The Integration of the CLA Approach for the Design of the Carvajal Foundation's Portfolio

The Carvajal Foundation is a non-profit organization with the purpose of contributing to overcoming poverty in prioritized households. In its 2023-2026 Strategy, it establishes as its mission to design and implement innovative social methodologies in Valle del Cauca and the north of Cauca, aimed at improving the educational conditions of the home, income generation, and personal development. 

Within this Strategy framework, the goal is for the social methodologies and programs to be evidence-based and have the potential for transfer and scale at national and international levels, with the objective of amplifying impact and contributing to strengthening the capacities of ecosystem actors. 

Considering the challenge of scaling impact, the Collaboration, Learning, and Adaptation (CLA) approach and its subcomponents of internal collaboration, technical evidence, and pause and reflection (P&R) are used to support the design of the organization’s product portfolio, aimed at strengthening ecosystem skills. 

To achieve this, a route consisting of four stages is designed and implemented: planning, implementation, validation, and adaptation, in which actions for evidence generation and P&R spaces are decisive. The product portfolio includes three lines: Transfers, Community and Training, Expert Advisory, and has successfully positioned itself within the ecosystem, impacting 12 organizations through 29 partnerships, representing a total of $3,142 million Colombian pesos (COP) (USD 776,516 ).