Policy Manager (Environment, Energy, and Climate Change) , J-PAL South Asia
- India
Organization: J-PAL South Asia (J-PAL SA) at the Institute of Financial Management and Research (IFMR)
Location: New Delhi, India
Start Date: ASAP
Minimum Education and Experience: Relevant Master’s + 4 years full-time experience
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty and fight climate change by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 1,000 top researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts innovative research and builds powerful partnerships to solve the world's greatest challenges. They build partnerships with governments, NGOs, donors, and others to share this knowledge, scale up effective programs, and advance evidence-informed decision-making. J-PAL South Asia (SA) is based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in India.
The Policy vertical at J-PAL South Asia (J-PAL SA) disseminates findings of J-PAL's research: develops relationships with government, civil society, and academic stakeholders; catalyses scale-ups and replications of effective projects; and assists in conceptualising new research projects. In line with its mission to create a long-lasting culture of evidence-informed decision-making, over the past decade, J-PAL SA has continuously developed and refined a model of engaging with state governments in India which ensures that they continue to build on evidence generation through rigorous research, and most importantly, enable the translation of research into action.
J-PAL’s Environment, Energy, and Climate Change (E2C2) sector measures the real-world impacts of energy and environmental policies, particularly on climate change mitigation, pollution reduction, climate change adaptation, and energy access.
Solutions and Advancements through Research for Water and Air (SARWA) is an innovative program launched by J-PAL South Asia, and funded by Community Jameel, to tackle pressing water and air challenges through evidence-based policy solutions. Central to SARWA are two labs that leverage long-term government partnerships: one with the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, and another with the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB). Through SARWA, J-PAL South Asia works with its government partners to co-design and co-diagnose critical challenges in India’s water, sanitation, and air pollution landscapes, ultimately advancing robust policies that protect public health and the environment.
J-PAL SA seeks a Policy Manager to contribute to its mission of promoting evidence-informed policy in J-PAL’s E2C2 sector and the SARWA Initiative.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Support SARWA’s two major government partnerships (DDWS, Ministry of Jal Shakti, GoI and the Government of Gujarat) and assist the SARWA team in building and strengthening other relevant government partnerships under the lab. This will entail working closely with the government stakeholders to identify research opportunities at the national and state levels, synthesise administrative and secondary data and work on policy outreach at the state level with the overarching mandate of initiating new randomised evaluations, synthesising and disseminating evidence around air and water. Maintain and grow effective relationships with government officials at the national and state levels in order to proactively understand policy priorities and develop long-term strategies for SARWA that align with its government partners. Synthesise findings from J-PAL studies and develop knowledge products like case studies, policy briefs, and evidence notes for dissemination of policy insights from J-PAL research across relevant government departments. Provide regular project updates to government officials on ongoing research studies funded by SARWA. Coordinate between government officials and J-PAL affiliated researchers to organise events and webinars to explore new research opportunities and disseminate findings from relevant J-PAL studies. Support J-PAL affiliated researchers in establishing research projects for randomized evaluations and scoping studies in collaboration with SARWA’s government partners. Support in ideating and developing SARWA’s fundraising strategy and forging new partnerships with philanthropic organisations and other donors. Conduct desk research, including literature review, data analysis and drafting reports based on SARWA’s engagement with government partners. Support J-PAL’s Policy Team in its mission of scaling up evidence-based interventions in the E2C2 sector. This will entail working with J-PAL affiliated researchers, governments, civil society partners, and other ecosystem partners to promote the adaptation and scaling of evidence-based interventions in the E2C2 sector. Identify new low-touch scaling opportunities in the E2C2 sector by coordinating among researchers, policymakers, and other organisations to assess existing and upcoming evidence-based interventions. Assess policy relevance of the issue through a deep understanding of the policy priorities of governments, the availability of rigorous evidence through a detailed analysis of the research study, and the scalability of the interventions through conversations with ecosystem partners. Secure buy-in from governments and/or multi-stakeholder partnerships to adopt key learnings from J-PAL studies to achieve impact at scale. Develop knowledge products such as toolkits, implementation guidelines and other outputs to facilitate evidence-use by governments.| Support J-PAL’s Policy Team in its mission of promoting evidence-informed policy in the E2C2 sector. This will entail understanding, summarising and supporting the dissemination of J-PAL evidence in the E2C2 sector; and working with government, civil society partners, and donors to promote the production and use of rigorous evidence in the E2C2 sector. Lead networking and follow-up with relevant government partners, civil society partners, donors and media to understand their policy priorities and promote the use and production of rigorous evidence. Catalyse new randomised evaluation research by matching innovative projects in the region with J-PAL affiliated researchers in the sector. Support efforts to build and maintain relationships with key partners in governments, NGOs, foundations, and multilateral aid agencies in the region. Draft internal reference materials and external policy outreach materials summarising evidence from J-PAL evaluations related to the E2C2 sector (e.g., summaries, briefs, policy memos, concept notes, letters, presentations) in clear, accurate, and non-technical language; Lead evidence dissemination activities by curating custom decks and evidence notes and representing J-PAL to share evidence in the E2C2 sector in meetings with relevant stakeholders. Lead in designing and operationalising the overall strategy for the E2C2 sector
People Management. Supervise team members in the Policy vertical.
Provide additional support to the Policy Team as required. Participate in cross-vertical collaboration opportunities on a case-by-case basis. Support senior management in preparing for meetings with background research and meeting notes/memos. Support J-PAL SA in the curation of public goods and team events within the Policy vertical as well as other verticals as required.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Master's degree (preferably in economics, public policy, environment/climate policy, or international development). A strong technical understanding of impact evaluations is preferred.
Experience: This position requires four or more years of relevant experience in addition to a relevant Master's degree. Demonstrated interest and experience in environment, energy, air and water pollution, and/or climate policy and in program evaluation will be considered favourably.
Understanding Randomised Evaluations: A keen understanding of the value of randomised evaluations and their usefulness for policy decisions is desirable. Skills and
Competencies Communication: Attention to detail and excellent writing and presentation skills for communicating policy lessons from academic papers in ways that policymakers understand. This requires clear, precise, non-technical writing, and creativity in presentation.
Proven ability to handle several different projects/tasks at one time, successfully complete tasks assigned, and meet deadlines. High level of attention to detail. Strong interest in international development policy, South Asia development, and/or program evaluation as demonstrated by coursework and professional experience. Language: Fluency in English (written and oral). Fluency in Hindi (written and oral) will be considered favourably.
How to Apply
If you are interested in this position, please click on the apply button on the JD here; the first-time users will be asked to sign up and upload the CV, cover letter, and academic transcripts (optional).
For any queries, please write to [email protected].