Concept paper - For an integrated poverty and living conditions indicator system (IPOLIS) database

Abstract: The paper aims at providing a general conceptual framework, as well as to set up a structure for the Integrated Poverty and Living Conditions Indicator System (IPOLIS). IPOLIS will be the core outcome of the InGRID project and will cover three easy-to-reach vulnerable groups: children, youth and older people. The IPOLIS is aimed to improve infrastructure for analysing and monitoring the situation of these vulnerable groups. It is conceived to serves as a resource for various user groups (researchers, policy makers at different levels, NGO experts, journalists, students, etc.) to (i) monitor the situation of children, youth and elderly in the field of poverty, living conditions and quality of life; (ii) observe relationships between indicators and to detect cross-country patterns according to selected measures. The theoretical framework of the IPOLIS is based on the concept of quality of life, considered to be a multi-dimensional concept comprising objective measures, and people’s perceptions of these factors (economic, social, etc.), that is, subjective measures of objective substances. In terms of indicator selection, IPOLIS will include objective measures as well as subjective indicators of objective circumstances.
The structure of IPOLIS consist of six domains (or dimensions) of quality of life, including material living conditions, labour market attachment and work-life balance, education and training, health and risk behaviours, social connectedness and participation, physical environment and safety. Beyond these six domains, policy and context indicators have been added to the indicator set. This structure has been defined after a detailed overview of existing practices for the whole population, for children, for youth and for elderly.
The concept paper of IPOLIS also defines general and age-group specific indicator selection criteria, discusses dilemmas of the indicator selection process, and defines overviews the available data infrastructure. IPOILIS is expected to be launched during the first half of year 2016.