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

Hana speaks at a podium in front of a banner

Bringing data into Moroccan policymaking

In this post, Hana Lakhdar Gazal (Deputy Director, Morocco Employment Lab) describes her past work with the Moroccan government to institutionalize data-driven policymaking and how it inspired her to pursue this further at J-PAL.
A map of the world with dots showing the location of various J-PAL alumni working in government.

Leading government systems change from within

At J-PAL, our people are the real drivers of our impact. Many J-PAL alumni go on to occupy positions in governments worldwide, where they advocate for evidence use in decision-making from within. Learn about the civil servants among our current and former staff in our new Alumni Voices from...
Axelle Charpentier sits in behind a desk in her office.

Alumni Voices from Government: Axelle Charpentier '14, French Ministry of Education

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Formerly a research manager at J-PAL Europe, Axelle Charpentier '14 now leads education policy and practice research at the French Ministry of Education. She describes her journey from J-PAL to government in this post in the Alumni Voices from Government series.
Kelly Bidwell stands in front of a colorful pattern backdrop

Alumni Voices from Government: Kelly Bidwell '15, Office of Evaluation Sciences, US General Services Administration

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  • Kelly Bidwell
Formerly a senior policy manager at J-PAL North America, Kelly Bidwell '15 now leads the Office of Evaluation Sciences within the United States General Services Administration. She describes her work to drive evidence generation and use across US government agencies in this post in the Alumni Voices...
Ryan Cooper lectures at a podium.

Alumni Voices from Government: Ryan Cooper ‘14, Experimental Policy Initiative, Budget Office of Chile

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Formerly the executive director of J-PAL LAC, Ryan Cooper '14 now leads the Experimental Policy Initiative within Chile's Budget Office. He describes his journey from J-PAL to government in this Q&A.
Two men work on a solar panel used for lighting village homes in Sri Lanka

Earth Day 2021: Evaluating the state of evidence in climate action and poverty alleviation

Earth Day presents an opportunity for citizens, policymakers, and the private sector alike to take stock of the state of our planet and our progress in fighting climate change. This Earth Day, we must also acknowledge climate change's disproportionate impact on people experiencing poverty. To...
Poll workers wear personal protective gear outside of election sites in Indonesia in 2020.

Generating evidence-based insights for good governance during and after Covid-19

How to achieve good governance—as measured by accountability, government effectiveness, and control of corruption—is a question that has been at the heart of J-PAL’s Governance Initiative (GI) since its inception in 2011. In response, GI funds rigorous experimental research projects tackling a...
A smiling girl holds a piece of paper.

Shifting social and gender norms for improved development outcomes: A recap from the Global Evidence for Egypt Spotlight Webinar

While Egypt has made some progress towards gender equality and girls’ and women's empowerment, traditional gender roles and power dynamics continue to persist. Egypt has one of the highest gender gaps in the world, ranking 134th out of 153 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender...