Senior Program Associate - States and Market (Procurement)

Senior Program Associate - SAM

About CEGIS

Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS pronounced See-Jis) aims to improve lives by helping Indian state governments deliver better development outcomes. The four key characteristics of any high-performing organisation are (a) measuring outcomes through reliable, high quality data that enables goal setting and monitoring progress towards these goals; (b) strategic use of personnel competency based hiring and training, skilling, and performance appraisals to determine job assignments, pay, and promotions to achieve the goals above; (c) strategic budgeting where resource allocation is based on evidence and cost-effectiveness; (d) and creating efficient systems to leverage external actors (including for-profit and nonprofit organisations). The Indian State needs to perform better on all four fronts above, by enhancing its capacity. CEGIS partners with states to improve this capacity by focusing on these four pillars of the State.

Overview:

Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS pronounced See-Jis) aims to improve lives by helping Indian state governments deliver better development outcomes. In order to augment State Capacities, work of CEGIS can be categorised into Four Themes or Pillars Outcome Measurement (OM), Personnel Management (PM), Strategic Public Finance (SPF) & State and Markets (SAM).

CEGISs work under the theme of State and Market (SAM) focuses on improving state capacity for better management of State interfaces with the larger market, especially in service delivery functions. The focus of the SAM team is to identify points of interaction between the Government and the Private Sector and to support States in reducing the frictions in such transactions. We work with State Governments in three capacities:

- Procurement:

- Policy:

- Regulation:

Conducting market assessments including identification of market failures (information asymmetry, market power, externalities, deadweight losses) Conducting assessment of State capacity on policy, provision and regulation, through benchmarking, assessment of rules, systems and procedures, and primary interactions with key stakeholders Quantitative assessments of cost effectiveness across different models of service delivery, including use of methods such as Value for Money assessments (VfM) and Public Sector Comparator (PSC) analysis Interactions with non-state actors (for Profits and Civil Society Organisations) to assess their offerings, constraints and operating ecosystem. Developing deep understanding of the Procurement Systems and practices across the States in which CEGIS has presence, as well as global/local best practices.

Position Summary:

The Senior Program Associate - SAM is required to play a vital role in executing the CEGIS vision across States. The role will involve working closely with the other team members and the relevant State teams, and collaborating with the other CEGIS teams.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Supporting the State Governments in Implementing/Strengthening Digital Tools in Project Planning, Procurement systems, & Contract Management.
• Work on Projects in improving the Capital Expenditure process of the State Governments
• Develop understanding of Procurement Acts & Policies in the country
• Develop understanding on Policy & Regulatory aspects of CEGIS Core Sectors
• Coordinate with the relevant Government officials for smooth implementation of interventions on which CEGIS is supporting the State Government.

Project Management and Delivery:

• Understand project requirements, coordinate with internal teams and external partners for delivery excellence.
• Plan and prioritise work plans, ensuring accountability for set timelines.
• Assist in altering project goals and outcomes based on stakeholder feedback and project progress, flag project risks.

Data Analysis and Insight Generation:

• Engage with departments to collect relevant data, develop quantitative and qualitative tools/templates, administer these tools, and support in cleaning and organizing the data.
• Track and analyze data for accuracy and conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis.
• Extract important insights from complex datasets relevant to key stakeholders.
• Prioritize and address data issues promptly to support project progress and decision- making.
• Ensure compliance with internal data management and security protocols

Research & Documentation:

• Research on problem statements identified by the State Governments. Independently conduct research and root cause analysis, documenting and presenting insights.
• Produce comprehensive presentations and documentation to convey critical project insights.
• Support in development of Knowledge Outputs for SAM and the Company.
• Support in developing concept notes, policy briefs, and other documentation for stakeholder communication.
• Create Internal reports/documents for projects under execution for training and reporting purposes as well as to create institutional memory on projects.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:

• Prepare detailed presentations and documents for stakeholders.
• Assist the project team in collecting critical information and departmental updates by maintaining regular communication with government counterparts, partner organisations, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Coordinate stakeholder meetings and gather feedback for project progress and decision-making.
• Foster deep connections with stakeholders and suggest innovative ideas to nurture partnerships.

Collaboration and Partnerships:

• Build and maintain relationships internally and externally.
• Collaborate with academics and stakeholders for research adaptation.
• Work closely with senior academics and government stakeholders to tailor procurement/regulatory/policy design and implementation protocols to local contexts.

Education and Experience:

• Masters degree or equivalent in economics, statistics, public policy, management, engineering, social science, or related fields from a reputed institution
• Minimum 3 years of relevant work experience in Government Advisory, Social Impact Sector, including research, basic quantitative analysis, experience of working with
• Government stakeholders is preferable
• Experience in at least one of the areas of public procurement or service regulation is highly desirable
• Knowledge of STATA or R (strongly preferred) or any other data analysis software preferred.
• Sectoral exposure to one or more of the following - education and skills, healthcare, infrastructure, and local government is desirable.

Required Skills, Characteristics and Qualities:

• Knowledge of Procurement processes and experience in use of/ advising Public Sector entities in the use of e-procurement platform(s).
• Fluency in English and basic to intermediate proficiency in one of the South Indian regional languages is an added benefit.
• Excellent problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, strong research aptitude ability to analyse complex quantitative and qualitative data and formulate solutions.
• Excellent writing and communication skills (ability to communicate complex ideas in a meaningful way and across different audiences) within and outside the organisation
• Strong planning and organisational skills, and an ability to be able to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines.
• Operating style suited to working independently and in a small-organisation setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued.
• High ability to collaborate and actively listen to others, understanding and valuing others views.
• Versatility to be comfortable taking on different projects and quickly dive into new sectors.

Location:

CEGIS is looking for suitable candidates for this role in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The role may also entail travel to partner states for supporting in project delivery.

Compensation:

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidates experience levels.

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application here.

Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance to sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported of misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please Click the link for self declaration.