June 2023 Newsletter
Impact of phone-based tutoring: Evidence from six countries
School closures during the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated learning challenges worldwide. During these closures, Youth Impact, a Botswana-based NGO, tested the impact of ConnectEd, a one-on-one tutoring program that uses phones to connect high-quality instruction with students and parents. Building on initial results from Botswana, in a randomized evaluation funded by a coalition of supporters, including J-PAL’s Innovation in Government Initiative, NGOs, governments, multi-laterals, and researchers tested and adapted ConnectEd across five other countries—and found the program to be highly effective.
In the first post of J-PAL’s 20 for 20: Partner Voices blog series, where we showcase stories of results and impact with our partners to celebrate our 20th anniversary, Youth Impact shares key insights from this multi-country evidence. Read more »
UPDATED POLICY INSIGHT
What is the latest evidence on the impacts of microcredit?
Early evidence from randomized evaluations showed that a less flexible, traditional microcredit model did not have transformative impacts for the average borrower. In a newly updated Policy Insight, J-PAL’s Finance sector shares more recent research that found lending to high-potential business owners and implementing flexible repayment plans can enhance the outcomes of microcredit. Furthermore, digital disbursement of loans led to better outcomes for women-owned enterprises. Policymakers, NGOs, and donors aiming to use microcredit to reduce poverty should understand the limitations of the traditional microcredit model while exploring the potential benefits of product design tweaks and innovations. Read the Policy Insight »
FEATURED BLOGS
Tips for building successful international coauthorship collaborations
International collaborations can strengthen a research team’s capacity and quality, but successful partnerships require careful planning and coordination. In a new blog post, we explore the benefits of international coauthorship and draw on the experiences of J-PAL staff and affiliates worldwide to offer suggestions for researchers seeking to expand their teams. Read more »
DEDP Alumni Spotlight: The journey from master’s to PhD
Alumni of J-PAL and MIT’s Data, Economics, and Development Policy (DEDP) master’s program have gone on to work in government, nonprofits, international organizations, and research. In the first installment of our DEDP Alumni Spotlight series, Evan Williams (Senior Research, Education, and Training Associate, J-PAL Global) caught up with current PhD students Nouf Abushehab and Brian Daza from the class of 2020. They share their journeys from DEDP to becoming PhD researchers, current work, and goals for impacting research and evidence-based policy. Read more »
FEATURED RESEARCHER
Evans Osabuohien on cultivating networks and advancing agricultural innovation
In our newest African Scholar Spotlight, Evans Osabuohien (Covenant University) discusses what drew him to economics and his current research on increasing informal workers’ take-up of health insurance products in Nigeria, funded by the Digital Identification and Finance Initiative in Africa. He also explains how J-PAL and other organizations have supported his career trajectory, and provides advice to African researchers. Read more »
WELCOMING OUR NEW AFFILIATED PROFESSORS
In summer 2022, 33 talented researchers joined the J-PAL network. We will feature a few of them here each month.
Alexia Delfino, Bocconi University
Gregory Lane, University of Chicago
Aurélie Ouss, University of Pennsylvania
📺 FEATURED MULTIMEDIA
Perspectives from Africa-based researchers
Since its launch in 2019, J-PAL’s African Scholars Program has offered funding, mentorship, training, and networking opportunities to 63 researchers across thirteen countries and thirty research projects.
Scholars met with staff from J-PAL Africa to share their perspectives on the program for African researchers interested in conducting impact evaluations. Hear from the researchers »
FEATURED EVENTS
🗓️ [Next week! June 22–23] J-PAL at 20: Science and the Fight Against Poverty
To mark J-PAL’s 20th anniversary, join J-PAL Europe for a two-day colloquium hosted by the Collège de France in Paris. Policymakers, social innovators, funders, and researchers, including J-PAL co-founders Abhijit Banerjee (MIT; Director, J‑PAL; Scientific Director, J‑PAL Europe) and Esther Duflo (MIT; Director, J-PAL; Scientific Director, J-PAL South Asia), will discuss the research and policy work in Europe and the role of evidence in alleviating poverty and addressing common challenges on a global scale. Attendance is first come, first serve on the day of the event. Learn more »
[Webinar recording] Sharing Evidence on Women’s Agency in Central America
Over the past few months, J-PAL Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) organized a series of activities to help enhance evidence use and generation within Central American organizations that promote women's agency, with support from the Cotopaxi Foundation and Target Foundation. As part of this series, J-PAL LAC facilitated a recent webinar sharing evidence on gender agency and the relevance of evidence use. Watch the webinar (in Spanish) »
FEATURED TRAININGS
[June 27] Enroll now in the Data, Economics, and Development Policy MicroMasters Program
The current semester of our online MicroMasters program in Data, Economics, and Development Policy (DEDP) is underway. Enrollment is open until June 27—but courses started May 30, so don’t wait to enroll! Students who complete the DEDP program credential are eligible to apply for the on-campus Master’s in DEDP at MIT or one of our pathway universities. Learn more and enroll »
[Due July 14] Apply for the Displaced Livelihoods Initiative’s Research Incubator
J-PAL and Innovations for Poverty Action’s Displaced Livelihoods Initiative (DLI) will host a three-day randomized evaluation design workshop at the Paris School of Economics on October 17–19. The research incubator is designed for organizations promoting sustainable livelihoods for displaced persons and host communities. The incubator will help participants develop a concept note for a randomized evaluation of one of their own programs and establish the foundations for fruitful collaboration with researchers applying for impact evaluation funding through DLI. Applications for the DLI Research Incubator are open now and due by July 14. Learn more and apply »
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Bihar’s model of bicycles to girls replicated by six African countries, endorsed by UN
The Indian Express
Center for caregiver advancement receives $10 million grant to provide free training for caregivers in San Bernardino county
Yahoo Finance
Using information and communication technology to improve mental health in Africa
The Brookings Institution
US and UAE governments highlight early warning system for climate resilience
MIT News
NEW RESEARCH PAPERS
Better Strategies for Saving More: Evidence from Three Interventions in Chile
Abhijit Banerjee, Claudia Martínez A., and Esteban Puentes
Is Digital Credit Filling a Hole or Digging a Hole? Evidence from Malawi
Valentina Brailovskaya, Pascaline Dupas, and Jonathan Robinson
The Last Mile of Monetary Policy: Inattention, Reminders, and the Refinancing Channel
Shane Byrne, Kenneth Devine, Michael King, Yvonne McCarthy, and Christopher Palmer
Improving Hygiene and Sanitation through Parental Skill Training
Asad Islam, Umair Khalil, and Tabassum Rahman