Background

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 guarantees wage employment on public works to any adult who is willing to do casual 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 MGNREGP through NRLM.
 
As part of its support to MGNREGA, UNDP is looking for a dynamic individual to support the ministry in monitoring and evaluating the projects being implemented under MGNREGS. The monitoring/evaluation studies may be carried out independently or in association with other research organisations, but shall result in policy recommendations based on concrete empirical data.
 
The selected candidate will be placed within the Ministry of Rural Development, New Delhi.
 
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 leading the research component and will be expected to act as the Chief Research Officer of the programme. In this capacity, the incumbent will formulate and conduct research studies on various facets of the programme, using the rural youth like Bharat Nirmaan Volunteers and Village Social Auditors in collection of the data, and analyse the data and write research report clearly bringing out policy recommendations.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Officer will be responsible for the following functions: 
  • Devise research studies on her/his own with robust research methodology;
  • Develop a team, from among the rural youth and various village cadres and volunteer groups, for data collection and train them in empirical data collection;
  • Analyse the data using the IT systems resulting in empirical studies covering various facets of programme implementation;
  • Prepare research reports based on empirical data and thorough analysis clearly bringing out policy recommendations;
  • Review research proposals received from other organisations and give inputs to facilitate decisions for funding or validation by the government;
  • Prepare quarterly and annual reports to be submitted to GoI and UNDP.
  • 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

Corporate Competencies:  
  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism.  
Functional Competencies:

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:
  • Deep knowledge in conducting research studies;
  • Maturity of understanding to draw conclusions based on empirical studies and a stature to advise Central Government on policy matters;
  • High degree of understanding of the MGNREGA and its philosophy.
Building Strategic Partnerships:
  • Establish, build and sustain effective relationships, partnerships and alliances with youth at the field level, academicians and research institutions at the national level.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

  • Develops new, more effective strategies for wide sharing of findings and lessons.

Knowledge and Skills:

  • Strong foundation in research methodology, sampling techniques and data analysis systems;
  • Proficiency in SPSS or such other data analytical systems;
  • Multi-sectorial knowledge about various related sectors;
  • Proficiency in MS-Office, especially PowerPoint and Excel; understanding of Management Information System (MIS) would be an asset;
  • Passion for and adequate understanding of development challenges and rural poverty reduction;
  • Familiarity with government policies, programmes and government operational systems in India;
  • Strong communication (written and oral) skills;
  • Ability to work in small teams, and flexible ways of working.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

  • Master’s Degree in statistics, research, social science, social development or related fields from a reputed University.  A doctoral degree would be an asset.

Experience:

  • At least ten years (post-masters) work experience in conducting research in rural areas;
  • At least three years’ experience in in rural development and   poverty alleviation programmes.

Language:

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

Remuneration Package is  INR 127,175/- per month (Taxable).