Public insecurity and widespread mistrust of police among citizens is associated with decreased police legitimacy, which has negative consequences for effective policing. Research has demonstrated that when police officers interact with citizens following principles of procedural justice, citizens leave those interactions—even contentious ones—with an increased perception of trust in the police, which enhances legitimacy and efficacy. The question remains, however, as to how a police force can institutionalize procedural justice as an organizational capability. In this study, researchers worked with the Ministry of Public Security of Mexico City to evaluate the impact of a procedural justice training for police officers. Preliminary results suggest that the training had significant positive impacts on how individual police officers perceived and practiced the principles of procedural justice. They also help reveal the specific mechanisms through which the training achieved its effects, thus providing important insights into likely avenues for effective police reform.  

Deforestation is the second largest human source of carbon dioxide emissions. Mexico has a "payments for ecosystem services" (PES) program to provide economic incentives to landowners to minimize deforestation, but budget cuts have been recurring over the past years. Researchers are conducting a pilot study in one municipality of Selva Lacandona (Chiapas)  to find ways to improve the cost-effectiveness of the program.

Recent studies have shown that a psychology-based entrepreneurial mindset training can have promising effects on business outcomes, but there is little evidence on how to improve the financial sustainability of these programs. Researchers are evaluating the effects of an entrepreneurial mindset training paired with business training on firm outcomes for female entrepreneurs in Mexico. They are also investigating the demand for training programs and examining whether the returns to training change depending on how much an entrepreneur is willing to pay.