Leadership Structure

J-PAL was set up to support researchers in running RCTs. All of our policy work is based on research. All policy lessons are signed off by researchers. Day-to-day management decisions are taken by the Executive Directors and staff of the Global and regional offices. 

J-PAL has several different levels of leadership with different roles and responsibilities: 

Board- J-PAL's Board of Directors, which is composed of J-PAL affiliated professors and staff Leadership Team members, provides overall strategic guidance to J-PAL, our sector programs, and regional offices.  

Executive Committee (EC)- The EC is a group of nine members who provide overall supervision and guidance to all J-PAL staff and offices worldwide and takes decisions on behalf of the full Board on an ongoing basis. They discuss and decide on issues and policies that have bearing on the overall strategic direction of J-PAL. Full EC meetings as well as Subcommittee meetings are held on a quarterly basis.

You can find the current Board and EC members here: https://www.povertyactionlab.org/board-members

J-PAL Faculty Directors- use their knowledge of existing research and literature to lead and advise on J-PAL’s big-picture research and policy agenda. J-PAL Faculty Directors- Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Ben Olken. Note: “Directors” or “4 D’s”refers to this group plus J-PAL Executive Director (Iqbal Dhaliwal).

Leadership Team (LT)- is comprised of the Executive Directors of all regional offices, plus the J-PAL Global Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and Directors. The LT meets regularly to discuss and decide on how to implement guidance from the EC and to share best practices across offices.

Global Senior Management Team (SMT)- is comprised of the LT plus all Directors and Associate Directors from all regional offices. The Global SMT meets regularly to engage in discussion on strategy and management matters and share best practices across offices.

J-PAL North America Leadership

J-PAL North America Scientific Directors (SDs)- bring their expertise in economics to provide guidance and act as a sounding board for the Executive Directors and staff. Even where they do not need to take an ‘approver’ role, their perspective and advice is invaluable to guiding decision-making and strategy. J-PAL North America Scientific Directors: Amy Finkelstein and Matt Notowodigdo.

J-PAL North America Co-Executive Directors (EDs)- are full-time employees who lead J-PAL North America and focus on management and overall strategy.  J-PAL North America Executive Directors: Laura Feeney and Vincent Quan.

J-PAL North America Cross-Vertical Senior Leadership Team (XVSLT)- is comprised of J-PAL North America's Executive Directors, Directors, and Associate Directors. The XVSLT provides leadership and management oversight to the J-PAL North America office.  XVSLT members: J-PAL North America Executive Directors plus Kim Dadisman, Cat Darrow and Liz Zuckerberg.

A 2022 presentation from Laura Feeney offers some additional context on the J-PAL leadership structure. 

Organizational Information Flow and Leadership/staff roles: