In Cotonou, a week immersed in impact evaluation and evidence-based public policy

Following previous editions in Abidjan, Rabat, and Dakar, this year's Summer School, co-organized by J-PAL, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Fund for Innovation in Development (FID), and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Benin, is being held from 6 to 10 July 2026. Now established as an annual flagship event, the Summer School welcomes nearly 200 participants for a week of training, workshops, research exchanges, and high-level discussions. The programme offers a rich mix of learning opportunities, knowledge sharing, and partnership building.

"We are gathered here to advance a shared vision: using rigorous methods and high-quality data to inform development policies." With these words, Pascaline Dupas, Professor of Economics at Princeton University and Co-Scientific Director of J-PAL Africa, opened this year's Summer School, welcoming academics, public officials, and innovation teams from across the African continent.

Participants come from a wide range of professional backgrounds academia, government, and the development sector but share a common objective: strengthening their understanding of impact evaluation methods and their application to innovative programmes and public policies as they scale.

To meet the needs of these different audiences, the programme is organized around three dedicated learning tracks:

• The FID Incubator, designed for project teams supported or funded by FID and its partners, helps participants build a solid understanding of impact evaluation and integrate evidence generation into the development and scaling of their innovations.

• The AFD Public Policy Evaluation track, intended for Beninese institutional partners, focuses on the practical challenges of commissioning and implementing evaluations, as well as on the effective use of evidence in public decision-making.

• The academic track, led by J-PAL, is aimed at African researchers who already have a grounding in impact evaluation methods and wish to deepen their expertise while strengthening their research practice.

Alongside these specialized tracks, participants attend joint sessions and a broader programme of events involving Benin's research and policy ecosystem. These shared moments foster dialogue across disciplines, peer learning, and new collaborative opportunities.

Among the participating teams, eight are developing projects funded by FID, several of which are led by Beninese organizations. These include:

• AfriMeDD, which is developing an early breast cancer screening approach based on canine olfactory detection, with the aim of expanding access to screening for the most vulnerable women in Benin. During the Summer School, participants had the opportunity to observe dog training sessions and learn how the animals are trained to detect cancer cells through scent.

• Plan Benin, which is assessing different implementation strategies for a programme designed to promote gender equality and encourage more equitable social norms among young people.

• CREDEL, which is testing the use of a biostimulant based on indigenous mycorrhizal fungi to improve soil fertility, increase agricultural yields, and boost the incomes of Beninese farmers.

In closing, the Director of Cabinet, representing the Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Benin, expressed his hope that "the knowledge shared here will continue to shape the work of our public administrations, universities, and research centres." It is a fitting ambition for this year's Summer School in Cotonou and one we hope will inspire many future editions.