Researching Reality

CCS Research Fellowship Program 

Introduction
The Research Fellowship Program aims to

• Help CCS become a national resource centre in the areas of license & livelihood and governance

• Provide an opportunity to motivated citizens to promote livelihood freedom and good governance through grassroots level research

• Utilize and hone valuable RAW (Research, Analysis and Writing) skills

Research Areas

• License & Livelihood: Good intentioned licenses, laws, rules and regulations actually prevent people, particularly people with low capital and skills, from earning an honest living. This projects documents the rules and regulations to be cleared to start an entry-level profession such as street hawkers, cycle rickshaw pullers.  

The study includes:
1) What is supposed to be: The legal process of starting and operating
2) What is the reality: The status of compliance, ignorance and violations of regulations and their negative effects on entry level livelihoods. 

Any of the following professions could be studied in your city/ town:

• Cycle rickshaw

• Auto-rickshaw

• Barber shop

• Dhabas

• Repair Shop/ Mechanics Shop

• Primary school

• Street hawking

• Railway station porter

• Meat shop

• Sweet shop

• Ay other livelihood of your choice, after consultation with CCS 

If there is no legal permission required to pursue the livelihood then you may study the present status of the employed in the profession.. 

• Governance: Study the performance of government departments and documenting innovations in governance.

The study includes:       

•         Departments of the local/ municipal/ state or national government that are the most urgent concern of citizens (municipal services, education, healthcare and such)

•         Case studies of innovative schemes or programs which involve public-private partnership or greater participation of the community to improve the quality of public services with more accountability, transperancy, efficiency, responsiveness, customer satisfaction.

The Process

The Fellowship is open to everybody but requires approval of CCS before starting the project in order to avoid

duplication

• The fellowship amount will be provided after the submission of the project report.

• CCS reserves the right to with-hold payment in case the paper does not measure to minimum standards.

Minimum Standards of the Final Report:

• Provides answers to all questions as mentioned in the Plan of Action. 

• Provides supporting documents (example, licenses, application forms, government reports, surveys)

• Includes a Review by a professional/ professor in the geographical area of the project.

• Language has to be English or Hindi

• The report must be submitted within the time period agreed upon at the approval

Fellowship Benefits

• Fellows will be given a Fellowship of Rs 5,000 and a Certificate after the report and the supporting documents are found to be satisfactory by the standards of CCS

• Fellows are encouraged to publish their findings in a local daily or magazine.

• Select Fellows will be invited to present their Reports at CCS seminars across the country

Resources

• CCS research papers on livelihood and governance

• Sample Plan of Action for livelihood research

• Guidance on Department/ scheme research

• Researching Reality: a guidance paper on field research

• Orientation material and specific research material on selected projects will be provided to the approved fellows.

Get Started:

Please send the application form to Parth Shah, President of the Centre at the address given below.  If you have any more queries, please contact us at fellowship@ccsindia.org

Centre for Civil Society
K-36 Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi 110016, India
Phone: 011-2653 7456/ 26521882 Fax: 011-2651 2347
Email: fellowship@ccsindia.org Website: www.ccsindia.org

Let’s fight together for livelihood freedom and good governance!