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Rio de Janeiro receives Bloomberg Gold Certification for excellence in the use of data in public policy
Published on 12/03/2025 - 15:33 | Updated on 12/03/2025 - 15:33
Rio de Janeiro - Fabio Motta / Rio City Hall The city of Rio de Janeiro has been recognized with the Gold Certification from the What Works Cities program, from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the organization Results for America. The international award recognizes cities that excel in the use of data and evidence to improve public policies. This year, only nine cities in Latin America received the certification. In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro and Niterói were the only cities to receive the Gold level award.
What Works Cities is a global initiative of Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with Results for America that supports cities in using data to solve urban challenges and improve the lives of their citizens. The Gold Certification is awarded to cities that achieve high standards in using data to inform decisions and improve public services.
“When data guides our city’s services, we not only deliver results for our community, but we also rebuild trust with our residents. The What Works Cities Certification shows that we are making smart, evidence-based decisions and making residents partners in improving the city,” said Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes.
The certification recognizes innovative initiatives by the City of Rio, such as efficient data management by the Pereira Passos Institute (IPP) and the Municipal Finance Department, Data Rio and, in particular, the Social Territories program. Developed in partnership with UN-Habitat, the social program identifies families in vulnerable situations and connects these populations to essential services, such as school enrollment, medical care, access to social benefits, housing support and professional training.
– The Social Territories program serves all areas of city planning, identifying vulnerable families and promoting greater equity in access to services and opportunities – highlighted Bianca Medina, coordinator of the initiative at IPP.
In January 2025, almost 32 thousand families identified by the program were assisted by the Municipal Health Department and almost 26 thousand received support from the Municipal Social Assistance Department.
Impact of the Social Territories program
266.393 household surveys conducted to identify vulnerable families disconnected from municipal services
3.758 children and adolescents aged 4 to 14 who were out of school were referred for enrollment
9.744 families in extreme poverty gained access to housing, health and social assistance benefits
Using data for social transformation
With approximately 2 million people living in favelas in Rio de Janeiro, many families continue to lack adequate access to essential public services. The first challenge is to identify these populations. To this end, the City of Rio has implemented the Social Territories Program, which sends field agents to conduct home interviews and collect data, ensuring that these families receive adequate support.
Based on the information collected, beneficiaries of Casa Carioca, a housing requalification program run by the Municipal Department of Community Action, are selected. Since its inception in 2016, the program has demonstrated the effectiveness of a data-driven approach to supporting the city’s most vulnerable residents.
The process takes place in three phases
1 – Diagnosis: household interviews identify the needs of each family, analyzed based on the UN Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
2 – Intervention: based on the data collected, families in high-risk situations receive targeted services, such as housing, education and health care.
3 – Monitoring: monitoring families to reassess needs and adjust public policies.
Originally focused on ten favelas, Territórios Sociais expanded to the entire city in 2022, when it received a World Smart Cities Award. Today, the program continues to demonstrate how data-driven decision-making can transform the lives of the most vulnerable citizens.
Results achieved (January 2025)
32 thousand families served by the Municipal Health Department
26 thousand families assisted by the Municipal Department of Social Assistance
8 families received housing improvements, many of them through Casa Carioca
4 thousand children recently enrolled in school
With the Gold Certification from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Rio de Janeiro consolidates itself as a global reference in evidence-based management, proving that well-applied data can generate real impacts on the lives of the population.
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