In this lecture
- Select indicators that do not overlap
- Weight indicators defensibly
- Present an index alongside its components
An index is a compression, not a discovery
Every composite score throws information away on purpose, in exchange for something that ranks. The value of a vulnerability index is entirely in whether the compression was done honestly - indicators that do not double-count the same underlying condition, and weights that are stated rather than buried in a spreadsheet.
Publish the components, not just the score
Two districts scoring 0.6 can need opposite interventions if one result is driven by income and the other by distance from a hospital. An index published with its component indicators lets a planner see which one; an index published alone does not.
Materials
Yours to keep, and usable away from the platform.
- Index-building worksheetWorksheet · 140 KB
- Worked example - district indexPDF · 620 KB
Design prototype - the attachments are placeholders and nothing downloads yet.
Lecture quiz
4 questions, plus 2 written questions at the end - taken whenever you are ready. This is what unlocks the next lecture.