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

Woman holds a card that reads "our vote our choice" from Ghana Decides

Digital IDs: The good, the bad, and the unknown

As policymakers across Africa are increasingly investing in digital identification systems, the Digital Identification and Finance Initiative in Africa (DigiFI) explores what the benefits, challenges, and unknowns are.
A woman uses a mobile phone to make a cash transfer in front of a fruit stand.

DigiFI Africa: A pillar of the G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa

J-PAL Digital Identification and Finance Initiative in Africa (DigiFI Africa) is honored to be one of the pillars of the G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa. Through DigiFI, J-PAL Africa will support gender-specific research to ensure digital innovations promote the...
Hand providing thumbprint for biometric identification card

DigiFI Africa’s new blog series: The various facets of digital IDs and payments

The Digital Identification and Finance Initiative (DigiFI) is excited to announce a blog series that looks at the various facets of digital identification (ID) and payment systems.
Two women gather around a computer on which an online course is displayed.

Building personal connection in an online learning community

J-PAL Africa learned from focus groups in Ghana that lack of local connection and learning with peers is one of the biggest challenges experienced by students in the online MicroMasters in Data, Economics, and Development Policy. As a response, J-PAL Africa developed a course representative system...
Two hands holding money and mobile phone to conduct a mobile money transfer

The role of a (digital) universal basic income in supporting pandemic resilience

Does universal basic income (UBI) help vulnerable populations respond to large-shocks, such as COVID-19? J-PAL affiliated researchers recently followed up on a 2017 study to assess the program's impact.
A group of people stand outside a school.

Reflections on seven years at J-PAL Africa working to inform policy with evidence

By
  • Emily Cupito
After seven years working with J-PAL Africa, I am transitioning to a new role working in local school systems in the United States. Working with J-PAL Africa (and, in recent years, TaRL Africa) has been one of the greatest joys of my life. As I step away, I want to share a few reflections about how...
Masai herders stand among a herd of goats

Pastoralism in the COVID-19 era

By
  • Philemon Chelanga
  • Indira Tirumala
  • Elizabeth Lyons
Pastoralism is a livestock production system that has been carried out for millennia in some of the world’s harshest environments, including the vast arid of East Africa. This post, written by Philemon Chelanga, Indira Tirumala, and CEGA affiliated professor Elizabeth Lyons, explains how the...
A child wearing a mask looks directly up at the camera

Adapting to learning needs in the wake of COVID-19 using data and evidence

By
  • Molly Curtiss
A conversation with TaRL Africa, J-PAL, and the Ministry of National Education of Côte d’Ivoire. Originally posted by the Brookings Institute.