Strategy Consultant

A project lead works very closely with the State Project Lead/Project Director to take on a major body of work for the state reform team. These components could be specific to a particular state or central in nature, helping the organisation achieve its reform goals.

Below are brief descriptions of possible bodies of work one would do as a project lead in the state reform team:

1. Manage multiple work streams: Here, the project lead is responsible for executing multiple work streams for the state.

For example:

- Working with SCERT to develop all academic materials through material creation workshops, reviewing quality, finalizing print-ready materials, managing the printing and delivery process so that the materials are timely printed and delivered to all schools in the state.

- Managing the system-led assessment workstream for the state. This would involve developing a framework for annual sample-based baselines, spot assessments, and school-based assessments. Based on the framework, developing relevant assessment items and tech tools to conduct the assessments at scale, sampling and selecting the schools/students.

- Then onboarding assessors from the state, training them with tools, and actually monitoring the execution of data collection in all districts. Finally, analyzing the data and creating reports to be used by districts to evaluate the progress they are making.

- Typically, a project lead will manage 4-5 such workstreams and will be supported by 4-6 project leads, and in some workstreams, a full-stack team from a partner organization.

- The project lead works closely with the state project lead, leaders from other coalition partners, and the State mission director to co-create end states and execution plans for each workstream. Based on the end states and execution plan, the project lead delivers the workstream for the state.

2. Manage a fellowship program for the state (applicable for UP and MP):

- These fellows are hired by the state and are paid a stipend by the state. It is visualized that these fellows will support the implementation of the mission at the district level. As a project lead in this body of work, one would be responsible for working closely with the State mission director to manage the fellowship.

- This would involve onboarding an academic partner like IIM Lucknow or TISS, setting up a seamless payroll process to manage fellow salary payouts, hiring and placing the fellows in all districts, planning and executing a professional development program for the fellows, and creating projects that fellows will execute and manage from the state capital to deliver all the projects at the district level.

- This is a major body of work and very high profile as this fellowship is a marquee initiative of the education department and chief ministers in the state. To manage this, the project lead will have a team of 4-6 project managers. This would require the project lead to work closely with all critical stakeholders in the state.

3. Manage District accelerator programs:

- As the organisation explores how to strengthen district implementation of the mission, we plan to operate a few districts as accelerators. This involves project managers working closely with DM/CDO and other district officials to improve governance and implementation of the mission. As a project lead, you would be responsible for driving implementation in 3-4 districts.

- This would involve developing district-specific plans to accelerate adoption and implementation of all plans created by the state mission director and improve the implementation fidelity of the same. As a project lead, you would work closely with the state project lead to set up a high-performing team of 2 project managers in each district, work closely with DM/CDO to:

- Deliver implementation improvement projects

- Improve the quality of data collected by the state to enhance governance and accountability at block and school levels

- Focus on capacity building of Block Education Officers and mentors to support teachers in achieving goals at the school level

- Engage parents and the community to participate in the mission and create demand for children attaining skills

4. Monitoring and performance management of state project management teams:

- The state reform team centrally manages the overall design of the playbook, deployment of talent in state sites, central monitoring of how the implementation of the playbook is stabilizing in the state, and manages the performance.

The project lead in this role will work very closely with the Director, CEO office, and all state project leads to:

- Continuously upgrade the design of the playbook as we move the state from input strengthening to output stabilization through outcome orientation.

- Conduct central monitoring exercises biannually to collect data from a sample of schools from each state and consolidate progress in the state.

- Support staffing of the state by managing hiring and placement in collaboration with the TMOD team and core leadership team.

- Manage the performance of each state team by running review cadences with the CEO office, sub-committee and board, critical donors, and circling back with critical projects that can be pivots or strategic plug-ins.

- Knowledge manage insights coming from all three states and convert them into critical pieces of outputs like research papers, blogs, and media bites to help showcase the reform in UP, MP, and Haryana.

- Undertake short projects to improve political salience for our work in the three states, engage MOE to support the reform in our state, and evaluate opportunities for other interest areas like edtech at home, Key stage assessments, Governance, and ECE in the three states.

What would make you a good fit for the role:

- Bachelor's degree required from a reputed university; Master's degree preferred.

- Prior experience working with government stakeholders is required.

- 6 to 9 years of post-qualification work experience, preferably with a government entity, with a superb project delivery and management track record.

- Ability to analyze complex problems, craft possible solutions and recommendations.

- Action-biased and strong planning skills, ability to set priorities, plan, and meet timelines.

- Excellent communication skills: oral and written, in both English and Hindi.

- Ability to build and maintain positive and collaborative relationships with government stakeholders.

- Ability to lead a team of young professionals and drive them to achieve outcomes.

- Prior exposure to the education sector, public/development sector, or consulting will be preferred.

- However, people with corporate experience but an interest in the education sector are also encouraged to apply.

- Mission-driven, optimistic, and enthusiastic, believing in achieving transformational change.

- Willingness to be based at the state site closer to the stakeholders and team. Openness to regular travel to Delhi and different districts in UP, MP, and Haryana.