Call for Applications | Research Fellow (two positions) | Project on Theory and Practice of Social Accountability

NLSIU invites applications from passionate and driven candidates with an inclination for field-based research and strong writing skills for two ‘Research Fellow’ positions for a new project on ‘Theory and Practice of Social Accountability’. This is a full-time position for 12 months, renewable upon mutual agreement. The position is based in Bengaluru.

About the Project

Civil society organizations in India and the government have been pioneers in collaboratively designing and institutionalizing reforms that deepen democratic governance at scale such as proactive disclosure of government information, social audits and decentralized grievance redress systems. These reforms have grounded social accountability practices and procedures within the country and demonstrated possibilities for citizen engagement for the rest of the world. Several challenges have surfaced or become even more entrenched two decades since some of these reforms were introduced. For instance, administrative resistance to sharing information remains high and feedback loops for the data generated by social audit processes remain too weak for meaningful action on findings. New digital technologies have simultaneously opened up and foreclosed accountability in governance. Synergies across judicial, administrative and political redress structures needs to be strengthened. Public involvement and scrutiny of social accountability systems especially once they are institutionalized has been declining. Empirical research on social accountability platforms and practices in India which unpacks and addresses these challenges has generally been thin and has not kept pace with legal, institutional and technological developments. This has created an important opening at the intersection of policy research and practice to build an enabling ecosystem for conceptualizing, demonstrating and deepening social accountability and audits within India and beyond.

Through the ‘Theory and Practice of Social Accountability’ project, NLSIU seeks to deepen research and documentation of social accountability in India with the aim of producing knowledge, building an evidence base of good practices and informing policy improvements. The project also seeks to advance the practice of social accountability by bringing together actors – in government and civil society– who have a direct stake in strengthening participatory social accountability practices that combine fiscal transparency and citizen oversight. This project has three streams of work:

• Research on social accountability systems and practices
• Developing resources and toolkits
• Consultations and workshops
• Capacity building
• Strengthening public data systems for social accountability

Responsibilities

Research fellows will have the following responsibilities:

• Work with the research director and advisory group to develop instruments and protocols for data collection.
• Preparing training materials for CSO partners who will participate in research activities and conducting trainings.
• Conduct desk and field-based data collection and analysis.
• Reporting progress of field activities and troubleshooting challenges with the research director and faculty associate on a regular basis.
• Write research reports, briefs, blogs and academic articles.
• Present research findings to a diverse range of audiences.
• Organizing consultations
• Creating training resources and assisting with conducting workshops.
• Developing toolkits and primers to expand access to information and public participation in social accountability initiatives.

Qualifications and Skills

Essential

• Strong academic record with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science/sociology/public policy/law or a related discipline.
• Training and familiarity in research methods and fieldwork – demonstrable experience in qualitative methods such as interviews and focus group discussions.
• Strong writing skills (writing sample will be required).
• 3-5 years of experience working on social policy with government and/or civil society organizations.

Desirable

• Excellent writing and presentation skills. Ability to communicate complex information effectively.
• A willingness to carry out independent fieldwork and be able to demonstrate flexibility and creativity.
• Proficient in Hindi and/or any regional language in addition to English.

How to apply

Please use the Google form available here, and include the following documents:

• An updated CV
• A short statement outlining your research interests, interest in working with us and why you would be a good fit for the role (not more than 500 words).
• 2 writing samples
• Details of two referees with contact details.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview round. Due to time constraints, we can unfortunately only contact shortlisted candidates; if you do not hear from us within 15 days, please assume your application was not taken forward. Candidates from marginalized communities, who have faced social and economic disadvantages, are encouraged to apply.

Deadline

The last date for submission of applications is 5:00 pm, June 7th (Friday), 2024.