Research Policy Manager - Every Child Counts - J-PAL South Asia

Organization: J-PAL South Asia

Project: Every Child Counts

Location: Delhi or Bangalore

Start Date: ASAP

No. of positions: 1

Length of Commitment: Two years or more

Minimum education: Master’s Degree

Work Experience: 5 years or more

About the Organization

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) J-PAL was established in 2003 as a research center at the Economics Department at MIT. Since then, it has grown into a global network of researchers who use randomized evaluations to answer critical policy questions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL is propelled by a first-rate team dedicated to research, policy, training, and other vital work, supporting J-PAL's mission to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence.

J-PAL South Asia, which is based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in India, analyses and disseminates research results and builds partnerships with policymakers to ensure that policy is driven by evidence and that programs proven effective are scaled up.

Project Description

To deepen and expand our work in collaboration with state and central governments in India, J-PAL South Asia recently launched the Alliance for Scaling Policy Impact through Research and Evidence (ASPIRE). ASPIRE seeks to bring together governments, donors and CSO partners with the goal of generating new policy insights and evidence to inform the design and implementation of policies and programs that improve development outcomes. ASPIRE is a joint initiative of J-PAL South Asia at IFMR and Veddis Foundation.

Under ASPIRE, Every Child Counts (or Math-Games) is a key project that is currently being scaled up across States. Math Games is an innovative math curriculum that aims to develop children's intuitive concepts of numbers and geometry. This curriculum was adapted for use in India and rigorously evaluated by J-PAL affiliated professors (including 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences winner Prof. Esther Duflo) during 2013-19.

We find that children exposed to these games exhibit gains in innate as well as school math skills compared to those who were not exposed to the games. The core principles of the program overlap with the aims and content of national policies like NEP, NIPUN Lakshyas and NCF. J-PAL SA is working with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Government of Maharashtra and NGO Pratham to scale up Every Child Counts across States. J-PAL SA has also explored another unique pathway to scale based on the capacity building of other NGOs to implement Every Child Counts in collaboration with State governments. This is an excellent opportunity to impact the foundational numeracy skills and math learning outcomes of children by scaling evidence-based programs with other NGO Partners and over the course of time, enhancing the collective knowledge and effectiveness of M&E efforts and working with network of J-PAL researchers at J-PAL South Asia.

The Role

J-PAL South Asia seeks a Research Policy Manager to contribute to our mission of promoting evidence-informed policy.

The RM will be instrumental in establishing and leading the Monitoring and Evaluation roadmap as a part of the project team, developing a comprehensive M&E framework aligned with the program’s strategic goals. Key responsibilities will include designing and implementing an M&E system for a multi-state project, creating M&E plans, and ensuring robust data collection, management, analysis processes and knowledge transfer.

The role involves conducting evaluations to measure program performance, outputs and outcomes, generating reports, and disseminating findings to inform decision-making. The manager will develop and monitor key performance indicators, conduct regular field visits for data verification, and provide feedback to improve program outcomes. Capacity building is a crucial aspect, as the manager will train staff and partners in M&E practices, fostering a culture of continuous learning. Additionally, they will manage the M&E budget and resources, overseeing the procurement and use of M&E tools and technologies. This role requires strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, along with the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and manage projects with attention to detail.

The RM will also recruit, manage and supervise field Research Associates (RAs) to provide administrative oversight on the project and ensure that high-quality, replicable research is produced.

The role requires traveling to project locations to work with the project teams and provide direct oversight.

The RM will work closely with the Policy and Research Senior Management Team to contribute towards thought leadership of synthesising learnings to inform how research contributes to scaling up programs. The RM will report to the Associate Director, Research and have dotted line reporting to the Associate Director, Policy ( Scale-ups).

Key Stakeholders

Following are the key internal and external stakeholders:

• Policy, Research and Administration & Finance team members working on the scaling of this intervention
• Principal Investigators involved in the scale-up
• Senior Management Team of J-PAL SA
• External facing: Government partners and Education Depts of the states, NGO- Partners
• Research and policy managers and associates working on individual project teams 

Key Responsibilities

1.Establish and Lead the M&E for Every Child Counts:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive M&E framework aligned with the team’s strategic objectives across different States.
• Create and institutionalize M&E policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Build and lead a team of M&E professionals, providing mentorship and capacity building.

2.Contribute towards designing and implementing M&E systems/processes for program pilots and scale-ups:

• Develop M&E plans, including theories of change, logical frameworks, and performance monitoring plans customized to unique adaptations of the program across states
• Design and manage data collection methodologies and tools to ensure data quality and reliability.
• Implement robust data management systems for data collection, storage, analysis, and reporting.

3.Process and Program Evaluations:

• Conduct process evaluations and set up effective data based feedback loops
• Conduct outcome assessments through baseline, midline, and endline surveys of the program
• Analyze data to measure program performance, outcomes, and impact.
• Generate reports and disseminate findings to internal and external stakeholders to inform decision-making and enhance program effectiveness.

4.Performance Monitoring:

• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for programs.
• Conduct regular field visits and data verification activities to ensure program quality and compliance.
• Provide feedback and recommendations to program teams to improve performance and outcomes

5.Stakeholder Engagement and Reporting:

• Engage with donors, partners, and other stakeholders to fulfill reporting requirements and share M&E findings.
• Prepare high-quality M&E reports and presentations for various audiences.
• Represent the organization in meetings, conferences, and other events related to M&E.

6.Resource Management:

• Manage the M&E budget and resources effectively.
• Oversee the procurement and use of M&E tools and technologies.

7.Capacity building and transfer of knowledge

• Guide the research team in creating training modules for the program with a focus on M&E which can then be shared with the government to train their cadres
• Ideate and implement M&E capacity-building plans for external partners and stakeholders.

8.Internal team management

• Manage and mentor a team of Research Assistants
• Lead internal cross-vertical (RO/A&F/Policy) sensitization efforts on the different challenges and opportunities associated with a scale-up project operating in multiple and new geographies
• Proactively participate in cross-vertical organizational initiatives.

Desired Qualifications, Experience & Skills

• An ideal candidate for the position would have a keen eye for detail, strong research and documentation skills, organizational skills, a passion for translating research into action, critical thinking, and an interest in foundational literacy and numeracy.
• Master’s degree in economics, public policy/ international development, statistics, mathematics, and related fields. Strong coursework in economics is highly preferable.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in M&E, with at least 2 years in a senior or managerial role.
• Proven experience in establishing and leading M&E functions within an organization.
• Strong knowledge of M&E methodologies, including both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Proficiency in data analysis software (e.g., SPSS, STATA, R) and M&E tools (e.g., KoboToolbox, SurveyCTO).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment.
• Strong project management skills and attention to detail.
• Experience working with multilateral organizations or international development agencies is highly preferred.
• Extensive experience supervising data collection, teams of field workers, survey design and implementation, and data management.
• Background in randomized control trials is desirable.
• Excellent management and organizational skills along with strong skills for secondary research and documentation.
• Proven ability to complete assigned tasks and meet deadlines while delivering high-quality outputs.

Cultural Requirements

• Apply judgment to initial or escalated consultations and/or reviews and have an enhanced understanding of key requirements to deliver on J-PAL’s mission through practices, procedures and policies.
• Ability to prioritize effectively and successfully handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to “manage up” as well as “down” by working effectively with and mentors associates with differing aptitudes, attitudes and skills on technical and behavioral aspects
• Ability to drive and adapt to change, particularly in the face of uncertainty.
• Ability to work independently, problem-solve, and collaborate with other teams within the organization as needed.
• Ability to build consensus across the team, organization and external partners balancing the needs and priorities of different stakeholders
• Leadership of local or virtual teams, demonstrating natural authority.

Note on Work Authorizations

• Candidates must have work authorization to work in India.