Sectors

Browse the latest research and insights from J-PAL’s eleven sectors. Led by J-PAL affiliated professors, sector teams manage initiatives that fund research, create publications that summarize lessons from randomized evaluations, and host policy and training outreach events.

two women looking at a tablet screen
Evaluation

Temporary Labor Migration as Mitigation: Strategies for Managing Seasonal Famine in Bangladesh

Can monetary incentives induce rural farmers to migrate to cities and pursue seasonal labor opportunities during times of famine?

Woman uses a small machine to scan a person's fingerprint
Evaluation

Improving Governance Through Biometric Authentication and Secure Payments: Evaluating the AP Smarcard Program

In India, a biometrically authenticated payment system reduced corruption and substantially improved the delivery of government social assistance programs despite partial implementation.

Zambian woman talks to nurse in front of table with birth control options
Evaluation

Contraceptive adoption, fertility and the family in Zambia

Women who received private access to vouchers for contraceptives were more likely to take up and use contraception, compared to women whose husbands were involved in the voucher program. 

Policy Insight

Microcredit: impacts and limitations

Evidence from randomized evaluations in low- and middle-income countries shows that giving small loans in the form of microcredit did not lead to transformative impacts on income or long-term consumption on average, but it did help households better manage financial choices. Demand for many of the...

Blog

Tackling crime and violence in Latin America with cognitive behavioral therapy

Developing new strategies to reduce crime and violence is a top priority for Latin American policymakers. Much of the violence in the region affects young men as both victims and perpetrators.