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

A man walks through arid land carrying buckets filled with small plants

The Evidence Effect: Evidence for action in conflict and crisis

The people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance are among those hardest hit by cuts to foreign aid. With humanitarian funding at historic lows, many essential services are being scaled back or suspended altogether, leading to preventable deaths and putting millions more lives at risk. Restoring...
A woman uses a chlorine water treatment product to treat drinking water at home in the village of Kawejah, Grand Cape Mount county, Liberia on Friday April 6, 2012.

Scaling safe water access: J-PAL Africa's new Portfolio

J-PAL Africa has launched a new policy portfolio, Scaling Access to Safe Water in Africa (SASWA), designed to support governments in integrating and scaling water treatment programs.
 Enumerator administering a child verification survey

Researcher Spotlight: Ariel Zucker on applying economic theory to real-world solutions

In this episode of the Researcher Spotlight Series, host Sambhav Choudhury speaks with Ariel Zucker, assistant professor of economics at UC Santa Cruz. Ariel discusses her journey from an early interest in global health disparities to becoming a development economist specializing in experimental...
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.
A grey van driving on a paved street in front of a white industrial building.

Ideas to Implementation: Developing a Theory of Change to evaluate mobile medications for opioid use disorders in Pierce County, Washington

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Pierce County Human Services (PCHS) discusses the evaluation considerations for its mobile medication for opioid use disorder (mobile MOUD) program.
 A child plays with colorful wooden blocks in a GSED assessment session.

Four lessons from using a growth measurement tool for early childhood development in Indonesia

By
Stunting, defined as having a substantial below-average height for one’s age, indicates a significant risk to a child's physical and developmental potential. To explore practical and effective strategies for addressing stunting in Indonesia, J-PAL Southeast Asia (SEA) collaborated with J-PAL invited...
A Camden Coalition health practitioner leaving a house. Three individuals are standing around the house.

Nurturing the null: Navigating evaluation challenges in community-based care management

By
  • Aaron Truchil
  • Dawn Wiest
  • Kathleen Noonan
In this piece, originally published in American Society on Aging’s Generations, Aaron Truchil, Dawn Wiest, and Kathleen Noonan of the Camden Coalition discuss their experience finding and learning from null results.
Participants at South South Learning Journey event

Building effective social protection programs through government and researcher partnerships: Reflections from a MENA-SEA South-South Learning Journey

In a critical moment for global social protection systems, policymakers from Egypt and Indonesia recently came together in Jakarta for the groundbreaking event, South-South Learning Journey.