Background

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 guarantees wage employment on public works to any adult who is willing to do unskilled  manual work. In case there is inability to provide 100 days of wage employment per household per year, the household will be provided with a daily unemployment allowance. The programme is expected to cover poor households on the principle of self-selection.

The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD)-UNDP partnership on ‘Governance and Accelerated Livelihoods Support’ helps strengthen the effectiveness of key Ministry programmes by providing (a) technical assistance to the Central and State governments to improve sustainable livelihoods with linkages to Panchayati Raj Institutions for governance in left wing extremism affected areas (b) policy advice and technical assistance to the Ministry and the state governments to help improve the efficiency, accountability and inclusiveness of National Rural Livelihoods Mission and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme and (c) policy advice and technical assistance to the Ministry and state governments to help “green” select schemes.

Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, UNDP provides technical support for efficient and accountable implementation through (a) introducing mechanisms for regular feedback to the Ministry with a focus on backward States (b) analysing operational procedures and recommending steps for rationalizing them; (c) establishing social audit directorates in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar; and (d) developing strategies for skill development of households employed under MGNREGS through NRLM.

As part of its support to MGNREGA, UNDP is looking for a dynamic individual to support the ministry in capacity building for the programme.  The selected candidate will be placed within the Ministry of Rural Development, New Delhi.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

The Project Officer will work under the guidance and supervision of the Joint Secretary, MGNREGA and Programme Analyst, UNDP. 

The Project Officer will be primarily responsible for assisting the Ministry in building capacities of the stakeholders and functionaries, apart from integrating various aspects of implementation of the MGNREG programme. 

Duties and Responsibilities:-

The Project Officer will be responsible for the following functions:-

  • Anchor the capacity building activities of MGNREGA.In that capacity, leading the capacity building exercise for all levels including the functionaries, technical persons and workers each year;

  • Lead in the Identification of the training needs of the stakeholders and help in designing suitable training material for them;

  • Identify issues in implementation on the ground through field visits and reports.This will require extensive travel (not less than 12 days in a month);

  • Develop solutions and action plans to address the identified issues based on feedback from the ground and thorough analysis;

  • Assess the impact of the capacity building on the ground through constant liaison with the states and other stakeholders at all levels;

  • Strengthen the capacity building initiative by incorporating the above into the process;

  • Perform any other related tasks consistent with the level of the post and/ or assigned by the Joint Secretary, MGNREGA and Programme Analyst, UNDP.  

Competencies

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

  • Deep understanding of rural poverty and its reasons;

  • Have and in-depth understanding of various implementation challenges and issues through a past association with the programme;

  • In-depth understanding MGNREG and other employment generation programmes and stature to advise State Governments on various aspects of programme implementation;

  • Ability to train key personnel in programme implementation;

  • Multi-sectorial knowledge of various facets of poverty.

Building Strategic Partnerships

  • Establish, build and sustain effective relationship, partnerships and alliances;

  • Result-orientation and ability to develop strategic approaches;

  • Identify problems and propose solutions;

  • Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

  • Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;

  • Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:-

  • Master’s Degree or equivalent in social science, social development, public policy or other relevant areas from a reputed university.

Experience:-

  • At least ten years (post-masters) work experience in development administration in rural areas;

  • At least three years’ experience in rural development and poverty alleviation programmes;

  • Past association with the MGNREG Programme for a considerable duration.

Knowledge and Skills:-

  • High degree of understanding of the MGNREG Act and its philosophy;

  • Deep knowledge of the MGNREG Programme and issues related to its implementation;

  • Passion for and adequate understanding of development challenges and rural poverty reduction;

  • Familiarity with government policies, programmes and government operational systems in India;

  • Proficiency in MS-Office, especially PowerPoint and Excel; understanding of Management Information System (MIS) is an asset;

  • Strong communication (written and oral) skills;

  • Ability to work in small teams, and flexible ways of working.

Language Requirements:-

Fluency in English and Hindi is essential. Knowledge of regional language(s) would be an asset.

Please apply online by visiting www.undp.org.in (Quick link, Careers).

Remuneration package is Rs. 146,893/- per month (taxable).  UNDP also offers additional benefits which include medical insurance coverage and limited pension reimbursement for contract holder and encourages work life balance.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.