Measuring Social Development in Caribbean Societies – Some Emergent Challenges and Lessons Author Godfrey St. Bernard Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies The University of the West Indies St. Augustine Trinidad and Tobago Contact: Paper presented at: International Conference on Small States and Economic Resilience Foundation for International Studies Old University Building St. Paul Street Valletta VLT 07 MALTA April 2007

Introductory Statements Social Development as a universal imperative as reinforced by the MDGs There is a need to promote “wellness” within Caribbean social systems and by extension, societies This requires careful observation and social measurement The paper recognizes the need to adopt a paradigmatic framework and therefore embraces a structural functionalist approach rooted in Action Theory

The Content of the Paper Provides a historical account of the production of social indicators with particular reference to the Caribbean The experience of Trinidad and Tobago Central Statistical Office Consumer Affairs Division The contribution of key stakeholders Academia – the University of the West Indies The Caribbean Development Bank The United Nations Children’s Fund

Classifying Indicators According to Carley (1981), social indicators can be classified as follows: Informative Indicators – descriptive Predictive Indicators – empirical, association and logic of causation Problem-oriented Indicators – identifying systems and populations that warrant amelioration Programme evaluation Indicators – facilitate impact assessment Target delineation Indicators – determine “at risk” and “at need” populations and systems

The Central Statistical Office Table 1.Subject-Matter Domains by Year of Publication of Social Indicators Report Population Health and Nutrition Education Employment, Earnings, Prices and Household Expenditure Patterns Housing and Levels of Living Public Order Leisure Population Education and Training Labour force and Income Fertility and Family Formation Mortality and Health Housing Public Order and Public Safety Consumption Expenditure and Income Distribution Productivity Transportation The Environment Public Participation and social Security Population Education and Training Labour force and Income Fertility and Family Formation Mortality and Health Housing Public Order and Public Safety Consumption Expenditure and Income Distribution Productivity Transportation The Environment Public Assistance and Social Welfare

Consumer Affairs Division Delivery was based upon the UN Publication entitled “Measuring Change in Consumption and Production Patterns – A Set of Indicators Review current status of data collection and storage Review National Policy Documents Listing Action Areas

Consumer Affairs Division Health Education Living Conditions Economic Activity Human Settlement Environment Recreation and Leisure Key Resources – Electricity, Water, Petroleum and Natural Gas Food Security International Trade Indicators Consumption Indicators Individuals and communities meeting their basic needs Whether done in socially and environmentally friendly manner Production Indicator Production processes and output environmentally friendly, sustainable Disposal practices of households and companies Meeting population needs in socially and environmentally friendly manner

Living Conditions Caribbean Development Bank Interventions St. Lucia (2 SLCs) St. Vincent and the Grenadines Grenada Belize St. Kitts and Nevis (2 SLCs) Dominica Turks and Caicos Islands British Virgin Islands Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Cayman Islands Independent Initiatives Jamaica (annually since 1988) Trinidad and Tobago (3 SLCs) Barbados The Bahamas

Living Conditions Unit of Analysis/Target Population Individuals Households Vulnerable Sub-Populations Coverage, Estimates and Output Household Consumption Expenditure Quintile Groups Poverty Line – Poor/Non- Poor Poverty Gap FGT-2 Measure Gini Co-efficients Social Outcomes – Education, Housing, Health and Nutrition, Labour Force Characteristics, Water, Sanitation and the Environment

Children’s Status Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) Guyana Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Monitor and Evaluate Interventions geared towards enhancing the status of children Satisfying the requirements of specific MDGs focusing on children

Children’s Status Unit of Analysis/Target Population Care givers Women Mothers Children Households Coverage, Estimates and Output Child Health Child Mortality Child Development Child Discipline Child Care Child Rights Child Labour Literacy Education Maternal Health Water and Sanitation Environment

Human Development Index Human Capability and perhaps as an indication of overall social development in specific social systems Based on an Education Index, a Health Index and a Wealth Index Refined insofar as it has been adjusted to take into account variations in gender inequalities across countries Thus, has resulted in the articulation of other indices such as the GDI and the GEM

Youth Development Index (YDI) A feature proposed under the auspices of the Commonwealth Secretariat Original intention was to propose a measure that was analogous to the GDI More specifically, it could be used as a tool for gauging youth empowerment and hence the plan of action of youth empowerment

Commonwealth PAYE PAYE recognizes the significance of enabling conditions that assume the following forms: the promotion of economic and material bases that are consistent with youth empowerment the establishment of mechanisms that will enhance political will, facilitate the allocation of resources and foster the adoption of critical legal and administrative frameworks, the development of attitudes and practices that are consistent with equality, democracy and peace and, the dissemination of knowledge, information, skills and values.

Ten Action Points - PAYE 1.To develop and implement measures to promote the economic enfranchisement of young people and their participation in the economy 1.To strengthen support systems and collaboration between key stakeholders in youth empowerment 1.To develop and strengthen youth ministries/departments, national youth policies and legislative and constitutional provisions impacting upon youth affairs 1.To promote positive national models and self images for young people and foster their sense of responsibility and self esteem 1.To promote the full participation of young people in decision making at all levels, including communities and local provincial and national governments 1.To take affirmative and direct action to establish gender equity for all young people, and equality of treatment and outcome for youth in special circumstances 1.To promote a democratic, stable and peaceful environment in which the human rights of young people as defined in international covenants are fully implemented and in which they can fully accept their responsibilities 1.To engage in action for the development and maintenance of human resources and intellectual capital 1.To adopt measures to improve access to information and communications technology (ICT) and provide young people with the skills to make use of it 1.To pursue measures to broaden youth participation in sporting and cultural activities as a means of promoting positive values and advancing human development

Further Thoughts on the YDI Having adjusted HDI based on gender inequalities, there should be further adjustment to treat with variable prospects and attainment with regard to youth empowerment across countries Perhaps a YDI, renamed a Youth Related Development Index should be pursued analogous to the GDI. Alternatively, a YGDI – a Youth and Gender Related Development Index could be proposed adjusting for variations in gender inequality and youth empowerment processes across countries

Social Vulnerability Index Spearheaded primarily by the United Nations ECLAC Social vulnerability status as characterizing social outcomes due to the interplay between strengths, weaknesses and opportunities on one hand, and threats on the other Based upon a functionalist framework where reference is upon social systems, social institutions and their respective sub-systems

Institutional Sub-Systems and Indicators The System of Education: -The proportion of the population 20 years and over with exposure to tertiary level education - E1. -The proportion of the population 20 years and over that has successfully completed secondary education (i.e. highest level of educational attainment being a minimum of 5 GCE ‘O’ Level or CXC Basic Subjects or equivalent secondary school leaving qualifications) - E2. -Adult literacy rate - population aged 15 years and over - E3. The System of Health: - Life expectancy at birth - H1. The System Promoting Security, Social Order and “Good” Governance: -Index of rule of law – S1. -Measure of minority groups' participation in the economy – S2. -Measure of new governments' respect for previous governments' commitments – S3. The System of Resources Allocation: -Proportion of all children (under 15 years) belonging to the two poorest quintiles - R1. -Proportion of working age population (15-64) belonging to the two poorest quintiles with no more than primary school education - R2. -Proportion of the population (15 years and over) belonging to the two poorest quintiles with no medical insurance coverage - R3. -Proportion of the population belonging to the two poorest quintiles and living in households where the head was not employed - R4. The System of Communications Technology: -Computer literacy rate – population aged 15 years and over - C1.

Key Parameters for Data Collection Data Collection Activities Institutional Sub- System IndicatorsData Colle ction Proce ss Observati on Unit Level of Analysis Survey of Living Condition Education Resources Allocation E1, E2 R1, R2, R3, R4 Sample Surve y Individua ls Individual Household Nation National Survey of Basic and Computer Literacy Education Communicati ons Technolo gy E3 C1 Sample Surve y Individua ls Individual Household Nation National Survey of Governance Processes Security, Social Order and Governa nce S1, S2, S3Expert Polls ExpertsNation Official Vital Statistics - Mortality HealthH1Existing Data Civil Regis tratio n Depa rtme nt Nation

Emergent Questions and Concerns Is there a basis for developing a composite index bearing in mind environmental, economic and social vulnerability measures? Is there a basis for developing a composite index of environmental, economic and sociaql resilience? Having adjusted the HDI to take into account gender inequalities in order to arrive at the GDI. A further recommendation in this paper has been the need to also take into account adjustment of the HDI to take into account variations in youth empowerment to arrive a YDI

Emergent Questions and Concerns Should consideration be now given to obtaining holistic measures of vulnerability and resilience to permit further adjustments as means of further refining the HDI?

Further Challenges There is need for additional sample surveys targeting adult literacy, the computation of disability-free life years lived, access to ICT, and governance indicators There are also concerns about the reliability and validity of emergent estimates and indicators due to the quality of survey administration, the capabilities of technical skills involved in the conduct of survey research and the pursuit of survey data analysis There is need to consider harmonization prospects for concepts and definitions given different data collection standards and protocols across the Caribbean Region, especially with respect to the pursuit of comparative analyses

Thank You