Government is not the only actor in the fight against poverty and in some contexts may not even take centre stage. The business sector can act powerfully and quickly to fight poverty – through its supply chains, its own employees and by understanding a potential alignment between its corporate social responsibility and poverty reduction priorities. Civil society actors (NGOs, faith based groups, public figures, academics) are often engaged in the long-term fight against poverty. They may have expertise in working with the communities that are the poorest, or knowledge about the deprivations that drive MPI poverty.

By clearly inviting the support of the private sector and civil society, and by sharing the MPI and exploring its wealth of information and insight with them, one can nurture innovative anti-poverty action led by a broader spectrum of agents.