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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Improving local tax collection through technology in Ghana

David Lagakos
In partnership with Melchia Investments, a private Ghanaian technology company, researchers are conducting a pilot randomized evaluation to identify the effectiveness of a new tax collection technology in increasing property tax revenues for local governments.

Cash-for-Work Program to Improve Social Cohesion between Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Jordan

Researchers use a large-scale RCT to evaluate a program aimed to improve cohesion between Syrian refugees and their host communities in Jordan.

Providing Primary Education for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in Guinea Bissau

Peter Boone
Ila Fazzio
Jenny Hsieh
Robin Lumsdaine
Researchers evaluated the impact of creating schools offering four years of primary education, in lieu of the government, on early grade reading and math skills in rural Guinea Bissau. The intervention led to substantial improvements in literacy and numeracy.

The Impact of Workers' Financial Stability on Their Workplace Productivity in India

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to gauge whether enhanced financial stability impacted worker productivity in India. They found that giving small-scale manufacturing workers financial relief in the form of early wage payments increased their productivity and attention to detail on the...

Phone-Based Tutoring to Support Learning during School Closures: Evidence from Five Countries

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of delivering educational content via mobile phones on student learning in five countries. Mobile-based instruction, especially through phone call tutorials, improved foundational learning...

The Impact of Social Program Targeting Strategies on Reported and Actual Asset Ownership in Indonesia

Researchers partnered with the Government of Indonesia to conduct a randomized evaluation that tested whether adding questions on flat-screen televisions and cellphone SIM cards to a targeting census would change people’s reporting and actual purchases of those items. The findings suggest that while...

The Impact of Mobile Money on the Purchase of Improved Sanitation Services in Senegal

The proliferation of mobile money across low- and middle-income countries has led to increased availability of mobile payment systems, which can potentially allow more flexible payment terms for customers. Subsidies increased the use of mechanized desludgings, while pre-paid deposit requirements had...

The Impact of a Quiz-Style Information Campaign on Covid-19 Prevention in Ghana

Researchers are measuring the impact of a quiz-style information strategy on people’s learning and adherence to Covid-19 health protocols. This study is part of a three-country research program in Ghana, the US, and Zambia aiming to find evidence on the best strategies to communicate health measures...