This study is part of the COPOLAD III Programme, within Working Group 1.4 on Drug Policy Evaluation, in close collaboration with the Costa Rican Drug Observatory (OCD), as part of the strengthening of National Drug Observatories (OND). Its main purpose is to consolidate national capacities to evaluate public drug policies during the period 2005–2025, providing strategic inputs for evidence-based decisions, with a focus on human rights, gender equality and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The methodology combines national experience with the COPOLAD Methodological Guide, articulated in four phases: agency, programming, implementation and evaluation. This framework allowed for the integration of exhaustive document review, semi-structured interviews and triangulation of disaggregated statistical data. Financially, there is a regulatory framework that ensures minimum resources (e.g., Law 8204), but gaps in information and budgetary traceability persist, especially with regard to differentiated spending on actions with a gender and sexual diversity focus.
