Who we are and what we do?
WRI India, an independent charity legally registered as the India Resources Trust, provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. WRI India’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being.
We are inspired by and associated with World Resources Institute (WRI), a global research organization. Currently over 150 researchers are working with WRI India in our offices at Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Program Overview for Sustainable Cities and Transport
At WRI India Ross Center we focus on 10 integrated solutions to urban challenges. Through applied research, tools, hands-on advice, and by tapping our network of global experts, we accelerate transformative urban initiatives that have the power to change Indian cities into thriving, equitable and low-carbon places that are good for people and the planet.
Working at WRI India Ross Center offers you the unique opportunity to learn and grow as you collaborate with a diverse set of change agents across Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. As India’s biggest urban focused think and do tank, we seek thoughtful, enterprise-minded and sensitive individuals who can help us support this transformation and make a positive difference to citizens’ everyday lives.
About your Role:
The Senior Associate – PMEL (Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning) will work closely water resilience practice and MFR (Managing For Results) team located in India and Washington DC. This position will be responsible for implementing Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (PMEL) to ensure projects are effective and that we use our limited resources efficiently. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a strong MEL background that is ready to lead MEL deliverables for a large multi-year grant on water resilience project. The specific goals of this position are to have:
• Robust, evidence- based development of theories of change (ToC) for water resilience projects
• Intentional pause and reflect cycles to review ToCs and M&E data, discuss the learnings and changes needed to achieve the results in the strategic plan
• Iterative cycles of evaluation that support ongoing reflection and learning, systemization and publication of lessons learned
How your day will unfold:
• Support Water Resilience team as they adopt the M&E system (DevResults) including helping in the formulation of theory of change, results framework, develop or refine indicators and develop methodology for data collection
• Develop primary data collection tools (e.g., surveys, questionnaires, semi structured interview guides, etc.) and support for implementation (e.g., training enumerators, developing sampling methodology, mentoring partners, etc.), primary data cleaning, analysis and reporting protocols
• Lead the meaningful incorporation of gender and social inclusion considerations and indicators within PMEL lifecycle
• Provide support for project performance monitoring activities and systems, including necessary data management and visualization software and data collection instruments, to collect, store, manage, analyse and report M&E data on indicators
• Liaise with multiple stakeholders for timely data collection, verification and feedback
• Conduct regular and ad-hoc data analysis and develop reports (monthly, quarterly, annually) to share knowledge, demonstrate progress and facilitate continuous learning
• Ensure timely PMEL reporting to all relevant stakeholders
• Working with our communications team, translate data into simple, powerful messages that resonate with various stakeholders and audiences
• Working with Research, Data and Innovation (RDI) and Managing for Results (MfR) teams at WRI to ensure that data collection and analysis are of the highest standards
• Support collaboration, learning and adaptation efforts, to help in the identification, analysis, and synthesis of lessons learned from program implementation
• Coordinate with buy-in clients, network and implementation partners, WRI project colleagues and other stakeholders to support the development of learning-oriented reports
• Participate in regular project management planning meetings and provide analytical feedback and support to inform technical decisions
• Engage the project team in the Learning Plan, leading the writing of the plan and ensuring that the project staff understand their roles, how the project fosters collaborative learning and systematically shares the learning and uses it to adaptively manage the project, especially learning between the pilots
• Support annual MEL planning process, including engaging partners and stakeholders during annual stock-taking events and other project related opportunities to intentionally and iteratively adapt and improve the ToC and MEL plan; update, manually or as needed, the project’s MEL Plan and Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRs), Context Indicator Reference Sheets (CIRS) and other elements of the PMEL plan
• Support and advise colleagues on activity-level and project-wide monitoring and evaluation efforts, ensuring quality and consistency
• Responsible for data quality assurance, including regular data quality assessments and supporting the development of systems to support high quality performance data
• Ensure MEL procedures support data quality assurances, develop and document the procedures as needed for the project
Qualifications and requirements we seek:
• Minimum of 5 to 7 years of relevant experience in planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning for international development work or comparable work in another industry
• Experience implementing PMEL Plans, including both quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis and reporting on performance and context indicators through development projects or related industry projects
• Experience using digital technology for data collection, management, analysis, and reporting
• Demonstrated experience with PMEL lifecycle, including development of logical framework, development of indicators and methodology for data collection, conducting interviews, surveys, and other data collection methods, cleaning data, managing data responsibly, analysing the data, effectively conveying key insights and contextualizing results, documenting processes, methodologies, managing and/or conducting evaluations, etc
• Experience with mid-term and final evaluation management
• Detail oriented, able to manage multiple priorities, ensure highest standards and consistency of work
• Demonstrated experience conducting formal and informal MEL trainings, mentoring staff and staff from partner organizations
• Excellent facilitation, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills
• Experience working effectively and respectfully in diverse teams and communities around the globe
• Ability to meet deadlines, take initiative and accomplish work with minimal supervision
• Strong critical thinking capabilities with an ability to rapidly assess situational needs, develop problem solving strategies, and implement sustainable solutions
Preferred Qualifications
• Master’s degree in water policy and governance/ urban planning/ geography/ sociology/ economics/ statistics/ public policy or a related relevant discipline
• Experience in supporting MEL for developmental projects is strongly preferred
• Experience of communication/ outreach/ engagement is strongly preferred
• Experience with PMEL start-up phase, where systems and procedures need to be developed
• Experience with DevResults, Power BI etc.
Salary and Benefits: 11,00,000 to 13,00,000 PA
Location: Delhi/Bengaluru, India
Duration: Two Years (Extendable Based on project requirement and performance)
List of Documents to be attached:
- Cover letter explaining how your academic background and skills meet the requirements of this position.
- Curriculum vitae
- Writing samples
- Reports
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview purpose.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) @WRI India
WRI India values and promotes diversity, equity and inclusion across all areas of our work and workforce. Integrating these values into our actions fosters a progressive and collaborative culture and can also enhance our impact. It is our responsibility to create a welcoming working environment for people of diverse cultures, backgrounds and experience to learn together. We are responsible for fostering a safe and inclusive workplace where questions, concerns and information about diversity, equity and inclusion are part of our ongoing dialogue and development.
Learn more about WRI India’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Click Here
People-centric to the core:
We keep our people at the centre of everything we do – from a welcoming work environment to benefits and a culture that encourages staff to stay healthy, happy, engaged, and growing.
Some of the non-monetary benefits that our staff get:
Health benefits: We cover health insurance for you and your loved ones for up to INR 8 lakhs
Term Insurance: Our term insurance policy covers life coverage of 50 lakhs per staff member
Employee Assistance program: Promoting mental well-being and supporting staff in achieving a satisfying work-life balance
Digital healthcare service: Online doctor consultations for your primary healthcare needs
Flexible work schedule: Alternative work arrangements for all who are eligible by nature of their job
Learning culture: Workshops and trainings to empower staff, encourage new learning opportunities
Rest and Recharge weeks: We encourage staff to take time off to rest, rejuvenate, upskill, and pursue their interests.
Our leave policy: Avail personal time off at 36 per year, along with public holidays, maternity, paternity, and adoption leaves.
Click here to know more about our benefits Careers | WRI INDIA (wri-india.org)
Equal employment @WRI India
We believe in equal employment, it is our policy to recruit, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to caste, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual preference, parental status, or disability.
