The CPL Fellowship 2023

Final deadline for application 30th Nov 

Citizens for Public Leadership CPL is an independent and nonpartisan movement focused on advocating for progressive public policy in India. We aim to develop the next generation of public leaders who possess the right skills and the mindset required to shape the future of our country. Through our programs we mobilize, engage and educate young citizens to unlock the true potential of a participatory democracy. CPL is an apolitical non-profit with the sole objective of strengthening the capacity of our youth to take up leadership challenges in the public sphere.

CPL came into existence when a group of public policy students from leading universities decided to actively contribute towards nation building while pursuing their studies in the United States.

While social media has democratized communication, the format often provides only rudimentary information about important issues. The consumers of such information are easily susceptible to reaching convenient and unverified conclusions. This information asymmetry creates biased perspectives and prevents in-depth understanding of complex policy issues. Hence, there is a need for nuanced evidence based discussions on critical issues to arrive at constructive solutions.

Moreover, there are very few platforms available to engage in thorough discussions with public policy leaders and influencers. The existing policy boot camps and fellowships are creating awareness but informed and active engagement is still a relatively unexplored territory. There is a necessity to offer our future leaders a global perspective by giving them access to high quality thought leaders who will expose them to real world challenges, scope and innovations by engaging them in a learning community.

Over the years, India has become extremely dependent on the bureaucracy to solve the country’s problems. However, that is now gradually changing as state governments as well the Niti Aayog have opened up avenues for young professionals. They are now engaging them in front-end policy making roles and also in policy implementation work. Therefore, there is a need to prepare the next generation of leaders who possess competencies that transcend the public sector-private sector divide and also have a detailed understanding of the challenges that exist in the public sphere.

Fellowship Design

From our academic learnings, research and professional experience we have come across frameworks and skill sets that should be a part of the armory of our future public leaders. These include multi-party negotiation skills, design thinking, advocacy/campaign skills, evidence based decision-making frameworks, adaptive leadership, effective social media communication, public speaking and persuasive writing skills. The CPL Fellowship will have a two-pronged approach and will focus on imparting these skills as well as a conceptual understanding of various policy issues. This will be done through interactive lectures with policy practitioners, eminent professors, scholars, as well as leaders in the field of politics, media, law and social sector.

The curriculum will focus on nine thematic areas:

The CPL Fellowship is a one year long, part-time fellowship program with a cohort of the best and brightest minds who wish to explore or build on their skills in the field of public policy. The fellows will attend a series of lectures and group-discussions. Before every lecture, fellows will be assigned a significant component of pre-work that will include readings from books, academic journals and content from documentaries and films.

The discussions will take place online via a web conferencing platform. Over the course of 12 months, fellows will build a strong foundational knowledge on the key areas of policy with the help of course material, acquire skills through trained professionals, and interact with thought leaders through the sessions. The 12 months are divided into trimesters to enable a structured and coherent form of learning. The fellows will have the flexibility to be engaged in any full-time/part-time activities (ongoing education/full time employment) alongside the fellowship. The lectures will be conducted in the evening or over the weekend to ensure fellows can balance their work alongside the fellowship.

The year-long fellowship culminates with Capstone Projects representing a significant and comprehensive body of work by the fellows’ depicting their academic passion and professional interests explored during the fellowship. Capstone projects may take various formats, e.g. case studies, research papers/reports, policy briefs, podcasts, documentaries, etc. CPL provides end-to-end mentoring and guidance to the fellows to create substantial work useful for their career growth.

CPL will charge fellows a nominal fee of Rs. 25,000 for the year long program. We aim to build a community of leaders who can help find progressive solutions to India’s major political, economic and social challenges.

Selection Criteria

CPL is looking for candidates who have demonstrated the ability to make an impact in public policy in India. Individuals who we believe can use the learnings from the fellowship in synergy with their existing qualifications and experience to set the narrative for public policy in India. For this purpose, we are looking for candidates with strong leadership skills and commitment to public service. Fellows will be expected to show utmost dedication to the programme and complete all coursework and projects for the fellowship period of one year.

The application form aims to assess the candidate on the following parameters:

• Adaptability- Ability to work with diverse teams with different political ideologies
• Stakeholder Management- Ability to work with the Bureaucracy and Politicians
• Ability to take initiative/ Leadership qualities
• Passion/Commitment towards public leadership and public policy
• Ideation/Problem Solving- Ability to crunch numbers and suggest an evidence based alternatives
• Educational Qualification/Achievement: Academic excellence and achievements in extra/co-curricular activies
• Relevant work experience and exposure
• Writing & Debating Skills

Selection Criteria

We say with pride that we are looking for the best minds in the country to be part of the fourth edition of the CPL Fellowship. For us, quality has always taken a precedence over quantity and hence, we have a two-step selection process: First, aspiring candidates are expected to fill an application form which includes personal details, educational qualifications, work experience (if any), a statement of purpose, letter of recommendation, a detailed CV and two mandatory essays. Candidates will be short-listed for an interview based on the application form submitted. The short-listed candidates will have a round of personal interviews with the team.

Important Dates

• 2nd October: Applications are open
• 25th October: Priority Deadline
• 26th October: Interview process begins for priority deadline applicants
• 30th Nov: Final deadline for application
• 1st to 10th Dec: Interview process begins for all applicants
• 15th December: List of shortlisted fellows is released
• Jan 2023: Fellowship begins for all selected fellows

Eligibility

• Must be a minimum of 20 years old or a maximum of 35 years of age, as of 2nd October 2022.
• Must hold at least a Bachelor’s degree (3 year minimum), as of 2nd October 2022 (We will consider final year Undergraduate students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance and extracurricular participation).
• Must be an Indian citizen
• May work full-time or part-time, but must commit to completing the 12 month program, starting from January 2023 till end December 2023
• Be open to working in or studying sectors outside their comfort zone
• Understand that this program does not guarantee a job placement directly upon completion of the fellowship

We understand that each individual is unique and their paths are different. Since we are looking for diversity, creativity, passion and strong commitment towards the public sector from potential fellows, the minimum eligibility criteria given above is only a basic guideline. There is no perfect candidate. Each candidate will be selected after thorough reviewing of applications. We are open to applicants who do not fit the mould, and consider applications on a case-by-case basis. If you truly feel you deserve to be part of this cohort, fill up the Application Form and make sure you fill all the required fields.

Disclaimer

Due to high volume of applications only the shortlisted candidates will be notified of their results. If you do not hear from us by 1st December, 2022 then please note that your application has not been selected. Please continue applying for the next batch of CPL Fellowship when applications open for the year 2023-24. Do stay connected with us through our social media platforms for updates, podcasts, session videos and our blogs.

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Apply now: https://cplindia.org/