CRISP Fellowship

Application deadline 17th November 2022

Centre for Research in Schemes and Policies (CRISP) is an organisation formed by 10 senior civil servants, who have served at the level of Secretary to Government of India, for working with the State and Central Governments for designing/redesigning schemes and policies in the Social Sector. It desires to make large-scale impact by conducting ‘concurrent evaluation’ of schemes, setting up monitoring systems, and drafting policies covering rural, urban development, poverty alleviation, education, health and institution building. The objective of CRISP is to bring systematic reforms, thus shifting focus from input-oriented implementation to outcome-focused roll-out

CRISP proposes to set up a highly accomplished and professional team with expertise in social sector, data analytics and report writing for accomplishing its objectives.

CRISP Fellowship Programme

The CRISP Fellowship Programme is a one-of-its-kind experiential learning model in India that involves strategic collaboration between CRISP and  State/Central governments, helping young professionals work at high echelons of governance in the social sector. The Fellowship provides a platform for young talent to drive impactful large-scale projects while working closely with the public administration.

The Fellowship will enable CRISP Fellows to work on domains like policy implementation, data analysis, high quality report writing and strengthening existing government initiatives. During the programme, CRISP Fellows will streamline implementation of government’s flagship programmes across various thematic areas in the Social Sector.

CRISP Fellows will act as catalysts in achieving the desired outcomes while ensuring transparency and accountability in the process for reaching the last
mile. They will drive convergence between various government stakeholders and departments within the administration to re-engineer processes and de-bottleneck implementation challenges

CRISP Fellows would be required to travel for 15 days a month in the field, interact with the beneficiaries of the programmes and bring stakeholder feedback about the programme implementation, along with suggestions for improving the implementation.

Key Learnings as a CRISP Fellow

● Opportunity to hone technical/ non-technical skills and exposure to the inner workings of the Government.
● Experience in administration of social welfare and economic development projects.
● Stakeholder management through the implementation of government policies and schemes.
● Access to and guidance from experienced and senior decision-makers.
● Connection to a broad network of development institutions and actors.

Stipend : Rs 75k/month

Fellowship structure

● The Fellowship will be a two-year full time paid programme.
● The Fellows/CRISP Fellows will be:

○ Recruited through a rigorous selection process
○ Provided on-ground experience for developing key technical and non-technical competencies
○ Provided regular feedback on performance
○ Exposed to a wide range of governance issues beyond their own specific projects

● CRISP Fellows will work under the overall supervision of a State Team Leader.
● CRISP Fellows will work on projects which will be based out of State Capitals/major cities in the country. Although in the first phase, CRISP Fellows are  expected to be deployed in 4 states viz. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya and Rajasthan, they can be deployed anywhere in India depending on the requirement.
● Each CRISP Fellows will receive a remuneration of Rs. 75,000/- per month, subject to taxes. In addition, travel expenses for field visits undertaken in the state will be reimbursed.

Expected Role

1. The CRISP Fellows will be part of the CRISP team and posted in a State for implementing the MoU between the State Govt and CRISP. The team would be led by a Team Lead to who will guide and control the CRISP Fellows.

2. Apart from this, there will be a weekly mentoring of the CRISP Fellows by the Members of CRISP who are all very senior civil servants with more
than 3 decades of experience at the highest levels of Governmental decision-making.

3. CRISP Fellows will be allocated an area of work – functional or geographical or both (arising out of the MoU between the State Govt and the CRISP) – along with clear functional deliverables, by the State Lead. The progress on these deliverables will be monitored closely by the Members of CRISP.

4. In fulfilment of the work allocated, the Fellows are expected to:

○ Travel extensively in the given area, study the implementation and submit reports along with suggestions for improvement to the State Lead.

○ Work closely with the State Governments offices to aid and support the implementation of policy interventions, industry and government engagements, capacity building initiatives that CRISP is working on.

○ Assist in the framing of policies, structures, and processes that help bring efficiency in overcoming implementation challenges.

○ Support the leadership team with research and insight, recommending an appropriate approach for diverse policy and program questions.

○ Aid the development and implementation of capacity building programs by primarily engaging with institutions, NGO’s and quasi-governmental bodies.

○ Engage in primary and secondary research, speak with experts and synthesise data from multiple data points.

○ Develop and help implement programs and projects across the state.

○ Take on diverse operational tasks to ensure organisational success.

5. Assist the leadership team with creating and maintaining deep engagement with top stakeholders, and explore newer areas for cooperation with the State Govt.

Preferred Competencies

• Proficiency in MS Office (MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and ability to do data analytics
• Ability to write professional reports after due analysis of data
• Passion for social change
• Prior exposure to policy and development sector, policy analysis/research and formulation desired.
• Program management skills including monitoring and evaluation skills, data analysis and supervisory experience.
• Ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships with various stakeholders.
• High-calibre interpersonal communication (documentation and presentation skills), advocacy and negotiation skills and the ability to work collaboratively with teams.
•  Ability to adapt to diverse educational and cultural contexts and maintain a high standard of personal conduct.
• Previous experience in and knowledge of data analysis is strongly preferred.

Eligibility criteria

• A bachelor’s degree or higher from a renowned educational institution in policy-relevant subjects including Public Policy, Economics, Development Studies, Business Management, Law, Human Resources, Accounting etc. Candidates with academic and practical experience in
  technology, data management and analysis, and systems design/architecture are also encouraged to apply
• Good educational record, and evidence of having participated in activities or should have internships in socially relevant programmes at the college
  level.
• Upto 2 years of work experience after graduation
• Proficiency in English and in one among following languages- Telugu/ Kannada/Hindi

Timelines

Mode of application: All applications will be online

Application Start Date: 20th October 2022

Application deadline: 17th November 2022

Intimation of shortlisting: 21st November 2022

Personal Interview over VC: 25th -30th November 2022

Roll-out of Offers: 1 st December 2022

Joining: 2 nd January, 202

Notice: Submission of the Assignment (Downlaod Assignment) in the manner prescribed is essential for completing the application. Applications without uploading the Assignment, or uploads that have no relevance to the given Assignment, would be summarily rejected.