Locations
Funding Windows
About the Poverty and Inequality Funding Windows
Thanks to Luxembourg’s strategic partnership through the Poverty and Inequality Funding Windows mechanism, ten projects in the LAC region have been implemented with the goal of identifying, protecting, and empowering vulnerable populations. These initiatives are closely aligned with key UNDP priorities, including addressing the digital divide, reducing poverty, promoting gender equality, and enhancing interoperability.
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MAIN GOAL
The main goal is to identify, protect and empower vulnerable populations in the LAC region, specifically aligned with key UNDP priority issues, such as the digital divide, poverty, and gender inequalities, as well as interoperability.
In total, 10 countries took part in the Funding Windows, showcasing a broad geographic engagement. A total of 11 projects were carried out, as two projects were implemented in one country.
Belize - Digital Inclusion & Digital Transformation Programme
Main goal
Bridge Belize’s digital divide, particularly for rural communities, youth, and women, by expanding access to digital training, strengthening human capital, and consolidating government digital services through a national Government of Belize Connect Platform and a network of Digital Connect Centres.
Impact
397
thousand
USD total project budget
9
nation-level
partners engaged
12
thousand
people benefited
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Increase digital literacy, employability, and readiness for digital transformation among women, youth, and rural populations.
Results: The project strengthened the National Digital Governance Framework, including the support to the passing of the Digital Law Act and the development of Implementation Plans for the Data Protection Act and the Public Sector Data Sharing Act. This also included training and human capital development activities, where over 100 Belizeans were trained in digital literacy (826 were seniors, 615 women), with 223 youths as their accompanying Digital Buddies, strengthening inter-generational learning and community support systems. Additionally, the project strengthened the Vital Statistics Unit (VSU), with the completion of new Strategic Organizational Plan, Communication Strategy, and procurement of ICT equipment to begin mass digitization of identity records.
Objective: Expand digital access and improve service delivery by conducting the first ever mapping of government services into an app.
Results: The project established 7 Digital Connect Centres nationwide that provided free internet access, access to government e-services, digital literacy training, MSME support services through the Virtual Knowledge Centre, and safe, equipped digital spaces for youth and women. These centres were strategically placed in fast-growing or underserved rural/inner-city communities where private telecom investment was limited, and it resulted in over 12 thousand users, of which around 80% were youth users. Support and direct access to BELTRAIDE’s Virtual Knowledge Centre for MSMEs and economic recovery was also provided through the Digital Connect Centres, building on a strong sense of community and government partnerships.
What we learned
The experience from the project has shown that early and intensive community engagement is critical. Future Digital Connect Centre rollouts should involve direct pre-launch engagement with residents, youth groups, schools, churches, and local NGOs. Successful execution of Digital Connect Centres required multi-stakeholder approaches where shared ownership between government, village councils, area representatives, and community leaders ensured proper site selection, security, renovations, and day-to-day management—creating centres that are trusted, protected, and actively used by residents. The Digital Buddy model not only supported elderly learners but also built youth leadership, community pride, and sustainability, creating high-impact multiplier effects.
Internet connectivity remains a national challenge, as many rural areas still face unstable connectivity. Continuous dialogue with service providers, already initiated by the E-Governance & Digitization Unit was essential to ensure reliable access and prevent disruption to learning and service delivery. Regarding this, the Digital Law Bill, paired with Data Protection and Data Sharing implementation plans, helped anchor Belize’s modernization agenda. Legislative clarity has shown to enhance digital trust, adoption, and government efficiency.
Brazil - Promoting the interoperability of Cadastro Único
Main goal
Improve the interoperability of the Social Registry (Cadastro Único) with other systems to enhance data quality, targeting, coverage, policy efficiency, and reduce the costs for households.
Impact
200
thousand
USD total project budget
180
databases
analyzed and cross-checked
94
million
estimated beneficiaries
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Support enhanced quality and availability of data from the Cadastro Único for efficient and gender-sensitive social policy provision.
Results: The project strengthened the quality and availability of Cadastro Único data by mapping and analyzing multiple administrative databases—such as E-Social, CNIS, IMO, ENEM, Encceja, Cadastro de Pescadores, and Agricultura Familiar—while identifying legal and technical barriers to data access and drafting preliminary business rules. This analysis also integrated three public datasets into the Ministry of Social Development’s Data Lake and collaborated with DataPrev to assess data reliability. Complementing these technical efforts, a comprehensive review of data collection practices identified key gaps in gender-sensitive information, contributing to more accurate beneficiary identification and laying the foundation for inclusive and gender-responsive social policy design.
Objective: Evaluate the consistency of information from different administrative registries that have information on formal income and education and develop the business rules to guide its future incorporation into the Cadastro Único.
Results: An in-depth evaluation of data consistency was conducted across administrative registries with income and education information. An evaluation of data consistency covered income and education registries, analyzing more than 80 databases. Validated business rules for education enabled secure integration into Cadastro Único, with an expected impact of updating over 20 million administrative records. Additionally, more than fifty government programs were mapped on income-related aspects. Engagement with agencies advanced integration efforts, strengthening socioeconomic profiles and supporting equitable policy targeting.
Objective: Document the process of evaluating the incorporation of information from these administrative registries, with a gender perspective, and disseminate it among the personnel from the Secretariat responsible for the Cadastro Único.
Results: The evaluation process for incorporating administrative data on income and education into the Cadastro Único was thoroughly documented. The analysis estimated that more than 58% of individuals in the registry are women, and approximately 83% of families are women-led, observing recommendations to ensure that women’s socioeconomic realities are accurately captured. Additionally, business rules for education were developed, enabling secure integration and for the update of over 20 million administrative records.
Objective: Carry out adaptive social protection research to better address the impacts of climate change and natural disasters from a social perspective.
Results: A comprehensive literature and policy review on adaptive social protection was conducted, identifying key vulnerabilities among population groups, such as those relating to racial discrimination, gender, disability, and traditional communities. The review also included recommendations for integrating disaster-related data into the Cadastro Único system and mapping national and international best practices. Furthermore, the research supported the Ministry of Social Development's team to develop a protocol and a guide on disaster response using Cadastro Único, reinforcing the system’s role in building resilience and ensuring inclusive support in times of crisis.
What we learned
Improving the interoperability of the Cadastro Único with other systems has shown clear benefits: Enhanced data quality and targeting accuracy, expanded program coverage, and the enabling of more efficient policy planning. Importantly, these improvements reduced the administrative burden on households, who no longer need to provide the same information repeatedly. This experience highlights how integrated systems can deliver both social impact and operational efficiency.
The implementation of this project showed that delays are sometimes unavoidable, often arising from personal circumstances or unforeseen events. This experience highlighted the need for flexible planning, not merely to adjust timelines, but to build resilience within the team. UNDP has learned to respond with empathy, reassess priorities, and adapt its workflow. In doing so, the project not only met its goals, but grew UNDP's ability to handle uncertain circumstances.
Colombia - Recorrer, employability through skills and competencies, enhanced through machine learning
Main goal
Promote the labor market inclusion of vulnerable populations, including Venezuelan migrants and especially women in vulnerable situations, by expanding access and addressing gender and educational gaps.
Impact
200
thousand
USD total project budget
2
institutions
engaged in this project
70
job offers
matched with job seekers
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Analysis of the labor market through web scraping using Recorrer's database.
Results: Eight gender-focused labor market studies were conducted across program implementation sites to analyze supply and demand. These reports successfully identified gender-specific gaps and opportunities, providing a solid evidence base for data-driven employability strategies. Furthermore, close coordination with the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN) ensured the findings were territorially relevant and impactful, directly supporting the design of inclusive local labor policies and differentiated interventions.
Objective: Strengthening of transparency and fairness in employment processes associated with gender and disability biases by designing an intelligent audit model using machine learning methodologies.
Results: A machine learning tool that identifies historical behavior patterns and anticipates critical events that could create unfair barriers for candidates, ensuring that the matching of profiles and vacancies is based on merit and suitability. By establishing clear technical and analytical guidelines, the aim is for technological tools to act as a reliable support for detecting bias (selection and pre-selection) and ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities for access to work.
What we learned
An open and responsive selection strategy fosters innovation by attracting a diverse range of startups and professionals. Tailored guidance enhances the effectiveness of digital tools, enabling users to better navigate platforms and access opportunities. Local ownership supports sustainability, as institutional adoption strengthens capacity. Open data and shared tools generate insights that help shape public policy and improve employment and inclusion strategies.
Efforts to integrate vulnerable populations often fail when deeper systemic barriers remain unaddressed. Employment alone does not ensure meaningful inclusion, especially for Venezuelan migrants and women in precarious situations facing structural disadvantages. Without tackling gender and educational inequalities, programs risk reinforcing exclusion. General approaches overlook barriers women face in male-dominated sectors, limiting integration success and highlighting the need for equity-focused strategies.
Costa Rica - Women overcoming poverty through sustainable nature-based income-generating activities
Main goal
Support nature-based, women-led start-ups by strengthening their sustainability, scaling up their operations, enhancing their insertion into productive chains, and promoting the access of entrepreneurs and their employees to basic social protection services and access to financing.
Impact
380
thousand
USD total project budget
7
institutions
engaged in this project
317
women
beneficiaries from this project
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Strengthen social programs to advance women’s economic autonomy.
Results: Four public policies on social protection, social and solidarity economy, employment, and inclusion of persons with disabilities were updated through participatory technical processes. 14 workshops were delivered with an intersectional gender perspective to strengthen the capacities of social programs and promote women’s economic autonomy while building the skills and conditions needed to access formal employment and developing productive enterprises.
Objective: Increase women’s and households’ income through green, sustainable, and formal productive initiatives.
Results: A total of 317 women in three rural and coastal cantons benefited from social programs that strengthened the administrative, productive, and marketing capacities of 20 nature-based enterprises, including support for their formalization. The selected cantons—Limón, Buenos Aires, and Puntarenas—faced distinct challenges such as discrimination, poverty, unemployment, and violence, linked respectively to Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and fishing communities. Institutional support was tailored to each local context, addressing specific opportunities and challenges to promote women’s economic empowerment, with a intersectional approach.
What we learned
The project successfully met all its targets and expanded its influence on social protection policies. While initially focused on strengthening the implementation of specific programs, the project went further by shaping the national social protection policy and significantly impacting employment, social economy, and disability inclusion policies. Additionally, support for more productive enterprises through financial inclusion increased, resulting in greater positive effects on beneficiary women and their families. This broad impact highlighted the project's effectiveness and long-term sustainability.
To sustain progress, strengthening a people-centered approach is essential. Future efforts must focus on enhancing social programs tightening the coordination with social mobility programs such as employment and financial inclusion, as these are often poorly linked. Similarly, gender inequalities must be addressed through an intersectional approach that considers the different forms of exclusion and allows for overcoming the gaps between men and women. By reinforcing these elements, long-term social impact and equity can be effectively achieved.
Cuba - Promoting citizen access to governmental services through digital transformation
Main goal
Improve people’s quality of life and reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities and inequalities by increasing access to digital services, such as social programs and employment opportunities, and by promoting their use, especially by women.
Impact
200
thousand
USD total project budget
7
partners
engaged in this project
20
thousand
users benefited
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Strengthen institutions and equip people with improved digital capabilities to benefit from inclusive digital societies and services.
Results: Visits were made to the four project implementation territories to share the experience of the Soberanía platform, identify its potential for local implementation, and present local initiatives and assess the feasibility of integration with the Soberanía platform. An open dialogue was held to analyze needs and identify potential areas for collaboration and implementation. Twenty-five new digital services were implemented for the public, focusing on registry, notarial, and identity issues. The two main electronic payment platforms for the trade of goods and services were also linked. Additionally, the Soberanía platform implemented the priorities for new services from two online surveys, and there are facilities available for citizen reporting and complaint or claim management. As a result of the best practice workshops, the certified public information offered to the public has been strengthened.
Objective: Strengthened institutional capacities to design and implement an interoperability platform for diverse and gender-sensitive digital public services within the Soberanía platform.
Results: Workshops were held to strengthen the Soberanía platform as a digital government management tool, defining guidelines for the incubation of an interoperability platform among all systems and presenting the service flows offered by the platform from a participatory and collaborative approach. A workshop on best practices in the provision of digital services was also conducted to share knowledge and experiences in the secure exchange of data through practical case studies and lessons learned, as well as to identify common challenges and opportunities for collaboration. A mission (South-South cooperation) was carried out with six public officials and developers to Uruguay, establishing alliances on digital identity issues with Cuban institutions. The visual identity of the Soberanía platform was approved by the Cuban authorities, and more than 10 communication products were developed, aimed at increasing visibility and citizen education on the use of the platform's functions and services.
What we learned
Improving quality of life and reducing socioeconomic vulnerabilities requires not only expanding access to digital services, such as social programs and employment opportunities, but also actively promoting their use among all groups. It is especially essential to ensure that women can fully benefit from these tools, addressing the specific barriers they face. True digital inclusion goes beyond mere availability; it demands a focus on usability, digital literacy, awareness, and equitable access to overcome existing gaps and foster social and economic empowerment.
Initially, the project team lacked experience facilitating international cooperation projects on digital issues, and this required considerable additional effort to build effective partnerships and better understand the workings of each actor and sector. The development of a shared vision was essential and required time, flexibility and continuous dialogue to align objectives, build trust and ensure meaningful collaboration among various institutions.
Dominican Republic - Resilient recovery of the tourism value-chain
Main goal
Understand women’s situation in the tourism sector value chain in terms of employment and occupation, remuneration, working conditions, health, and well-being, as well as to provide information on the economic autonomy of women, identify gender gaps and make situations of gender-related discrimination visible.
Impact
400
thousand
USD total project budget
10
institutions
engaged in this project
1.7
thousand
estimated beneficiaries
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Policy frameworks strengthening & rapid market system/value chain mapping for the future of work in the tourism sector.
Results: 25 of tourism-related MSMEs linked to the tourism value chain. A strategic alliance was established with Las Terrenas local government to support the formulation of the Municipal Development Plan (PMD) and provide advice and guidance to the Municipal Development Council to include the key tourism related stakeholders in the planning strategies and measures to support the weakest MSMEs and vulnerable persons within the tourism value chain.
Objective: Pilot project implementation and monitoring.
Results: 533 number of MSMEs supported through formalization schemes. A strong capacity-building process was developed to increase the pool of experts in sustainability and MSMEs and improve capacities of vulnerable MSMEs to improve labour conditions by promoting business innovation, digitalization, formalization, and resilience of the tourism value chain with a gender approach. In this framework, successful methodologies developed in different LAC countries were used, adapting them to the local context and identifying best experiences and practices.
Objective: Empowerment and participation of women in the tourism industry.
Results: 23 women-led MSMEs in Las Terrenas, Samaná, received targeted capacity-building support to expand productive capacities and improve employment opportunities, as a strategy to reduce gender barriers in the tourism value chain. Through this initiative, women entrepreneurs strengthened their businesses with innovation and safety practices, including campaigns against gender violence and designated safe spots on Las Terrenas beaches. These efforts promoted gender equality, enhanced women’s participation, and fostered sustainable growth across the tourism sector.
What we learned
Supporting micro and small businesses requires promoting microinsurance to safeguard their development. A fire in Las Terrenas severely impacted 10 businesses despite prior assistance and infrastructure improvements. While no lives were lost, the financial damage highlights the need for inclusive insurance. In 2024, the country office tested strategies to assist affected businesses through microinsurance, integrating Inclusive Value Chains methodologies for resilience and recovery.
One of the challenges of the project in the field was the motivation of the target population to participate in the different business development activities available for free to improve their business capacities. Being high season in most tourist destinations, getting them together to learn and improve was a challenge, considering that all their efforts were concentrated on recovering their businesses, positioning themselves in a new destination framework and recovering customers.
Dominican Republic - Demonstrative model of the digitization of biometric payment systems to promote security and resilience in women-led households
Main goal
Promote security and resilience in women-led households to advance technological and financial inclusion in pilot areas and scale up its impact at the national level with learnings from pilot interventions.
Impact
200
thousand
USD total project budget
2
partners
engaged in this project
168
people trained
in financial literary
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Promote the empowerment and financial inclusion and improve the technological decision-making of women-led households in poverty situations.
Results: Increased empowerment and financial inclusion of 168 households living in poverty, mostly women-led, with improved capacity to make informed decisions regarding the use of digital tools and financial services. Additionally, 50 “trainers of trainers” and two local grocery stores (colmados) improved their capacities following the UNDP In Motion methodology. Representatives from a total of 9 banking institutions improved their capacities for financial inclusion tools and approaches, and a practical guide of financial literacy was produced.
Objective: Optimize the interoperability of biometric payment systems for social protection.
Results: Enhanced interoperability of biometric payment systems enabled more efficient, secure, and user-friendly transactions through pilot testing of a digital wallet. This optimization improved integration among service providers and expanded payment access. 25 participants from financial literacy training joined the pilots, laying the foundation for advanced biometric systems.
What we learned
The process of reformulating the proposal—from public institutions to a private partner—revealed opportunities and lessons learned, emphasizing the importance of strategic flexibility. Asociación Cibao added technological and operational capacity, enabling new biometric payment models and connections with credit card business representatives. Collaboration expanded the pilot, combined UNDP expertise with financial innovation, and adapted content for women-headed households.
The greatest technological barrier in this project came from the type of mobile phones beneficiaries owned, causing enrolment errors and up to five bank visits. These repeated visits discouraged beneficiaries from using the electronic wallet, though successful users appreciated its security and convenience. Additionally, the incorporation of learning through games provided an interactive and close to reality process of capacity building among beneficiaries to better understand personal finance topics for their personal and small business endeavours.
Ecuador - Ecuadorian Social Registry: Enhancing information systems for inclusive social protection policies
Main goal
Enhance Ecuador’s Social Registry Unit’s capabilities by developing and improving digital tools to facilitate more effective and inclusive social protection programs.
Impact
200
thousand
USD total project budget
3
institutions
engaged in this project
3.3k
public officials
trained by the project
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Social Registry information systems improved to enhance interoperability, security, and data management for more effective and inclusive social protection policies.
Results: The technical rules and guidelines for the development of the Social Registry and its associated infrastructure were defined. This technical assistance included in its scope the information and monitoring systems as well as the permanent information update model (also at the subnational level). Project resources could also be allocated to multidimensional poverty reduction efforts with a gender perspective, including improved information for poverty measurement and policy microsimulations with the multidimensional poverty index.
Objective: Digital tools applied to training and sensitization programs developed for information gathering processes to optimize resources and scale-up impact.
Results: A training module with a gender-sensitive approach was developed, validated, and implemented with input from social protection experts. The module addressed gender gaps in access to services and data. The trainings included staff from key institutions, improving their capacities to incorporate gender considerations into operations and decision-making. A total of 3344 public officials were trained directly by the project, and over 8000 people were trained through the Social Registry Unit.
What we learned
Enhancing digital tools within the Social Registry has established key standards for interoperability, data governance, and system architecture, enabling the integration of multiple data sources and institutional actors. Effective coordination is crucial to move the project from mere planning to full implementation. Unlike many initiatives that remained at the conceptual stage, this project has a clear path forward, strengthening UNDP as the government’s strategic partner in digital services and social policy, opening new collaboration opportunities beyond the Social Registry.
As a result, the project’s outputs facilitated the development of Digital Public Infrastructure for social protection and increased the long-term capacity of institutions to identify, deliver services, and provide policy feedback. This also reduced fragmentation, enhanced coordination among social protection agencies, and improved the State’s ability to deliver efficient social protection services to approximately 3 million people in vulnerable situations.
Haiti - Economic and Environmental Resilience
Main goal
Expand coverage of Haiti’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Information System (SIMAST) and enhance the national vulnerability index by integrating gender-specific and climate-related data, strengthening economic and environmental resilience for Haiti's most vulnerable communities.
Impact
488
thousand
USD total project budget
4
partners
engaged in this project
158
thousand
vulnerable beneficiaries
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Support for the extension of SIMAST.
Results: The project successfully expanded the coverage of the SIMAST social registry by incorporating an additional 8,340 households, including 4,441 headed by women, in the municipalities of Coteaux, Roche-à-Bateaux, and Île-à-Vache. This expansion ensured greater representation of vulnerable populations in national databases, thereby facilitating more efficient and timelier implementation of social programs. This contributed significantly to reduce inequalities by specifically increasing the inclusion of women and vulnerable families. By providing up-to-date and reliable socio-economic information, the project enabled more targeted, tailored, and effective interventions that accurately respond to the specific needs of local communities.
Objective: Develop a methodological proposal to improve SIMAST's vulnerability index, trying to incorporate climate-sensitive information from other sources with the available spatial information.
Results: The project significantly improved the national multidimensional vulnerability index by integrating gender-specific and climate-related data. Through this initiative, the Multidimensional Poverty Index accurately identified 158,606 households experiencing multidimensional poverty, including 16,901 female-headed households. This methodological advancement, incorporating climate, environmental, and spatial data, enabled a more comprehensive understanding of the specific risks and needs faced by vulnerable populations. Additionally, the creation of three detailed maps covering three departments, integrating socio-economic, climatic, environmental, and gender-specific data, has enhanced the capacity of local and national stakeholders to precisely target interventions in priority areas.
What we learned
The project demonstrated the added value of an innovative approach that combined multiple dimensions (socio-economic, climatic, environmental, and gender-related) within a single vulnerability index. Integrating these diverse data into one tool enabled a more precise and comprehensive understanding of the risks and specific needs of vulnerable populations, thereby improving the targeting and coordination of interventions. UNDP strengthened its integrator role by fostering multisectoral partnerships. Collaboration with WFP demonstrated the value of joint efforts in achieving more effective outcomes. UNDP positioned itself as a key partner of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in Haiti.
Despite progress, and despite the integration of socio-economic, climatic, environmental, and gender-specific information, difficulties in harmonizing data from multiple sources continues to limit the optimal effectiveness of support provided to communities. Given Haiti's context, there is an urgent need for precise and up-to-date data. Reliance on multiple stakeholders can complicate coordination, potentially slowing interventions and risking the effectiveness and sustainability of initiatives.
Paraguay - SME Formalization and Promotion Portfolio
Main goal
The Local program and Local Digital program supported MSMEs in Paraguay through productivity, decent work, associativity, and digital transformation, generating evidence and scalable, data-driven tools.
Impact
300
thousand
USD total project budget
10
partners
engaged in this project
50
MSMEs
improved their capacities
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Strengthened intersectoral capacities for participatory research and development of SME strategies.
Results: The Local program mapped and characterized over 370 garment MSMEs across three clusters (Yaguarón, Pilar, Mariano Roque Alonso), selecting 15 workshops to co-design tailored improvement plans. These plans focused on productivity, decent work, and associativity, and were implemented through 1,045+ hours of training and mentorship. The program engaged 12 institutions—including ministries, local governments, anchor companies, and universities—under a triple helix model, fostering collaboration and ownership at territorial level.
Objective: Co-produced and disseminated actionable evidence and knowledge.
Results: The project generated and shared knowledge through 10 bilingual blogs, radio interviews, audiovisual content, and validation events. Results were presented jointly with government actors to promote uptake. The Local program produced 24 informational products on formalization and labor practices, while Local Digital created a dynamic data visualization dashboard, enabling public access to digital maturity data of MSMEs.
Objective: Supported digital infrastructure and SME empowerment.
Results: Local Digital assessed digital maturity in 458 MSMEs from 7 districts, using the IADB’s Digital Checkup tool. The survey was implemented by 86 trained university students via Entrepreneur Support Centers. The dashboard summarizing the results is now used by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and was highlighted by the IADB, which later committed additional resources to scale the initiative. These efforts built institutional and local capacity to foster inclusive digitalization.
What we learned
Using a learning loop approach allowed for iterative design, implementation, and evaluation. Local and Local Digital demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and participatory methodologies. Strong partnerships with government institutions and universities proved essential to building local capacities and scaling successful tools, such as the digital dashboard, now used by MIC and supported by IADB.
Despite the strong engagement, MSMEs face structural challenges like market instability and a lack of skilled labor. Formalization remains a risky move without predictable demand. Collaborative work and associativity require more intensive support to develop administrative capacity and leadership. Public procurement emerged as a potential solution to mitigate market volatility and encourage formalization.
Peru - Generation of regulations and integration of information for the implementation of the Social Information Exchange Mechanism
Main goal
Address the structural challenge of under-coverage of the Peruvian social protection targeting system by integrating and promoting the exchange of information among public institutions.
Impact
200
thousand
USD total project budget
5
partners
engaged in this project
9
million
potential beneficiaries
Partners
Project outputs and results
Objective: Development of the regulatory framework of the Social Information Exchange Mechanism.
Results: A comprehensive regulatory framework was developed, establishing clear guidelines for data sharing, privacy, and institutional responsibilities within the Social Information Exchange Mechanism. This strengthened coordination across sectors, improved data interoperability, and ensured the secure and ethical use of information for more effective social protection delivery.
Objective: Systematization of the module for data integration.
Results: The data integration module was successfully systematized, establishing standardized processes and protocols for combining information from multiple sources. Innovative solutions for data integration have also been piloted, allowing for the identification of health conditions of children, their location, and if they had already been assisted; as well as allowing for a quick follow up on children who are absent from school and other relevant issues for social policy. This has improved data consistency, reduced duplication, and enabled real-time updates within the Social Registry. The system laid the foundations to support more accurate beneficiary identification and better coordination across social programs.
What we learned
Addressing under-coverage in Peru’s social protection system demands more than technical fixes: It requires institutional collaboration and trust. The project has allowed UNDP and the Peruvian Government to learn that standardizing data labelling across public entities improves accuracy and targeting, but it also depends on clear protocols and strong governance. Strengthening data exchange mechanisms leads to more inclusive and responsive support for those most in need.
This project has also shown that delays are sometimes unavoidable, often arising from personal circumstances or unforeseen events. This experience highlighted the need for flexible planning, not merely to adjust timelines, but to build resilience within UNDP's team, who learned to respond with empathy, reassess priorities, and adapt their workflow. In doing so, the team met their goals, and improved their ability to handle uncertain circumstances.
Project partners
The following are some of the key partners at the country level.
