Paula Escobar is an expert in social protection, migration, and education with over 20 years of experience across government, international cooperation, academia, and the private sector. She has led the design, management, and evaluation of public policies and programs requiring technical rigor, multidisciplinary collaboration, and coordination with diverse stakeholders. She holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.P.A. in International Development from Harvard University.
Paula currently consults for the World Bank on social protection, focusing on local homelessness policy for the Secretariat of Social Integration of Bogotá and the strengthening of Colombia’s Social Registry. She also advises the Bogotá Higher Education Agency.
Previously, she led the regional migration response for USAID’s Integra project in Colombia, strengthening local migration governance and one-stop service centers for migrants. At Colombia’s National Planning Department, she served as Technical Director, leading national policies on poverty reduction and key social sectors, and as Deputy Technical Director, she led the design and implementation of the national targeting instrument for social spending.
At the local level, Paula co-created Bogotá’s targeting instrument, and unconditional cash transfer program. She has also consulted for the World Bank in multiple regions and for United Nations agencies.