The document summarizes a repeat survey conducted in 2006 of households originally surveyed in 1998 in Vietnam to measure changes in poverty levels. Some key findings: - Poverty decreased in all communes surveyed between 1997 and 2006 based on responses to questions about basic necessities. Inequality also decreased in three of the communes. - There was a high correlation (0.99) between what men and women viewed as basic necessities. - The survey, called the Basic Necessities Survey (BNS), uses a simple questionnaire format to understand possessions and expectations of basic items to measure poverty in a way that is easy to analyze and communicate. - Future applications of the BNS discussed include using it

1. The 2006 Basic Necessities Survey A repeat survey of households that were originally surveyed in 1998/9, in Can Loc District, Vietnam. The Basic Necessities Survey (BNS) is a simple and innovative method of measuring poverty, producing results that are easy to analyse and easy to communicate.

2. History 1995 ActionAid Vietnam starts work in Can Loc District, Ha Tinh province 1997 & 98 BNS used to establish a poverty baseline By local AAV staff < William Smith < Rick Davies 2000 Local AAV staff form Pro-Poor Centre NGO Take over management of savings and credit program 2006 Ford Foundation funds PPC to repeat BNS By PPC, assisted by Rick Davies Same period of the year, same location & households

3. The respondents 596 households in five communes in 1997 = 10% all households in 1997 64% respondents female 596 households in 2006 = 9% household sample in 2006 94% were the same as in 1997 Replacements were matched to 1997 status 63% respondents were female, 4% M&F, 30% male, 3% not recorded

4. The survey form: One A4-page The identifiers Location of interview Date of interview Respondent(s) names 2. Menu of items (things & events) 3. “Which of these do you think are basic necessities (that everyone should be able to have and no one should have to go without)?” 4. “Which of these do you have?” 5. “Do you think your household is poor or not poor, compared to others in the commune?”

5. Changes in possessions 1997-2006 The menu, in English

6. Changes in expectations 1997-2006

7. Fit between expectations and possessions in 2006

8. Constructing a BNS score Step 1 BNS = Basic Necessities Score Low score = more poor High score = less poor New menu items introduced in 2006

9. Constructing a BNS score Step 2

10. Least poor Poorest

11. Blue line – 1997 status of households. Pink squares = their 2006 status

12. BNS scores Across communes Across time Poverty has decreased in all four communes Inequality has decreased in three communes But there is a caveat here

13. Correlation between men and women’s views of what are basic necessities = 0.99

14. Official head count of poverty says 41% of households are poor. If BNS and official head count measure the same thing, all officially poor households will be to the left of the line. We are now investigating if this is the case.

15. Cumulative average % of those who say their household is poor

16. Future uses of the BNS…1 BN scores for villages rather than households Menu of items that people could have as a community Necessities and possessions Also useful with groups (men / women, young / old, etc) that may have specific and different needs

17. Future uses of the BNS…2 As a Needs Assessment tool, to be used at group or community level Each menu item can have a Needs score Needs score for an item = Necessities score for that item, minus the Possessions score for that item Items with high Needs score, which are also scored highly as Necessities, should the focus of concern

19. To function as a compound development index , to describe the quality of particular public services, or even the scale of more national development goals. # A simple example would be the potential use of the BNS to measure the performance of primary schools within a country or region. The menu would list various things which a primary school might have, some of which may think are basic necessities and others which we may not. In Nigeria that menu might include A secure boundary fence A roof that does not leak An unbroken floor Toilets - separate for boys, girls and teachers Clean water supply Furniture to sit at and write on Blackboard and chalk Future uses of the BNS...3

20. Future uses of the BNS...3 The BNS (Education) survey would then ask respondents “ Which of these things do you think all primary schools should be able to have and no one should have to go without?” “ Which of these things does your primary school have?” Using the results collected from respondents in many locations, about many primary schools, we could then calculate each school’s BNS score.