Openings – Pratham

Apply by 4th March 24

Pratham was founded in 1995, to provide pre-school education to children in Mumbai slums. Over the last 20 years, Pratham has grown to be India’s largest NGO working to provide quality education to underprivileged youth and children in over 21 states and union territories across the country, with a range of interventions.

Pratham is a widely recognized organization, having received notable awards such as Yiden Prize, Lui Che Woo Prize, WISE Prize for Innovation, Skill Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the Henry R Kravis Prize in Leadership and the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year for Public Service. For more details, refer to www.pratham.org.

1.PROJECT COORDINATOR

About Learning Excellence Program, Gurugram

Part of Pratham’s flagship Read India program, the Learning Excellence Program supports children in primary schools in villages of Gurugram district with a special focus on children who are lagging behind their class appropriate learning levels. In this program:

• Local educated young women are trained in activity-based learning methods where reading. comprehension, conversation, vocabulary building and basic math are the focal points of learning in direct classroom teaching in schools.
• The local women teachers engage in direct classroom teaching and improving the basic literacy and numeracy skills among children in the age group of 6-14 years.
• Library groups are set up in schools, where reading material is provided to foster a habit of reading and enhance listening and comprehension skills among children.
• The program has benefited more than 1,00,000 children since its inception besides helping more than 1,000 local educated young women to develop into agents of social change.

About the Role

We are looking for someone to join our Team at our Gurugram office (Near MG Road Metro Station). As a Project Coordinator, you would be responsible for supporting the team in the execution of the Learning Excellence Program.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Designing course structures, methodology and deliverables.
• Preparing and updating content for course manuals-English, Hindi and Math.
• Conducting quarterly training of teachers for the content to be delivered in the schools. Traveling to the field locations [schools) to monitor and review the execution of the program.
• Liaising with the Program head.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Masters in Social Work, Development studies, education or any equivalent field.
• Subject knowledge of English, Hindi and Math.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Microsoft Excel.
• Willingness to travel, including rural field visits
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Ability to work well in teams.
• Candidates from Delhi-NCR are preferred. Freshers and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Recruitment Process

Send the following to Aditi at aditi@pratham.org and CC Shivangi Sharma at shivangi.sharma@pratham.org. Mention ‘Application for the position of Project Coordinator – Gurugram’ in the subject line.

Current Resume: Resume should contain

• Contact Information for Applicant
• Academic Background Universities Attended, Degrees Acquired
• Academic Record (Marks or GPA, if applicable)
• Past work experience, highlighting relevant skills
• Relevant Coursework: List Courses in Development, Management, Education etc.
• Experiences in development, teaching and/or education (if applicable)
• Languages Spoken

Location

Statement of Purpose (500 Words)

2. SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, SURVEY UNIT, ASER CENTRE, NEW DELHI

Organisation overview
ASER Centre generates evidence for action. It focuses on outcomes and processes in education and other social sectors. It builds the capacity of individuals and institutions to measure at scale, understand, communicate and act upon the findings of assessments and research, with the objective of improving the quality of social sector programs. It aims tocreate a culture where rigorous measurement of outcomes is integral to action, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice, assumption and reality. The ASER Centre approach has its roots in Pratham’s work across urban and rural India to help children acquire basic skills in reading and arithmetic. ASER Centre was established as an autonomous research wing within the Pratham network in 2008.

Position overview
One of ASER Centre’s main activities is the design and implementation of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) survey. Facilitated by Pratham since 2005, ASER is the largest household survey of children’s schooling and learning in India. Each year the survey is designed and implemented by the Survey Unit. The unit comprises a Unit Head, 2 Senior Research Associates (SRA), 6 Research Associates (RA), 6 Zonal Managers (ZM) and 2-4 field associates in each state. Under the guidance of the Unit Head, the Senior Research Associate is responsible for leading the design and implementation of the ASER survey as well as creation of the ASER report. In particular, the SRA will carry out the following responsibilities:

Research design and development of tools and questionnaires

• Finalise under the guidance of ASER Centre Directors and Unit Head, a framework for the ASER survey including its objectives, approach, methods and tools
• Lead the development of the survey questionnaire and assessment tools through extensive literature review and field pilots

Development of training material and plan

• Guide the creation of print and audio-visual material for training of trainers and volunteers
• Create detailed training plans for different levels of training
• Oversee the regional translations of training material

Planning and implementing at scale

• Identify resource requirements in state and allocate them adequately
• Create a plan and timeline for the survey roll-out from literature review to report launch
• Review state budgets and calendars
• Innovate to strengthen quality control processes
• Troubleshoot problems during survey implementation
• Travel to different states for 2-3 months to support in trainings and quality control

Data interpretation and report writing

• Explore different interpretations and visualisations of collected data
• Coordinate the report writing and designing process and review and edit all writeups in the report
• Ensure the accuracy of all information presented in the report
• Managing a team and their capacity building
• Manage and mentor 6 RAs, 6-8 Zonal Managers and 2 Communications Associates by providing regular feedback and inputs on their work; delegate tasks on a day-to-day basis
• Work with the HR and Capacity Building team to plan for upskilling of team and employee welfare

Miscellaneous

• Work regularly with the Communications Unit to develop a comprehensive communications strategy for ASER Centre with regular check-ins on progress
• Network with government and non-government stakeholders and represent ASER Centre on internal and external forums
• Createcontent such as proposals, articles, research papers and evidence briefs as required
• Participate in any other research, assessment, survey project of ASER Centre on need basis

Qualifications and skills Education
Minimum graduate in any field, post-graduate preferred; a background in the social sciences/research/ education will be an advantage

Work experience

• Minimum 3 years of relevant work experience
• Exposure to research methods and field work, and/or experience in the education sector will be an advantage

Communication

• Reading, speaking and writing proficiency in English and Hindi is essential
• Strong written and oral communication skills to correspond with a diverse audience – rural, urban, faculty, students, government officials, partner organisations, donors, etc.
• Experience with research writing and editing is strongly preferred
• Knowledge of social media will be an advantage

Technical

• Advanced proficiency in MS Office – Word, PowerPoint, Excel
• Knowledge of any data analysis softwares such as Stata, R, Python will be an advantage

Organisational

• Able to work under minimum supervision
• Able to manage multiple projects simultaneously with great attention to detail
• Able to manage large and diverse teams effectively
• Able to handle work pressure and deliver under tight schedules
• Take initiative and think innovatively
• Open to rural travel for long and short durations, often at short notice and sometimes alone
• Open to living in a rural setting with basic facilities and working with diverse stakeholders

Application process
To apply, please write the job title ‘Senior Research Associate – Survey Unit’ in the subject line and email the following documents to recruitmentsasercentre@gmail.com

• Latest CV
• Statement of Purpose (SOP) describing your motivation to apply and how you make a good fit for this role in up to 800 words. Please give specific examples that align with the job requirements.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for three subsequent rounds: telephonic/online interview, written assignments, and final interview.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted at each stage of the recruitment process.
Employment type: Full time
Reporting to: Survey Unit Head, Survey Unit, New Delhi
Location: New Delhi
Travel Frequent travel to rural locations across the country
Duration: Minimum 2 years’ commitment
Remuneration: CTC 8.4 lac per annum, negotiable as per experience

Deadline: 4 March 2024

3. RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, SURVEY UNIT, ASER CENTRE, NEW DELHI

Organisation overview
ASER Centre generates evidence for action. It focuses on outcomes and processes in education and other social sectors. It builds the capacity of individuals and institutions to measure at scale, understand, communicate and act upon the findings of assessments and research, with the objective of improving the quality of social sector programs. It aims to create a culture where rigorous measurement of outcomes is integral to action, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice, assumption and reality. The ASER Centre approach has its roots in Pratham’s work across urban and rural India to help children acquire basic skills in reading and arithmetic. ASER Centre was established as an autonomous unit within the Pratham network in 2008.

Position overview
One of ASER Centre’s main activities is the design and implementation of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) survey. Facilitated by Pratham since 2005, ASER is the largest household survey of children’s schooling and learning in India. Each year the survey is designed and implemented by the Survey Unit. The unit comprises

6 Research Associates (RA) based out of Delhi, 6 Zonal Managers (ZM) and 2-4 field associates in each state. Each RA, along with a ZM is allocated 3-5 states. While the RA is responsible for survey and material design and documentation related work for the assigned states, the ZM is responsible for operations and management. The RA must work closely with the ZM to ensure smooth executing of the ASER survey and any other projects in the assigned states. Apart from the ASER survey, the RA is also part of the design and implementation of other research projects/assessments/impact evaluations undertaken by ASER Centre.

The RA’s role is spread over two parts:

Part 1: ASER survey

Before thesurvey:
o Design survey questionnaires and other tools through secondary research and piloting.
o Design training material – both print and audio-visual.
o Translate survey,assessment and training materials in Hindi and regional languages (if applicable).
o Review training material created by states.

During thesurvey:
o Travel to conduct trainings and participate in survey field work in states as needed.
o Coordinate with ZM andtracksurvey roll-out for allocated states.
o Track implementation of quality control measures.

After the survey:
o Prepare, proofread and edit report content.
o Compile, analyse and interpret data for the report.

o Create state findings presentations.
o Collect information from states about processes implemented and analyze it for internal reflection.
o Ideate data dissemination strategies, prepare material, and participate in events.

Part 2: Other responsibilities

• Liaison with other units at ASER Centre to design and coordinate end-to-end research projects and assessments, including creating reports if needed.
• Support statesother than those allocated for any task on need basis.
• Produce written content like articles, blogs, research papers, etc. representing ASER Centre.
• Continuously upskill and build own as well as field associates’ capacity in research and data related topics.
• Contribute to creation of content for ASER Centre’s social media platforms.

Qualifications, skills and abilities

Education – Minimum graduate in any field. A background in social workor education will be an advantage.

Work experience

• Experience and performance in internships will be considered for fresh graduates.
• Previousfull-time job/work experience is preferred but not essential.
• Exposure to research and/or field work in a previousworkplace or internship will be an advantage.

Communication

• Reading, speaking and writing proficiency in English and Hindi is essential.
• Proficiency in any other Indian language will be an advantage.
• Strong written and oral communication skills to correspond with a diverse audience – rural, urban, faculty and students, government officials, partner organisations, donors, etc.

Technical

• Working proficiency in MS Office – Word, PowerPoint, Excel.
• Experience in data analysiswill be an advantage.

Organisational

• Able to handle work pressure and deliver under tight schedules.
• Takesinitiative and thinks innovatively.
• Has attention to detail and applies it to all assigned tasks.
• Respects diversity and is able to work in large and small groups.
• Interested in rural travel, often at short notice.
• Open to living in a rural setting with basic facilities and working with diverse stakeholders.

Application process
To apply, please write the job title ‘Research Associate – Survey Unit’ in the subject line and email the following documents to recruitmentsasercentre@gmail.com

Latest CV

Statement of Purpose (SOP) describing your motivation to apply for this role and what makes you a good fit for this role in up to 800 words. Please give specific examples that align with the job requirements.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for three subsequent rounds: telephonic/online interview, written assignments, and final interview.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted at each stage of the recruitment process.

Employment type: Full time
Reporting to: Senior Research Associate, Survey Unit, New Delhi
Location New Delhi
Travel: Occasional travel to rural locations across the country
Duration Minimum 2 years’ commitment
Remuneration: CTC 5.04 lac per annum
Deadline: 4 March 2024