New ASC Infosheet: Missing the very poor with development interventions: Results from the PADev methodology in Burkina Faso

Two discomforting conclusions can be drawn from the latest ASC Infosheet based on PADev (Participatory Assessment of Development) poverty assessments in three communities in Burkina Faso. Firstly, using the PADev methodology - which takes into account subjective aspects of quality of life - much more people can be indicated as ‘very poor’ than using the official money-metric poverty data - which only takes into account the level of family income.

The rich benefit
Secondly, community members assessed that the majority of development interventions benefit the rich and very rich significantly more, over a continued period of time, than the poor and very poor - although the latter are the target groups of most development interventions. According to the authors, dr. Nicky Pouw of the University of Amsterdam and Kini Janvier of the Center for Information, Research and Excellence Training in Burkina Faso, this might explain part of the weariness for, and self-exclusion from, development interventions on the side of the poor.

This is ASC Infosheet 19. It can be read here.

More information about PADev can be found on the PADev website.