For more than two decades, governments and development agencies around the world have focused on reducing poverty. There have been advances, but progress has been uneven and nearly a quarter of the world’s population still suffers from extreme “income poverty.” Income poverty, however, is only part of the picture. A multifaceted account of poverty and human welfare incorporates elements that go beyond income to capture the characteristics of poverty as experienced by the poor themselves.

This book presents the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), which recognizes that the poor must be involved in planning public programs that affect their livelihoods. It further recognizes that, to be effective, development programs must be targeted and informed by relevant, current and accurate disaggregated data. To accomplish this, CBMS brings together communities and local authorities to gather and monitor locally obtained, verifiable information about actual living conditions and to use this information for planning and policymaking.

Drawing from CBMS experience in Africa and Asia, the authors present recommendations for policymakers, donor agencies, and researchers. They also present guidelines for developing and implementing poverty monitoring systems in other regions of the world.

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary
Foreword
Preface
Part 1 The Issue and Development Context
Measuring and Monitoring Poverty
Generating Information for Accountability
Local Ownership of Development
Part 2. The Approach
The Origins of CBMS
What is CBMS?
CBMS Step By Step
Resources Needed
CBMS Around the World
Part 3. Experiences From the Field
Philippines
Vietnam
Bangladesh
Cambodia
Lao PDR
Indonesia
Burkina Faso
Senegal
Benin
East Africa
Other Initiatives
Part 4. Lessons and Recommendations
Lessons Learned About Enabling Conditions
Lessons Learned About CBMS Design and Implementation
Lessons Learned About the Benefits of CBMS
Extending CBMS Uses and Benefits
Part 5. Looking Ahead
Monitoring Public Expenditures and Donor Programs
Piloting CBMS for Gender-Responsive Budgeting
Tracking Progress Toward MDGs
Better Targeting of Program Beneficiaries
Sounding an Early Warning
Extending the Reach of CBMS
New Avenues for Research
Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
Sources and Resources