180 professionals from social organizations participate in training on implementing and scaling social programs
- Fundación Luksic and the Centre for Evidence and Implementation strengthened the capacities of social organizations in Chile to develop evidence-based programs and increase their impact. Through in-person workshops in Antofagasta, Santiago and Puerto Montt, professionals from 90 public institutions and foundations, including Hogar de Cristo, Elige Educar and Corporación Simón de Cirene, gained practical tools to implement and scale their interventions.
Researchers Robyn Mildon, Vanessa Rose and Indiana Barry from Australia’s Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI) traveled to Chile to share their international expertise and strengthen the capacities of professionals involved in the development of social programs. In August, together with Fundación Luksic, they delivered in-person workshops in Antofagasta, Santiago and Puerto Montt for more than 180 professionals.
Australia’s Centre for Evidence and Implementation is a global organization specializing in the design, development and effective implementation of evidence-based social services and programs. CEI has established international leadership and extensive experience providing technical assistance, strategic consulting and specialized training programs for government agencies and organizations in the social sector.
The course included practical activities, group exercises and guided discussions, such as identifying the main barriers and facilitators faced by social initiatives and exploring how to optimize interventions so they can be effectively implemented and scaled. Professionals from 90 public institutions and foundations participated, including the Directorate of Public Education (DEP), TECHO-Chile, Elige Educar and Fundación Kodea.
“A program can have a significant impact, but for that to happen, we need to know how to implement it, evaluate it and reach more people. Through this workshop, we aimed to provide practical tools to the people behind many of the social programs developed in Chile, so they can strengthen their work and reach those who need it most,” explained Fernanda Orellana, Training Manager at Fundación Luksic.
In Antofagasta, in addition to delivering the workshop, the Australian researchers and representatives from Fundación Luksic visited Fundación Recrea’s Centro Familiar, located in La Chimba, Antofagasta, to learn more about its work and the socioeconomic challenges facing the region.
In the Metropolitan Region, 63 people from 31 organizations attended the workshop. Participants also had the opportunity to deliver the course to the Directorate of Public Education (DEP).
Sebastián Zunino, Monitoring and Follow-up Coordinator at NGO Canales, emphasized that when a program achieves its expected results, the impact on its beneficiaries is crucial, as it makes it possible to improve interventions.
He explained that participants were able to identify the barriers they face and, based on these, develop actions to overcome them. “We now have greater clarity on how to implement our programs more effectively over the coming months, as well as how to communicate the changes and lessons learned to key stakeholders,” he said.
Meanwhile, Frank Oyarzún of Desafío Levantemos Chile said that evaluations are essential for them to implement corrective measures and ensure that each project continues to improve and remain sustainable over time. With this in mind, he explained that they will be able to put the tools from the course into practice and continue professionalizing their approach to project evaluation and implementation.
