On February 4, the Vice-Presidency of the Dominican Republic through the Cabinet for Coordination for Social Policy (GCPS), celebrated the first "Forum for the Design of Public Policy Based on Evidence." The event gathered policymakers in the social protection sector and aimed to identify areas of research needs within six broad policy areas: education, early childhood development, health, intimate partner violence, financial inclusion, and youth employment. The Technical Director for GCPS inaugurated the event emphasizing the role of her institution in creating coordinating spaces for effective collaboration between the institutions relevant for social protection policies.

IPA Peru, Erica Field (Duke University), and Ursula Aldana (Institute of Peruvian Studies) met with the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations, Patricia Carolina Rosa Garcés Peralta, to discuss the results of a pilot of group sessions focusing on domestic violence in rural areas in Peru.In cooperation with the UK Embassy, Duke University, and the Institute of Peruvian Studies, IPA is running a qualitative evaluation of a community-level prevention campaign consisting of gender-segregated group sessions for adults to discuss gender inequality, women’s empowerment, domestic violence, and family relationships.