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News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

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Driving evidence-based humanitarian action and displacement response in MENA

This blog post provides an overview of the evolving policy narratives in humanitarian work, emphasizing J-PAL’s initiatives to address evidence gaps. It also highlights the establishment of a dedicated portfolio at J-PAL MENA, aimed at supporting localized actions and ensuring that humanitarian...
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How can microcredit be more effective for Latin American entrepreneurs?

The need for more financing is one of the biggest barriers to small- and medium-sized enterprises’ growth. Microcredit programs can help entrepreneurs overcome financial constraints, providing access to resources to boost the growth of small businesses and alleviate poverty by increasing income...
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How to integrate qualitative methods into RCTs

Economists have long used qualitative methods to inform the design and help interpret the results of RCTs. To support the further integration of qualitative methods into randomized evaluations and provide more structured guidance, J-PAL has developed new research resources and training materials for...
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Postdoc Spotlight: Jules Gazeaud, J-PAL '24, on his research journey at J-PAL MENA

In our new postdoc alumni spotlight series, we spoke with Jules Gazeaud, J-PAL '24, about his experience as a postdoctoral researcher at J-PAL MENA.
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Building effective social protection programs through government and researcher partnerships: Reflections from a MENA-SEA South-South Learning Journey

In a critical moment for global social protection systems, policymakers from Egypt and Indonesia recently came together in Jakarta for the groundbreaking event, South-South Learning Journey.
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African Scholar Spotlight: Oluwabunmi Adejumo

Through our African Scholars Program, we hope to help create more opportunities for African researchers to advance the research agenda on the continent through randomized evaluations. In this spotlight, we speak with Oluwabunmi Adejumo of Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
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The promise of multidisciplinary collaborations for governance research

Effective governance is essential to reducing poverty—both in aligning the needs of citizens with the actions of states, and then ensuring that states have the capacity to meet those needs. As our research agenda has evolved in the last decade, researchers in J-PAL’s network have increasingly...
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What evidence says about how to improve SNAP and reduce food insecurity

Research shows that these proven interventions can help increase eligible households’ access to SNAP.