Action Plan

Action Plan. Stage I (up to December 2003)

Action Plan includes 7 principal blocks, in the framework of which in all 20 activities should be fulfilled.

Block 1. Improving the Methodology of Poverty Measurement

Activities of the Block:

1. Recommended Welfare Indicator for HBS and feasible indicator based on examination of broader data sets from Russia.
2. Examine Nutritional foundation in the analysis of poverty line in Russia (statistical aspect).
3. Recommended poverty line(s) for Russia.
4. Welfare consistency of regional poverty lines (Requires regional price dataset)

   Block 2. Improving poverty-focused administrative statistics on social programs

   Activities of the Block:

5. Administrative data structure.
6. Evaluation of current administrative data system. Rrecommendations on improving system.

   Block 3. Improving Household Budget Survey methodology

   Activities of the Block:

7. Improvement of HH expenditures registration procedures in HBS based on Personal Diary (approbation).
8. Interviewer management/non-response training workshop for regional supervisors.
9. Field Surveys Division structure.
10. Development of sample modeling for HBS based on Population Census data (2002).
11. Improvement of weighting and editing procedures for HBS data, comparisons of HBS data with Census outputs.

    Block 4. Improving Poverty Monitoring System

    Activities of the Block:

12. Design and pilot test new poverty and social indicator questions for inclusion into HBS program.

    Block 5.Open access to household datasets, in compliance with Russian legislation and international recommendations, while ensuring complete confidentiality of respondents

    Activities of the Block:

13. Establishing principles for open access to micro data.
14. Systems work to establish micro data bases.

    Block 6.Improving analytical basis on poverty

    Activities of the Block:

15. Report on Poverty, Growth, and Inequality 1997-2000: Dynamics and profile.
16. Report on Regional Dynamics of Poverty: Linking changes in poverty outcomes to regional economic conditions and regional policies.
17. International practice on targeting methods.
18. Report on targeting social assistance: (I) existent targeting practices; (II) evaluation of coverage, adequacy, and efficiency of targeting; (III) policy recommendations.
19. Labor markets and poverty: Employment, earnings, arrears, and poverty outcome.

    Block 7. Improving the methodology of forecasting of social reform

    Activities of the Block:

20. Development of forecasting tools for estimate of welfare impact of social policy reform.