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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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Building the foundation for robust vocational education RCTs in Egypt

More than two million students are enrolled in Egypt's technical education and vocational training education system, most of them from low-income backgrounds, seeking better livelihoods through skills attainment and the search for jobs in the labor market. These students are the constituents of our...
An illustration of a journal page

Lesson #3 | What not-to-do: Wisdom from years of trials (and errors)

This blog is the final installation of a three-part series by J-PAL South Asia’s executive director Shobhini Mukerji reflecting on two decades of advancing evidence-based policymaking.
Dulce Colín, general director for gender equality at the Government of Mexico City.

Video interview: Partnering with the Government of Mexico City to prevent gender violence

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Generating evidence to inform policies for gender equality in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is a crucial priority for J-PAL LAC, and government partnerships are critical to achieving this goal. Since 2020, J-PAL LAC has been partnering with the Mexico City Women's Secretariat (SEMUJERES)...
PPF's Spring Meeting titled “Fair Transitions” on June 10, 2024, at UM6P in Benguerir, Morocco, convening heads of state to he need for stakeholder cohesion and attracting financial investment.

Mobilizing agricultural development in Africa: J-PAL joins the Paris Peace Forum Coalition

The Paris Peace Forum (PPF), a French nonprofit organization, launched a policy initiative in 2023 called "Mobilizing for Strong and Sustainable Food and Nutrition Systems in Africa" to promote sustainable agricultural transformation on the African continent through South-North dialogue on policy...
 MSMEs products displayed at the Center for Integrated Services for MSMEs in West Java, Indonesia

Can product curation overcome challenges in MSME market expansion? Opportunities for impact evaluation

Insights from a recent Learning Collaborative event hosted by J-PAL Southeast Asia (SEA) and the Directorate of MSME and Cooperative Development of Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) shed light on evidence and insights on the most effective approaches to support MSMEs...
This is an image of a photo collage, with two photos side by side. In the left photo, a girl stands in purple shirt and white head scarf, smiling and looking away from the camera. In the right photo, a boy stands outside in snow wearing jeans and a red sweatshirt, looking at the camera and smiling.

Yhdessä (Together): Creating documentary photography on inclusion and friendship in Finnish schools

We embarked on a documentary photography project to capture the people and activities behind a Finnish primary school intervention aimed at fostering social inclusion in schools. Our aim was to showcase the crucial role of visual storytelling in human-centered research and policymaking.
A man rides a bicycle with a red food delivery backpack.

JOI Brazil: Helping shape the Brazilian labor policy landscape

2024 marks the third anniversary of the Jobs and Opportunities Initiative Brazil (JOI Brazil). In this blog, we share what JOI Brazil has accomplished so far—and what we hope to accomplish in the coming years.
A street in Carlsbad, California, with a large sign reading "Carlsbad", cars waiting at a traffic light and a Victoria-style building in the background

Evolving towards a data-driven culture: The City of Carlsbad’s reflections from LEVER’s Training Sprint

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Rachel Maltz—Senior Program Manager of the City of Carlsbad California’s Innovation and Economic Development Department—shares her experience participating in LEVER's 2023 Training Sprint and how the program has helped evolve the city's approach to evidence and data usage in policymaking.