Global Development

Barriers between Job Training and Triumph? Behavioral Insights to Support Women and Refugees in Jordan’s Job Market

by Kate MacLeod, Zainab Amjad, Ashley Barry, and Janan Al Ababneh

Imagine being a young person full of potential, yet two in every five of your peers cannot find a job. In Jordan, this is the reality for youth aged 15-24. Behind these numbers are even greater disparities: Jordan’s women labor force participation rate is among the lowest in the world, and unemployment among Syrian refugee […]

More Than Numbers: Strengthening RCT and Cost Reporting for Policy and Practice

by Suvarna Pande (3ie) and Catherine MacLeod (ideas42)

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are a powerful tool for understanding what works in development and anti-poverty programs. They provide insights to guide practitioners and policymakers in improving and scaling interventions. But for RCT findings to inform these decisions, they must be communicated clearly and systematically—something that’s easier said than done. Good reporting isn’t just about […]

The Power of Us: 2024 in Review

by Bridgette Gray, CEO

This year has been a testament to the idea that we are greater than the sum of our parts. We’ve collaborated with partners around the world in a range of fields. Here are a few projects that showcase how much more we accomplish together.

8 Ways to Unlock Better Teaching Practices

by Katherine Flaschen

Despite nearly universal enrollment rates in primary education in many low- and middle-income countries, many children are not receiving the quality education they need to thrive. Nine out of ten children in Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, cannot read with comprehension by the age of 10. A critical piece in solving this learning crisis is to […]

Using Behavioral Design to Combat Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in the Philippines

by Mukta Joshi and Marisa Nowicki

Combatting OSAEC in the Philippines: Explore the urgent need to address online sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the country.

Welcoming our new CEO, Bridgette Gray

by The ideas42 Team

ideas42’s Board of Directors enthusiastically announced the selection of Bridgette Gray as the nonprofit’s new CEO. Effective immediately, she will lead ideas42, one of the world’s top applied behavioral design firms.

Looking Ahead: How We’re Creating a More Equitable World with Behavioral Science in 2024

by The ideas42 Team

As 2023 draws to a close, we’re looking forward to what’s next. Read on for a look at some of the ways we’re advancing our mission in 2024 and creating change in our core issue areas.

Uncovering the Lives Behind Better Cash Transfers

by Mukta Joshi, Wen Wen Teh, and Ariadna Vargas

Pictures of a cash transfer recipient with her savings box  In many parts of the Global South, millions of individuals face the harsh realities of extreme poverty each day. They carry the heavy burden of not having enough resources to meet their needs, and this constant struggle takes a toll on their mental bandwidth. It […]

Combatting Negative Self-Perception to Increase Youth Employment: Evidence from an Egyptian Labor Program

by Bradley Noble and Catherine MacLeod

Stable employment and career opportunities are critical components of development, but many people living in developing countries still lack access to them. To combat this, countries institute labor programs to match job seekers with employers, but too often these programs fail to design for the context in which job seekers actually behave. As a result, […]

Why Soft Skills Development Programs Need Behavioral Science

by Wen Wen Teh

The nature of work is changing, and so are the skills required to be successful. While technical or ‘hard’ skills are essential for most jobs, there is growing evidence that ‘soft skills’ such as problem-solving, teamwork, and resilience play a key role in job market success. This is especially critical in low- and even middle-income […]

« Older Entries