Minister Saiz presents the Inclusion Policy Lab with the President of the European Investment Bank, Nadia Calviño

The Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, and the President of the European Investment Bank, Nadia Calviño, during the meeting

The Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, and the President of the European Investment Bank, Nadia Calviño, discussed the results of the Inclusion Policy Lab at a debate at the EIB. Both agreed on the importance of scientific evaluation to properly target public policies and make them more cost-effective.

The minister explained to the EIB president this pioneering initiative linked to the Minimum Basic Income (IMV), which promotes the generation and use of scientific evidence in drafting social policies in Spain. "The relevance of the Laboratory lies in the fact that it allows us to see what policies work and what does not work to promote the real inclusion of people at risk of social exclusion", explained Saiz. "It is increasingly clear that well-targeted social policies are not an expense, they are an investment with a return for society".

"Throughout these months as a minister I have met several people whose lives have been changed by these projects. That is what gives meaning to public policies, as well as enormous personal satisfaction", she said.

"The Lab has shown with data that ensuring a minimum income guarantee is necessary, but not sufficient. Thanks to the collaboration of communities, city councils and social organisations, we have been able to develop an experience with which we have identified the best practices and results that guarantee the most effective social policies", the minister emphasised. "We believe that both the conclusions drawn by the laboratory and the way it is evaluated and operated can be exported to other organisations".

In this regard, Elma Saiz recalled that Commissioner Nicolas Schmit had informed her of his intention to study new means of financing in order to give continuity to the Public Inclusion Policies Laboratory. The interest aroused by the Laboratory, whose value was highlighted by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Gutérres, has also been conveyed by institutions such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Inclusion Policy Lab: a pioneering initiative

The Ministry launched the Inclusion Policy Lab in 2021 to rigorously evaluate a series of pilot social inclusion programmes aimed at strengthening the impact of the Minimum Basic Income on alleviating poverty. Managed in partnership with J-PAL Europe and CEMFI, the lab brings together a group of leading researchers, policy makers and third sector institutions to work collectively towards this mission.

So far, the Laboratory has monitored 32 random evaluations of such programmes. Evaluations conducted between 2022 and 2024 have looked at issues such as the impact of face-to-face and online mentoring, the importance of personalised and intensive support for jobseekers and measures to increase the take-up of social benefits.

Among the recommendations of the evaluation, it is committed to personalised attention in labour market insertion and comprehensive actions in different areas, reinforcing investment in education, improving digital training and weaving community networks that act as levers for inclusion.

CEMFI and J-PAL Europe have worked with the Ministry to ensure that the assessments meet rigorous scientific standards and to facilitate the use of lessons learned from these assessments to inform policy development.

The results of the projects are summarised in the report "Levers for Inclusion: Recommendations of the Inclusion Policy Lab based on Scientific Evidence". This report presented the main findings of the evaluation, which are summarised in 10 key recommendations for the design of inclusion policies that emphasise the accompaniment of beneficiaries. "The accompaniment of the person receiving IMV allows its effects as a lever for inclusion to be multiplied. We have to be close to people in their transition from a situation of risk of social exclusion".

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