Join other Latin American projects that are already improving their management with impact assessments

More than 200 applications are expected in the 3rd International Call for Impact Assessments for #BetterManagement led by CAF–development bank of Latin America–, with the support of J-PAL LAC–Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Latin America and the Caribbean– and CLAD (Latin American Center of Administration for Development). The call will be open until June 30, and 5 proposals will be selected receive technical and logistical support for the design and implementation of impact assessments of the highest scientific rigor.

Programs from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay, related to health, education, work, security, technology, maternity, agriculture, transport, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, tax collection, SMEs, have been selected in the 2017 and 2018 calls.

One of the candidates selected in the previous call was the Business Development Centers program implemented by Chile’s Technical Cooperation Service (SERCOTEC) offering free training and technical assistance to entrepreneurs and SMEs to help them boost their productivity, sales, employment and investment. Currently, CAF and SERCOTEC are working together on the design of an assessment method to measure the impact of this consulting service on the economic performance of entrepreneurs and smaller companies.

Three projects from Argentina were selected in the 2018 call. The Provincial Directorate of Road Policy and Safety of the Ministry of Government of the Province of Buenos Aires submitted an initiative to improve the process of issuing driver’s licenses with a view to reducing the incidence of traffic accidents. In addition, the Tax Collection Authority of the Province of Buenos Aires nominated a project that seeks to assess alternatives that replace the real estate and motor tax payment forms, currently issued on paper and distributed by postal mail. The Ministry of Production and Labor proposed to assess the Fondo Semilla fund, a program that provides loans and advice, through incubators, to entrepreneurs at the initial stages of productive projects. Currently, CAF is working with these institutions to design assessments to measure the impact of these initiatives.

In the case of Ecuador, the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion was selected in the 2017 call with the Human Development Credit (CDH) project. The CDH policy consists of disbursing an advance of the monthly payments of the Human Development Bonus, a benefit amounting to US$50 monthly, for users who wish to start ventures. CAF and MIES are currently working on the design of two assessments: the first seeks to measure the impact of the training provided by economic inclusion schools while the second aims to estimate the impact of the technical advice to co-ops benefiting from the CDH program.

Assessment proposals can focus on the impact of a policy or program on their beneficiaries, or the impact of a management change aimed at improving an institution’s processes or a particular policy. Priority will be given to projects in the areas of: infrastructure, competitiveness, productivity, regulation and financial inclusion, social inclusion, education, food security, and government digital innovation with an emphasis on e-government, public innovation and open data, and public integrity, transparency and public procurement.

To apply and get more information, please visit the website of the call.