39 The Pulte Institute for Global Development Health and Well-being New Tools to Measure Respect for Human Dignity The health of the whole person is foundational to the fight against poverty. Our work focuses on identifying gaps in health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries that trail those affected throughout their lives, perpetuating poverty’s violence, to inform innovative solutions. Called forward by a research philosophy prioritizing integral human development, our team is a part of leading new work to develop measures of human dignity—a quality previously thought to defy quantification. Measuring human dignity — assessing aspects of an individual’s well-being, rights, and intrinsic value — is challenging due to its subjective and multidimensional nature. While there isn’t a universally accepted tool for measuring human dignity, the Pulte Institute has pioneered “Project Respect for Participant Dignity” and “Respect for Human Dignity in Daily Life” to explore human dignity indicators. The measures, developed and field tested by Pulte Institute Evidence and Learning Director and Associate Professor of the Practice Paul Perrin, in conjunction with Catholic Relief Services, focus on respect for human dignity. The tools quantify social and environmental outcomes by considering indicators related to basic human needs, foundations of well-being, and opportunity. It provides a broader perspective on showing regard for people’s abilities and worth, valuing their feelings. This approach emphasizes people’s capabilities and functions, Perrin said—focusing on what individuals can do and be. “We’re providing an opportunity to reflect on whether, in the process of regular monitoring and evaluation, the work was done in a way that upholds the dignity of the program’s participants,” says Perrin. “We’ve completed a rigorous scientific process to arrive at this tool, a set of 10 questions that can be added to whatever survey development professionals are providing to help them understand whether or not they’re upholding human dignity in the process.” Recommendations for Dignity and Development In an excerpt from their policy brief “Dignity and Development: Recommendations for Respectful Practice,” authors Paul Perrin and Tom Wein, director of IDinsight, outline suggestions for building an aid system that fully respects the dignity of the people it intends to serve: “Dignity matters to everyone — but people in need find that the current aid system treats them with indignity. There are efforts to reform the aid system. The Dignity Agenda we propose focuses on responding to the life experience of the people receiving aid. “Our study suggests that if we aim to uphold dignity in development, implementers should adopt, funders should demand, and researchers should study improvements to aid practices. We consider the most pressing improvements to be: 1. Provide in-person meetings with recipients. 2. Support community based organizations in speaking up. 3. Create co-design workshops with potential recipients before implementation.” 37 | 2023-24 Annual Review Paul Perrin attends the May 2024 Keough School conference “Embracing Integral Human Development: What Difference Does It Make?” in Rome.
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