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

A person manages book of mobile cash transfers

Incentivizing public sector employees: The role of digital technology in enhancing the carrot and the stick

Employee effectiveness is a key driver of productivity and economic development in the public sector. But how does one motivate public sector employees to perform and deliver services? Understanding what drives these employees to work hard, and how different (dis)incentives can energize (or reduce)...
A world map with dots noting locations of GCCI projects.

Pushing the boundaries of governance, crime, and conflict research: Innovations in research, measurement, and design

In 2017, J-PAL and IPA jointly launched the Governance, Crime, and Conflict Initiative to increase our understanding of effective policies to promote peace and good governance, reduce crime, and support individuals and communities recovering from conflict. With three years of research behind us, we...
A woman with a mask on puts a mask on a young girl

Designing adaptive social assistance during COVID-19: A recap from the Evidence for Egypt Spotlight Webinar

To address how existing social assistance programs in Egypt could be enhanced in response to COVID-19 and large external shocks in general, J-PAL MENA and UNICEF Egypt held a webinar on “Social Assistance Response to Large External Shocks in Egypt: What We Can Learn from Randomized Evaluations.”...
An "I voted" sticker with an American flag on a blue jacket

Affiliate Spotlight: Donald Green on the evolution of election science and evidence-based campaign tactics during COVID-19

In this affiliate spotlight, Don Green (Columbia University) shares insights into his research on get-out-the-vote tactics and what these findings could mean for elections in the age of COVID-19.
People wearing masks stand in line to receive food from police

Taking an evidence-based approach to governance policy in the face of COVID-19

Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development while addressing the enormous challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic requires identifying, implementing, and scaling the most effective social policies and programs. Too often, however, this key principle—effectiveness—can get lost amid other...
Indiana state house building

State and local policy responses to COVID-19: Lessons from evidence

J-PAL North America has curated a set of randomized evaluations that tested specific policy options related to the social safety net, health, and education. Our goal is to provide actionable evidence to inform state and local leaders’ policy responses to challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Women stand in line waiting to cast their vote at a polling station in in Barpeta, Assam, India.

Can information lead to better voting decisions? Evidence from information campaigns in India

Out of 539 winners in India’s 2019 general election for the lower house of Parliament, 29 percent have, at some point, been charged with serious criminal cases, including cases related to rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women. Why do voters elect criminal politicians...
School children in Indonesia

Informing shifts in policy: Reflections on a long-run impact evaluation of a community block grant program in Indonesia

Creating good policies is a complex and dynamic process. A program can be evaluated, found to improve people’s lives, and be scaled up. However, in the longer run, these programs interact with other policies, contexts change, and policymakers are in constant need of new information and evidence to...