What works in Costa Rica
All catalogues
Quality scores are 0–100 rubric scores; “strong evidence” reflects study design; adoptions count documented replications elsewhere. Know more
Evidence snapshot for Costa Rica
Costa Rica has implemented several high-impact digital and governance reforms. The country's Gender Parity Electoral Code achieved 49.1% women in its Legislative Assembly by 2022–2026, culminating in a historic female majority in February 2026, while its FONATEL Hogares Conectados programme connected 287,242 households in poverty with subsidised internet and reduced the digital gap among poor households by 22 percentage points. On digital accessibility, an audit of 150 public platforms found that only 2 reached WCAG A and AA standards and 88% failed to reach the basic level, prompting the 2019 Directriz 051-MTSS-MICITT. The evidence demonstrates progress in electoral representation and digital inclusion, though web accessibility remains a significant gap with no published follow-up audits confirming compliance with 2022–2025 deadlines.
Drawn from: OTAI Audit of 150 Public Platforms — Evidence Base for Costa Rica's Directriz 051-MTSS-MICITT · FONATEL Hogares Conectados – Subsidised Internet and Device Programme for Households in Poverty (Costa Rica) · Costa Rica Payments for Environmental Services (PSA / FONAFIFO) · Costa Rica's Gender Parity Electoral Code — 49% Women in Legislature (2009–2026) · CLEO — Costa Rica's AI Assistant for Purging Surgical Waiting Lists · ChatbotPJ — Costa Rica's Judicial-Branch AI Assistant for Case and Service Queries · CIAT e-IAD — Costa Rica’s AI anomaly detector for e-invoice fraud · CECI — Costa Rica's Community Smart Centres: A National Telecentre Network and Its Sustainability Lessons
Generated from this place's cited practices only. Always check the linked sources.
Strengths & weaknesses vs peers
Strengths
Evaluation evidence +51 pts 100 here · 49 average
Transparency, ethics & data protection +33 pts 80 here · 47 average
Documented learning +26 pts 100 here · 74 average
Demonstrated reach +24 pts 100 here · 76 average
Teacher capability & pedagogy +22 pts 60 here · 38 average
Transparency, fairness & accountability +13 pts 67 here · 54 average
Biodiversity — conservation / improvement, evidenced +12 pts 60 here · 48 average
Gender-mainstreaming embedding +11 pts 100 here · 89 average
Evidence of impact / measured public value +10 pts 67 here · 57 average
Governance, certification & transferability +9 pts 73 here · 64 average
Weaknesses
Inclusiveness / equity -10 pts 33 here · 43 average
Evaluated outcomes -11 pts 67 here · 78 average
Innovation level -13 pts 49 here · 62 average
Achievement / evidence -20 pts 67 here · 87 average
Efficiency -32 pts 0 here · 32 average
Effectiveness -33 pts 33 here · 66 average
Impact on gender equality -36 pts 33 here · 70 average
Curator validation -40 pts 33 here · 73 average
Score profile vs peers
Coloured bar: Costa Rica. Grey bar: peer average across the corpus. Both on a common 0–100 scale.
Points compare this place's average on each dimension with the average across all evaluated places, on a common 0–100 scale. Know more
Top good practices here
OTAI Audit of 150 Public Platforms — Evidence Base for Costa Rica's Directriz 051-MTSS-MICITT · 96
Costa Rica Payments for Environmental Services (PSA / FONAFIFO) · 87
Costa Rica's Gender Parity Electoral Code — 49% Women in Legislature (2009–2026) · 78
CLEO — Costa Rica's AI Assistant for Purging Surgical Waiting Lists · 73
ChatbotPJ — Costa Rica's Judicial-Branch AI Assistant for Case and Service Queries · 73
CIAT e-IAD — Costa Rica’s AI anomaly detector for e-invoice fraud · 73
Each number is the practice's overall 0–100 quality score against its catalogue's rubric. Know more
Cities with evaluated practice
Where the documented practice in Costa Rica concentrates — each city has its own evidence profile.
Recommended to adopt or replicate
Transferable practices from elsewhere that address this place's gaps.
Ciudad Mujer — El Salvador's Integrated Women's Services Programme · fit 100/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Already adopted in 3 other places
SASA! Community Mobilisation Programme against Intimate Partner Violence — Uganda · fit 100/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Already adopted in 4 other places
Karya — Fair-Wage AI Data-Work Platform Bringing Digital Income to Rural India · fit 100/100
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
safe+natal — Comadrona-Designed Smartphone Checklist for Maternal Risk Screening in Rural Guatemala · fit 100/100
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Digital Green — Video-Mediated Agricultural Extension · fit 100/100
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Kartu Prakerja – National Digital Skills and Financial Inclusion Programme · fit 100/100
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Rwanda's Land Tenure Regularization Programme — Titling Land in Women's Names · fit 90/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Already adopted in 6 other places
Fit estimates how well a practice matches this place, 0 (poor) to 100 (excellent); the list is ordered to favour practices that address this place's gaps. Know more