A survey on Multidimensional Poverty Measurement: a Decision Aiding Perspective

Poverty reduction policies have often underestimated the need to define poverty as a mul- tidimensional concept and the necessity to use multidimensional approaches to measure it. Under such a perspective research has been directed towards finding solutions to the main problems that we face when considering poverty under multiple dimensions. This paper provides a review of literature on the recent developments in the framework of multidi- mensional poverty analysis. It also highlights the various approaches of multidimensional poverty measurement that can be applied to provide more accurate descriptions of poverty trends to the typical users of such statistics (such as policy analysts and policymakers) and their limitations. At the end of this paper, we consider factors other than evidence that influence policy making and policy implementation. We also introduce the concept of deci- sion aiding and meaningful measurement. The issue of meaningfulness is thus analysed both from a theoretical point of view (measurement theory) and from an operational one (policy effectiveness).