Blog

Through the African Scholars Program, J-PAL Africa is creating more opportunities for African researchers to advance the research agenda on the continent through randomized evaluations.

J-PAL North America Co-Executive Directors Laura Feeney and Vincent Quan reflect on the last year in this post.

Cape Town’s 2017 water crisis prompted the City government to look at its data differently. Behind the millions of meter readings and billing records lay unanswered questions: How successful were the water conservation efforts across different areas in Cape Town? What does equitable water pricing...

Artificial intelligence promises to help governments meet challenges and deliver better for citizens. AI tools could be leveraged at multiple points in the public financial management cycle—from collecting revenue through taxation, to spending those revenues on public services. They could also make...

High-quality early childhood education is essential. Randomized evaluations show that simple, low-cost activities, like reading, singing, and playing, can boost children’s cognitive, language, social, and motor skills. How can we deliver high-quality preschool education at scale?

Em Belém, no Brasil, onde os rios da Amazônia convergem e as florestas ajudam a regular a temperatura da Terra, a COP30, realizada no mês passado, foi uma cúpula singular e um chamado à ação. A mudança climática não é apenas uma crise ambiental — é uma crise de desenvolvimento. Pessoas de baixa...

In October 2025, Cape Town hosted the CGIAR Gender in Food, Land, and Water Systems Conference, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and donors to chart actions for closing gender gaps in agriculture. J-PAL staff attended and presented in one of the key plenaries over the three days.

AI has the potential to improve access to and quality of health care. However, evidence on the real-world impacts of AI solutions on providers and patients is scarce. Closing these evidence gaps is key to ensuring policymakers can responsibly scale AI that supports healthcare workers and patients.