IPA is supporting the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF) in the implementation of Tejiendo Caminos sin Fronteras, a program designed to improve a range of outcomes for migrant, returnee, and refugee families. Tejiendo Caminos sin Fronteras aims to strengthen psychosocial well-being, foster social cohesion with host communities to prevent xenophobia and other forms of violence, and promote adequate physical care and nutrition practices throughout families’ migratory journeys.

ICBF has partnered with IPA through an Embedded Evidence Lab that has supported the design and implementation of four innovative early childhood development programs, while also transforming how ICBF designs programs and monitors their effectiveness nationwide. In Tejiendo Caminos sin Fronteras, IPA is providing evidence-based technical assistance to support early implementation of the program. IPA is equipping ICBF to strengthen monitoring tools, clarify how indicators can be defined and operationalized, and to ensure data collection processes are feasible, consistent, and aligned with program objectives.

IPA is partnering with the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá to support the Pagadiarios Strategy, an initiative aimed at identifying people living in daily-rental housing (pagadiarios) and supporting them by providing cash transfers and facilitating access to food, health, and education services. Due to a lack of a permanent address, pagadiario residents are excluded from national social programs because they cannot register in SISBEN. This highly vulnerable population includes a significant number of Venezuelan migrants and children, making it a critical context for a two-generation approach that addresses the needs of both caregivers and young children.

IPA is supporting the generation of rigorous evidence to strengthen and scale the Pagadiarios Strategy, which is one of the current administration’s flagship policies. IPA and researchers from the IDB and the University of California, San Diego will support the Mayor’s Office in implementing a regression discontinuity design to evaluate the impact of the Pagadiarios Strategy on key well-being outcomes for both adults and children. IPA will also support the Mayor’s Office to ensure new data collection incorporates a refugee lens and a two-generation approach, enabling a better understanding of these populations and supporting the design of more targeted programs. The results of the study will help identify the most cost-effective ways to deliver services to this population, even in the absence of SISBEN registration, and inform a scalable, two-generation strategy to improve inclusion and well-being among some of Bogotá’s most at-risk residents.

IPA is working in coordination with the Municipality of Quito, through the Patronato Municipal San José, to strengthen its capacity to use data and evidence in decision-making related to social policies and programs, particularly in early childhood and care within the Metropolitan District of Quito.

Building on the Patronato’s commitment to strengthening its information, monitoring, and learning systems, we are laying the foundation for the implementation of an Embedded Evidence Lab, aimed at developing the technical and organizational capacities needed for sustained, evidence-based decision-making.

Our current partnership focuses on leveraging the opening of a new Quito Wawas Child Development Center as a pilot space for the implementation of monitoring tools and innovations in service delivery. In parallel, we are advancing a learning process through proof-of-concept initiatives that will help consolidate capabilities, establish institutional routines, and define a roadmap for the Lab.

The ultimate goal is to improve the effectiveness of current child development programs while advancing toward a sustainable institutional transformation centered on the strategic use of evidence.

While Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is a critical driver of human capital development, access in Uganda remains limited, with only 29% of eligible children enrolled as of 2022. To address systemic gaps in quality, high costs, and fragmented management, the Government of Uganda approved the landmark ECCE Policy in May 2024 (signed Feb 2026). This policy establishes a national framework for integrated service delivery, public financing, and rigorous quality assurance. 

In support of this mandate, Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is partnering with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) through the Education Policy Evidence and Implementation Lab (Ed Lab). Central to this collaboration is a comprehensive national baseline study designed to assess the quality of care, workforce competencies, cost, and operational sustainability across both public and non-state providers. Employing a multi-generational approach, the research integrates household-level data to evaluate caregiver dynamics and well-being, particularly within vulnerable contexts such as refugee-hosting districts. The resulting evidence will be instrumental in operationalizing the national Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Framework and guiding data-driven government decision-making for the phased, equitable expansion of ECCE services across Uganda.