Programme Associate job at PRS Legislative Research, New Delhi

About Organization:

Parliament and state legislatures form the core of India’s democracy.  On behalf of citizens, they make laws, hold the governments accountable for their actions, and allocate public funds to various national priorities.  Therefore, it is imperative that legislators take informed decisions, that citizens know how they are being represented, and that there are channels of participation between citizens and legislators.

An example will illustrate the impact that better functioning legislatures can have on the lives of citizens.  Take school education.  The governments together spend over $30 billion a year on school education but learning outcomes are poor.  Many charities run their own schools (which cater to a few thousand children).  Given that there are about 200 million children in the school-going age group, a more effective use of funds would be to improve the government school system.  This would require legislatures to make more effective laws, hold the executive accountable towards meeting outcomes, and scrutinise the use of public funds.  Similar issues occur across various sectors such as health, water, infrastructure, and to pure public goods such as defence and police.

Core responsibilities: As part of the outreach team at PRS, the programme associate will play a key role in strengthening PRS’ outreach activities, especially to state legislators and legislatures. He/She will be responsible for collating and maintaining information pertaining to the working of State Assemblies, including session information, Legislative performance, Member participation, etc. In addition,  he/she will co-ordinate policy workshops and events held from time to time in partnership with institutional partners.

Abilities required:  (a) Strong execution skills; (b) Good writing and communication skills; (c) Good quantitative skills with an ability to analyse and represent data accurately; (d) Ability to work independently; (e) Ability to multi-task and deliver quality work in a timely way.

Qualifications sought:  Bachelor’s degree.

Location: New Delhi

Emoluments offered:  Flexible depending on qualifications and ability.

Application details: As part of your application please email the two documents listed below to talent@prsindia.org with the subject line: “Programme Associate”.

(i) Cover Letter that addresses a) Why you think PRS is a place you should build a career at, and b) How your qualifications and skills will contribute to the work of PRS

(ii) an updated CV