OECS and CDB continue Country Poverty Assessment training

February 20, 2018

The OECS Commission and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) continue training of Country Poverty Assessment (CPA) stakeholders as the region works towards improved methods of indicating and measuring poverty.

The Cabinet-appointed National Assessment Teams (NAT) in St. Kitts and in Nevis each participated in a sensitisation workshop for the CDB’s Enhanced model for the Country Poverty Assessment (CPA) on January 23-24, 2018.

A two-person delegation from the Statistical Services Unit of the OECS Commission facilitated the workshop which provided information on the role and responsibility of the NAT, the elements of the Enhanced CPA, and the tools and resources available for implementing the Enhanced CPA and gender sensitisation.

Ms. Beverly Harris, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainable Development said the sensitisation workshop was an important step towards the end goal of poverty alleviation.

“The Enhanced CPA is critical for measuring poverty levels in the Federation and for ensuring that appropriate policies are put in place to alleviate poverty.”

In April 2017, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis formally constituted its NAT, which is the team with overall responsibility to coordinate the implementation of the Enhanced CPA. On 30 November 2017, the Government of the Federation observed the official start of implementation of the CPA at two ceremonies - one in St. Kitts and the other in Nevis.

The workshop was organised by Mr. Carlton Phipps, Director (Ag.), Department of Statistics, Ministry of Sustainable Development, St. Kitts and Nevis; and Ms. Osslyn Ward, Social Research Officer and CPA Focal Point, Ministry of Sustainable Development. The delegation from the OECS Commission included Ms. Sinovia Moonie, Research and Survey Statistician, and Mrs. Amonia Paul Rolle, Social and Gender Analyst.

The workshop was funded by the CDB and is part of the ongoing support being provided to OECS Member States to build national capacity for implementation of the Enhanced CPA.