March 2019 Newsletter
International Women’s Day: Reflecting on J-PAL’s progress
J-PAL celebrates International Women’s Day (March 8) by reflecting on the gender-related progress we’ve made as an organization over the past year. The launch of J-PAL’s Gender sector and internal gender working group are two examples of our continued commitment to integrating a gender lens in all aspects of our work. Read more »
Why are providers prescribing antimalarials to malaria-negative patients?
A critical challenge for developing country health systems is to craft policy that gives individuals with curable diseases like malaria and pneumonia access to potentially lifesaving medical care, while preventing patients from consuming unnecessary medical treatments.
Much of the existing research on this issue focuses on the role of health care providers, but a recent randomized evaluation in Bamako, Mali, by J-PAL affiliates Anja Sautmann (Director of Research, Education, and Training, J-PAL) and Simone Schaner (Dartmouth College), with Carolina Lopez (Brown University), tested how patient preferences influenced treatment decisions. See the findings »
Featured Policy Publication
In the business of saving lives: An evaluation of a community health promoter program in Uganda
In 2017, 5.4 million children under the age of five died worldwide, with the highest mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Many of these deaths could have been avoided with simple preventive care and low-cost treatments.
A randomized evaluation of an incentivized community health promoter program in Uganda implemented by Living Goods found that the program increased health care access, knowledge, and healthy behaviors among households, leading to a 27 percent reduction in child mortality. The evaluation was led by J-PAL affiliates Martina Björkman Nyqvist (Stockholm School of Economics), Jakob Svensson (Institute for International Economic Studies), and David Yanagizawa-Drott (University of Zurich), with Andrea Guariso (Trinity College). Read the Briefcase »
Upcoming Events
Measuring Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment: March 12
Join J-PAL Southeast Asia for a half-day workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia, featuring a discussion of J-PAL’s Guide to Measuring Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment. Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences and discuss challenges related to the design, monitoring, and evaluation of empowerment programs. Learn more »
European Social Inclusion Initiative Launch Conference: March 26
J-PAL Europe recently launched the European Social Inclusion Initiative to generate new evidence and share emerging lessons to foster inclusion of marginalized populations. Join us for a conference on March 26 in Paris, France, with keynote remarks from Esther Duflo (MIT; Director, J-PAL). Learn more »
Data, Decisions, Public Policy talk with Paul Niehaus: April 25
J-PAL will host affiliate Paul Niehaus (University of California, San Diego; Co-Founder, GiveDirectly) for our latest Data, Decisions, Public Policy lecture. Join us on April 25 at MIT in Cambridge, MA, or tune in online. Register now »
Upcoming Trainings
2019 Executive Education dates announced
J-PAL’s flagship in-person training course, Evaluating Social Programs, equips participants with resources and knowledge to design, use, and accurately interpret evidence from impact evaluations. Participants learn from real-world examples and obtain a clear understanding of how to apply what they learn at their home organizations.
Cambridge, MA: June 10-14
Apply by April 12 »
Cape Town, South Africa: July 29-August 1
Apply by May 12 »
Dates for 2019 courses in South Asia and Southeast Asia will be announced soon.
Measurement and Survey Design course: May 8–10
J-PAL South Asia and CLEAR South Asia will host a three-day course on Measurement and Survey Design May 8–10 in New Delhi, India. Participants will learn what data to collect, how to design appropriate survey instruments, why and how to pilot survey instruments, and how to develop field protocols. The course is designed for researchers, M&E professionals, and others looking to strengthen their quantitative data collection skills. Learn more and apply by March 15 »
Media Highlights
Building evidence, advancing policy, and impacting lives at the state and local level
J-PAL Blog
What 126 studies say about education technology
MIT News
Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. But if you lobby for better fishing policy…
Vox
How public service announcements reduced violence against women
Vox
Study finds users who leave Facebook are happier, but less informed
Phys.org
New Research Papers
Ever failed, try again, succeed better: Results from a randomized educational intervention on grit
Sule Alan, Teodora Boneva, Seda Ertac
Scaling up sanitation: Evidence from an RCT in Indonesia
Lisa Cameron, Susan Olivia, Manisha Shah
Demand and supply of infrequent payments as a commitment device: Evidence from Kenya
Lorenzo Casaburi, Rocco Macchiavello
The welfare effects of nudges: A case study of energy use social comparisons
Hunt Alcott, Judd B. Kessler
Featured Jobs
Deputy Director, J-PAL Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
Project Director, Identification, Payments, & Governance Research Initiative, J-PAL Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
Graphic Designer, J-PAL Global, New Delhi, India
Senior Policy Associate, Political Economy & Governance, J-PAL Global, Cambridge, MA, US
Policy Manager, Political Economy & Governance, J-PAL Global, Cambridge, MA, US
Associate Director of Policy, J-PAL North America, Cambridge, MA, US
Research Manager, J-PAL North America, Cambridge, MA, US
Explore open positions around the world »