PROJECT COORDINATOR - LEGAL RESEARCH

Programme & Purpose

In the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, the lack of employment has forced many migrant workers, reliant wholly on daily wages for sustenance, to undertake arduous and usually very long journeys back to their villages, often on foot (due to the shutdown of public transportation). Thus, the crisis has brought into sharp focus the total absence of a social protection net for India's migrant workforce. While the government has now announced some relief schemes for these migrant workers, the vast majority may find it difficult to overcome the legal and bureaucratic hurdles before they can avail these. To address the deep economic impact of the lockdown and to facilitate migrants to return to the workforce, the government is in the process of introducing some schemes/policies for this group.

In light of these developments, MAP believes there is an urgent need to provide timely and verified information about these laws and policies to the different communities and their stakeholders. The position requires legal research, documentation, and coordination of civil society partners and legal aid providers within a broad area of gender, migration and labour laws and rights.

The Position

The Programme Coordinator ensures the effective management of MAP’s activities across result areas across different states to accelerate achievement of the programme objectives on running a legal needs assessment across three states and creating a first-of-its-kind digital database to share the findings. The database will act as a powerful tool to inform legal interventions, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement in India. You will lead the programme within different states and will collaborate with the Delhi Office. Under the direct supervision of the senior management, the PC substantively contributes to the management, coordination and quality assurance of planning, implementation, and monitoring.

The position will be a unique opportunity for a highly motivated candidate to transform, inspire and deliver a high-impact research project and participate in high-level dialogues with decision-makers across government and civil society.

Responsibilities

Programme Management:

(a) Overall project management and implementation of MAP’s programme focusing on legal needs assessment and creating a digital database;

(b) Map existing laws, rules, and regulations relevant to migrant workers in project locations;

(c) Collate relevant judgements and orders regarding rights of migrant workers’ protections and entitlements, with updates on the status of their implementation in the relevant jurisdictions; and

(d) Ensure the appropriate utilization of resources approved and allocated to activities.

Monitoring & Evaluation:

(a) Oversee the achievement of the programme results by applying appropriate monitoring and oversight mechanisms;

(b) Formulation of quality project reports, setting models for achieving expected results according to clear monitoring and evaluation systems;

(c) Prepare donor proposals and reports; and

(d) Prepare and present project reports at quarterly management meetings.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communications:

(a) Develop an advocacy road map for engagement with central/ state government agencies and authorities;

(b) Build alliances with relevant State authorities and civil society stakeholders working with the population of concern and take their input in collating the research;

(c) Organise and conduct events with stakeholders to bring visibility to project outcomes; and

(d) Build strong collaboration with all project partners and collaborators for effective programme delivery.

Team Management:

(a) Recruit, train and undertake day-to-day supervision of team members;

(b) Conduct formal and informal quarterly performance assessments for staff;

(c) Mentor staff and maintain a culture of open communication and transparency; and

(d) Undertake steps towards ensuring staff welfare in accordance with office policy.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential:

(a) Open to Indian citizens only;

(b) Graduate of Law, International Relations, Development Studies or a related field. A post-graduate degree will be an advantage;

(c) Demonstrated ability to drive high-quality research;

(d) Six years of relevant work experience in the field of labour law, migration and / or related field;

(e) Excellent oral and written communication skills;

(f) Ability to think out of the box to amplify impact and work independently towards programme objectives;

(g) Prior experience of working with migrants or other vulnerable communities;

(h) Prior experience in leading and motivating a multi-disciplinary team of staff and experts;

(i) Willingness to travel as required to different field sites;

(j) High standards of professionalism including being detail-oriented, meticulous, and organised;

(k) Strong sense of personal integrity and understanding of confidentiality and ethics; and

(l) Languages – Native proficiency in English; fluency in Hindi.

Desirable:

(a) Experience in networking, alliance building for advocacy, and coordination mechanisms;

(b) Able to provide analytical and strategic focus and create a culture of performance;

(c) Effective team player with strong leadership skills and initiatives; and

(d) Prior experience of monitoring, evaluation and reporting on outcome-based programmes.

The deadline for receiving applications is 5:00 pm (IST) on August 20, 2021.**

Compensation & Benefits

A passion-driven civil society organisation with a high standard of professionalism and strong work ethic, MAP values its people and offers benefits that have a strong impact on their well-being. This position offers an attractive remuneration package including competitive remuneration plus health insurance, self-care allowance and other benefits as applicable. There are ample opportunities for development of leadership skills, independent participation in meetings with external stakeholders and external as well as internal trainings.

Additional Notes

1. This is a full-time Delhi-based position which requires you to report to the Delhi office as per the working hours.

2. Duration of the contract is 18 months.

3. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the interview.

4. The successful candidate will be expected to start on October 01, 2021. The joining date is non-negotiable.

How to apply:

Application Procedure & Deadline

1. Email a letter of interest, last drawn salary, two references and an up-to-date CV including list of publications to meghna@aratrust.in, with a copy to ananya@aratrust.in, and the subject line “Application for the post of PC – Legal Research.”

2. Shortlisted candidates will have to go through a three-step process which will involve two interviews and a reference check.