Innovations for Poverty Action

06/18/2026

📢 Calling all working Filipinos! We want to hear from YOU!

Earn Php 100 Pluxee Gift Card upon completing the survey!

Are you earning at least ₱20,000 a month? Do you have thoughts or opinions about investment opportunities? This is your chance to be part of a meaningful research study!

What's this about?

IPA is conducting a study on Investment Preferences in the Philippines. We want to understand which features of investment offers are most appealing to Filipino investors, and how simple information can help people make better investment decisions.

Why join?

Your responses will help shape research and policies that promote smarter, safer investment decisions for Filipinos everywhere.

✅ You qualify if you:
• Are a working Filipino
• Earn at least ₱20,000 per month (any employment type)
• Have a working smartphone

What's included?

You'll be asked to complete a short online survey covering:
• Your demographic profile
• Your existing investments (if any)
• Your perceptions of sample investment opportunities
• Your contact details (for future follow-up)

It only takes 10-15 minutes, and you can do it at your own pace!

Ready to participate? Complete the survey here:
https://ipasurveys2026.github.io/investment-preferences/

For questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected]

Help us spread the word. Share this post with your networks!

06/17/2026

At the National Launch of the Philippines Socioeconomic Panel Survey (PSPS) Wave 1 Data on June 2, Dean Karlan (IPA Founder and Northwestern University Professor) offered a simple but powerful reminder: hope and ambition inspire action, but they do not inform decisions. Evidence must do that work, shaping how programs are designed, implemented, and scaled.

The PSPS is a 20-year panel survey tracking more than 15,000 rural households across Western Visayas and Negros Occidental. With rich longitudinal data spanning education, migration, health, financial inclusion, and beliefs, it provides a strong foundation for policy-relevant research and evaluation.

The launch brought together policymakers, researchers, development practitioners, and academic partners to explore how panel data such as the PSPS can strengthen evidence-informed policymaking in the Philippines.

Three insights stood out across the day's discussions:
✅Panel data is not just a source of information but a tool for program design. PSPS offers an evaluation platform where baseline data can strengthen program design before implementation, improve randomization, and reduce costs from the outset.

✅Longitudinal data enables better decisions at scale. Rather than focusing on single studies in isolation, panel data allows researchers and policymakers to build system-level evidence that can inform how programs are designed, adapted, and expanded.

✅Evidence only matters when it is used. Across sessions, a consistent message emerged: rigorous research must be paired with clear, accessible, and action-oriented communication so that insights translate into real policy decisions.

A shared thread across all discussions was that evidence is only as valuable as the action it enables. The launch concluded with a call to make use of PSPS and its publicly available data to generate insights that improve programs, policies, and ultimately lives.

IPA is grateful to all speakers, panelists, participants, and partners for a rich and forward-looking discussion.

This event was co-hosted by the Global Poverty Research Lab (GPRL) at Northwestern University, the Philippine Institute For Development Studies, the UP School of Economics, and the University of the Philippines Visayas Socio-Economic Research and Data Analytics Center.

Watch the video below for highlights from the event and explore the PSPS data here: www.poverty-action.org/psps

06/14/2026

Creating a culture of evidence means embedding learning and evaluation into institutions so that policies and programs continuously evolve based on what works and what gaps still need to be addressed.

This was shared by Dean Karlan, Professor of Economics and Finance at Northwestern University and Founder of Innovations for Poverty Action, during the Philippines Socioeconomic Panel Survey (PSPS) Wave 1 Data Launch.

▶️ Watch the full discussion: https://pids.gov.ph/details/resource/videos/the-socioeconomic-landscape-in-western-visayas-and-negros-insights-from-the-philippines-socioeconom

06/14/2026

Longitudinal panel surveys provide a deeper understanding of how households and livelihoods evolve over time, helping researchers and policymakers track how people respond to shocks and how interventions shape outcomes.

This was shared by Rene Marlon Panti, Senior Research Manager at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), during the Philippines Socioeconomic Panel Survey (PSPS) Wave 1 Data Launch.

▶️ Watch the full discussion:
https://pids.gov.ph/details/resource/videos/the-socioeconomic-landscape-in-western-visayas-and-negros-insights-from-the-philippines-socioeconom

06/05/2026

Strengthening accountability systems is essential for improving teaching quality and learning outcomes at scale. Proud to work alongside the Ministry of Education, Rwanda through the Supporting Teacher Achievement in Rwandan Schools project as Rwanda advances implementation of its new school and teacher Imihigo framework.

06/04/2026

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.

Join IPA, Village Enterprise, and HereWeGrow for an open discussion on making cost-effectiveness analysis more transparent and comparable across livelihoods programs.

We'll share how a practical framework helped clarify assumptions and strengthen conversations between funders and implementers.

Tuesday, June 23 at 10-11 AM EDT | 5-6pm EAT

Register here: https://bit.ly/3RQsP5A

06/01/2026

One day left!

Don’t miss the National Launch of the Philippines Socioeconomic Panel Survey (PSPS) Wave 1 Data, featuring data from more than 15,000 households across Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region.

This 20-year panel survey provides a unique window into long-term socioeconomic change and how data can better inform policy and planning in the Philippines.

Join us as we present key insights and discuss how this evidence can be used for more effective programs and decisions.

Date: June 2, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PHT)

Register now: https://bit.ly/pidsevent060226

Learn more about PSPS and access the data here: poverty-action.org/psps

Submitted by cvu@poverty-ac… on Fri, 05/26/2023 - 15:04 Philippines Socioeconomic Panel Survey (PSPS) In this image:Enumerators for the PSPS photographed on their way to survey respondents. © 2024 First Light Studios & IPA Philippines  OverviewThe Philippines Socioeconomic Panel Survey (PSPS) is...

05/28/2026

Five days to go until the National Launch of the Philippines Socioeconomic Panel Survey (PSPS) Wave 1 Data!

Join researchers, policymakers, development practitioners, and government partners for a discussion on how longitudinal panel surveys can strengthen evidence-based policymaking, program design, and impact evaluation in the Philippines.

The program will feature a keynote address by Dean Karlan, Professor of Economics and Finance at Northwestern University and IPA’s founder, alongside a presentation of descriptive statistics from PSPS Wave 1. A panel discussion will bring together policymakers and practitioners to reflect on key policy priorities, challenges in designing and evaluating programs, and opportunities for collaboration using panel survey data.

Afternoon breakout sessions will focus on impact evaluation, research design, and how PSPS data can inform policymaking.

Check out the speaker details in the photo banners.

Date: June 2, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. PHT

Register now: https://bit.ly/pidsevent060226

Learn more about PSPS and access the data: poverty-action.org/psps

Philippine Institute For Development Studies, UP School of Economics, University of the Philippines Diliman, University of the Philippines

05/25/2026

IPA, in collaboration with the Rwanda Basic Education Board - REB and UNICEF, is supporting the roll out of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Module within Rwanda's Teacher Management Information System (TMIS).

TMIS now manages over 100,000 public school teachers across recruitment, transfers, maternity leave, and scholarships. The CPD Module extends the platform to teacher training, helping REB plan and support teacher development nationwide.

Learn more: https://poverty-action.org/stars

05/22/2026

We are two weeks away from the National Launch of the Philippines Socioeconomic Panel Survey (PSPS) Wave 1 Data!

The PSPS is a 20-year panel survey tracking over 15,000 rural households across Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region.

On June 2, we bring together policymakers, researchers, and development practitioners to explore how long-term, comparable data can strengthen evidence-based policy and planning in the Philippines.

Expect insights from speakers and discussants from the Global Poverty Research Lab (GPRL) at Northwestern University, Philippine Institute For Development Studies, UP School of Economics, UP Visayas Socio-Economic Research and Data Analytics Center, and provincial government partners in Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region.

Date: June 2, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PHT)

Register now: https://bit.ly/pidsevent060226

Learn more about PSPS and access the data here: poverty-action.org/psps