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

Woman giving numeracy books on International Literacy Day in Mozambique

Affiliate Spotlight: Selim Gulesci on addressing gender-based violence in Mozambican schools

In May 2025, J-PAL Africa invited LinkedIn readers to submit questions about a recent randomized evaluation on preventing gender-based violence in Mozambican schools, coauthored by J-PAL affiliated researcher Selim Gulesci. In this blog post, Selim responds to five questions from readers, sharing...
A child drawing in chalk on the floor

The Evidence Effect: Smarter development starts with evidence

Policymakers are facing a steep challenge: They need to address urgent development priorities with shrinking resources.
Two farmers uproot rice seedlings for transplantation during monsoon season in India.

The Evidence Effect: Ideas for the future of development

With fewer resources available, the bar is even higher for deciding which social sector and development programs to invest in. Evidence can help governments, funders, and implementing organizations navigate today’s challenges and make more effective and cost-effective decisions.
Group of participants during the Early Childhood Development Conference in Guatemala

J-PAL LAC government partnerships: Supporting government decision-making in Guatemala

Our work at J-PAL Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is made possible by close collaboration with and the dedication of many regional governments who recognize the importance of using data and evidence to improve social programs and public policy. Over the past fifteen years, we have worked with...
A group of people working together.

Ideas to Implementation: Engaging the community to evaluate an extended stay detoxification program in Pierce County, Washington

By
In this blog, Pierce County Human Services (Washington State) share insights into implementing a community engagement strategy within a randomized evaluation—drawing from their experience with the Fentanyl Detox Program.
Four people sitting at a table

Where evidence meets practice: Inside UNICEF and J-PAL’s FLN Academy 3.0

FLN Academy 3.0 is a collaboration between UNICEF and J-PAL that supports UNICEF regional and country offices and local stakeholders in applying evidence-based solutions to advance foundational literacy and numeracy.
A group of people working on Pursuit projects

Randomization’s capacity for flexibility: How to build randomization into a competitive, multi-step application process

This post discusses an evaluation design by researchers at J-PAL North America and Pursuit to measure the impact of the Pursuit's sectoral employment program, showing how randomization can be integrated into the application process without compromising enrollment preferences.
Woman sitting on the ground with farming tools on smart phone

An AI evaluation framework for the development sector

By
  • Farhan Abrol
  • Han Sheng Chia
  • Temina Madon
  • Robert On
  • James Walsh
  • Zezhen Wu
This is the first blog post in a series designed to help implementers, policymakers, and funders unpack the different types of evaluations relevant for “AI for Good” applications. Stay tuned for forthcoming posts providing a deeper dive on each of the evaluation levels.