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Description
The demand for data disaggregated by various vulnerability criteria (ethnicity, gender, disability, age, region, etc.) in the EU is increasing. Factors such as belonging to an ethnic minority (like Roma) or having a disability or living in a remote area in economic decline or having migrant background often correlate with being vulnerable to poverty, social exclusion and violation of rights. In order to develop meaningful policies and effectively implement them, the Member States need to know which groups are at risk, why they are at risk and what are the quantitative parameters of the interventions that will address these risks. Robust comparable data disaggregated by various criteria will be particularly needed for monitoring the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals and in the context of the newly announced Pillar of Social Rights. A number of challenges and risks exist in this regard. Some of them are of methodological nature (e.g. on what criteria to define vulnerability), other verge on individual privacy (what level of detail and type of disaggregation would be in line with highest standards of data protection). The Fundamental Rights Agency will provide advice and technical expertise throughout the project implementation. Stakeholders of the project results are civil society; the academic community and researchers; non-governmental organizations representing different socially vulnerable groups; the bodies of state and local governments; international organizations.
Summary of project results
The project addressed the demand for data disaggregated by various vulnerability criteria (ethnicity, gender, disability, age, region, etc.). Factors such as belonging to an ethnic minority (like Roma) or having a disability or living in a remote area in economic decline or having migrant background often correlate with being vulnerable to poverty, social exclusion and violation of rights. The project provided certain tools to help the Member States develop meaningful policies and effectively implement them, to know which groups are at risk, why they are at risk and what are the quantitative parameters of the interventions that will address these risks. Robust comparable data disaggregated by various criteria were particularly needed for monitoring the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals and in the context of the newly announced Pillar of Social Rights. Some of the existing challenges and risks were of methodological nature (e.g. on what criteria to define vulnerability), other verge on individual privacy (what level of detail and type of disaggregation would be in line with highest standards of data protection). Advice and technical expertise was provided by the Fundamental Rights Agency throughout the project implementation.
The following activities were carried out under the project: 1) Development of Approach and Methodology, incl. investigation of the existing good practices and methods of identifying vulnerable populations; comparative overview of the instruments applied in surveys targeting hard-to-reach populations with analysis of their specific objectives and policy context; investigation of the existing good practices and methods of identifying vulnerable populations; consultations with stakeholders; conducting research and analysis of the results from investigations conducted; defining the criteria for identifying vulnerable populations; holding an expert workshop to define the criteria and identification of groups to be surveyed and the thematic areas to be covered in the survey; conducting study visits to donor country for investigating novel methods, good practices and expertise; 2) Preparation and conduct of survey, incl. development of tools for conducting household survey; drawing a representative sample according to criteria appropriate to the purpose of the survey; training of different target groups; development of IT tool for data input and processing; applying new approaches in data analysis based on linking data from different sources; producing a validated data set, analysis of frequencies and cross tabulations; issuing a summary indicators report at district level; 3) Preparation of analysis and drawing conclusions, inc. preparation of District level overview of core indicators; Four thematic reports were issued: on the situation of the four main vulnerable groups with focus sections on the core SDG indicators for each group and sections on how to understand the data on the specific groups and apply data in policy process; Report "Overview of core SDG indicators"; Municipal level overview of core indicators Thematic guide, "How to understand and apply data on vulnerability in policy process". In addition, under the Information and Publicity activity, a project web page was developed and conferences (meetings) for project promotion and publicity were organized.
Data collection on vulnerable groups was completed and one Report with recommendations on the use of data collected was published (Output 3.2). 29 main data multidimensional tables were included in 4 thematic reports on the situation of children, people with disabilities, elderly people and Roma were issued. Experts from the donor state participated in 2 exchanges of good practices online because of COVID-19 pandemic. Tools for conducting household survey were developed. A representative sample according to the criteria was drawn. Different target groups were trained. IT tool for data input and processing was developed. A specific household survey was conducted. New approaches in data analysis were applied based on linking data from different sources (population census, NSI regular surveys data, data from administrative registers, etc.). A validated data set, analysis of frequencies and cross tabulations were produced. A summary indicator report was issued at district level. Documents "Mapping Vulnerability in Bulgaria at the Municipality Level" and "Review of selected SDG indicators" were published. The thematic guide "Using data in the political process" was issued.