As Trickle Up launches its 2025–2030 strategy, we are doubling down on innovation and research to strengthen our program design and contribute to global knowledge on economic inclusion (EI). A cornerstone of this effort is our focus on digital agency, a concept that is increasingly central to how we think about poverty resilience, economic empowerment, and social inclusion in a digital age. 

This post kicks off a three-part blog series exploring digital agency: what it means, why it matters, and how Trickle Up is working with partners to build evidence and design interventions that empower participants to become active agents in their economic journeys. 

What Is Digital Agency? 

The Agency Fund defines agency as “the capacity for self-determination—envisioning the future you want and consciously charting your path toward it, accounting for the reality of your circumstances as well as your personal interests and values.” It is closely tied to concepts like capability, freedom, dignity, and flourishing, and is considered a powerful theory of change for advancing economic development and social mobility. 

At Trickle Up, we think about digital agency as an individual’s ability to confidently and effectively use digital tools and services to pursue their economic goals, build resilience, and navigate opportunities. For participants in Trickle Up’s economic inclusion programs, we believe it’s important to go beyond access to technology—our participants need the skills, confidence, autonomy, and control over the digital tools they interact with in their day-to-day lives. 

Whether it’s using a mobile phone to access financial services, participating in digital coaching, getting advice from a WhatsApp group on best farming practices, exploring market opportunities, or engaging in online learning, a focus on digital agency supports people—especially women and marginalized groups—to become active decision-makers in their economic lives. 

Why Digital Agency Matters 

Digital tools are increasingly embedded in the delivery of social protection, financial inclusion, and livelihood programs. Yet, without intentional design, these tools risk reinforcing existing inequalities and barriers to digital usage. For Trickle Up participants—many of whom live in remote areas, face gender-based barriers, or have limited formal education—digital agency is key to unlocking the full potential of digital interventions. 

By building digital agency, we support economic inclusion program participants in their efforts to adapt to changing environments, build resilience, and pursue their goals with confidence. It’s not simply about using a phone, it’s about using it meaningfully, safely, and strategically. 

Our Approach: Innovation & Research in 2026 and Beyond 

To advance this agenda, Trickle Up has earmarked funds for small-scale research projects in Latin America and India in 2026. These projects aim to generate insights that inform program design and lay the groundwork for future action research and pilot interventions. 

In India, we’re launching a qualitative research study focused on Trickle Up’s MPowered program. This retrospective study will explore how participants have used phones and digital tools over time and how this usage reflects their sense of agency. The goal is to understand how digital engagement informs economic inclusion program design, with results expected in spring 2026. 

In Latin America, we’re launching a snapshot study with CRECE participants in Oaxaca, where phone access is higher than in other program sites across Mexico and Colombia. The study will examine how women use mobile technology for market access, productivity, and decision-making, while we hope to identify distinct patterns of digital engagement. Insights will hopefully inform a pilot digital agency intervention next year, designed as action research. In parallel, we’ll work with a leading research institution to test digital versus hybrid coaching models aimed at strengthening soft skills for women’s entrepreneurship, with plans to develop a randomized controlled trial with the same group the following year.  

Measuring Digital Agency: A Collaborative Effort 

Given the importance of this topic, we recognize the need to learn from our colleagues across sectors who are working on this topic. That’s why we’re building learning partnerships with organizations such as CGIAR, NetHope, and CARE, in addition to many others, so we can ensure we are considering this topic from a global perspective.   

As we build these partnerships, one of our first priorities is to determine how to effectively measure digital agency. Trickle Up is committed to convening partners around a shared framework for digital agency indicators—indicators we can test in our programs and refine collaboratively. We hope to co-develop and test these indicators in early 2026.  

Stay tuned as we share insights, build momentum, and work toward a future where digital tools empower—not exclude—the most marginalized. 

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