Project Associate Strategic Support States

About Central Square Foundation

Established in 2012, Central Square Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to enhancing the learning outcomes of all school-going children across India through system-led reforms. As a catalytic enabler, our initiatives span innovation and policy to practice and focus on learning impact at scale across 14 states. At the heart of our mission is our strategic focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), which drives our collaborative efforts with 11 state governments to design and execute statewide FLN missions. Additionally, we prioritise EdTech integration, aiming to deploy digital solutions for in-class and at-home learning and establish evidence-based practices while also tapping into the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to augment learning outcomes. We are deeply committed to Early Childhood Education (ECE) reforms, recognizing the critical role it plays in laying a strong groundwork for children's learning journey, thereby augmenting FLN outcomes. We also work in the area of School Governance, extending our system-level approach to children in both private and government schools, to strengthen the countrys education landscape.

Learn more about CSF on the website (http://www.centralsquarefoundation.org)

About the team:

Strategic Support States: Strategic Support States (SSS) team at Central Square

Foundation assists the States in designing and implementing the respective state missions

to ensure FLN learning outcomes for children. Spread across five states, the Project

Management Units (PMUs) of the team work closely with the state bodies in co-ideating

goals for states FLN mission, identifying critical workstreams, setting indicators of success

across the workstreams, and reviewing mission progress. Apart from these core activities,

the SSS team also conducts action research projects and pilots, as well as context-specific

programs to accelerate student learning.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Data and Monitoring

• Streamline the monitoring system for the FLN programme in the district to enable the district administration to track programme implementation and quality
• Set up an internal monitoring system, including data comparisons, to inform key
• Conceptualise and design monitoring and analysis frameworks for both district and internal usetools, processes, and analysis structuresthat facilitate programmatic iterations, course corrections, and quick decision-making
• Design and operationalise dashboards that can facilitate data use and decision-making
• Support data and evidence-based review mechanisms at the district and block levels

Governance

• Support the design, implementation, and monitoring of initiatives planned under the FLN district action plan
• Support capacity building of district-level education leadership and functionaries including workshops, information dissemination through learning resources
• Engage, coordinate, and collaborate with government stakeholders and establish strong working relationships
• Develop knowledge products, create documentation and outputs on intervention implemented at the district level including monthly and quarterly progress reports
• Develop an integrated communication strategy for the program and coordinate with all stakeholders toward its implementation

Who we are looking for:

Required:

• Bachelors degree with 0-2 years of experience
• Demonstrated skills in data and measurement (quantitative and qualitative), including design of tools and strategies for data collection, data visualisation, drawing analysis and insights, and reporting and presentation
• Ability to understand complex research/data to draw actionable inferences
• Strong action-bias, influencing & communication skills - ability to synthesize technical insights into actionable program agendas, facilitate conflicting points of view, drive collective decision-making
• Ability to work independently and proactively, without support staff and with little supervision
• Proficiency in MS Office, documentation, visualisation tools such as PowerBi and LookerStudio, and data analysis
• Excellent writing and presentation skills

Desired:

• Experience in project implementation of state/district-level governance and institutional structures is preferred
• Experience in the education sector is valuable
• Experience in analysing data using statistical tools and packages (Stata, R)
• Ability to adapt to changing and fast-paced work environment
• Good command of spoken Odia and some proficiency in written Odia
• Passion to make a scaled impact in education and belief in the possibility of foundational learning for all children

Compensation

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and will depend upon

the candidates experience levels.