Rural Development Professional - Capacity Development Programme

About the Capacity Development Programme

IIHS Capacity Development is an education and capacity building programme for urban practitioners spanning disciplines and levels in public, private, academic and civil society sectors. IIHS believes that a citys transformation rests largely on the collective endeavours of practitioners who confront challenges through an informed, reflexive and creative manner. Through a portfolio of customised and open enrolment capacity development programmes and projects, the Capacity Development team offers institutions and practitioners new frameworks of knowledge, backed by a cohesive package of skills. Our portfolio spans sectors, disciplines and scales of practice and seeks to intervene at three levels:

• Strategic perspectives and orientation of the practitioner to urban challenges;
• Knowledge frameworks employed to appraise such challenges;
• Execution skills to tackle them effectively and sustainably.

We are looking for a knowledgeable and driven rural development professional to support the design, implementation, and delivery of training and knowledge initiatives aimed at strengthening rural institutions and systems. The role focuses on building the capacities of Gram Panchayats, community-based organisations, frontline workers, and rural development agencies to effectively plan, implement, and monitor programmes across key sectors such as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), livelihoods, climate resilience, natural resource management, and local governance. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of rural development frameworks, hands-on experience in working with government and community institutions, and demonstrated expertise in capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and field facilitation.

This will be a contractual position for an initial term of 11 months, renewable on mutual consent.

Activities and Tasks

Responsibilities would include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Designing and delivering capacity building programmes:
  Developing and implementing training modules, workshops, and learning tools tailored for rural stakeholders, including Gram Panchayats, Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs,) frontline workers, and block/ district officials across sectors such as WASH, livelihoods, climate resilience, and rural governance;
• Supporting institutional strengthening:
  Providing technical assistance and rendering support to rural local bodies for improving their planning, implementation, and monitoring capacities under schemes such as Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G), and National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM);
• Developing training materials and knowledge products:
  Creating context-specific learning resources such as manuals, toolkits, case studies, and IEC materials in regional languages to support field-level learning and practice;
• Facilitating stakeholder engagement and coordination:
  Working closely with government departments, NGOs, training institutions, and community-based organisations to foster collaborative approaches and support convergence at the village and block levels;
• Conducting field assessments and action Research:
  Leading or supporting needs-assessments, baseline studies, and field-based research to identify capacity gaps, test innovations, and document good practices in rural development;
• Monitoring and evaluating capacity building outcomes:
  Tracking and reporting the effectiveness of training interventions using participatory methods and simple digital tools; supporting data-driven improvements in training design and delivery.
• Providing support to other IIHS activities including academics, research, training, practice, operations and others;
• Participating in all activities of Institution-Building at IIHS; carrying out tasks as assigned by IIHS; and traveling on IIHS work within or outside the country as and when needed.

Structure and Reporting

The rural development professional will be an External Consultant coordinating with the Senior Lead Capacity Development at IIHS and will be required to collaborate effectively with a diverse group of internal teams and external individuals/ organisations, and students.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate should have:

• A postgraduate degree in Rural Development, Public Policy, Social Work, Environmental Studies, Development Studies, Agriculture, or related discipline;
• 58 years of professional experience in rural development, with a focus on WASH, livelihoods, climate resilience, local governance, or natural resource management;
• Proven experience in capacity building, training design and delivery, or technical advisory support for Gram Panchayats, community institutions, or rural development agencies;
• Familiarity with key national and state-level rural development programmes such as MGNREGS, Jal Jeevan Mission, NRLM, SBM-G, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), and related planning frameworks like GPDP;
• Prior experience working with donor-funded or government-led rural development programmes is desirable;
• Strong skills in facilitation, communication, and documentation, with fluency in English and at least one Indian regional language;
• The ability to manage field-based projects independently and work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary, field-facing teams

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Desirable Attributes:

• Knowledge of rural environmental and social safeguards, community-level impact assessments, and sustainability practices relevant to rural development;
• Experience working with Panchayati Raj Institutions, rural development departments, training institutions, or community-based organisations;
• Skills in developing IEC materials, participatory training tools, e-learning modules, and using digital platforms for capacity building in rural settings;
• The willingness to travel extensively across rural areas in India for training delivery, field engagements, and community consultations.

This is a contractual engagement for an initial term of 11 months, renewable on mutual consent. This offer is on an exclusive basis, which implies that other professional assignments (whether compensated or not) that bear a potential conflict of interest with IIHS cannot be undertaken.

The search will remain open until the position is filled.

Location

This position is based in Bengaluru and may entail travel to other locations in India.

Review and Assessment

The role and performance of the incumbent shall be subject to normal review and assessment systems at IIHS.

Diversity Policy

IIHS is an equal opportunity employer that encourages women, people with disabilities and those from economically and socially excluded communities with the requisite skills and qualifications to apply for positions.

Contact

Please write to us at hr@iihs.co.in if you need any clarifications while filling the online application form.