Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

Could training programs for new politicians help strengthen democracy? In their new NBER working paper, J-PAL affiliates Frederico Finan, Ernesto Dal Bó, Claudio Ferraz, and coauthor Pedro Pessoa explore the impact of such programs through a randomized evaluation in Brazil. 🔗 Learn more about the research and its implications for improving democratic processes. https://lnkd.in/g_MziMk8

"Good storytellers are very powerful," according to MIT Department of Economics professor and The Nobel Prize winner Abhijit Banerjee. Banerjee shared a meal and conversation with a Financial Times reporter. https://lnkd.in/ecA6fFsr #thisismit #mitshass #mit #economics #finance

💡 In his Nobel Prize lecture at Stockholm University, J-PAL affiliate James Robinson explores how rule of law and societal norms affect prosperity. He emphasizes that "inclusive institutions create incentives and opportunities for all individuals, fostering economic prosperity and reducing inequality” and highlights how research informs strategies for addressing global inequality. 📹 Watch his full talk here: https://lnkd.in/eXSEGZNZ

💼 We are #recruiting a Senior Finance & Operations Associate (UJALA) based at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat, Morocco. 🌱 The Senior F&O Associate will serve as the financial and operational lead for UJALA's work, including its portfolio of funded projects, working with UM6P and J-PAL Global to ensure efficient management and compliance. ➡️ Key responsibilities include managing grant proposals and awards, helping manage the lab’s budget, preparing financial reports, supervising subaward management, coordinating office operations, and supporting HR functions. This position offers an opportunity to contribute to impactful agricultural research while managing critical financial and operational aspects of an international research lab. Interested? Read more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eTNgkvtw

🌾 Watch ATAI-funded research being presented at the Paris Peace Forum 2024! J-PAL’s Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI), in collaboration with ATLAS - Agricultural Transitions Lab for African Solutions, was at #PPF7 exploring how small-scale farmers can build resilience and financing options for African smallholder farmers. This insightful event brought together policymakers, researchers, international organizations, and private sector stakeholders to discuss evidence-backed solutions for sustainable agricultural development in Africa. Key highlights included: 🌱 Strategies for building small-scale farmers' resilience to climate change 💸 Innovative financing mechanisms for smallholder farmers 📈 Transforming research into actionable policy opportunities Catch up on what was discussed here: https://lnkd.in/e5cQpRk5 #ATAIresearch #ATLAS

To what extent can credible and certifiable skills signals help improve employment and earnings for job seekers and help firms find suitable candidates? In a new VoxDev podcast, J-PAL’s Labor Markets co-chairs Marianne Bertrand (University of Chicago) and Stefano Caria (University of Warwick) dive into J-PAL's new Policy Insight on skills signaling to improve employment and earnings. 💡 Learn how credible skills signals, such as reference letters and standardized certificates, can help job seekers improve their livelihoods. https://lnkd.in/e_2qDcJt #jobsforyouth #skills #employment #PolicyInsight

J-PAL Europe was thrilled to join as a partner to the UNICEF Evaluation and World Food Programme Global Impact Evaluation Forum at the United Nations to share our work in funding and generating impact evaluations in humanitarian and fragile settings. On day 1, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)’s Aprille Knox and Pierre Hodel shared our funding opportunities for rigorous impact evaluations and highlighted our goal to support UN agencies to develop collaborations with researchers. On day 2, J-PAL hosted a clinic on tailoring evaluation designs for the humanitarian sector. Sara Merner presented the takeaways from our learning agenda on how to responsibly randomise in humanitarian settings. The session featured: WFP’s Felipe A. Dunsch on innovative anticipatory action programme evaluation in Nepal; UNICEF’s Miguel Almanzar on an adaptive social protection project in Yemen; and Uplift Afghanistan’s Hila-Nawa Alam shared RCT evidence on direct aid to Afghan women. Together, we explored strategies for overcoming challenges of conducting evaluations in crisis and fragile settings. On day 3,  Ana Garcia-Hernandez, J-PAL Europe’s Associate Director of Policy, shared insights on ethics in the context of fragile settings to ensure humanitarian principles are followed in research.  Aprille Knox and Pierre Hodel shared insights on the value of evidence synthesis to inform humanitarian efforts. This forum reinforced the importance of using the existing evidence, and generating new knowledge and learnings where there are gaps, to make informed cost-effective decisions in fragile settings. It was inspiring to exchange with organisations dedicated to advancing impact evaluations, and we are eager to continue building together.

📈 Dive into the world of data with Data Analysis for Social Scientists. Learn to navigate complex datasets and apply statistical techniques to inform decisions. Perfect for professionals looking to enhance their analytical skills. Register today with MITx Courses : https://lnkd.in/g8--7ADU

📊 Enhance your policy-making toolkit with our comprehensive course on randomized evaluations. Learn from experts including Rachel Glennerster and Kelsey Jack to conduct rigorous impact assessments. Ideal for those in government, NGOs, and international organizations. Enroll now with MITx Courses: https://bit.ly/3OMBTnl

Can information about local school quality change the course of a family’s housing choice? Affordable Housing, in collaboration with J-PAL affiliate Peter Bergman and Great Schools, provided Housing Choice Voucher recipients with school-quality data, empowering them to make informed decisions about where to live. The result? Families with access to this information were more likely to move to neighborhoods with higher-performing, less segregated schools. Watch to learn more ⬇️