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.

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.
Man looks over resume during a job interview

Vocational and skills training programs to improve labor market outcomes

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While vocational and skills training programs have had mixed results, those that included practical experience, soft-skills training, and job referrals often increased the likelihood of being employed and earnings of people who were targeted. Vocational training programs often helped trainees...
Woman with three children in childcare center in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Access to childcare to improve women’s economic empowerment

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Access to childcare can increase women’s employment outcomes by enabling their labor force participation, shift to more desirable work, or increase the productivity in their businesses. However, in cases where there are additional barriers to working outside the home, childcare may not be sufficient...

Modifier les CV pour lutter contre la discrimination à l’embauche

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Des évaluations aléatoires ont mis en évidence le fait que les minorités et les groupes marginalisés étaient victimes de discrimination à l’embauche dans de nombreux pays, la plupart des résultats provenant jusqu’à présent de pays développés. Face à ce problème, des interventions consistant à...