DAAYITWA ABHIYAAN strives for an enterprising Nepal where every individual has opportunities for a prosperous future. Focused on promoting economic empowerment, we aim to nurture an enterprising mindset - which is about working hard, taking risks, and being creative - in development change agents. Driven by principles of economic justice, community engagement and financial sustainability, the Abhiyaan comprises four organizations.

• Governance Lab - a think and do tank that creates an ecosystem for evidence based policy making in Nepal by fostering innovative collaboration between  researchers and decision-makers.

• Daayitwa - an NGO that promotes domestic youth employment by accelerating rural youth entrepreneurs to create jobs and supporting the government to implement evidence-based enterprise development policies.

• Nepal Leadership Academy - a non-profit company that develops an enterprising mindset in change agents by growing their leadership and management capabilities.

• Nepal Rising - a US-based non-profit that engages and empowers Nepali diaspora in the US as change agents and strengthens local and global collaboration to promote socio-economic development in Nepal.

Governance Lab (Govlab) at the Daayitwa Abhiyaan brings together policy-making researchers, leaders and entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and advocate for evidence-based policymaking to achieve sustainable development in Nepal. It has conducted research on various topics such as MSE growth, dignity of labor and COVID-19 related financial and health issues in order to support federal and provincial governments to make evidence-based policy decisions over the years. As a part of Purnima, a DFID-funded project, Governance Lab and Daayitwa have collaboratively conducted a market study geared towards developing contextualized solutions to the challenges of women-led MSEs and bridging the gap between women enterprises and BFIs and markets through capacity building. GovLab, in collaboration with Yale Economic Growth Center and with financial support from FCDO, has been conducting a 5-year research on ‘Political Economy of Inclusive Growth in Nepal’. Similarly, GovLab, in partnership with Daayitwa, has been supporting the Government of Nepal at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels to conduct policy analysis and support policy entrepreneurs in promoting evidence-based policy decisions. We have conducted policy research that aligns with government priorities in areas of youth employment, women’s economic empowerment, access to investment, entrepreneurship ecosystem, and governance reform. Some of our highlighted research work include ‘Insights from Nepal on UN High-Level Panel’s 7 Drivers of Change for Women’s Economic Empowerment’ (in partnership with Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens) and ‘Evaluation of Microenterprise Graduation in Lumbini and Madhesh Provinces’ (in partnership with Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies).

You as a Research and Program Officer will be responsible for overseeing research activities within Gov Lab. The ideal candidate will possess a strong and research execution as below:

• Conduct research on topics of strategic interest to Govlab, including but not limited to governance, gender equity and economic growth.

• Conduct monitoring and impact assessments and prepare relevant learning and outreach materials. 

• Support/assist  the development of project reports, proposals, concept notes policy briefs, research articles and similar outputs with support from the senior researchers..

• Seek out and collect administrative data from partners and government agencies as required by the research projects.

• Review and report on academic literature of requested topics in support of concept notes, policy briefs and research projects.

• Support the project team with key focus on  results-oriented implementation and their impact analysis.

• Develop project proposals/concept notes with detailed budget in consultation with project lead and finance department

• Oversee the task of Research Interns. 

• Provide other research support as per the need of the team during events, dissemination programs, and other outreach initiatives of Govlab. 

YOU must be a people-loving, growth-oriented, impact-minded, dynamic team player with the following qualifications:

• Possess an academically compelling background, holding a Bachelor’s degree in social science, Public Policy, Development or related fields and demonstrate pertinent experiences of managing research projects.

• At least 2 years of experience working in a project or program setting is preferred. Proven track record of working in projects, advocacy, events, campaigns and multi-stakeholder consultations and engagement at the local and/or the federal level.

• Exhibit a passionate commitment to the economic empowerment of Nepal with a strong interest in research and project management.

• Demonstrate contextual awareness by understanding Nepal’s social, economic, and political issues.

• Display innovativeness and vigilance in identifying research opportunities within Nepal’s socio-economic framework and suggest research initiatives within Govlab.  

• Exhibit excellent proficiency in oral and written English and Nepali Languages with ability to translate the documents.

• Be self-motivated, capable of working with minimal oversight, and possess strong time management skills.

• Prior experience with external stakeholder engagement such as government, donors, development agencies will be an added advantage. 

• Be able to multitask and demonstrate the ability to perform effectively under pressure in diverse and uncertain environments.

Compensation: Governance Lab will provide compensation on a monthly rate basis. The rate will be mutually agreed upon, commensurate with the level of the required deliverables, the qualifications and experience of the candidate. 

If you're keen on this position, kindly complete the form below by 31st July 2024. To access the page, please click on the provided link and right-click to go to the link.

https://forms.gle/quMdM5EPYciPzjko8

In the subject line, put “" followed by your first and last name (e.g., “XXX – Sabina Nepali ) and attach the following documents. All documents must be compiled in a single file, in the same order and saved in PDF format:

• Cover letter (one page max)

• CV 

• Academic transcripts/certificate for most recent qualification

Deadline: 31st July 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

**Only shortlisted candidates will be notified**