摘要：Access to reliable and relevant information is a fundamental requirement for the development of policies aimed at poverty reduction. Knowing who the poor are, where they live, and how they live, is critical to determining how best to pull them out of poverty. In recent years, the need for quality information has became more pressing, in part due to the commitments made by the international community to attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In addition, the increasing recognition of the critical role of transparency and accountability in public policy design and resource allocation has spurred demand for access to comprehensive, timely, high quality information. This is essential to allow citizens greater oversight of government actions and policies and to improve the quality of decision-making at all levels of government.
