Project

ANDE Digital Adoption Evidence Initiative

Digital adoption has the potential to transform businesses across Latin America, fostering economic growth, innovation, and resilience in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, in countries like Uruguay, while there is significant potential for development, SMEs still face considerable challenges in adopting digital technologies. These include limited awareness of available solutions, insufficient tailored support, and difficulties in aligning technologies with their specific business needs. Addressing these barriers is essential to unlock opportunities for growth and innovation, particularly in a region where smaller firms are critical drivers of the economy.

Despite the increasing focus on promoting digital adoption in Latin America, there is a lack of rigorous evidence on what strategies work best. Policymakers and agencies often lack tools to evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions systematically. In this context, Uruguay’s proactive approach through the National Development Agency (ANDE) offers a unique opportunity to apply experimental and evidence-based methods to test and refine public programmes that aim to accelerate digital transformation.

In partnership with ANDE, we worked to create two experimental designs aimed at improving the adoption of digital technologies through the Kits Digital programme. The project included a 5-month ideation phase and a 3-month RCT design phase, incorporating training, participatory exercises, and active discussions. Through this collaboration, we developed detailed experimental protocols, statistical power calculations, and key performance indicators, ensuring the designs are ready for implementation. The process not only delivered robust experimental frameworks but also built ANDE’s internal capacity to incorporate evidence and experimentation into future policymaking.

This project demonstrates the potential of applying behavioural and experimental methods to improve digital adoption initiatives and can serve as a model for similar efforts in other contexts. It highlights the importance of collaboration between IGL and public agencies to create scalable, inclusive, and effective solutions for digital transformation.