| Overview : There exists an extensive body of literature on the definition, measurement and analysis of poverty. Much of this literature however, focuses on analyzing poverty at a national level, or spatial disaggregation by general categories of urban or rural areas. Yet for an individual Municipality or community attempting to tackle the problems of poverty, this level of aggregation is not sufficient for answering specific questions such as where the poor are located in the Municipality, whether there are differences between poor areas, if access to services varies by subgroup, whether specific programs are reaching the poorest, and how to design effective poverty reduction programmes and policies.
Data regarding the size, characteristics and living conditions of the national population as well as individuals and specific social groups in Trinidad and Tobago, has been collected via various data collection instruments. These include the Population and Housing census taken every ten (10) years, the Household Budgetary Survey (HBS) and the Survey of Living Conditions (SLC). The HBS and the SLC more specifically yield data from which living conditions and poverty status of the population can be determined, measured and assessed. HBS have been undertaken since 1971/1972 and the SLC commenced in 1991. An updated SLC is currently being undertaken within the Ministry of People and Social Development. It is expected that the consultant should review the documents identified in Appendix I, before developing the brief methodological description on how to complete this assignment.
In an attempt to identify and understand poverty at the municipal and community levels, a pilot exercise is being undertaken in the Borough of Arima. The objective of this pilot project is to profile poverty within the Arima Borough Corporation; collate community assets and needs; and ascertain public and private sector services, programmes, infrastructure, facilities and amenities. These activities will be conducted with a view to streamline programmes/projects and the allocation of resources in communities and regions to effectively meet the needs of the poor in each community.
The Arima Poverty Profile project is to be implemented in two (2) concurrent phases. A Survey Design and Survey Expert will be hired to, inter alia, generate an aggregate poverty index for the Borough of Arima, and a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) expert will be hired to develop a framework database for application in the development of a Poverty Profile for the Borough of Arima. It is expected that both Experts will collaborate in the Arima Poverty Profile - Pilot Project. |
