October 2024 J-PAL LAC newsletter: J-PAL LAC turns fifteen

Group of people smiling with a wall as back drop
J-PAL Co-Founder Esther Duflo (MIT; Director, J-PAL; Scientific Director, J-PAL South Asia) visited J-PAL LAC in Brazil where she participated alongside our executive director, Paula Pedro, and Policy manager, Priscila Costa, in an event on early childhood education organized by our partner, the Bracell Foundation. In this photo, she poses alongside Paula and Priscila with Eduardo Queiroz, Bracell Foundation's Head, Alejandra Velasco, Bracell Foundation's Director of Advocacy and Communications, and Benny Lee, CEO and Board Member of Tanoto Foundation.
Photo credit: Bracell Foundation

J-PAL LAC turns fifteen

This year, J-PAL Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) celebrates fifteen years of using evidence to inform policy and alleviate poverty in the region since it was established at the Institute of Economics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Thank you to our partners—donors, governments and NGOs, the J-PAL research network, J-PAL LAC staff, and host universities—for supporting J-PAL LAC over the years. 

To celebrate fifteen years of J-PAL LAC, we’re sharing key stories that exemplify how we work together and the impact we can make:

▶️ Watch inspiring stories of collaboration, where our partners share insights on what they most value in collaborating with us and underscore  the urgent need to work together to alleviate poverty. Explore our video playlist on YouTube »

🤝Discover examples of partnerships, a new blog series with invaluable lessons from working with those who make our mission a reality. The first issue highlights the fantastic outputs of donors’ support in Chile, Brazil, and Guatemala. Stay tuned for more stories of impact through partnerships. 

🎯 🌎 Read how J-PAL Co-Founders and 2019 Nobel Laureates helped us celebrate this special occasion:

📍 In Brazil, J-PAL Co-Founder Esther Duflo (MIT; Director, J-PAL; Scientific Director, J-PAL South Asia) participated in an event on early childhood education organized by the Bracell Foundation, J-PAL LAC’s partner for a new project to improve preschool education in Brazil. She also presented a lecture on how to produce effective responses to climate change through local communities and the academy. 

📍 In Mexico, J-PAL Co-Founder Abhijit Banerjee (MIT; Director, J-PAL; Scientific Director, J-PAL Europe) announced our latest collaboration with the National Institute of Housing to strengthen the culture of evidence-informed public policymaking for housing, social security, and labor. This is part of J-PAL LAC’s work expanding government partnerships, supported by Community Jameel and Co-Impact.

Driving the Use of Evidence in Early Childhood Programs Across Central America

In Central America, J-PAL affiliated researchers and J-PAL LAC staff have shared valuable lessons and strengthened the capacities of organizations and researchers in the development sector, empowering them to evaluate and improve their programs effectively. In collaboration with Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and the National Food Security Department, we trained 349 officials to collect rigorous data for nutrition and food security programs. Additionally, we launched two open online courses, on the importance of evaluation and evidence-use and tools for designing and implementing impact to strengthen local organizations focused on early childhood development, education, and economic agency in Central America. In parallel Karen Macours (Paris School of Economics; Co-Chair, J-PAL’s Health sector) presented her research on child nutrition in Central America at a hybrid event in Guatemala. In August, we hosted two hybrid events—one in Costa Rica and another in Guatemala—to share key evidence on education and a webinar on early childhood development.

JOI Brazil's fifth round of funding and evidence sharing 

Jobs and Opportunities Initiative (JOI) Brazil, a J-PAL LAC initiative, is dedicated to generating and disseminating scientific evidence on public policies that address pressing challenges in the Brazilian labor market. Through its funding competitions, it supports randomized impact evaluations aligned with its research agenda. So far, seventeen research projects have been funded on topics like gender and race discrimination in the labor market, with a fifth round of funding closing in December 2024.

JOI Brazil also promotes the use of evidence in policymaking. In collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank, the initiative has launched a publication series, Evidence in Labor Market Policies and Implications for Brazil. Three reports are already available: Job Training, Job Search Assistance, and Microcredit, with three more in development: Future of Work, Business Training, and Informality.

NEW EVIDENCE TO POLICY CASE STUDY

Can artificial intelligence help students strengthen their writing skills? 

To assist Brazilian high school seniors in preparing for national university admissions exams, ed-tech startup Letrus designed an AI platform to provide them with rapid feedback on their practice essays, complementing teacher instruction. In 2019, the state of Espírito Santo piloted the platform and partnered with Bruno Ferman (São Paulo School of Economics; J-PAL Affiliated Professor) and researchers Flavio Riva and Lycia Silva e Lima to test its impact. The randomized evaluation found that the platform improved high school seniors' writing and increased their test scores on the admissions exam. Based on findings from this pilot, the government rolled out the platform statewide, reaching more than 100,000 high school students to date. Read the case study »

EVIDENCE IN LAC

How can we improve early childhood development through existing public services? 

The Cresça Com Seu Filho Home Visiting Program in Brazil sought to integrate early childhood development activities into the work of community health workers. A recent study by Pedro Carneiro (University College London; J-PAL Affiliated Professor), Florencia Lopes Boo, and Maria de la Paz Ferro found that while the program slightly improved the children's home environment, it did not have a significant impact on child development or health. These findings underscore the importance of considering workload, supervision, and staff engagement to make such public service programs more effective when structuring early childhood development policies. Read the study »

How do voters react to new information about their local schools?

In Chile, a study by Francisco Gallego (Scientific Director, J-PAL Latin America and the Caribbean; J-PAL Affiliated Professor, Full Professor Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), Loreto Cox, Sylvia Eyzaguirre, and Maximiliano García, tested how different types of information provided to voters about the test scores of public schools managed by mayors could influence local elections. Voters who received bad news (i.e., results lower than expected) about educational outcomes showed lower turnout and decreased support for incumbent mayors. In contrast, neutral and good news did not significantly impact voter behavior. The study demonstrates that voters hold politicians accountable when their performance falls short of expectations, but only specific types of information trigger these effects. Read the study »