Innovations for Poverty Action
banner
poverty-action.bsky.social
Innovations for Poverty Action
@poverty-action.bsky.social
We bring together researchers and decision-makers to evaluate poverty solutions and ensure evidence is used to improve lives. #MoreEvidenceLessPoverty
What’s the most scalable way to support teachers?

New evidence from Ghana suggests training school leaders as in-school coaches—supported by simple edtech—can significantly improve teaching quality.

Read more on early results from an A/B test with Inspiring Teachers: bit.ly/4qgPy6R
Principals as Coaches? An A/B Test suggests it can work | IPA
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 5:31 PM
AI is reshaping how dev't data is collected & used.

At the World Bank’s “Better Data for Better Jobs and Lives” conf. (Dec 8–9), IPA’s Steven Glazerman & Dr. Nouréini Sayouti will highlight how rigorous methods and responsible innovation can improve data for better decisions.

More: bit.ly/4rseyta
December 6, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Dec 9–10: IPA's Niall Keleher (nkeleher.com) joins @cgdev.org & The Agency Fund Working Group in London to set standards for evaluating AI tools in low- and middle-income countries + share IPA’s work building ethical, scalable data systems.

IPA's Research & Data Science Hub: data.poverty-action.org
December 4, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Many Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) systems focus on reporting instead of learning. But in today’s funding climate, learning-focused MEL is the smartest investment: it helps organizations adapt faster, avoid waste, and scale what works.

Read more in our new blog. bit.ly/4osb86Z
Why Learning-focused Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning is the Best Investment You Can Make Right Now | IPA
bit.ly
December 3, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Great to see IPA Founder Dean Karlan featured in @vox.com's Future Perfect 25.

A powerful reminder that evidence, cost-effectiveness, and impact must stay at the center of development efforts.

Read the full feature: www.vox.com/future-perfe...
The 6 big thinkers reshaping foreign aid, masculinity, and development
Meet the Future Perfect 25: The Thinkers
www.vox.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Because of their moral authority and trusted voice in society, faith leaders are becoming champions for violence prevention.

Becoming One, grounded in Biblical principles, is significantly reducing intimate partner violence in Uganda.

Read more: ipa.shorthandstories.com/becoming-one/

#16Days
Becoming One
Why did IPA support the scaling of Becoming One?
ipa.shorthandstories.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:47 PM
How can evidence strengthen digital public infrastructure?

At the Global #DPISummit, IPA’s Hussam Razi shared insights on building implementer–researcher partnerships, measuring DPI’s real impact, and what we’re learning from instant payment systems.

Read more: poverty-action.org/measuring-di...
November 20, 2025 at 2:00 PM
On Nov 20, IPA Nigeria hosts a workshop on “Advancing Women’s Access to Credit and Capital,” bringing together policymakers, lenders, and women’s business networks to share evidence on what works globally and locally to close financial inclusion gaps.

Learn more: poverty-action.org/ipa-hosts-wo...
November 14, 2025 at 11:00 AM
IPA is partnering with the Mojaloop Foundation to put rigorous evidence at the center of how inclusive #InstantPaymentSystems are designed and scaled.

As adoption grows, we need to know what works, what doesn’t, and how to protect consumers.

Read more 👇
mojaloop.io/mojaloop-fou...
November 13, 2025 at 5:12 PM
IPA’s Human Trafficking Research Initiative (HTRI) Call for Proposals is now open! Seeking seed research that tests early-stage counter-trafficking interventions—from partnerships to pilots.

Proposals due Dec 4.

Apply: poverty-action.org/htri-call-fo...

Agenda: poverty-action.org/research-and...
Call for Proposals | Human Trafficking Research Initiative | IPA
poverty-action.org
November 13, 2025 at 10:16 AM
In dev't, smart decisions come from matching the right costing model to the right context—not one-size-fits-all analysis.

Our new blog explains Cost Effectiveness Analysis, Social Return on Investment & Cost-Effectiveness Modeling.

Each helps partners invest and scale what works.
🔗 bit.ly/4p7HGnI
Deciding on Costing Analysis: Why Different Questions Need Different Models for Program Evaluation | IPA
bit.ly
November 12, 2025 at 4:07 PM
IPA is proud to share that #mEducation has been named one of the Top 100 impactful and scalable education innovations to watch in 2026, selected from 3,000+ innovations worldwide.

Explore HundrED’s Global Collection 2026: bit.ly/47FYefa

More about IPA's mEducation: poverty-action.org/mEducation
November 11, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Education research has produced thousands of studies—but too often, the evidence isn’t used.

With support from the Education Endowment Foundation, IPA explored how connecting evidence repositories with Embedded Evidence Labs in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire can close this gap.

More: bit.ly/3JOXOv7
Five Lessons for the Future of Evidence Synthesis in Education
Juan M. Hernández Agramonte and Will Sims (Innovations for Poverty Action) and Amy Faux (Education Endowment Foundation) share key considerations for…
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 10:40 AM
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
Investing Where Scale Lives: Working Inside Government for Lasting Impact | IPA
bit.ly
November 4, 2025 at 3:36 PM
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...
Sustainable Digital Finance
This is an open access book.It seeks to present visionary, yet practical, perspectives for innovative technologies to address sustainability challenges.
link.springer.com
November 3, 2025 at 11:53 AM
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-...
Request for Proposals | IPA Soft Skills Research Fund
IPA's Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Development Program has launched a call for research proposals at the intersection of soft skills and economic empowerment in low and middle-income countries.
poverty-action.org
October 28, 2025 at 6:33 PM
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
October 28, 2025 at 10:34 AM
📅 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
October 15, 2025 at 6:59 PM
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
Displaced Livelihoods Webinar Series | IPA
bit.ly
October 10, 2025 at 10:53 AM
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
October 9, 2025 at 4:32 PM
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
October 7, 2025 at 6:22 PM
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
October 6, 2025 at 2:57 PM
📢 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
Request for Proposals | IPA Soft Skills Research Fund
IPA's Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Development Program has launched a call for research proposals at the intersection of soft skills and economic empowerment in low and middle-income countries.
poverty-action.org
October 2, 2025 at 10:37 AM
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
October 1, 2025 at 11:43 AM
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
Soft Skills for Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development | IPA
Recent and promising research on incorporating psychological and social attitudes and abilities into labor markets and workforce development programs
bit.ly
September 25, 2025 at 1:05 PM