Researching Reality Training Program
Posted on 23/03/2023
Background:
Researching Reality (RR) is an esteemed research training program offered by the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) in New Delhi. As a leading public policy think tank ranked 5th in India and 83rd globally by the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tank and Civil Societies Program, CCS brings together scholars to delve into the complexities of economics, law, and primary research. This five-month program features a unique blend of part-time remote engagement, intensive in-person field research and writing, and the opportunity to contribute to a published compendium. The objective of the training program is to engage students and young professionals in an understanding of the fundamentals of public policy and politics via training in the skills of research, analysis, writing, and above all critical thinking. Scholars are familiarised with issues and gaps in policy design and implementation through close interactions with bureaucrats and other important stakeholders.
ROLE PROFILE
Research Consultant at CCS have sharp analytical and critical thinking abilities, and curiosity about the interplay between government, citizens, markets and civil society. An ideal team member is energetic, proactive, able to work independently and collaboratively as needed, and possesses both integrity and the humility to seek advice when needed. The Consultant should be passionate about working on the three areas of interest to the CCS: structural reforms in education, barriers to earning livelihoods, and quality of governance.
As a Research Consultant , you will collaborate on and lead projects in our areas of interest and will partner with the advocacy team to effectively disseminate outputs from our research to elected representatives, policy makers, media and other important stakeholders.
Responsibilities
- Remain current on developments in the areas of work of the project
- Monitor, analyze, and report on emerging policy and research issues by regularly reviewing relevant sources
- Maintain knowledge of government policy decisions
- On projects where end-to-end ownership is assigned/opted:
- Assume responsibilities for project planning, data collection, analysis and documentation
- Deliver projects within agreed timelines, keeping in mind the quality and impact indicators set for the team
- Help select external parties for projects and coordinate with them for implementation of timelines and ensuring proper direction of the workProduce high-quality succinct error-free research outputs of different lengths and for different audiences: academic papers, short policy briefs, blogs etc
- Undertake primary and secondary research projects independently or collaboratively with other members of the research team
- Collate and analyse data collected through primary research, case studies, literature reviews, pilot projects, and publicly available datasets
- Ensure that data collected through research tools are complete, accurate and comprehensive
- Create data visualizations
- Conduct quick research across the lines of market scan for need-based work (e.g. MHRD, State education departments etc.)
- Disseminate research findings to stakeholders in the policy making ecosystem, including the media
- Support dialogues, workshops, and conferences on the research outputs.
- Write opinion pieces and commentaries on research undertaken and contemporary issues for Newspapers, Journals and other relevant publications.
Number of Positions
5
Location
This role will be based out of CCS’ office in Delhi. Frequent travel around India with potential for international travel to partners and conferences will be expected.
Application Process
Interested candidates may send their curriculum vitae along with a letter of interest to careers@ccs.in
Please address your application to the Centre for Civil Society. No applications will be accepted after 10 April 2023. A telephonic/in-person interview may be conducted following the shortlisting of your application.
Please note only selected candidates will be contacted.
Consultancy Fee
(As per industry standards)
Please make sure to mention your expected Consultancy Fee for the 6 months (May 2023-October 2023) period. No application will be accepted without the expected amount being clearly stated
- Bachelor’s degree from a reputed university
- At least 2 years experience in a research role at a think tank, research institution, government or consulting firms
- Proficiency in at least one of the following research skills: Running primary surveys (questionnaire design and digital data collection), response coding, and analysis of quantitative responses
- Working with large datasets (eg. NSSO, CMIE’s household or firm data, Government of India’s U-DISE raw data)
- Working with government administrative data (IT system logs, inspection reports, grievance logs, etc)
- Conducting case studies, by studying a subsection of an issue in depth and conducting qualitative stakeholder interviews.
- Demonstrated proficiency in high-quality succinct error-free writing in English
- Published/unpublished academic research at a bachelor’s level at least (academic papers, reports, blogs in own name etc)
- Previous experience in the areas of CCS’ work would be an advantage.