Research Associate

Start Date (Earliest): March 3, 2025

Language Requirement: Assamese, Hindi, and English. Proficiency in spoken Assamese and Hindi (native fluency) is preferred.

Length of Commitment: 10 months

Joining Location: Guwahati, Assam

Name of the Project: Evaluation of Pratham’s Hamara Gaon Program

Sector- Education

About the Organization

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of 194 affiliated professors at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL South Asia, based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research in India, leads J-PAL’s work in the South Asia region. J-PAL South Asia conducts randomized evaluations, builds partnerships for evidence-informed policymaking, and helps partners scale up effective programs. Over more than ten years of existence, J-PAL South Asia has conducted 240+ ongoing and completed randomized evaluations.

About the position

J-PAL South Asia at the Institute for Financial Management and Research seeks qualified applicants for the position of Research Associate to lead impact evaluations in India. The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand field management experience in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research. The Research Associate will join a team of world-class researchers from leading universities in the world and will gain first-hand experience implementing randomized control trials in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research.

Read more about our work and projects here.

J-PAL South Asia is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, family status, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation and other attributes protected by law. We strongly encourage people from marginalized communities to apply for this role.

Project Details-

The evaluation builds on the earlier J-PAL study conducted by Martina Björkman Nyqvist in the Nagaon, Assam.

Pratham’s Hamara Gaon program supports the development of foundational math and literacy skills among the students of primary government schools. As of 2022-23, the program operated in 5,192 communities and reached approximately 386,000 children. The program targets two subgroups of primary school students with different program components: students in grades 1-2 vs. students in grades 3 and above. For grades 1-2, the intervention includes two main components.

First, Pratham volunteers support students through in-school activities. Second, Pratham volunteers support the mothers of these children through “mother groups”. For grades 3 and above, the intervention consists of an adaptation of the “Teaching at the Right Level” (TaRL) program evaluated in earlier J-PAL studies.

This study speaks to three key issues related to Indian children’s (lack of) mastery of foundational skills in mathematics and literacy. First, Pratham’s Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) program seeks to support students in grades three and above by remedying their lack of foundational skills. A key question is whether this learning gap in later grades can be addressed earlier—in grades 1-2—before it fully develops. A prior J-PAL study on Pratham’s work in Assam has also documented that the TaRL program’s effectiveness can be strengthened by combining the grade-3 intervention with a community-based component. Here, for the program on grades 1-2, the effectiveness of a similar, complementary component for the earlier grades is of interest: mother groups. Third, we are particularly interested in whether the effects of the early-grade intervention either fade out or persist over time and whether the two interventions (grades 1-2 and 3-5) complement or substitute each other. Lastly, because of the muted impacts found by the earlier evaluation, and given Pratham’s subsequent changes to its program in Assam, we will also measure the effect of the revised grade-3 intervention. More specifically, we seek to answer the following research questions.

1. What is the effect of the early-grade intervention on students’ acquisition of foundational skills and socio-emotional skills?
2. What is the effect of the grade-3 intervention on students’ acquisition of foundational skills?
3. To what extent is the effectiveness of the early-grade intervention driven by its “mother group” component?
4. Do the effects of the early-grade intervention fade out or persist until the end of grade 3?
5. To what extent do the early-grade intervention and the grade-3 intervention complement each other?

Beyond measuring effects on students’ foundational skills, we also plan to assess whether the program is implemented with quality and taken up well, investigate program mechanisms, and explore potential effects on secondary outcomes (both at the mother and child level).

Principal Investigators: Martina Björkman Nyqvist, Andy de Barros

Research Associate will work closely with Research Managers & Principal Investigators who will guide and supervise them in their various tasks. The work of a Research Associate at J-PAL South Asia directly contributes to generating evidence that informs policy decisions and helps design more effective poverty alleviation programs. By ensuring that research projects are executed with precision and rigor, the RA plays a key role in advancing J-PAL's mission to reduce poverty through evidence-based policy-making.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Data Collection Management:
   1. Survey Design and Implementation: Design and piloting survey instruments that are crucial for data collection. This involves working with the research team to ensure that the surveys are aligned with the research objectives and are culturally appropriate.
   2. Fieldwork Supervision: Supervise the field teams during data collection to ensure that all protocols are followed and that the data collected is accurate and reliable. The RA is also responsible for monitoring the progress of fieldwork.
   3. Training: Train field staff on the project protocols and data collection protocols, how to conduct surveys in the field, and so on.
2. Data Analysis:
   1. Data Cleaning and Preparation: Conduct regular data cleaning and running checks to prepare it for analysis. This includes checking for errors, ensuring data consistency, and preparing datasets for use in statistical analysis.
   2. Statistical Analysis: Support the PIs with preliminary data analysis using statistical software like STATA or R. The insights from the data can inform the ongoing research and contribute to final reports and publications.
3. Project Coordination:
   1. Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with partner organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders involved in the research to coordinate project activities and ensure effective communication between all parties.
   2. Logistics Management: Manage the logistics of research projects, which includes coordinating with different teams for vendor payments, field staff contracting and attendance, procurement of necessary resources, and coordinating field operations, among many others.
4. Documentation and Reporting:
   1. Documentation: Maintain detailed records of all research activities, ensuring that all data and processes are well-documented and accessible to the research team.
   2. Report Writing: Assist in drafting project reports, policy briefs, and donor reports.
5. Ethics and Compliance:
   1. Ethical Standards: Ensure that all research activities comply with ethical guidelines, including obtaining informed consent from participants and maintaining data confidentiality. RA will also assist in securing Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals.
6. Continuous Learning:
   1. Staying Updated: The RA is expected to stay informed about the latest research methods, tools, and developments in the field of poverty alleviation and impact evaluation. This helps them contribute effectively to the research team’s work.

Skills and Attributes:

• Attention to Detail: Accuracy in data management and analysis is critical to ensure the validity of research findings.
• Analytical Skills: Strong quantitative and analytical skills are essential for data analysis and interpretation.
• Communication Skills: The ability to communicate complex research findings in a clear and accessible manner is important, both in writing and verbally.
• Problem-Solving: The RA should be proactive in identifying and solving issues that arise during data collection and project implementation.
• Adaptability: The RA should be able to adapt to the dynamic environment of field research, which often requires flexibility and quick thinking.

Desired Qualifications

A Bachelor's/Master’s degree in economics, sociology, social sciences, public policy, public health or related fields.

Previous experience in development research is preferred.

Knowledge of development related issues in India, and an understanding of various socio-economic, gender-related, and cultural issues is essential.

Previous experience in working in rural India is preferred.

Excellent management and organizational skills along with strong quantitative skills

Fluency and excellent communication skills in English.

Proficiency in understanding and fluency in spoken Hindi is essential. Hindi as native language and native proficiency is preferred.

Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and team player.

Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations

Proficiency in STATA (or other data analysis software) is strongly preferred. Overall proficiency in using MS Office, preparing policy memos, research documents and creating slide decks is required.

Familiarity with randomized controlled trials/clinical trials/quasi-experiments preferred.

Ability to deal with unstructured and changing environments

Ability to work independently and in rural field locations

Note on Work Authorizations:

Candidates must have work authorization to work in India.