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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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J-PAL expands efforts to promote corporate sustainability and social impact partnerships

After 20 years of evidence generation and synthesis delivered in partnership with cross-sector stakeholders, in the next decade, J-PAL is accelerating our work to bring evidence-based strategies to drive corporate sustainability and social impact.
Three people looking at a computer screen

Regression to the mean: What it is and why it matters for impact evaluations

Regression to the mean is a statistical phenomenon where extreme outcomes tend to be followed by more moderate outcomes—closer to the mean. In the field of social policy, this could mean that individuals selected to participate in a program because of an extreme signal will naturally return back...
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A new diverse cohort joins the vibrant graduate network of the J-PAL/UC Diploma in Impact Evaluation

In January, a new diverse class graduated from the Diploma in Impact Evaluation of Public Policies and Social Programs organized by the Instituto de Economía (IE) of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC Chile) and J-PAL Latin America and the Caribbean (J-PAL LAC). Forty-one students from...
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Evidence shows that intergenerational poverty requires multifaceted solutions

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently issued a report on the drivers of and solutions to intergenerational poverty in the United States. J-PAL North America staff had a conversation with J-PAL affiliated professor Greg Duncan (UC Irvine), chair of the authoring...
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LEVER Partner Spotlight: Ricardo Basurto-Dávila on the County of San Diego’s Shallow Rent Subsidy program evaluation

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Ricardo Basurto-Dávila, the Chief Evaluation Officer in the County of San Diego’s Office of Evaluation, Performance and Analytics, shares his experience participating in the LEVER Evaluation Incubator.
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New resource: Incorporating remote sensing data into randomized evaluations

A growing number of economists are incorporating remotely sensed (RS) data—satellite data in particular—into their studies. For randomized evaluations, remote data collection offers alluring possibilities: lower data collection costs, a longer time series of data both before and after an...

The next decade of RCT research: What can we learn from recent innovations in methods?

From Teaching at the Right Level to the multifaceted Graduation approach, J-PAL’s affiliated researcher network has helped to evaluate a diverse range of innovative interventions aimed at reducing poverty over the past twenty years.
Two women wearing headscarves use a drill to upcycle a piece of wood furniture.

New Humanitarian Protection Initiative will help reduce harm to people affected by conflict

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Today, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) launch the Humanitarian Protection Initiative (HPI). The core of this initiative is a research fund dedicated to generating rigorous evidence to inform policies and programs that protect conflict...