During its first 15 years, ILPES' direction and work made a significant contribution to the institutionalization of economic and social development planning in Latin America. ILPES assisted the countries of the region with technical expertise in planning, in establishing and strengthening the institutional and technical organization required for economic and social development programming, in preparing development plans and programs (and some long-term development strategies), and in carrying out studies to improve planning.
During this period, the Institute played an especially important role in the establishment of planning institutions in the region: the organization of planning units at different levels of public administration -central, sectoral, institutional, regional- and the opening of more than 17 planning offices in the region.
ILPES trained a portion of the Latin American technocracy through its courses -more than 6000 during this period between the central planning course, special/sectoral courses, and intensive national courses -and through advisory services, disseminating theoretical knowledge on economic and social development and planning through the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policies.