Job Description

About CEGIS

The Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS Foundation pronounced See-Jis) ) was co-founded by private equity investor turned philanthropist Ashish Dhawan and economist Karthik Muralidharan in 2019 to improve millions of lives by helping Indian state governments work better. CEGIS aims to enable a transformative improvement in the functioning of the Indian state in the coming decade. Informed by cutting-edge research and evidence as well as a practical orientation toward implementable ideas, CEGIS aims to provide Indian states with both an analytical roadmap for governance and expenditure reforms as well as strategic implementation support to deliver on this vision.

The organization has a sharp focus on improving the quality of public expenditure, and through it, develops templates for achieving a step-function improvement in development outcomes across India. We strive to produce high-quality economic analysis to inform state-level policy-making and work closely with the Chief Secretary, and Principal Secretaries of Finance/Planning, with guidance from and close coordination with the Chief Minister and Finance Minister. Based on consultations with top officials in several states, we believe that there is a very high demand for such support especially when backed by world-leading technical expertise and a deep understanding of service delivery in India.

CEGIS believes that states are the most important unit for addressing these issues. Therefore, we work with state governments to generate actionable insights, formulate effective solutions and facilitate measurable impact in terms of developmental outcomes. Currently, CEGIS is working with the governments of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bodoland Territorial Council, NCT of Delhi and a few Government of India entities. At the state level, CEGIS identifies sectoral priorities jointly with the state government, and then aims to integrate its four verticals (Outcome Measurement, Personnel Management, Public Finance, State(s) and Market into specific projects to improve governance, service delivery, and development outcomes.

CEGIS Approach and Model of Functioning

Four key characteristics of high-performing organizations are (a) measuring outcomes for goal setting and monitoring progress towards these goals, (b) strategic use of personnel policy including competency based hiring and training, skilling, and performance appraisals to determine job assignments, pay, and promotions to achieve the goals above, (c) strategic budgeting where resource allocation is based on evidence and cost-effectiveness; (d) and creating efficient systems to leverage external actors (including for-profit and nonprofit organizations). The Indian state performs weakly on all four fronts above. CEGIS helps to improve the functioning of the Indian state by focusing on the four principles above.

CEGIS works with state governments through a dedicated state office that is co-created with the state and integrated with their Finance and Planning Departments. The staffing model includes CEGIS personnel as well as staff seconded by the state and fellows, if any. Thus, instead of being another Delhi-based policy think tank, we are building the organization in a state-led way, where we focus on deep partnerships with states with an iterative cycle of thinking and doing. We support states in implementing evidence-based ideas for improving state effectiveness while also continuously learning from state-level experiences of implementing these ideas. Each state-level CEGIS engagement features some core themes that are common to all state-level engagements, and others that vary by state. State-level delivery teams are supported by central technical teams that curate ideas based on both evidence and experience, support state-level experimentation, and accelerate adoption of successful practices across states.

Overview:

Within CEGIS, the Outcome Measurement (OM) teams role is to support the institutionalisation of data-driven decision-making by setting up the required infrastructure and technical capacity with the Planning department and relevant line departments in the state. The Program Managers (OM) will play a crucial role in executing this vision in the state, working closely with both the OM technical team and the State team.

The Program Manager will oversee complex digital data collection operations, work with senior academics and government stakeholders to tailor research design and protocols to the local context, and ensure adherence to data quality protocols. Additionally, they will support the development of high-quality outputs summarising project progress, data analyses, and research findings for dissemination at various forums.

Role and Responsibilities:

Data Collection and Quality Control:

• Provides appropriate templates for gathering and quality controlling administrative data from relevant government line departments and front-line functionaries.
• Designs and administers questionnaires for data collection using tools like interviews and focus group discussions.
• Manages all primary, secondary, and administrative data by following data management and security protocols.
• Ensures adherence to data quality protocols, including auditing enumerators, monitoring data collection, and conducting data quality audits.
• Creates protocols on data sharing for validation of data sources and conducts verification checks to guarantee data reliability.
• Maintains records of data quality control processes and identifies areas for enhancing quality control processes.
• Replicates analyses and processes to verify the rigor and quality of project outputs.

Data Analysis and Reporting:

• Evaluates data quality, analyzes trends, and interprets findings using statistical software and analytical tools.
• Creates visual representations of data to enhance understanding and prepares data diagnostic reports.
• Reviews administrative data and conducts analysis as required.
• Develops high-quality outputs such as reports, analysis, etc., for dissemination at various forums.

Communication and Project Management:

• Communicates project updates, findings, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Supports managers in developing effective engagement strategies with external stakeholders.
• Sets, assesses, and reports specific goals for self and remains receptive to feedback.
• Owns learning and focuses on self-development by seeking opportunities for growth.
• Demonstrates willingness to take up additional responsibilities and collaborate with team members based on project priorities.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Management:

• Collaborates with project delivery teams and stakeholders to ensure alignment of data diagnostics and analysis plans with project objectives.
• Supports the creation of technical notes, measurements, and analysis protocols for projects.
• Designs and supports smaller-scale survey operations in-house and supervises intricate digital data collection operations executed by external agencies.
• Assists in defining metrics and drafting project diagnostics reports after conducting feasibility studies.
• Engages in discussions with stakeholders to explore and understand use cases of ongoing interventions.

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities:

• Masters degree or equivalent in economics, statistics, public policy, engineering, social science, or related fields from a reputed institution.
• 5 to 8 years of relevant work experience, including extensive field research, managing evaluations, basic quantitative analysis, and managerial experience
• Experience in quantitative data management and analysis using STATA, R (strongly preferred), or Python programming
• Understanding of experimental and non-experimental research methods, including the design and implementation of field sample surveys
• Excellent problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, strong research aptitude, ability to analyze complex quantitative and qualitative data, and formulate solutions
• Excellent writing and communication skills to communicate complex ideas effectively within and outside the organization
• Demonstrated relationship-building ability and management of high-level relationships with partner organizations, ideally based on experience of working with Indian state governments
• Strong planning and organizational skills, ability to set priorities, plan timelines, and meet deadlines
• Passion for improving the effectiveness of Indian States, and alignment with CEGISs theory of change/impact
• Operating style suited to working independently and in a small-organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued
• Ability to work under pressure, handle competing priorities, maintain attention to detail, and deliver high-quality outputs
• Ability to think creatively, willingness to take risks to experiment with new ideas, and ability to turn ideas into action
• High ability to collaborate and actively listen to others, understanding and valuing others views
• Versatility to be comfortable taking on different projects and quickly diving into new sectors

Compensation:

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidates experience levels.

Pre-reads for the application process

Please go through the following materials before sending in your application:

Concept note on CEGIS

Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan one each oneducation andhealthcare in India.

You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans workhere