The Office of Inclusion: a unit designed to promote equality of opportunity and improve access to public services for vulnerable populations in Fortaleza. 

Fortaleza a city of 2.4 million people in Brazil faces economic disparities with 1.5 million residents living on less than three euros a day and 200,000 on less than one euro. The city's GINI index stood at 0.57 in 2022, reflecting one of the highest inequality levels among Brazilian state capitals (Fortaleza Observatory, 2022). According to both the Vice Mayor and the Director of the Fortaleza Observatory, policy design often relied on ideological considerations and budget constraints rather than evidence and data. Combined with limited technical capacity, this has delayed innovation and policy implementation.

A 2022 review by the Planning Institute of Fortaleza City Hall and the Secretariat of Planning, Budget and Management identified only four rigorous public policy evaluations in the city all conducted by external institutions. The findings highlighted the need for a stronger evidence-informed approach to policymaking.

Drawing from the experience of the Experimental Policy Initiative in Chile and the institutional model of the Ministry of Economy and Finance Lab in Peru, this marks the first implementation of such an initiative in Fortaleza. To address these challenges, the Lab focuses on:

• Training and development: Equipping policymakers with advanced skills in evidence analysis and experiment design.
• Systematization: Establishing processes for reviewing existing policies and generating new data.
• Rigorous evaluation: Conducting detailed assessments of public initiatives to guide improvements. -** Policy formulation:** Supporting the transition from successful trials to broader public initiatives. Institutionalized by municipal decree the Lab operates under the oversight of the Municipal Governance Observatory Board ensuring long-term sustainability through policy review, data management and research dissemination.

By providing reliable data and analysis, the Office of Inclusion will help municipal leaders make more thoughtful and effective choices. The unit will contribute to improving the quality and efficiency of public services by promoting continuous data analysis and feedback. It also seeks to encourage greater transparency in the use of public resources, fostering trust in city management.

Additionally, the initiative will support a smarter use of resources by focusing on approaches that show positive results for the community. By embedding these practices, the Office of Inclusion aims to improve the delivery of public services and contribute to reducing disparities in Fortaleza.