UNDP - United Nations Development Programme Indonesia

Frequently Asked Questions

List of Questions

What is UNDP? What is the relationship between UNDP and UN?
What does the UNDP want to achieve?
What are UNDP's thematic areas?
How are UNDP programmes developed?
Who is responsible for implementing UNDP interventions?
How are projects implemented?
How are projects monitored and carried out?
What makes UNDP advice and technical assistance relevant to different countries with different needs?
How is UNDP work financed?
What do UNDP Resident Representatives do?
What is UNDP's relationship with other organizations in the UN system?
What does UNDP Indonesia do?
What is UNDP's relationship with national governments?
Does UNDP offer scholarships to students?
Where is UNDP located?

General Questions about Human Development Report

What is Human Development?
What is Human Development Report?
What kind of statistics can I get from the HDR?
Where do data in the indicator tables of HDR come from?
Where do data in the thematic analysis (chapters) come from?
Do you have any data on the Millennium Development Goals?
Why is there a time lag between the reference date of most data and the release date of the Report?

General Questions about the Human Development Index

What is the human development index (HDI)?
How is the HDI used?
Is the HDI enough to measure a country's level of development?
Can GDP per capita be used to measure human development instead of the HDI?
Why is GDP per capita (PPP US$) used over GDP per capita (US$) in the HDI?
Why doesn't the HDI include dimensions of participation, gender, and equality?
Where do data for HDI come from? What are the criteria for a country to be included in the HDI?
Why isn't the HDI compiled for all UN member countries?
Is the HDI comparable over time?
Is the HDI comparable across editions of the HDR?

Questions about Indices Used in the Human Development Report

What is the gender-related development index (GDI)?
What is the gender empowerment measure (GEM)?
How are the GDI and the GEM used?
What is the human poverty index (HPI-1 and HPI-2)?
How is the HPI used?
Why aren't all the countries included in the GDI, GEM, and HPI?

Other Questions about Data

Do you have any sub-national data?
Do you have more complete time series data for economic, education or poverty indicators?
Are data comparable in different editions of the HDR?
Why do some national data differ from data in the HDR and why does the HDR show that data is missing when data is available from national sources?
How are the Regional/Income classifications determined?
When is the next Human Development Report being published?

1. What is UNDP? What is the relationship between UNDP and UN?

The United Nations (UN) is a unique international organization of 191 sovereign states. Its goal is to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations, and to promote social progress, a better living standard and human rights. Its member states are bound together by the principles of the UN Charter, an international treaty that spells out the rights and duties of member states.

One of the central mandates of the United Nations is the promotion of development, economic and social progress. As much as 70 per cent of the work of the UN system is devoted to development. Eradicating poverty and improving the well-being of people everywhere are necessary steps in creating conditions for peace.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a development organization of the United Nations. UNDP is the UN's largest provider of grants for human development. UNDP was established in 1965 by the General Assembly. In most country offices, UNDP representative serves as the coordinator of development activities for the United Nations system as a whole. Through such coordination, UNDP seeks to ensure the most effective use of UN and international aid resources. UNDP's headquarters are located in New York. About 8.400 staff is administered by UNDP worldwide. UNDP has liaison offices in Geneva, Brussels, Copenhagen, Tokyo, and Washington D.C.

In its recent mission statement, UNDP redefines itself as a network and an advocacy organization for global development: "UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges."

2. What does the UNDP want to achieve?

Fighting poverty

UNDP's mandate is to fight poverty. UNDP works to achieve this through supporting human development in a sustainable way. This concept is called Sustainable Human Development (SHD). Recently, poverty has been more concretely defined through the Millennium Development Goals.

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals

In 2000, the members of the United Nations set the international agenda for eradicating poverty. The resulting Millennium Declaration is a broad commitment of all UN member states. The declaration applies the principles of the UN Charter to a new international agenda in seven key areas:

o Peace, security and disarmament o Development and poverty eradication o Protection of environment o Human rights, democracy and good governance o Protection of the vulnerable o Meeting the special needs of Africa o Strengthening the United Nations

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) extract and refine those elements of the Millennium Declaration, which are related to development. UNDP has worked with other UN organizations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to agree on these goals. The UN General Assembly has approved the MDGs in 2001. The UN Secretary-General has asked UNDP to be the coordinator of the MDGs in the UN system - helping to make them an integral part of the UN's work worldwide. The UN Secretary General also asked UNDP's Administrator to be the campaign leader and scorekeeper for the MDGs.

The Millennium Development Goals are: GOAL 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger GOAL 2 Achieve universal primary education GOAL 3 Promote gender equality and empower women GOAL 4 Reduce child mortality GOAL 5 Improve maternal health GOAL 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases GOAL 7 Ensure environmental sustainability GOAL 8 Develop a global partnership for development

The goals are time-bound, starting in 1990 and to be achieved by 2015. They comprise only those elements of the Millennium Declaration, which are both related to development and quantifiable. Only if they are quantifiable, can one objectively measure progress. The first seven goals stress the responsibility of developing countries to undertake policy reforms and enhance good governance. Goal eight focuses on the responsibility of developed nations to relieve debt, increase aid and give developing countries better access to its technologies and markets. To be as precise as possible, the MDGs include 18 targets for the eight goals.

The MDGs are not meant to be analytical tools or a strategic path for successful development. They tell us where the world wants to go, but do not tell us how to get there. Therefore, there must be a strong link with strategies outlining how to achieve these goals. These strategies are laid out in national poverty strategies. An increasing number of UNDP country offices supports the preparation, implementation and monitoring of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers.

Because the MDGs are a limited sub-set of the Millennium Declaration, they are not scientific, but rather a politically negotiated consensus. This explains why important areas like good governance or human rights - which are included in the Declaration - are not included in the goals. In these cases, it was not possible to find a consensus about how to define and measure the goals.

3. What are UNDP's thematic areas?

In order to support the achievement of the MDGs, each UN agency focuses on what it does best. Furthermore, with mounting pressure from donors, and development effectiveness increasingly questioned, UNDP realized in the late 1990s that it needed to focus on a few, but well-defined areas. The focus needs to be on areas where UNDP has experience and a comparative advantage, and on areas, which the programme countries identify as important.

A related problem was the diluted profile of UNDP. Both among policy makers and the public, few people were able to describe what UNDP really stood for. This is not surprising, since UNDP covered all areas of technical assistance related to development. Therefore, UNDP narrowed its focus to five areas of operation. These so-called practice areas (also called "practices") are based on UNDP's strengths and experience, and on an analysis of what UNDP's clients want from the organization. UNDP defined the following practice areas in its second business plan from 2004 to 2007:

Successful human development needs to develop state institutions and processes that are more responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens, including the poor. Political participation and accountability is paramount for development. This approach is called democratic governance (also called "good governance" or just "governance").
Poverty reduction stresses the importance of policies for the poor. UNDP helps to connect national policies to the MDGs, since poverty strategies work best when they are based on local needs and priorities.
The poor are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and lack of access to clean affordable energy services. Therefore, energy and environment are essential for sustainable development and the eradication of poverty.
Many countries are increasingly vulnerable to violent conflicts or natural disasters. Conflicts and disasters can erase decades of development and further entrench poverty and inequality. Therefore, UNDP supports crisis prevention and recovery. While the ideal is to prevent a crisis, UNDP also supports countries in post-conflict situations.
HIV/AIDS is threatening to halt and reverse progress in development. To prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and reduce its impact, developing countries need to mobilize all levels of government and civil society. Combating HIV/AIDS remains a major concern in Africa and Asia. The United Nations also has a dedicated programme to focus exclusively on HIV/AIDS, called UNAIDS unaids.org.

4. How are UNDP programmes developed?

UNDP works with developing countries on their own solutions to national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners. UNDP further encourages and supports coordination between the various layers of government and non-government sectors towards a society's common good. UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women.

5. Who is responsible for implementing UNDP interventions?

In implementing its programmes, the organization works with governments, civil organizations, local communities and people under the spirit of cooperation for development. Cooperation for development goes beyond technical aspects by committing everyone involved to the goals and impact of the project. It also implies that a result is never judged, for example, by the advice given, the report produced or the training delivered, but by what has been done with it and the impact that has been produced to improve people's living conditions.

6. How are projects implemented?

Each UNDP-funded project designates one organization as its "executing agency". UNDP arranges for its support to programmes and projects to be managed in one of four ways:

" National execution (NEX). This refers to management by a national entity and is the norm as national institutions should be given first consideration in the designation of the executing agency; " Execution by a United Nations agency or multilateral development bank; " Execution by an NGO; " Direct execution (DEX). This refers to cases where management is by UNDP itself. This is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

The management arrangements are determined after consultation among the parties during the formulation of the programme or project.

The host government of the project, through its coordinating authority, has overall responsibility for all UNDP-supported activities. This authority is responsible for ensuring that all relevant departments are fully involved in these activities and it is also responsible for the overall achievement of results of UNDP support within the government's country.

7. How are projects monitored and carried out?

Monitoring and evaluation are essential management functions that are interactive and mutually supportive. They help UNDP to ensure accountability in the use of resources entrusted to it; provide a clear basis for decision-making; and offer practical lessons from past experiences to guide future development interventions.

Monitoring Methods: UNDP has moved towards broader, more strategic methods that stress relevance and results rather than activities and implementation per se. Therefore, monitoring and evaluation focus on outcomes and how outputs contribute to outcomes, to ensure that the success of UNDP's interventions is determined by measurable contribution to long-term development changes. Outcome monitoring is a continual and systematic process of collecting and analysing data to measure the performance and progress of a programme, project, partnership or policy reform processes.

8. What makes UNDP advice and technical assistance relevant to different countries with different needs?

UNDP draws on expertise from around the world in managing programmes and interventions for sustainable human development. These include developed and developing nations, UN specialized agencies, civil society organizations and research institutes. It also supports South-South cooperation by actively promoting the exchange of experience among developing countries.

9. How is UNDP work financed?

UNDP receives voluntary contributions from nearly every country in the world. A large part of UNDP's energies are devoted to ensuring a predictable flow of resources to support its programmes. It provides funding through universal criteria that strongly favours low-income countries, particularly those that are under developed.

10. What do UNDP Resident Representatives do?

The UNDP Resident Representative normally serves as the Resident Coordinator for all United Nations development activities. This function seeks to ensure that all UN development and humanitarian assistance receives the government's full support and visa versa. The Resident Coordinator is also responsible for coordinating the UN's intellectual and technical resources within the country.

11. What is UNDP's relationship with other organizations in the UN system?

UNDP acts to help the United Nations family to become a unified and powerful force for sustainable human development, and works to strengthen international cooperation through its role under the Resident Coordinator system.

12. What does UNDP Indonesia do?

UNDP is responding to the country's needs in line with its national development priorities. At the request of the Government of Indonesia, UNDP is sharpening its focus on fostering an enabling environment for the achievement of the MDGs through:

Strengthening human development
UNDP will continue its role as the principal advocate of human development towards achieving the MDGs through policy support, capacity development, monitoring initiatives, as well as specific programmes on poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS and gender equality.
Promoting sustainable environmental management
Focus will be on sound environmental management and effective use of energy resources for sustainable development mainly through advocacy and capacity development to effectively adhere to international agreement instruments.
Promoting democratic governance
UNDP will continue to build on the momentum of rapidly evolving democratization and decentralization processes by accelerating the pace and effectiveness of local governance reform by building capacity of local Government and citizens to engage in identifying local priorities and planning for public service delivery, by deepening democracy, and by promoting rights based legal and justice sector reform.
Reducing the risks of crisis
UNDP will promote a change from a culture of response to a culture of prevention. Building the capacity of Government and civil society to design and implement crisis sensitive development responses, refining disaster management systems, developing regulatory frameworks at national and sub-national levels, and strengthening emergency preparedness and response systems will be key target areas of focus in this effort.
Supporting the reconstruction process in Aceh and North Sumatra
UNDP responded rapidly to the earthquake and tsunami disaster and has sought to bridge early relief efforts with recovery and longer-term reconstruction assistance. Longer-term initiatives will focus on building capacity of local Government, civil society and micro-finance providers to promote sustainable livelihoods. We will also include the rehabilitation of housing, as well as associated community infrastructure.

These thematic areas are conceptualized as providing a coherent and mutually reinforcing package of support to assist Indonesia consolidate the progress it has made in recent years and accelerate progress towards achieving the MDGs.

13. What is UNDP's relationship with national governments?

UNDP is widely known as "the developing countries' development agency" because of the trust and confidence it enjoys among governments in many parts of the developing world. Both donor and host countries regard UNDP as a partner because it conducts its work in a politically neutral, transparent manner to all its stakeholders.

14. Does UNDP offer scholarships to students?

No. Unfortunately, our mandate does not permit us to provide such financial assistance.

15. Where is UNDP located?

UNDP has its headquarters in New York City. It also has liaison offices but works primarily through its offices in more than 140 countries. Most of these offices have websites.

UNDP HQ
One United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017, USA
Telephone: (212) 906-5000
Fax: (212) 906-5364

UNDP Indonesia
United Nations Development Programme
Menara Thamrin Building 8-9th Floor
Jl. MH Thamrin Kav.3
Jakarta Indonesia 10250
Telephone: (62-21) 314-1308
Fax: (62-21) 314-5251
Email: media.id@undp.org; registry.id@undp.org
Website: www.undp.or.id

General Questions about Human Development Report

1. What is Human Development?

Human development is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. People are the real wealth of nations. Development is thus about expanding the choices people have to lead lives that they value. And it is thus about much more than economic growth, which is only a means -if a very important one -of enlarging people 's choices.

Fundamental to enlarging these choices is building human capabilities -the range of things that people can do or be in life. The most basic capabilities for human development are to lead long and healthy lives, to be knowledgeable, to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living and to be able to participate in the life of the community. Without these, many choices are simply not available, and many opportunities in life remain inaccessible.

Human development shares a common vision with human rights. The goal is human freedom. And in pursuing capabilities and realizing rights, this freedom is vital. People must be free to exercise their choices and to participate in decision-making that affects their lives. Human development and human rights are mutually reinforcing, helping to secure the well-being and dignity of all people, building self-respect and the respect of others.

2. What is Human Development Report?

The Human Development Report (HDR) was first launched in 1990 with the single goal of putting people back at the center of the development process in terms of economic debate, policy and advocacy. The goal was both massive and simple, with far-ranging implications - going beyond income to assess the level of people's long-term well-being. Bringing about development of the people, by the people, and for the people, and emphasizing that the goals of development are choices and freedoms. Since the first Report, four new composite indices for human development have been developed - the Human Development Index, the Gender-related Development Index, the Gender Empowerment Measure, and the Human Poverty Index. Each Report also focuses on a highly topical theme in the current development debate, providing path-breaking analysis and policy recommendations. The Reports' messages - and the tools to implement them - have been embraced by people around the world, evidenced by the publication of national human development reports at the country level in more than 120 nations. HDR is an independent report. It is commissioned by UNDP and is the product of a selected team of leading scholars, development practitioners and members of the Human Development Report Office of UNDP. The teams were led by Mahbub ul Haq and Inge Kaul from 1990 through 1994; by Mahbub ul Haq and Sakiko Fukuda-Parr in 1995, by Richard Jolly and Sakiko Fukuda-Parr from 1996 through 2000, and by Sakiko Fukuda-Parr with Nancy Birdsall from 2001 through 2003. In 2004, after 10 years as the Lead Author Sakiko Fukuda-Parr was followed by Kevin Watkins, current Lead Author and Director of the Human Development Report Office. The Report is translated into more than a dozen languages and launched in more than 100 countries annually.

3. What kind of statistics can I get from the HDR?

The Human Development Report usually presents two types of statistical information: statistics in the human development indicator tables, which provide a global assessment of country achievements in different areas of human development, and statistical evidence in the thematic analysis in the chapters, which may be based on international, national or sub-national data.

4. Where do data in the indicator tables of HDR come from?

The Human Development Report Office is primarily a user, not a producer, of statistics. To allow comparisons across countries and over time in the HDR, it relies on international data agencies with the resources and expertise to collect and compile international data on specific statistical indicators.

Sources for all data used in the indicator tables are given in short citations at the end of each table. When an agency provides data it has collected from another source, both sources are credited in the table notes. But when an agency has built on the work of many other contributors, only the ultimate source is given. The source notes also show the original data components used in any calculations by the Human Development Report Office to ensure that all calculations can be easily replicated.

5. Where do data in the thematic analysis (chapters) come from?

The statistical evidence used in the thematic analysis in the Report is often drawn from the human development indicator tables. But a wide range of other sources are also used, including commissioned papers, government documents, national human development reports, reports of non-governmental organizations, journal articles and other scholarly publications. Official statistics usually receive priority. But because of the cutting-edge nature of the issues discussed, relevant official statistics may not exist, so that non-official sources of information must be used. Nevertheless, the Human Development Report Office is committed to relying on data compiled through scholarly and scientific research and to ensuring impartiality in the sources of information and in its use in the analysis.

Where information from sources other than the Report's indicator tables is used in boxes or tables in the text, the source is shown and the full citation is given in the bibliography. In addition, for each chapter a summary note outlines the major sources for the chapter, and endnotes specify the sources of statistical information not drawn from the indicator tables.

6. Do you have any data on the Millennium Development Goals?

The HDR 2003 is about the Millennium Development Goals. It includes a special set of tables on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) indicators. These tables are compiled to provide a statistical reference for assessing the progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and Targets in each country. See pages 198-236 in HDR 2003 for the Millennium Development Goal Indicator tables as well as analysis in Chapter 2 of the HDR 2003.

The United Nations Statistics Division maintains the global Millennium Indicators Database (http://millenniumindicators.un.org), compiled from international data series provided by the responsible international data agencies. The database forms the statistical basis for the UN Secretary-General's annual report to the UN General Assembly on global and regional progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and their targets. It also feeds into other international reports providing data on the Millennium Development Goal indicators across countries, such as this Report and the World Bank's annual World Development Indicators.

At the time this Report was being prepared, the United Nations Statistics Division was updating the Millennium Indicators Database while the World Bank was completing its World Development Indicators 2004 for publication. By generously sharing data, the World Bank and other international agencies-such as the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Institute for Statistics (UIS), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO) -enabled the Report to include not only the existing data in the Millennium Indicators Database but also more recent estimates for some of the Millennium Development Goal indicators. These estimates, being prepared for incorporation into the database, may have been further updated after the cut-off date for this Report.

7. Why is there a time lag between the reference date of most data and the release date of the Report?

To provide a sound statistical basis for global assessment of human development across countries, we strive to present the most-up-to-date data available at the time when the Report is prepared. Due to the time required for international agencies to collect, compile and publish the relevant international data series, it is inevitable that a time lag exists. With the generous help of many data agencies, this time lag has been narrowed from three years to two for many of the indicators in this Report since 1999.

General Questions about the Human Development Index

1. What is the human development index (HDI)?

The HDI - human development index - is a summary composite index that measures a country's average achievements in three basic aspects of human development: longevity, knowledge, and a decent standard of living. Longevity is measured by life expectancy at birth; knowledge is measured by a combination of the adult literacy rate and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrolment ratio; and standard of living by GDP per capita (PPP US$). For details on how to calculate the HDI, see pages 258-259 of Technical Note 1 and also the interactive HDI calculator and the Excel tool - interactive tools that help understand the calculation of the HDI.

2. How is the HDI used?

To capture the attention of policy makers, media and NGOs and to draw their attention away from the more usual economic statistics to focus instead on human outcomes. The HDI was created to re-emphasize that people and their capabilities should be the ultimate criteria for assessing the development of a country, not economic growth.
To question national policy choices - asking how two countries with the same level of income per person can end up with such different human development outcomes (HDI levels). For example, Viet Nam and Pakistan have similar levels of income per person, but life expectancy and literacy differ greatly between the two countries, with Viet Nam having a much higher HDI value than Pakistan. These striking contrasts immediately stimulate debate on government policies on health and education, asking why what is achieved in one country is far from the reach of another.
To highlight wide differences within countries, between provinces or states, across gender, ethnicity, and other socioeconomic groupings. Highlighting internal disparities along these lines has raised national debate in many countries.

3. Is the HDI enough to measure a country's level of development?

Not at all. The concept of human development is much broader than what can be captured in the HDI, or any other of the composite indices in this Report (see gender-related development index, gender empowerment measure, and human poverty index). The HDI, for example, does not reflect political participation or gender inequalities. The HDI and the other composite indices can only offer a broad proxy on some of the key the issues of human development, gender disparity, and human poverty. A fuller picture of a country's level of human development requires analysis of other human development indicators and information (see human development indicators).

4. Can GDP per capita be used to measure human development instead of the HDI?

No. GDP per capita only reflects average national income. It tells nothing of how that income is distributed or how that income is spent - whether on universal health, education or military expenditure. Comparing rankings on GDP per capita and the HDI can reveal much about the results of national policy choices. For example, a country with a very high GDP per capita such as Kuwait, who has a relatively low level of educational attainment, can have a lower HDI rank than, say, Uruguay, who has roughly half the GDP per capita of Kuwait.

5. Why is GDP per capita (PPP US$) used over GDP per capita (US$) in the HDI?

The human development index (HDI) attempts to make an assessment of 177 very diverse countries and areas, with very different price levels. To compare economic statistics across countries, the data must first be converted into a common currency. Unlike conventional exchange rates, PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) rates of exchange allow this conversion to take account of price differences between countries. GDP per capita (PPP US$) accounts for price differences between countries and therefore better reflects people's living standards. In theory, at the PPP rate, 1 PPP dollar has the same purchasing power in the domestic economy of a country as 1 US dollar has in the US economy. For further discussion on the use of PPP, see Box 2, p.135, in the Note on statistics in the Human Development Report 2001 (The why's and wherefore's of purchasing power parities).

6. Why doesn't the HDI include dimensions of participation, gender, and equality?

As a simple summary index, the HDI is designed to reflect average achievements in three basic aspects of human development - leading a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and enjoying a decent standard of living. Participation, gender disparity and human deprivation are measured in other indices (see gender-related development index, gender empowerment measure, and the human poverty index) or other indicators of the Report. Measurement issues related to these indices demonstrate the conceptual and methodological challenges that remain to be tackled.

7. Where do data for HDI come from? What are the criteria for a country to be included in the HDI?

Currently, for various reasons, there still exist many data gaps in even some very basic areas of human development indicators. While actively advocating for the improvement of human development data, as a principle and for practical reasons, HDRO does not collect data directly from countries or make estimates to fill these data gaps in the Report.

The one exception is the human development index (HDI). The Human Development Report Office strives to include as many UN member countries as possible in the HDI. For a country to be included, data ideally should be available from the relevant international data agencies for all four components of the index (the primary sources of data are the United Nations Population Division for life expectancy at birth, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics for the adult literacy rate and combined gross enrolment ratio for primary, secondary and tertiary schools and the World Bank for GDP per capita [PPP US$]). But for a significant number of countries data are missing for one or more of these components.

Striving to include as many UN member countries as possible and in response to the desire of countries to be included in the HDI, the Human Development Report Office makes every effort in these cases to identify other reasonable estimates, working with international data agencies, the UN Regional Commissions, national statistical offices and UNDP country offices. In a few cases the Human Development Report Office has attempted to make an estimate in consultation with regional and national statistical offices or other experts.

8. Why isn't the HDI compiled for all UN member countries?

While the data in the Report demonstrate the wealth of human development statistics available, they also reveal many data gaps in basic areas of human development. Not all UN member countries have sufficient data available to calculate the HDI or other indices.

9. Is the HDI comparable over time?

The HDI is comparable over time when it is calculated based on the same methodology and comparable trend data. Please note that the HDI is designed to capture long-term progress in human development, rather than short-term changes.

10. Is the HDI comparable across editions of the HDR?

Due to revisions to the data series for some or all of the components of the HDI, changes in the HDI methodology, or variations in the country coverage, the HDI values and ranks presented in the 1990 through 2005 editions of the Report are not directly comparable. The year-to-year changes in the index often reflect data improvement, instead of real increase or decrease in the level of human development.

The Human Development Report Offices (HDRO) strongly advises against constructing HDI trend analysis based on the HDI published in different editions of the Report.

Questions about Indices Used in the Human Development Report

1. What is the gender-related development index (GDI)?

The GDI - gender-related development index - is a composite indicator that measures the average achievement of a population in the same dimensions as the HDI while adjusting for gender inequalities in the level of achievement in the three basic aspects of human development. It uses the same variables as the HDI, disaggregated by gender. For details on how to calculate the GDI see pages 258, 261-262 and 264 of Technical Note 1.

2. What is the gender empowerment measure (GEM)?

The GEM - gender empowerment measure - is a composite indicator that captures gender inequality in three key areas:

Political participation and decision-making, as measured by women's and men's percentage shares of parliamentary seats;
Economic participation and decision-making power, as measured by two indicators - women's and men's percentage shares of positions as legislators, senior officials and managers and women's and men's percentage shares of professional and technical positions;
Power over economic resources, as measured by women's and men's estimated earned income (PPP US$).

3. How are the GDI and the GEM used?

This is aimed to draw attention to gender issues. The GDI adjusts the HDI for inequalities in the achievement of men and women. A comparison of a country's ranking on the HDI and its ranking on the GDI can indicate the existence of gender disparity. To illustrate that gender empowerment does not depend on income, it is useful to compare relative rankings on the GEM and the relative level of national income. For example,

Poland ranks 27th in the GEM, ahead of Japan, in 38th place, yet income per person in Poland is about one third that of Japan's (10,560 PPP US$ vs. 26,190 PPP US$ for 2002).
The UK and Finland have very similar income per person (26,150 PPP US$ and 26,190 PPP US$ for 2002) yet in the GEM Finland ranks 4th, the UK 18th. Both indicators can be disaggregated to highlight gender inequality within countries, which can vary widely across regions.

4. What is the human poverty index (HPI-1 and HPI-2)?

Poverty has traditionally been measured as a lack of income - but this is far too narrow a definition. Human poverty is a concept that captures the many dimensions of poverty that exist in both poor and rich countries-it is the denial of choices and opportunities for living a life one has reason to value. The HPI-1-human poverty index for developing countries - measures human deprivations in the same three aspects of human development as the HDI (longevity, knowledge and a decent standard of living). HPI-2-human poverty index for selected high-income OECD countries-includes, in addition to the three dimensions in HPI-1, social exclusion.

For HPI-1 (developing countries): deprivations in longevity are measured by the probability at birth of not surviving to age 40; deprivations in knowledge are measured by the percentage of adults who are illiterate; deprivations in a decent standard of living are measured by two variables: the percentage of people not having sustainable access to an improved water source and the percentage of children below the age of five who are underweight.

For HPI-2 (selected high-income OECD countries): deprivations in longevity are measured by the probability at birth of not surviving to age 60; deprivations in knowledge are measured by the percentage of adults lacking functional literacy skills; deprivations in a decent standard of living are measured by the percentage of people living below the income poverty line, set at 50% of the adjusted median household disposable income; and social exclusion is measured by the rate of long-term (12 months or more) unemployment of the labour force.

5. How is the HPI used?

To focus attention on the most deprived people and deprivations in basic human capabilities in a country, not on average national achievement. The human poverty indices focus directly on the number of people living in deprivation - presenting a very different picture from average national achievement. It also moves the focus of poverty debates away from concern about income poverty alone.
To highlight the presence of human poverty in both the rich and poor countries. High income per person is no guarantee of a poverty-free country. Even among the richest countries, there is human poverty. The HPI-2 for selected high-income OECD countries (HPI-2) shows that out of 17 countries, the US has the second highest level of income per person, but also the highest rate of human poverty.
To guide national planning for poverty alleviation. Many National Human Development Reports now break down the HPI by region or other socioeconomic groups to identify the areas or social groups within the country most deprived in terms of human poverty. The results can be dramatic, creating national debate and helping to reshape policies.

6. Why aren't all the countries included in the GDI, GEM, and HPI?

Lack of data is a particular constraint in monitoring gender disparity and poverty. Coverage of the GDI in HDR 2004, for example, is limited to 144 countries, GEM to 78 countries, and the HPI-1 to 95 developing countries and HPI-2 to 17 high-income OECD countries (see also "Why isn't HDI compiled for all UN member countries? ").

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