How does the Poverty Stoplight work?
Changing reds and yellows into greens
There's an app for that!
Using an app on a phone, tablet, or computer, families participate in a visual survey that breaks down the concept of poverty into dimensions and indicators that can be adjusted to the local context. Each indicator uses the conventional traffic light colors to indicate different levels: extreme poverty (red), poverty (yellow), and no poverty (green). Families select images that resemble their reality for each indicator, allowing them to diagnose their level, reflect on their situation, and make the invisible manifestations of poverty visible. At the end of the survey, a Life Map is generated, displaying the details of their poverty on a dashboard. Simultaneously, the app's geotagging feature creates detailed poverty maps for entire communities. This allows businesses, organizations, and governments to visualize areas with higher incidences of red and yellow indicators. By providing this comprehensive view, stakeholders can target interventions more effectively and better channel resources in a concerted effort to eliminate poverty.
Being part of the movement to eliminate poverty is a collaborative effort. Partners gain access to the visual survey and a range of training materials, designed to provide technical assistance in mapping and addressing multidimensional poverty in areas such as income and employment, housing and infrastructure, education, health, organization and participation, self-reflection, and goal-setting within their communities.
The definition of poverty varies depending on location. Successfully implementing the Poverty Stoplight hinges on modifying indicators to reflect the specific realities of the communities being assessed, ensuring that each measure is locally relevant and meaningful.
- FAMILIES
- ORGANIZATIONS
Surveys can be conducted using the Poverty Stoplight app on smartphones, tablets, or computers. Upon completion, the survey provides a clear depiction of a family’s strengths and areas for improvement.
Step 1
Since poverty affects every family in unique ways, each family and individual faces different challenges related to their specific circumstances. By working with mentors, families can devise tailored plans aimed at transitioning their indicators from red and yellow to green.
Step 2
Once a plan has been created, families start implementing their tailored strategies to overcome poverty. Mentors support this process by providing access to additional resources and opportunities, enhancing the family’s ability to achieve their goals.
As the family continues to implement their plan, mentors make periodic visits to assess the situation, provide encouragement, and help ensure they stay on course. Using the Life Map, a written plan that allows families to track their progress, mentors guide families toward meaningful advancements.
The Technology
The Poverty Stoplight offers several options to access the visual survey. Currently, partners have the option of using the Poverty Stoplight Platform web survey or the mobile app.
The Poverty Stoplight Platform (PSP)
A suite of web and mobile applications designed exclusively to administer Poverty Stoplight surveys, generate real time reports, assign tasks and produce interactive life maps. The PSP is the technological backbone of the Poverty Stoplight methodology, developed by Fundación Paraguaya.The Mobile Application
Using a smartphone or tablet, the mobile app allows data collection through a web and Android application (available online and offline).The Web Survey
All technologies allow each organization independent access to the Poverty Stoplight system. Participating partners receive access to the Poverty Stoplight with their own account and various user profiles.