Openings – The Barefoot College

Apply by 20th Feb 23

The Barefoot College, also known as the Social Work and Research Centre is a community-based grassroots organisation working since 1972 based on the Gandhian concept of reaching the last person. It was founded by Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy, to harness the skills and intelligence of rural people and ‘specialists’ people with degrees and formal professional competence, to work together to empower local communities. The SWRC/Barefoot aimed at addressing specifically the issues concerning the marginalized, the exploited and the impoverished rural poor living on less than $ 1/day; in practical domains like water, education, solar, health, advocacy and rural livelihoods including handicrafts.

Barefoot has sought to provide the opportunity and the right support for communities to participate in planning, executing, and maintaining their own frameworks for development. These processes have provided the opportunity to the rural poor to lift themselves out of relative poverty with dignity and self- respect. The Barefoot College discussed, defined and consolidated the non-negotiables within its body politic (equality, collective decision-making, decentralisation, self reliance, austerity and openness to learning skills).

Barefoot College has been a place where sustainable ideas and the practical knowledge of the poor have been put into practice through work in education and skill development. This work has, in turn, resulted in large-scale impact in rainwater harvesting, solar electrification, non- formal education, health, conservation, women’s empowerment and culture. Barefoot has shown the potential of giving the rural poor an opportunity and support to develop self-sufficiency. What Barefoot has effectively demonstrated is the sustainability of the combination of traditional knowledge (symbolized by “barefoot”) and demystified modern skills.

1. Programme Coordinators (2), Rights & Entitlements (R&E)

Location: Tilonia, Ajmer, India

Job Purpose:

The Programme Coordinators (PC) contribute to the planning, designing, development, and implementation of all Barefoot interventions in the area of “Rights & Entitlements” in rural Rajasthan and supporting a network of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that are a part of SR (Soochna Evam Rozgar) Abhiyaan.

Successful candidates will help in adapting and improving internal systems to promote evidence based decision-making and program performance. The candidates ensure that the poor, marginalsied and impoverished rural communities have increased access to State Government of Rajasthan’s Rights & Entitlements. Reporting to the Programme Manager (PM), the PCs will work closely with field/implementing staff and documentation team to ensure promised welfare services are delivered to eligible rural communities. This position will focus on managing a diverse team, grievance redressal, follow-ups with relevant government departments/offices, etc.

Roles & Responsibilities: Rights & Entitlements (80%)

• Enable rural communities have access to promised government services
• Support the Programme Manager (PM) to ensure programme activities are according to the agreed timelines
• Collect information from field workers on day-to-day basis and sort out any issues in the field that may hamper smooth functioning of the programme
• Manage the implementation of projects in 80 villages with the help of field staff
• Prepare job charts for each field staff and monitor & review their work on a weekly basis
• Coordinate puppet shows & camps in 160 villages (33 panchayats) to increase awareness in rural communities
• Support in building strong women’s groups in villages & ensure development activities are done through these groups
• Support in preparing and reviewing grants’ financial and narrative reports and ensure they are correct, complete, and submitted on time and will be accounted for in compliance with donor requirements
• Monitor program activities and financials to track implementation and expenditures, including cost allocations of restricted funds (indirect and direct expense budgets)
• Delivers timely and accurate reporting; keep relevant stakeholders informed and provide updates
• Organise and participate in capacity building and training activities for Barefoot and implementing partner’s staff in relevant competencies
• Liaise and coordinate with different donors, partners and stakeholders as required
• Extend support to the day-to-day administration of R&E grants; ensure critical communications, reports, milestones, and deliverables are recorded
• Uphold consistent implementation of policy and procedure; lead in the development of capacity building tools, policies, and procedures to contribute to the promotion of learning and documentation of experience and good practices across the organization
• Create individual project-related M&E frameworks in coordination with the partners; ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of project activities and impact, and on the design and implementation of assessments
• Develop and roll out plans and tools to ensure data are collected to better report on activities and to improve quality services for beneficiaries, including needs assessment, baseline and impact surveys
• Collate and prepare monthly, quarterly and annual reports for individual projects and overall R&E department
• Represent Barefoot College at key forums, workshops, seminars, conferences etc.

Administrative Support (10%)

• Help the local administration team to manage and respond to emails
• Support in preparing presentations, reports and other required documentation when required
• Provide necessary support and train the local team to use Microsoft office, composing and responding to emails, etc.

Social Media Content Curation (10%)

• Collect, collate and curate content (mostly updates on ongoing projects) to upload on all the social media handles of the organisation
• Ensure regular updation of all the media handles with engaging posts to increase the viewership
• Create podcasts and write blogs on stories from the grassroots occasionally to communicate the ground-reality to the world

This list of responsibilities is indicative and not exhaustive and may change according to the organisation’s needs

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• A minimum of 3-4 years of demonstrated experience in developing, managing, and implementing Rights & Entitlements projects, preferably in the rural areas
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a related field (having master’s in Social Sciences/Public Policy/Development Studies/Social Work field is an asset)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English & Hindi language. Fluency in any other language is a plus
• Experience in developing MIS system
• High proficiency in Microsoft office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and Google Sheets
• Demonstration of excellence in written reports and communication
• Proven project management, planning, organisational, representational, interpersonal and communication skills, and ability to work with limited supervision
• Ability to lead and manage a diverse team
• Flexible, ability to work under stress and capacity to meet tight deadlines
• Highly motivated, committed, empathetic and passionate to work in the development sector
• Good understanding of project/programme management techniques and methods; ability to perform qualitative and quantitative research if required
• Exceptional analytical and critical problem-solving skills

Interested in being a part of fuelling change at Barefoot College?

To apply, please send your resume (not more than two pages) and a cover letter detailing your experience and suitability for the position, including your current and expected salary, to jaswanth@swrctilonia.org by 20th February 2023. Compensation is commensurate with experience.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

2. Programme Manager (1), Rights & Entitlements (R&E)

Location: Tilonia, Ajmer, India

Job Purpose:

The Programme Manager (PM) contributes to the planning, designing, development, and implementation of all Barefoot interventions in the area of “Rights & Entitlements” in rural Rajasthan and supporting a network of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that are a part of SR (Soochna Evam Rozgar Guarantee) Abhiyaan.

Successful candidates will help in adapting and improving internal systems to promote evidence based and collective decision-making and program performance. The PM ensures that the poor, marginalsied and impoverished rural communities have increased access to relevant Rights & Entitlements. Reporting to the Organising Secretary (OS), the PM will work closely with all staff supporting in updating program financial and narrative reports in a participatory way. This position will focus on leading on assessments, supporting proposal writing, supervising the implementation, and producing reports as required.

Roles & Responsibilities: Rights & Entitlements (80%)

• Enable rural communities have access to promised government services
• Manage & lead a team of 40 people to deliver the right information to last-mile villages in Silora block, Ajmer district
• Coordinate puppet shows & camps in 160 villages (33 panchayats) to increase awareness in rural communities
• Create a methodology in building strong women’s groups in villages & ensure development activities are done through these groups
• Build a communication network with local, district, block and state level government
• Develop an MIS system to record impact and data through R&E projects
• Support in preparing and reviewing grants’ financial and narrative reports and ensure they are correct, complete, and submitted on time and will be accounted for in compliance with donor requirements
• Oversee the implementation of organisation’s Rights & Entitlements program in rural areas of Rajasthan
• Monitor program activities and financials to track implementation and expenditures, including cost allocations of restricted funds (indirect and direct expense budgets)
• Delivers timely and accurate reporting; keep relevant stakeholders informed and provide updates
• Support on the delivery of timely, high-quality and accurate resources, including presentations, program reports and case studies
• Organise and participate in capacity building and training activities for Barefoot and implementing partner’s staff in relevant competencies
• Liaise and coordinate with different donors, partners and stakeholders as required
• Extend support to the day-to-day administration of R&E grants; ensure critical communications, reports, milestones, and deliverables are recorded
• Facilitate workshops, capacity building sessions, and training to staff and provide logistical support for program-related events
• Uphold consistent implementation of policy and procedure; lead in the development of capacity building tools, policies, and procedures to contribute to the promotion of learning and documentation of experience and good practices across the organization
• Create individual project-related M&E frameworks in coordination with the partners; ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of project activities and impact, and on the design and implementation of assessments
• Develop and roll out plans and tools to ensure data are collected to better report on activities and to improve quality services for beneficiaries, including needs assessment, baseline and impact surveys
• Collate and prepare monthly, quarterly and annual reports for individual projects and overall R&E department
• Represent Barefoot College at key forums, workshops, seminars, conferences etc.

Administrative Support (10%)

• Help the local administration team to manage and respond to emails
• Support in preparing presentations, reports and other required documentation when required
• Provide necessary support and train the local team to use Microsoft office, composing and responding to emails, etc.

Social Media Content Curation (10%)

• Collect, collate and curate content (mostly updates on ongoing projects) to upload on all the social media handles of the organisation
• Ensure regular updation of all the media handles with engaging posts to increase the viewership
• Create podcasts and write blogs on stories from the grassroots occasionally to communicate the ground-reality to the world

This list of responsibilities is indicative and not exhaustive and may change according to the organisation’s needs

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• A minimum of 5-7 years of demonstrated experience in developing, managing, and implementing Rights & Entitlements projects, preferably in the rural areas
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a related field (having master’s in Social Sciences/Public Policy/Development Studies/Social Work field is an asset)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English & Hindi language. Fluency in any other language is a plus
• Experience in developing MIS system
• High proficiency in Microsoft office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and Google Sheets
• Demonstration of excellence in written reports and communication
• Proven project management, planning, organisational, representational, interpersonal and communication skills, and ability to work with limited supervision
• Ability to lead and manage a diverse team
• Flexible, ability to work under stress and capacity to meet tight deadlines
• Highly motivated, committed, empathetic and passionate to work in the development sector
• Good understanding of project/programme management techniques and methods; ability to perform qualitative and quantitative research if required
• Exceptional analytical and critical problem-solving skills
• Previous experience in handling social media content

Interested in being a part of fuelling change at Barefoot College?

To apply, please send your resume (not more than two pages) and a cover letter detailing your experience and suitability for the position, including your current and expected salary, to jaswanth@swrctilonia.org by 20th February 2023. Compensation is commensurate with experience.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.