A team from J-PAL was invited to provide an introduction to randomized evaluations and some recent results at “Scientific Analysis of Development Programs and Foreign Aid,” a workshop in Madrid.

The purpose of the workshop was to disseminate the latest advances in the evaluation of development aid programs. It was sponsored by Fundación BBVA, which seeks to foster high-quality research in the social sciences with attention to the areas and issues impacted by public policies.

Michael Kremer provided background on randomized evaluations and an overview of some health interventions, while Esther Duflo focused on evidence from education experiments, and Rohini Pande addressed the impact of rural banks on poverty. In closing the workshop, Rachel Glennerster chaired a panel on the effectiveness of foreign aid projects and programs. The conference was covered in the Spanish media.