What happens when livelihood support is designed with both people and the environment in mind? That's the question at the heart of an event IPA is hosting with The BOMA Project and the IKEA Foundation on August 4 in Nairobi.

Today is #WorldDayAgainstTraffickingInPersons. Governments invest heavily in awareness campaigns to prevent trafficking. But does information alone change outcomes? Evidence from IPA's Human Trafficking Research Initiative suggests: not usually.

Participants identified several priorities for scaling: ✅ Strengthening teacher training and support ✅ Embedding violence prevention within government systems ✅ Building stronger accountability and data systems

How do we move from successful pilot programs to sustainable, government-led solutions that help prevent violence against children in schools? That was the focus of a national workshop convened by Uganda's Ministry of Education and Sports, IPA, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Read our latest blog by @nessakenny.bsky.social and Caroline Lawton: bit.ly/4wVLmNh

Self-reliance is easy to endorse. Achieving it is much harder. New evidence presented at the Joint Data Center's Research Conference on Forced Displacement challenges common assumptions about aid, livelihoods, and what it really takes to support displaced populations.

What drives the cost of digital payments? Not one factor, but many. Our latest blog explores how consumer behavior, taxes, competition, payment infrastructure, and provider incentives shape the affordability of digital financial services. Read more: bit.ly/4wFz6Af

Despite widespread mobile money, Tanzanians still pay some of the highest digital transaction fees in the region. Our latest #TADFRI blog explores how competition, interoperability, and smart regulation can help make digital financial services more affordable.

As part of our Tanzania Affordable Digital Finance Research Initiative (TADFRI), we continue to explore what makes digital financial services more affordable.

Tanzania has more mobile money accounts than working-age adults. But high taxes could undo years of progress, driving people back to cash. How can the gov't raise revenue without pricing out low-income users? Our research with Fiscality offers answers. bit.ly/4pcxGdV

Making digital payments available is only part of the challenge. Making them affordable is what determines whether people and businesses use them consistently.

Last week in Abuja, IPA and Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction launched the National Poverty Intelligence Lab.

Success depends on context and design, including complementary practical support, strong engagement strategies, and designs that reflect the realities many women face. Checkout the images below for key insights from the review. Read the full evidence review: bit.ly/4vvas52

A new IPA evidence review examines how digital interventions, from online training and mentorship to job platforms and remote work, are shaping women’s skills development and labor market participation across low- and middle-income countries.

Peace is a continuous process. To celebrate the first United Nations #PeacebuildingWeek, IPA is looking back on some of our early peace-maintaining findings in Liberia, conducted in partnership with the UN Peacebuilding Fund following the Liberian civil wars between 1989 and 2003.

Cost-effectiveness analysis helps answer an important question: What impact are we achieving for every dollar invested? But there are underlying assumptions about costs, impact duration, spillovers, and more that can shape results.

Is your program ready for impact evaluation? Our free 10-question simple checklist helps you assess readiness in 15 minutes. Get your score and guidance on next steps, plus learn how IPA can support your evaluation journey.

IPA Rwanda is supporting the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) and UNICEF in the rollout of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Module within the Teacher Management Information System (TMIS).

Participants aligned around several priorities: → Strengthening use of national data systems → Improving evidence translation & visualization → Launching a National Teacher Status Study → Developing a new monitoring & evaluation framework → Institutionalizing evidence-sharing spaces

Discussions focused on practical ways to improve how evidence informs: → Teacher management systems → Assessment systems → Curriculum & pedagogy → Early childhood education → Quality assurance & standards

Uganda’s education sector does not lack data. The challenge is turning that data into better decisions and stronger education outcomes. At the 5th #EdLabUganda Retreat, IPA joined government, researchers, universities, and partners to strengthen evidence use across the sector.

Join us for the National Launch of the Philippines Socioeconomic Panel Survey (PSPS) Wave 1 Data on June 2, 2026 at the University of the Visayas, Iloilo City Campus. 📅 June 2, 2026 ⏰ 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PHT) Learn more and register now: bit.ly/4ucJezG

How can we counter organized crime, combat drug trafficking & strengthen law enforcement and criminal justice systems? What does the evidence say, and what are we still missing? Find out in IPA's new Research & Learning Agenda for the Citizen Security Research Initiative: bit.ly/4bYshBb

Rwanda’s education system is evolving, and evidence is at the center of the next phase. At #StateOfEducation2026, discussions focused on learning outcomes, foundational skills, and how data can drive real policy change.