Policy Insights

What have we learned from randomized evaluations that policymakers, practitioners, and funders can use to improve social programs? J-PAL’s Policy Insights, organized by sector, highlight lessons emerging across multiple studies and the mechanisms that help explain the results.

J-PAL’s Sector Chairs and staff draw these insights from relevant randomized evaluations, updating and adding insights as the body of evidence grows. Each Policy Insight briefly summarizes their perspective on the evidence on a specific topic, with links to the original research and policy summaries. Read this blog post for more information about how we develop Policy Insights.

When combined with a detailed understanding of context and program implementation, we hope these insights can be practical inputs for policy and program design. For examples of how insights from randomized evaluations have informed policy, visit our Evidence to Policy page.

Three Female Students With Teacher Building Robot Vehicle In After School Computer Coding Class

Advancing women’s representation and opportunities in STEM fields through exposure to role models

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In high-income countries, exposure to women role models often positively impacts women students’ participation and educational performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, by improving students’ perceptions and aspirations of having STEM careers.
Farmers in a field

Protecting farmers from weather-based risk

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When designed well, insurance does protect small-scale farmers from adverse weather events, but farmers have low demand for these products at market prices. New technologies and climate-smart agricultural practices can reduce farmers’ risk exposure and increase their climate resiliency. More...
People holding goats by leashes

Building stable livelihoods for low-income households

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A multifaceted livelihood program that provided low-income households with a productive asset, training, regular coaching, access to savings, and consumption support led to large and long-lasting positive impacts on their standard of living. Additionally, recipient households were better positioned...
A farmer harvests seaweed in Bali

Improving agricultural information and extension services to increase small-scale farmer productivity

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Agricultural extension services can be improved by leveraging tools like information and communication technologies, trainer incentives, or social learning to support small-scale farmers’ decisions to invest in new, profitable practices. Extension programs that target both male and female members of...

Teaching business skills to support microentrepreneurs

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Traditional business skills training programs lead to modest increases in microentrepreneurs’ profits and sales. Alternative training programs can lead to larger impacts, but some programs require more definitive evidence of their effectiveness.
FAFSA application on mobile phone

The effect of nudges on federal student aid take-up in the United States

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Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually to receive federal loans and grants to attend college in the United States, a requirement often viewed as a barrier to college access. Informative and timely nudges can increase FAFSA filing rates, but providing...
Phone with message reading "Helpful reminder from Shasta County Superior Court. You have court on 6/015/2021 at 3:00 pm at 1500 Court Street, Department 3 in Redding. What time should you leave to get there by 3:00 pm? Any other arrangements to make? Missing court can lead to your arrest. If you have any questions regarding your court date, you may call (530) 245-6789 between 8:30 am - 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm M-F, excluding holidays.

Using simple reminders to reduce failures to appear in court

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Failing to appear—when people awaiting arraignment fail to appear in court—is criminalized in 46 US states and can result in jail time. Evidence from randomized evaluations suggests that simple reminders through text messages, mail, or phone calls can be effective in reducing the rate at which...

Microcredit: Impacts and promising innovations

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Findings on the impacts of microcredit continue to evolve. Early evidence from randomized evaluations in low- and middle-income countries showed that the classic microcredit model did not lead to transformative impacts on income or consumption for the average borrower across many contexts. However...