2 April 2014: The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) announced the launch of its Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT), which aims to strengthen the design, planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects for rural poverty reduction.

The MPAT assesses local-level rural poverty by aggregating people’s perceptions on ten different indicators, based on data collected from household, village or project surveys. The first six indicators focus on fundamental needs: food and nutrition security; domestic water supply; health and health care; sanitation and hygiene; housing, clothing and energy; and education. The remaining four dimensions capture central aspects of rural livelihoods and well-being: farm assets, such as land tenure, land quality and agricultural, crop and livestock inputs; non-farm assets, such as employment, financial services and remittances; exposure and resilience to shocks; and gender and social equality.

Adolfo Brizzi, IFAD, emphasized the “importance of measuring – and then in turn reacting to – levels of poverty in rural areas,” as the post-2015 development agenda takes shape. He said, “while at IFAD we finance investments in sustainable agriculture and rural development as key ingredients for poverty eradication, economic growth and food security, we know that success can only be achieved if there is a clear understanding and monitoring of progress and impact.” By accounting for complex local realities, the MPAT aims to highlight areas where support is needed, and facilitate and enhance successful projects and interventions.

The UK Department for International Development (DFID) supported the MPAT’s development, which began in 2008. It was field-tested in Bangladesh, China, India and Mozambique, and its beta version was released in 2010. UN agencies, government departments and NGOs have used the tool. [IFAD Press Release] [MPAT Website] [MPAT Infographic] [Launch Webcast]