Established in 2012, Central Square Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to enhancing the learning outcomes of all school-going children across India through system-led reforms. Our initiatives span innovation and policy to practice and focus on learning impact at scale. At the heart of CSF's mission is our strategic focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), which drives our collaborative efforts with 11 state governments to design and execute statewide FLN Missions.
Additionally, we prioritise EdTech integration, aiming to deploy digital solutions for in-class and at-home learning and establish evidence-based practices while harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to augment learning outcomes. CSF is deeply committed to Early Childhood Education (ECE) reforms, recognising the critical role it plays in laying a strong groundwork for children's learning journey, thereby augmenting FLN outcomes. CSF also works in the area of School Governance, extending its system-level approach to children in both private and government schools, to strengthen the country's education landscape.
To learn more about us and our work, please visit our website at www.central square foundation.org
"FLN State Reform" in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh:
Central Square Foundation has developed a comprehensive playbook to support state governments in undertaking large-scale reform initiatives. This playbook involves close collaboration with the State Project Directors' offices and the development of a 5 to 7-year roadmap to fundamentally transform critical workstreams. You can find more information on this initiative by following the link provided here - Critical Workstreams for FLN.
We have been working closely with the education departments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana since 2019. A version of our initial playbook in these states has also been adopted by the Ministry of Education when they launched the NIPUN Bharat mission.
We strongly believe that significant progress has been made in all three states, as all major inputs have been implemented with strong reforms known to work for our typical multigraded classrooms where teachers are often burdened with administrative tasks. We also have tremendous support from political and state education leadership to genuinely improve FLN delivery capacity in a more permanent manner.
For the next three years, Central Square Foundation is committed to raising resources and operating in these states with a focus on stabilizing the aforementioned inputs and then guiding all districts towards a situation where the majority of students achieve FLN competence by the time they cross grade 3. This would involve the following initiatives:
- Strengthening the project management units in each state and adopting districts to drive implementations through district project management units established by the government.
- Working closely with the Mission Director to continuously iterate the design of all academic inputs based on insights from the field. Additionally, influencing the state leadership to prevent any rollback of design changes already achieved.
- Collaborating with the Mission Director to improve the quality of data collected by mentors and other stakeholders regarding classroom observations and student assessments from all districts.
- Supporting all districts in understanding their progress with respect to the mission implementation and helping them develop action plans to achieve the mission's goals.
- Working closely with the State Mission Director to strengthen the district PMU by running FLN fellowships or placing CSF teams in select districts.
Communication, Research, and Documentation Consultant role, SRT Haryana
The FLN reforms in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), and Haryana are managed by a "State Reform Team" within the Central Square Foundation. This team operates from Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal, and Panchkula. As we progress further into the NIPUN Bharat mission in these states, we will also undertake assignments and projects based in districts.
Communication, research, and documentation consultant works under a project lead and collaborates with other project managers to execute workstreams. This work stream typically spans multiple years and consists of sub-projects that require engagement with government stakeholders at the state, district, and block levels. In some cases, coordination with partner organizations in the coalition is also necessary. As a consultant, your roles and responsibilities would include
- Documentation and Reporting:
- Prepare detailed quarterly and annual reports for internal and external stakeholders, including state officials, partners; Need to liaison with all other workstream owners and partners for preparing the reports
- Maintain an organized repository of all documentation and communication materials
- Document best practices, lessons learned, and case studies from the implementation of the NIPUN Mission in Haryana
- Content Sourcing and Creation for NIPUN Haryana Magazine:
- Lead the effort to source relevant content for the monthly NIPUN Haryana magazine (voice of teachers)
- Collaborate with teachers, mentors and other block/district level stakeholders to gather stories, updates, and insights for the magazine
- Edit and create engaging and informative articles, case studies, and success stories that highlight the impact of the NIPUN Mission
- Research and Analysis:
- Identify relevant research topics and contribute to the development of research proposals about the NIPUN Haryana Mission
- Write and publish research papers in reputed journals and conferences.
- Develop articles, whitepapers, and policy briefs that highlight the mission’s impact and lessons learned
- Ensure all published content meets high standards of academic rigor and aligns with the mission’s objectives
- Stay updated with the latest research and developments in the field of education, specifically related to foundational literacy and numeracy
- Communications and Outreach:
- Develop and execute a comprehensive communications plan to promote the NIPUN Mission’s activities and achievements.
- Create content for social media, newsletters, press releases, and other communication channels
- Liaise with media and public relations teams to ensure consistent and positive coverage of the mission’s progress
- Stakeholder Engagement:
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including government officials and other external stakeholders such as partners/vendors
- Organize and facilitate workshops, seminars, and meetings to disseminate research findings and program updates
- Coordinate with various teams to ensure alignment and effective communication across all levels
- Quality Assurance:
- Ensure that all content and communication materials are accurate, high-quality, and aligned with the mission’s objectives
- Implement feedback mechanisms to continuously improve the quality and impact of documentation and communications efforts
What would make you a good fit for the role:
The following skills are necessary for individuals to possess:
- A bachelor's degree from a reputed university is required; a master's degree is preferred IN Communications, Education, Social Sciences, or a related field
- At least 3-5 years of experience in research, documentation, communications, or a related role
- Strong writing, editing, and content creation skills
- Proficiency in using digital tools and platforms for research and communication.
- Experience working with government agencies, educational institutions, or non-profit organizations is preferred
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, in English and Hindi.
- Ability to build and maintain positive and collaborative relationships with government stakeholders
- Experience in publishing research papers and writing academic articles
- Ability to identify and address execution gaps in a timely manner, working closely with project leads to generate viable solutions
- Mission-driven, optimistic, and enthusiastic, with a belief in achieving transformational change.
- Willingness to be based at the state site (Panchkula, Haryana) close to stakeholders and the team, with openness to regular travel to Delhi
Duration of the position: Full Time
Time Period: 6 Months (Can be extended based on performance)
Compensation: Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and will depend on the candidate's experience levels.