Targeting beneficiaries is one of the most crucial and difficult problems in the implementation of poverty reduction programs. Indonesia is a vast and populous country and currently reliable poverty statistics are only disaggregated down to the provincial level. It is not surprising that geographic targeting of the poor has been difficult.

To answer this targeting problem, using newly developed statistical techniques, SMERU - in collaboration with Statistics Indonesia (BPS) and the World Bank - has created poverty maps for Indonesia. This project has been carried out in two phases. During the first, pilot study phase, SMERU applied this method by using various available data in three provinces: East Kalimantan, Jakarta, and East Java. The results of the pilot study have shown that, given the available data, the method can be successfully applied throughout Indonesia. Hence, in the second phase, building on experience from SMERU's pilot study, BPS is to apply the method in the remaining 27 provinces in Indonesia.

This edition of our newsletter highlights various aspects of poverty mapping, focusing on the processes and results of the aforementioned pilot study, as well as the field verification of these results. Hopefully, this edition will contribute to spreading knowledge and awareness of poverty maps, and hence will enhance the use of these maps in targeting the recipients of poverty alleviation programs in Indonesia.