Over the past 25 years, Praja Foundation has worked to enable accountable urban governance in India. We partnered with the Mumbai Corporation to develop its first Citizen Charter and revamp the citizen grievance mechanism, including Complaint 1916. Praja’s pioneering study on urban governance reforms led to the creation of the Urban Governance Index (UGI), a tool used by MoHUA, NITI Aayog, and NIUA to inform policy. In 2024, UGI 2.0 mapped governance across 31 cities, strengthening transparency and service delivery. Praja also collaborates with state and city governments to drive reforms and build capacity that improve council deliberations, leadership skills of elected representatives, financial management, and citizen participation in local decision-making.
The Role
Praja’s continuous engagement with local elected representatives (ERs) and administration through capacity building, research and advocacy has had a positive impact on city governance. This role primarily focuses on research and outreach for urban reforms in Guwahati & Dibrugarh, Assam and possible future cities/states within the North east region.
The individual will be responsible for outreach and capacity building of stakeholders such as ERs, administration, and civil society, on issues related to urban governance and engaging with various colleges, academia, and CSOs for capacity building on urban governance. He/she will also be responsible for (a) research and analysis to help build the case for introducing a coherent package of reforms to transform the way urban governments function to make them more accountable, transparent, and responsive to the needs of the citizens, (b) assist in building a network of organisations and individuals that have a deep knowledge of urban governance issues and are willing to partner with Praja to take this initiative forward. This role also involves fieldwork and travel to different cities on short notice.
Main Responsibilities
Work closely with the Department of Housing & Urban Affairs (DoHUA), Assam Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation Ltd (AUIDFCL), Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) & Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC).
Manage the Guwahati & Dibrugarh teams of Praja Foundation.
Conduct & supervise in-depth research and data collection on urban governance, municipal finance, public service delivery and other urban governance components.
Oversee Governance Fellowship program of Praja Foundation in Guwahati & Dibrugarh.
Develop & maintain strong relationships with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure that advocacy messages are disseminated in an effective manner, in Assam.
Organise workshops, trainings, and other capacity building programs for all stakeholders (Elected representatives and city officials).
Identify, create, and manage a pool of resource persons for workshops and training programs.
Initiate and maintain collaboration and follow-up of initiatives with key program stakeholders and partners.
Establish a network of project partners at city, state, and national levels to create a professional platform for further networking and partnership between CSOs, youths, and government at all levels to initiate dialogue on governance matters.
Assist in preparing promotional material on the project, including pamphlets, and videos.
Work extensively and engage with elected representatives & officials from city & state govt., colleges, academia, and CSOs.
Handle communications and related outreach activities with all stakeholders.
Compile comprehensive reports detailing event outcomes and activities.
Willing to travel extensively within the city and outstation as required (70% time will be spent on the field; 30% within the office).
Qualification, Experience and Competencies
Postgraduate in Public Administration/ Social Sciences/ Development Studies any other relevant course.
Proven working experience (6-7 years) in the social sector or from other sectors (open to people from corporate/education sectors)
Ability to build and sustain strong networks with diverse stakeholders including government officials, elected representatives, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and media.
Strong research & analysis skills.
Strong skills in data collection, interpretation, and analytical thinking to derive insights from governance and service delivery datasets.
Strong ability to read and comprehend complex literature such as Municipal Acts, Municipal Budgets, state & union government policies.
Skilled in producing comprehensive reports and developing research-based training content for capacity-building initiatives.
Ability to clearly articulate his/her views in both written form and through presentations.
Comfortable and adept at building strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including elected representatives, bureaucrats, civil society organisations, think tanks, and NGOs.
Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English, Hindi and Assamese.
Should be ready to travel at short notice.
Self-motivated with a strong sense of commitment and ability to work under minimal supervision.
Good knowledge of Microsoft Word/Excel/ PowerPoint and Internet/social media.
Strong People Management, Training, Analytics & Process Orientation skill
Please send your resume to hr@praja.org with a cover letter why you wish to join Praja Foundation and how the work profile will help you to achieve you goal.
While applying for the position, kindly keep the email subject as “Applying for Manager-Strategic Partnership”