Public Policy Internship at Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a network of 51 affiliated professors around the world who are united by their use of randomized evaluations to answer questions critical to poverty alleviation. J-PAL has a dedicated Policy Group that is explicitly charged with disseminating the results of randomized evaluations in order to assist policymakers in formulating evidence based polices. This is done though a number of channels, including:

• Policy-oriented publications, which present actionable policy lessons in clear language to help policymakers understand the findings from completed evaluations.
• Comparative cost-effectiveness analyses, which compare the costs and impacts from multiple evaluations that address a common goal.
• Targeted conferences that bring together leading academics, policymakers and development practitioners to discuss evidence from completed evaluations, and identify areas in need of further research.
• Working with policymakers to scale up and/or replicate the results of successful evaluations around the world.

The Policy Group at J-PAL Global seeks a qualified graduate student applicant for the position of Policy Manager Intern, under the direction of J-PAL's Policy Director. Policy Interns contribute significantly to the design and execution of J-PAL's policy impact work. The Policy Intern is a based at the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA.

Responsibilities include:

• Policy Publications: Creating policy memos and publications that translate J-PAL's economic research into policy lessons for dissemination to policymakers around the world. (See for example the Policy Bulletins and Briefcases under the Publications section on J-PAL's website). Drafting policy publications will be the summer interns primary responsibility.
• Policy Analysis: Reviewing academic literature on randomized evaluations in development economics to draw out policy lessons from these field evaluations, conducting literature reviews, undertaking cross-sectoral comparative cost effectiveness reviews of J-PAL's randomized evaluations, and identifying the most cost-effective policies and programs that are candidates for massive expansion.
• Miscellaneous: Any other tasks assigned by the Director of Policy

Qualifications:

• Education: This position is for individuals completing the first year of a masters degree with a focus on economics, public policy, or international development (e.g. MPP/MPA). Significant training in and a strong technical understanding of economics is necessary, to ensure that J-PAL's findings are translated into general policy conclusions in a way that is not only simple to follow but also accurate and undistorted.
• Experience: The ideal candidate will be pursuing a masters degree and have 4 or more years of relevant work experience).
• Interest in Development and Policy: Strong interest in international development policy as demonstrated by coursework and/or study or work abroad is a plus.
• Understanding REs: Demonstrating a good understanding of the value of randomized evaluations and their usefulness for policy decisions is an important prerequisite for this position. The J-PAL website has many resources under the Methodology tab. For a popular press description of J-PAL's work, see "The Pragmatic Rebels" in Bloomberg Businessweek, July 2, 2010.
• Communication: Attention to detail and advanced writing and presentation skills for communicating policy lessons from academic papers in ways that policymakers understand. This requires clear, precise, non-technical writing, and creativity in presentation.
• Time Management: Proven ability to handle several different projects/tasks at one time, successfully complete tasks assigned, and meet deadlines. A willingness to work hard, be self-motivated and learn will be essential for doing well in this position.

Location:
J-PAL headquarters in Cambridge, MA, US; 8-12 weeks, Summer 2011

Compensation:
This is a paid position. No housing or relocation expenses covered.

Special Note:
This position is not eligible for any type of Visa sponsorship.

Please submit the following documents in PDF format to Dina Grossman <dina_g@mit.edu>. Please include the following in the subject line: "Policy Manager Intern Application."

(1) a cover letter clearly addressing your qualifications for the various responsibilities listed above, 
(2) Curriculum Vitae (Resume), and 
(3) transcripts of your undergraduate and graduate courses (including course names and grades). 
Applicants may be asked to complete a policy analysis and writing exercise.