Innovations for Poverty Action

From Becoming One, a faith-based program helping couples build healthier relationships and reduce intimate partner violence, to the 5th Cross-Country Learning Exchange in Nairobi, where government lab teams from 14 countries came together to discuss how to institutionalize evidence use in policy and reforms, we invite you to explore new insights, upcoming opportunities, and IPA’s latest research and events below. Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter in your inbox: bit.ly/ipasubscribe

This Halloween, the scariest thing isn’t ghosts — it’s fraud. Roughly 1 in 10 people lost money to digital-finance fraud last year, according to IPA’s Financial Consumer Protection Surveys. Low transparency and ineffective redress are haunting consumer trust in digital finance. Strengthening disclosure standards, agent oversight, and grievance systems is essential to sustain inclusion gains. Evidence from IPA’s surveys can guide regulators and providers in making digital finance both accessible and safe. Don’t miss it! Country survey results for Uganda, Kenya, the Philippines, and Tanzania will be creeping in over the coming weeks. Take a sneak peek in the carousel below. https://lnkd.in/eWY3Ja9q

At IPA, we’re supporting governments harness the power of AI and embed evidence into public systems for lasting impact through Embedded Evidence Labs. Working hand in hand with government teams, our Data Science and Labs experts combine advanced tools—like generative AI, predictive models, and automation—turning innovation into lasting impact. See how IPA helps governments turn AI into public value—strengthening systems, capacity, and vision to improve people’s lives.

IPA, the What Works Hub for Global Education, & the Ministry Of Education, Kenya (MOE) co-hosted the Cross-Country Learning Exchange (CCLE) in Nairobi, convening education leaders, researchers, and policymakers from 14 countries to grapple with a shared challenge: How do we move beyond producing research to actually institutionalizing evidence-use within government systems to inform effective policies and reforms? This was our 5th CCLE, and the evolution of these convenings tells its own story. We've moved from early conversations about what Embedded Labs could be to concrete discussions about institutionalization: the processes, structures, governance mechanisms, and resources that make evidence use sustainable rather than episodic. The beauty of convening these teams is that each government agency is at a different stage of the journey. Creating space for Embedded Labs teams to learn from each other's experiences—both successes and setbacks—is what makes the CCLE so valuable. “There is demand for knowledge of how to implement labs and bring evidence into policymaking,” Bethany Park, Sr. Director Policy One key takeaway from the conference was the idea of evidence use as an iterative cycle: evidence generation leads to decisions, which lead to implementation, which generates new questions requiring new evidence. This acknowledges what practitioners know but don't always say out loud—using evidence well isn't linear. It's messy, ongoing, and requires sustained institutional commitment. “This is precisely why Embedded Labs provide the infrastructure to support that iterative process over time, building the relationships and trust necessary for evidence to genuinely inform decisions,” Juan Manuel Hernández-Agramonte, Sr. Director Embedded Labs Speakers reminded us that evidence-use requires more than research generation. It requires capacity development that endures within institutions. It requires processes and structures that outlast individual champions. It requires resources allocated not just to conducting studies, but to synthesizing findings, facilitating stakeholder engagement, and translating research into implementation. Looking ahead, IPA's next steps focus on strengthening both the impact and institutionalization of Embedded Labs across this growing network. We're committed to co-design processes that center government partners' needs, developing monitoring and evaluation tools that capture what matters, providing in-country technical assistance, and facilitating ongoing exchanges through online learning and the Embedded Labs communities of practice. The goal is to support each Lab to build the evidence infrastructure that works for their context while learning from the collective experience of the network. #EmbeddedLabs FCDO Services, Jacobs Foundation, Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), British Council, The Learning Generation Initiative, Zizi Afrique Foundation, EdTech Hub, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

Reminder: There’s still time to apply! IPA’s Entrepreneurship & Private Sector Development (EPSD) Program is accepting proposals for new research on how soft skills drive entrepreneurship, employment, and workforce development. 📍 EOI deadline: November 14, 2025 📝 Full proposals: January 30, 2026 Apply now: https://lnkd.in/ez5ZBRGc

One week until our virtual Solution Session on refugee economic integration on the margins of the Second World Summit on Social Development! Join us November 4 at 9AM ET for the first experimental evidence on large-scale government programs supporting refugees in Ethiopia—work permits, business licenses, and public works integration. Hear from IPA, University of Oxford, The World Bank, Ethiopian government, and others on what works for dignified work and inclusion at scale. Register now: https://lnkd.in/efE3xqcK #SocialDevelopment #RefugeeInclusion #EvidenceToPolicy

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is hiring a Research Manager for our Consumer Protection Research Initiative (CPRI) to strengthen consumer protection in digital financial services across Eastern Africa. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹: ➡️ Lead partnerships with financial regulators to reduce harms like fraud, hidden fees, and over-indebtedness ➡️ Oversee policy-driven research and SupTech/data initiatives for market monitoring ➡️ Translate evidence into practical tools and processes for supervisors ➡️ Manage multi-country research teams, budgets, and partnerships 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: • A Master’s degree in economics, public policy, or a related field • 3–5+ years of experience in financial inclusion, regulation, or consumer protection • Proven ability to engage credibly with senior regulators and communicate quantitative insights clearly Preferred locations: Tanzania, Uganda, or Kenya Apply here by November 13, 2025: https://lnkd.in/ebsGur8T

Digital credit has expanded financial access across low- and middle-income countries, offering borrowers speed and convenience. But what happens when people fall behind on payments? Too often, they are permanently excluded from future loans, an outcome that hurts both households and lenders. Is there a better way?  A randomized evaluation with Alfredo Burlando, Michael Kuhn, Silvia Prina, & Brock Wilson in sub-Saharan Africa offers new insights into what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to helping borrowers rebuild trust and regain access. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eJCpxaYp

IPA’s Human Trafficking Research Initiative (HTRI) is excited to announce that our Call for Proposals is now open! We are seeking proposals for seed research that supports early-stage efforts — from partnership-building and exploratory studies to piloting — aimed at testing the feasibility of full-scale impact evaluations of counter-trafficking interventions. These early-stage grants are designed to help research teams and implementing partners develop their ideas into viable study designs and partnerships, laying the groundwork for future full-scale impact evaluations. Projects should address one or more of the key research gaps identified in the newly updated HTRI Research & Learning Agenda, organized around the 4 Ps of human trafficking: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership. 🗓️ Full proposals are due December 4, 2025. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eJuTjqeV For more on the priority research gaps that guide this call, please find the latest Research & Learning Agenda here: https://lnkd.in/eTgff7nA We would like to thank U.S. Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons for their support and our academic leads, Cecilia Hyunjung Mo and Guy Grossman, for guiding this important work. Please share this opportunity widely!