** Before reading this article, we recommend that you first read our other article on Poverty Profiling, as it helps explain the reasoning behind conducting Simple and Detailed Assessments and their role in measuring poverty.

This article is intended to provide you with the Statements to be used in a Simple Assessment, so that you can arrive at a Simple Poverty Profile for any individual on the planet – including YOU. In the Simple Assessment, there is not the level of differentiation found in the Detailed Assessment. Hence, there will be a higher percentage of responses that may come out at the higher end of the scoring range, as the Detailed scores of 7-9 are all classed as ‘high’ in the Simple Assessment. The same concepts still apply and the Method is the same. It is just the results which will be necessarily aggregated.

The following statements for the Assessment are the Standard set at Version 1. You may adapt these statements to suit your own Study purposes, but be sure to reference this original Standard list and your specific variations from it. This will enable better quality cross comparisons between overall Studies, and between individual Poverty Profiles and scores.

Your Study may be just for your own interest, or for wider publication and consumption. The responses captured must always be for the respondent and for the given point in time for which the Assessment data is being captured. A specific GPS location globally for the individual is also advised, where possible. In the absence of that, usual address, or other geo-location details will suffice, to the level of detail required for your Study purposes. The time period for the Assessment will usually be the present day, but might also be some other historical date, which the respondent can recall. Each section should be preceded by an introductory question to the respondent, along the lines of: “Which of the following statements for [water] do you think best describes your situation for [date]?”

BE PROPERLY PREPARED

Before you proceed with using the following Statements for your Assessment and resulting Poverty Profile, we strongly advise you first read through our article on ‘Poverty Profiling’. It will help address many of the questions that may otherwise arise for you, in the course of the exercise.

If you think of it, send us your own relevant Poverty Profile and location data, via the ‘Contact Us’ link on the Main Menu, or even better, complete the same 21-question Global Poverty Survey interactively via the relevant picture link on our home page. We regularly have visitors to this site from over 125 countries around the globe, collectively representing over 6 billion people, so we would love to pin your Poverty Profiles on our own map of the world! You can download these questions and a simple bulk data entry template, as an Excel 2010 spreasheet file here. We wish you all the best with the questions below. Enjoy!

ATTRIBUTES	3	HIGH	My main best source of water is safe for me to drink. Any odour, clarity or other known quality problems are only minor.
	2	MED	My main best source of water is safe for me to drink without further treatment, but still has some odour, clarity, or other known quality problems.
	1	LOW	My main best source of water is satisfactory for me to drink if I boil (or treat) it properly, but it can still cause me some health problems.
	0	NONE	My main best source of water cannot be considered safe for me to drink, for my life or health.
ACCESS	3	HIGH	I have exclusive household access to enough of my main best source of drinking water within my dwelling.
	2	MED	I have exclusive household access to enough of my main best source of drinking water within the grounds of my dwelling.
	1	LOW	I have free access to enough of my main best source of drinking water, shared within my local community, for my daily needs.
	0	NONE	I do not have reasonable access to enough of my main best source of drinking water within my community (under 1 hour’s return walk) for my daily needs.
AVAILABILITY	3	HIGH	Thinking about my main best source of water, it is available over 95% of the time. I can readily rely on other drinking water sourcing and storage options at other times.
	2	MED	Thinking about my main best source of water, it is available over 75% of the time. I can usually rely on natural water storage for other times, or manual storage in emergencies.
	1	LOW	Thinking about my main best source of water, it is available over 50% but less than 75% of the time. I have to rely on storing water manually at other times.
	0	NONE	Thinking about my main best source of water, it is available less than 50% of the time. I therefore consistently have to rely on storing my water manually, usually on a daily basis.

ATTRIBUTES	3	HIGH	Thinking about my main best sources of food, they are comfortably enough & varied to maintain my life and health. Any limitations in terms of overall nutrition are usually minor.
	2	MED	Thinking about my main best sources of food, they are enough to maintain life and health, are varied, but have some known limitations in terms of overall nutrition.
	1	LOW	Thinking about my main best sources of food, they are only just enough to maintain life and my health in the long term.
	0	NONE	Thinking about my main best sources of food, they are not sufficient to maintain life, or health.
ACCESS	3	HIGH	I have ready access to my main best sources of food. If access ever becomes limited, any impacts of cost increases, in terms of time, money, or risk are minor.
	2	MED	Access to enough food, to secure life and health can sometimes be prohibitively costly, or difficult, in terms of money, time or risk.
	1	LOW	Access to enough quality food, to secure my life and health is consistently costly, or difficult in terms of money, time or risk.
	0	NONE	I cannot ensure reasonable access to enough food, to secure life and health.
AVAILABILITY	3	HIGH	In a typical year, I seldom face any shortages in my main best sources of food, and can usually find alternatives quite easily.
	2	MED	In a typical year, I sometimes face temporary shortages in my main best sources of food & have to find alternatives, if I can.
	1	LOW	In a typical year, I frequently face food shortages that can pose a threat to my health.
	0	NONE	In a typical year, I face frequent and/or severe food shortages, sufficient to threaten life and health.

ATTRIBUTES	3	HIGH	My clothing is appropriate for   the conditions I live in. Any limitations on variety, or my playing a fuller role within my community, are minor.
	2	MED	My clothing is appropriate for the conditions I live in, but with some limitations on variety, or my playing a fuller role within my community.
	1	LOW	My lack of suitable clothing poses a potential threat to health, or places severe limitations on me playing a fuller role within my community.
	0	NONE	My lack of suitable clothing poses a threat to my life or health.
ACCESS	3	HIGH	I have immediate access to a varied range of clothing suitable for my culture, situation and environment. If I ever have to save up for extras, it is only occasionally.
	2	MED	I have immediate access to a range of clothing that is affordable and suitable for my culture, situation and environment. I still have to save up for, or borrow special extras.
	1	LOW	I have immediate access to a bare minimum set of clothing that is affordable and suitable for my culture, situation and environment.
	0	NONE	I do not have immediate reasonable access to a bare minimum set of clothing that is affordable and suitable for my culture, situation and environment.
AVAILABILITY	3	HIGH	I have a variety of suitable clothes for all main occasions and I can usually replace them, if I ever feel I need to.
	2	MED	I have a variety of suitable clothes, but I sometimes have to make do with clothes that should really be changed, or replaced.
	1	LOW	I often have to make do with clothes that aren’t suitable, or should really be changed, or replaced, for extended periods of time.
	0	NONE	I frequently don’t have reliable access to the clothes I need to maintain my health throughout the year.

ATTRIBUTES	3	HIGH	My shelter provides me with   reasonable protection from the elements, privacy and security. Any   functional, or equipment  limitations   it has are only minor.
	2	MED	My shelter is sufficient for my basic needs for protection   from the elements, privacy and security, but has some other significant   functional limitations, regarding comfort, equipment, sanitation and/or fuel.
	1	LOW	My lack of suitable shelter frequently poses a threat to my   health and/or possessions. It is not suitable for year-round security,   privacy and protection from the conditions I face.
	0	NONE	My lack of suitable shelter poses an immediate threat to my   life or health.
ACCESS	3	HIGH	I have immediate, affordable access to my chosen level of shelter, within my means, all year round, for all typical conditions I face,   including provision of suitable fuel and sanitation facilities.
	2	MED	I have reasonably affordable access to my chosen level of shelter, within my means, all year round, for all typical conditions I face,   but its fuel & sanitation are necessarily basic.
	1	LOW	I have immediate access to basic shelter that provides me with a modest living space, protection from the worst of the local weather conditions and which supports my basic energy & fuel requirements.  Hygiene facilities are shared.
	0	NONE	I do not have immediate reasonable access to shelter that provides me with a basic living space, protection from the worst of the local weather conditions and which supports my basic energy & fuel requirements.
AVAILABILITY	3	HIGH	Thinking about my answer to the above, I have access to this level of ‘shelter’ over 95% of the time. Any disruptions are minor.
	2	MED	Thinking about my answer to the above, I have access to my best level of ‘shelter’ over 75% of the time, but can face some disruptions   each year.
	1	LOW	Thinking about my answer to the above, I have access my best level of ‘shelter’ over 50% of the time.
	0	NONE	Thinking about my answer to the above, I have access to my best level of ‘shelter’ less than 50% of the time.

ATTRIBUTES	3	HIGH	I have reasonable access to   suitable levels of both preventive and remedial medical care. Any shortfalls   in the range of care available are usually only minor.
	2	MED	Each year I face mild to moderate threats to my life and health due to lack of suitable preventive, or remedial medical care.
	1	LOW	Each year, I face significant threat to life and health due to lack of suitable preventive, or remedial medical care.
	0	NONE	I face imminent and/or severe probable, or actual threat to life and/or health due to lack of suitable preventive, or remedial medical care, on a yearly basis.
ACCESS	3	HIGH	My access to reasonable, national levels of preventive and remedial healthcare are only occasionally restricted, due to cost, risk, or difficulty obtaining them.
	2	MED	My access to reasonable levels of preventive and remedial healthcare can sometimes be restricted, due to cost, risk, or difficulty obtaining them.
	1	LOW	My access to even basic levels of preventive and remedial healthcare is often severely restricted, due to cost, risk, or difficulty obtaining them.
	0	NONE	I do not have reasonable access to suitable levels of preventive and remedial healthcare to address probable threats to my everyday health and wellbeing.
AVAILABILITY	3	HIGH	Basic preventive and remedial medical care are available   within my local community. Main emergency health facilities (eg hospitals) for most other conditions are within 1 hour’s travel.
	2	MED	Basic preventive and remedial medical care are available within 1 hours’ travel. Emergency health facilities (eg hospitals) are within 1 day’s travel.
	1	LOW	Basic preventive and remedial medical care are only occasionally available within 1 day’s travel.
	0	NONE	The lack of availability of the medical care I need poses an immediate threat  to my life and/or health.

ATTRIBUTES	3	HIGH	Recognising my age, gender   & location, if restrictions exist to opportunities for my engagement in the community activities that are normal for my peers (eg school, employment, socialising, religious practice, physical access), they are minor.
	2	MED	Recognising my age, gender & location, local opportunities to engage in certain community activities that are normal for my peers (eg   school, employment, socialising, religious practice, physical access) are sometimes limited
	1	LOW	Recognising my age, gender & location, local opportunities to engage in the community activities that are normal for my peers (eg   school, employment, socialising, religious practice, physical access) are severely limited
	0	NONE	Recognising my age and gender & location, opportunities to engage in the community activities that are normal for my peers (eg school, employment, socialising, religious practice, physical access) do not realistically exist.
ACCESS	3	HIGH	I typically have ready, equal opportunity access to all forms   of suitable engagement for me within my community, appropriate for my skills, age, gender and situation. If any restrictions exist, they are usually minor.
	2	MED	I have reasonable access to most forms of suitable engagement within my community, appropriate for my age and situation (school, college, employment, religion).
	1	LOW	I face severe restrictions to suitable access to engagement for me within my community, appropriate for my age and situation (school, college, employment, religion).
	0	NONE	I am personally prevented from, or otherwise have no suitable access to, engagement for me within my community, appropriate for my age and situation (school, college, employment, religion).
AVAILABILITY	3	HIGH	All main types of community engagement suitable for me are typically available locally. If restrictions do exist, they are usually minor.
	2	MED	Some types of community engagement suitable for me, can become restricted, sometimes severely.
	1	LOW	Key basic forms of community engagement suitable for me, are scarce.
	0	NONE	Key basic forms of community engagement suitable for me, are not available.

ATTRIBUTES	3	HIGH	I face no obvious limitations, or restrictions to my human rights. I am generally protected from any localised, illegal intimidations, under a national constitution and the local rule of law.
	2	MED	I face some illegal, localised limitations and restrictions to my human rights, upheld by national  & international law, but am otherwise protected under a national constitution
	1	LOW	I face some significant, regional or localised breaches of, or restrictions to, my human rights, with implicit threats to my life & livelihood if I resist, or protest
	0	NONE	I face severe, systematic breaches of, or restrictions to, my human rights, with implicit threats to my life & livelihood if I resist, or protest
ACCESS	3	HIGH	My humanitarian freedoms are upheld by a national constitution and local law enforcement framework. Any localised threats or intimidation can typically be overcome, at moderate cost, legally.
	2	MED	My humanitarian freedoms are upheld by a national constitution and local law enforcement, but I still face some local intimidation, or oppression beyond those laws that can be costly to avoid, defend against or overcome.
	1	LOW	My basic humanitarian freedoms are meant to be upheld by a national constitution and local law enforcement, but I often face personal threats within my local community that are against the laws of my country.
	0	NONE	My basic humanitarian rights and freedoms are not being upheld by my country’s national constitution, nor national or local law enforcement   authorities.
AVAILABILITY	3	HIGH	Breaches to my human rights seldom occur. If there is some local threat or intimidation, it is only ever minor and is not specifically targeted at me.
	2	MED	Breaches to humanitarian freedoms can happen occasionally in my region, by certain local people, or groups, that could potentially affect me.
	1	LOW	Breaches of human rights can often break out in my local area, such that I personally feel under threat within my community.
	0	NONE	Breaches of my personal, basic human rights are currently frequent and severe

That’s it! Now, using the corresponding scores, multiply the 3 individual scores for each Humanitarian Basic layer. So, if your answers for water were 2, 2 and 1, then your combined score for water is 2x2x1, which is 4.  Follow this same process for all 21 questions and 7 layers and you will have the 7 numbers that make up your own Simple Poverty Profile. Congratulations! Remember to send the results to us if you would be happy to. You can access all these questions and a simple bulk entry template on an Excel 2010 spread sheet here.

It just remains for us to say thanks again for being…

One in a Billion!