diecinueve barrios marginales comparables. Sus intervenciones orientadas por el IPM estaban dando resultados.

Descubre más en un nuevo artículo de Dimensiones de Suman Seth: https://www.mppn.org/es/can-a-locally-tailored-mpi-help-ngos-target-poverty-more-effectively/

03/09/2026

At a high-level UN General Assembly side event on 22 September, the Kingdom of Bhutan, United Nations ESCAP, and the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN) will come together to explore the future of poverty eradication efforts.

We are honoured that this event will feature remarks by H.E. Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan; H.E. Armida Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of ESCAP; and H.E. Juan Manuel Santos, Chair of The Elders, Nobel Peace Laureate, and former President of Colombia.

Join us on 22 September at the UN Headquarters during , as we hear insights on how multidimensional approaches to poverty shape international development priorities.

Find out more and register: https://ophi.org.uk/event/beyond-2030-renewing-global-commitment-end-poverty-all-its-dimensions-unga-81

26/08/2026

Let’s renew the global commitment to ending poverty in all its dimensions 🤝

Next month at a high-level UN General Assembly side event, the Kingdom of Bhutan, United Nations ESCAP, and the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN) will come together to explore the future of poverty eradication efforts.

There’s been significant progress accelerating poverty reduction in many parts of the world — but overlapping crises like conflict, climate-related disasters, and economic uncertainty threaten to reverse hard-won goals. We have to keep poverty firmly at the centre of global development efforts beyond 2030.

Join us on 22 September at the UN Headquarters as we hear insights on how multidimensional approaches to poverty shape international development priorities.

Find out more and register: https://ophi.org.uk/event/beyond-2030-renewing-global-commitment-end-poverty-all-its-dimensions-unga-81

10/08/2026

Applications close on FRIDAY for our Research Officer vacancy.

This role will…

➡️ Support the development of Multidimensional Poverty Indices and their use as policy tools
➡️ Accompany our partners in the process of designing and updating national measures
➡️ Contribute to OPHI’s research on multidimensional poverty measurement and analysis

Could this be the role for you? Find out more and apply: https://ophi.org.uk/About/Vacancies

10/08/2026

03/08/2026

How did our 2026 cohort reflect on the OPHI Summer School?

We were joined in Costa Rica by 49 participants from 29 countries and a wide range of backgrounds — development professionals, academics, government officials, and more.

They called the course a ‘transformative experience’, ‘a rigorous yet practical exploration of multidimensional poverty measurement’, and ‘a wonderful opportunity to deepen knowledge’.

Our 2027 course will be an Advanced Course on Multidimensional Poverty Measurement and Analysis, designed for MPI technicians interested in deepening their skills and knowledge. Find out more on our website.

31/07/2026

The 2026 OPHI Summer School is complete!

Congratulations to our 2026 cohort, who joined us from 29 countries and a wide range range of backgrounds — development professionals, academics, government officials, and more. They’ve spent the last fortnight working hard in lectures, Stata labs, and working groups to grow their knowledge and skills in multidimensional poverty measurement and analysis.

As our Summer School academic directors, Ricardo Nogales and Monica Pinilla, said: ‘It’s always amazing to engage with an international community committed to advancing rigorous methods to measure poverty in all its forms and think of public policies to end it.’

Thank you to Universidad Latina de Costa Rica for hosting the Summer School at their beautiful campus in San José, and organising insightful sessions on the use of the Multidimensional Poverty Index in Costa Rica.

For more information and to read testimonials from our participants: https://ophi.org.uk/news/ophi-summer-school-draws-close-after-fortnight-learning-multidimensional-poverty-measurement