If scale is the goal, the question isn’t whether governments should do more or less. It’s how to help them do better. New from IPA: “Investing Where Scale Lives: Working Inside Government for Lasting Impact”. Read the full reflection by IPA’s Juan Felipe García & Ana Serrano: bit.ly/4oM0yIA

In Sustainable Digital Finance, IPA’s William Blackmon, with Seth Garz & Rafael Mazer, explore: ➡️ Regulatory #ConsumerProtection innovations ➡️ Case studies from the Philippines & Nigeria ➡️ Future priorities proactive risk monitoring Read their full chapter: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

Reminder: Submit EOI by November 14, 2025 We're seeking proposals for new research on how soft skills drive entrepreneurship, employment, and workforce development. Full proposals due: January 30, 2026 Learn more and apply: poverty-action.org/soft-skills-...

One week out! Don't miss unpacking the first experimental evidence on large-scale refugee integration programs in Ethiopia. Hear from IPA, University of Oxford, World Bank, and policymakers on what actually works for dignified work at scale. 📅Nov 4, 9AM ET Register now: bit.ly/494XQJB

📅 Nov 4 | 9AM ET Join IPA, @UniofOxford, @WorldBank & @LSEnews at the 2nd World Summit on Social Development. We’ll share first rigorous evidence on how large-scale government programs are improving livelihoods for refugees in Ethiopia. Register: bit.ly/494XQJB Learn more: bit.ly/3W3BFMl

On #WorldMentalHealthDay, explore new evidence on how employment can improve refugee mental health in Cox’s Bazar. In our recent Displaced Livelihoods Webinar, researchers Reshmaan Hussam & Fatima Zahra share insights from Rohingya refugee studies: bit.ly/4mUfjYF Bangladesh study: bit.ly/470kdgv

Innovations for Poverty Action, the What Works Hub for Global Education & Kenya’s Ministry of Education are co-hosting the 5th Cross-Country Learning Exchange in Nairobi, exploring insights on using evidence to improve education policy & learning. See our embedded evidence labs: bit.ly/47eEpwC

When partners deny access to money, it’s called financial abuse, a hidden form of violence that leaves survivors trapped, dependent, and unsafe. Join experts — including. IPA’s William Blackmon — on Oct 8, 11:15 AM EST to explore new data from 6+ countries. bit.ly/477IB15 #FIW25

On Oct 7, 8:15 AM EDT, our experts will share new insights on financial consumer protection risks. Panelists: William Blackmon (IPA) Dr. Dorothe Singer (World Bank) Dr. Aisha Isa-Olatinwo (Central Bank of Nigeria), Francis Annan (UC Berkeley) Kennedy Kipkemboi (GSMA) Join: bit.ly/477IB15 #FIW25

📢 Funding opportunity! IPA is accepting Expressions of Interest for research on how Soft Skills drive entrepreneurship & employment outcomes in low and middle-income countries. Key dates: 🗓️RFP & EOIs open now 📍EOI due Nov 14, 2025 📝Full proposals due Jan 30, 2026 Details here: bit.ly/46vRpxE

In Aug, IPA Founder Dean Karlan, researcher Natalia Seimei, IPA Uganda & partners visited Kyaka II & Rwamwanja refugee settlements in Uganda to see impacts of their graduation research. Findings: Assets +40-88% Income +32-45% Food security improved. Read more: bit.ly/4mH5fCb

Coming up: A new call for proposals to generate evidence on how soft skills drive business growth & workforce development. 🗓️RFP & EOIs open early Oct 📍EOI due mid-Nov 📍Full proposals due late Jan Stay tuned: bit.ly/4pH7YxZ Check comments for more. #RequestForProposals #SoftSkills #ResearchFund

According to the World Bank, global poverty fell to 9%, but in sub-Saharan Africa it’s still 37%. At #NextierDevFest2025, IPA Nigeria including Funmilayo Ayeni, Brian Mwesigwa & Olushola Afolayan share insights on housing, jobs & safety nets to tackle poverty. More: bit.ly/41PHRLh

How can we fight climate change & improve the welfare of the poor? IPA’s new Research & Learning Agenda lays out 5 priorities for climate action. Join us co-create solutions that work for people & planet. More: bit.ly/4gCcaLw Partner: [email protected] #ClimateWeekNYC

Peacebuilding is complex—but it doesn’t have to be guesswork. IPA-supported researchers adapt rigorous methods to create ethical, grounded evidence in fragile contexts. #PeaceDay

Access ≠ agency. At the #AccessToAgency conference, stakeholders agreed: digital tools alone don’t empower women. True impact comes with skills, supportive networks, safe spaces & user-centered design. Read more: bit.ly/46LMpUD

HAPPENING TODAY! Partnerships are key to turning evidence into action. At #UKFIET2025, IPA + panelists from South Africa, Tanzania, India & Jacobs Foundation will share lessons from Ed Labs worldwide. Embedded Labs: poverty-action.org/embedded-evi... Conference: www.ukfiet.org/conference/u...

Strengthening #EvidenceUse means thinking in systems. Join IPA + BE2, GEEAP, UNICEF Innocenti & Dubai Cares at #UKFIET2025 (Sept 17, Oxford) to explore how Ed Labs drive change. More on Embedded Labs: poverty-action.org/embedded-evi... Explore the conference: www.ukfiet.org/conference/u...

Reminder: Help shape global research priorities to combat #HumanTrafficking & #ForcedLabor. Take the ILO & IPA survey by Sept 15, 2025 to share the questions that should guide future evidence and action. Take the survey: accessiblesurveys.com/survey/-OSsW...

From data to decisions—how can Embedded Evidence Labs shape education policy? Hear from IPA’s Juan Manuel Hernández-Agramonte at #UKFIET2025. 📅 Sept 16 | 4–5:30PM | Oxford Learn more about Embedded Labs: poverty-action.org/embedded-evi... Explore the Conference: www.ukfiet.org/conference/u...

From partnerships to systems change, Embedded Labs are reshaping how evidence drives education policy. Hear IPA’s Juan Manuel Hernández-Agramonte at #UKFIET2025, Sept 16–18 in Oxford. More on Embedded Labs: poverty-action.org/embedded-evi... Explore the Conference: www.ukfiet.org/conference/u...

Play can boost learning—but making it part of early childhood education takes more than good intentions. With VVOB, Plan International, VSO, IPA & LEGO Foundation, we’ve distilled 4 years of lessons into practical guides, tools & recommendations. 📖 Explore resources here: bit.ly/45KygYm

Your voice matters. Join the survey shaping global action on #HumanTrafficking & #ForcedLabour, led by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA Closes Sept 15 👉 accessiblesurveys.com/survey/-OSsW...

🚨 COOL JOB!!! 🚨 In Rwanda, @poverty-action.bsky.social and gui2de are hiring a Scale-Up Advisor to work within the MINEDUC to scale up a revised teacher performance pay contract ("imihigo"). We're looking for an excellent manager to help lead this initiative to take evidence into policy at scale.

Really useful resource for RAs and others interested in doing field work in international settings, or any rigorous empirical work in social sciences @poverty-action.bsky.social just launched the IPA Knowledge Hub data.poverty-action.org

To strengthen LMIC-led research, IPA, CISP & Kenyatta University co-developed an Impact Evaluation course embedded in a Master’s program. Students now learn by working on real-world projects—building lasting skills to lead rigorous evaluations. More: poverty-action.org/building-sus...

“Hablemos entre Patas” delivers 30 days of daily challenges for men: ☝️ Equal household participation 📞 Better communication skills 💰 Joint financial planning ❤️ Emotional regulation 📉 20% reduction in sexual violence. #FieldTested #GenderEquality 🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/3Hyfyd4

Can performance pay improve education? In Rwanda, IPA and partners tested it—and it worked: 🎯 Teachers showed better attendance & pedagogy 📈 Students learned more 🧑‍🏫 No harm to motivation or retention 🔗 bit.ly/45cu9V3

Great teachers change lives. But how do we staff every classroom with them? IPA, Gui2de, and partners tested a pay-for-performance model in Rwanda: 📚 Higher student learning 💼 More consistent teacher presence 🎯 Better instruction ❤️ Motivation remained strong #FieldTested🔗 bit.ly/45cu9V3

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks cycles of crime—long-term. In Liberia, young men worked with trained peers (not psychologists) to rethink harmful thoughts and build new habits. 📉 Crime dropped. Effects lasted 10 years. #FieldTested by IPA.

In Liberia, CBT + cash transfers helped young men break cycles of violence and crime. 📉 200 fewer crimes committed per participant 💰 Cost? USD $2.50 per crime avoided. 🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/3S0uPFf #FieldTested #DevelopmentResearch

In a world where punishment is the default response to crime, evidence points to another path: therapy. 💡 CBT—even delivered by non-experts—has reduced crime in different settings. 🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/bestbetsipa #FieldTested

Savings groups are a #FieldTested way to boost women’s access to credit and decision-making power. But key questions remain. 🔗bit.ly/3HRdAnW

Soft skills shape how people set goals, take initiative, and overcome challenges—key to economic success IPA is growing the #FieldTested evidence base: 🛠️ Co-developed ESTEEM to measure soft skills 📊 Funding research to close key gaps Better data = better programs. 🔗 bit.ly/4kYDxQR

A/B testing is taking off in the education sector w/ 7 panels at the Comparative and International Education Society this year. A summary from @youthimpactorg.bsky.social @poverty-action.bsky.social Rocket Learning @wwhglobaled.bsky.social @gatesfoundation.bsky.social www.wwhge.org/resources/ci...

What drives business growth? Capital and training help—but soft skills like initiative and persistence often make the difference. IPA’s research shows they can boost profits and job outcomes. That’s why soft-skills training is a #FieldTested Best Bet. 🔗 bit.ly/4kYDxQR

Can mobile tutoring close learning gaps? 📱 Tested in 5 countries 📈 +40% math gains in the Philippines 💰 USD $12 per child (Philippines) IPA’s evaluation shows mEducation is #FieldTested and ready to scale. 🔗 poverty-action.org/mEducation

A tutoring program that works: 📈 +40% in math skills 💰 Just USD $12/child 📱 Delivered via SMS & phone IPA led the evaluation of #mEducation in the Philippines a #FieldTested, cost-effective way to boost learning where in-person support is limited. 🔗 poverty-action.org/mEducation

🏠 How can aid help refugee populations integrate into host communities? Join CEGA & @poverty-action.bsky.social‬ on 6/26 to discuss evidence from the Syrian Refugee Life Study, which looks at the impact of housing subsidies on Syrian refugees in Jordan. 🔗 Register here: go.cega.org/SRLSwebinar

Environmental challenges—from pollution to biodiversity loss—affect us all, especially the most vulnerable. On #WorldEnvironmentDay, IPA is sharing our new Research & Learning Agenda: a set of priorities for building evidence on what works to protect our planet and improve lives. 🔗 bit.ly/45tmP7R

📢 IPA’s Consumer Protection Research Initiative is funding research on digital finance risks, including fraud, over-indebtedness, and unclear pricing. Have a great study idea? Apply by June 15th: bit.ly/CfPcpri. Questions? Email [email protected]

Soft skills matter for economic development—but measuring them effectively remains a challenge. IPA + World Bank created ESTEEM: a tool to measure socio-emotional skills for adult workers in Africa. 🌐 Tested in 6 countries, 5 languages. 🔗 poverty-action.org/socio-emotional-skills

Highly recommend checking out the lessons our colleagues at J-PAL put together.👇🏼

What increases childhood immunization? • Mobile reminders for connected caregivers • Community-led education • In-kind incentives • Social signals for caregivers Not effective: wearable reminders alone Full brief: bit.ly/4jyTWuM

Why RCTs still matter—and how to do them better. "‘Nobody has invented a time machine”—Dean Karlan explains the value (and limits) of randomized controlled trials and why rapid evidence doesn’t mean cutting corners.

🌍 This #EarthDay, we’re spotlighting one of IPA’s Best Bets for climate action: Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES)—programs that pay landowners to conserve forests. bit.ly/bestbetsipa

The last time you used #MobileMoney – Did your transaction fail? Were you charged an extra fee? These hidden fees increase costs for users. That’s why we developed the Transaction Cost Index – to measure & monitor these hidden costs. Learn more about our latest findings on April 30th: bit.ly/4jDNpPj

In the Philippines, an at-home early childhood program supported parents in low-income homes to play flashcard games with their children to boost skills. What did we find? Increased learning for 1 year Active parent engagement High cost-effectiveness Read more: bit.ly/HomeEdPH

Wonderful to see this evidence translate into impact. The research in Burkina Faso was implemented by IPA—proud to have supported this important work. Learn more👇🏼

On #WorldHealthDay, we’re highlighting evidence on how digital tools can strengthen maternal and newborn health—supporting better decisions, care practices, and health for families. #HealthForAll