University of Navarra professor Sandra Polanía gave the first seminar of 2022 at the Navarra Center for International Development entitled "Can a Government Intervention Improve Collective Action? Evidence on Induced Interaction and Coordination", a paper she co-authored with researcher David Echeverry. 

She based her research on a conditional cash transfer programme in Colombia (Cartagena) on the basis that collective coordination of recipients can help promote economic development, build efficient institutions and avoid conflict. Polanía explained that a failure of coordination among individuals can result in them obtaining a lower benefit than they would have achieved if they had acted collectively. Therefore, the goal in development policy is effective and efficient coordination.

"Beneficiaries of cash transfers are exposed to regular interactions with local programme officials and community leaders, but especially with other neighbouring beneficiaries, which increases coordination," explained Polanía. 

According to Polanía and Echeverry's research, by facilitating regular meetings between beneficiaries of aid programmes, a precedent of communication has been created that functions as a much more effective coordination device to foster economic development.