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

Mary Ann Bates speaking behind a podium with MIT and J-PAL logos in the background

Mary Ann Bates, J-PAL ‘21, on shaping the use of data and evidence in federal and state government

This installment of our Alumni Spotlight series features Mary Ann Bates, former executive director of J-PAL North America, and currently the executive director of the State of California’s Cradle-to-Career System.
Group of students who participated in Minnesota Center for Diversity in Economics programming

Diversifying economics, part three: The Minnesota Center for Diversity in Economics on its history, impact, and pursuit of collaboration

By
Kristine West, the Director of Minnesota Center for Diversity in Economics, discusses the history and impact of the Center and future collaborations with J-PAL North America's Economics Transformation Project.
Women in Kenya walk along town street while in conversation.

Unpacking the evidence on social programs in sub-Saharan Africa

J-PAL Africa recently concluded a five-part blog series providing evidence-informed perspectives on key debates in the fight against poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting lessons for policymakers.
A man points to code on a desktop computer with two women

Newly published data on health care hotspotting study underscores the importance of research transparency

The team behind the evaluation on health care hotspotting describes why they prioritized publishing replication data and lessons learned from the process.
J-PAL staff members share the results of an evaluation with Indonesia government workers.

Establishing effective research collaboration: Finding common ground between policymakers and academics

In Indonesia, there has been growing interest from governments at all levels to adopt a broader culture of evidence- and data-driven policymaking to meet the needs of the country’s most marginalized constituents. However, bridging research and policymaking is often not a straightforward process.
Electric power plant facility in Johannesburg, South Africa

Powering households and industrial growth: Emerging insights from evolving evidence

Emerging evidence from randomized impact evaluations may provide insight to decision-makers on balancing the tension between industrial growth, energy use, and climate change mitigation—as well as increased connectivity and access for low- and middle-income communities.
A woman writes down data on a notepad while consulting a laptop in Indonesia

Improving data sharing practices: Developing a mutual understanding between researchers and policymakers

On May 17, J-PAL Southeast Asia (SEA) hosted a webinar to raise awareness about the importance of updated, secure, and ethical data sharing practices for evidence-based policymaking. Here are the key takeaways from the webinar.

Prepaid versus Postpaid Electricity: Provision, Access, and Efficiency

Many countries in Africa are transitioning from postpaid to prepaid electricity metering. However, the way this transition will affect households is not well understood. What are the differences between the two billing systems, and how can they affect energy access?