Website Poverty Action Lab
About the Organization
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of 194 affiliated professors at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL South Asia, based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research in India, leads J-PAL’s work in the South Asia region. J-PAL South Asia conducts randomized evaluations, builds partnerships for evidence-informed policymaking, and helps partners scale up effective programs. Over more than ten years of existence, J-PAL South Asia has conducted 193 ongoing and completed randomized evaluations.
About the position
J-PAL South Asia at the Institute for Financial Management and Research seeks qualified applicants for the position of Intern to lead impact evaluations in India. The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand field management experience in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research. The Intern will join a team of world class researchers from leading universities in the world and will gain first-hand experience implementing randomized control trials in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research. Read more about our work and projects here.
Project Specific Details
In the past few years, various Indian state governments have been piloting different varieties of digital/e-learning technologies aimed at providing a better quality of education and improve learning outcomes. While it is unclear how successful they have been, the belief that the introduction of digital resources in schooling is a game-changer persists.
Pratham, the implementation partner, has been developing a ’Hybrid’ program targeted at children in grades 5-8 where high-quality digital content relating to Math, English and Science is made available on easily accessible devices and provided to groups of children in communities and supported by appropriate social support structures. This ’Hybrid’ model attempts to address the shortcomings of typical digital content, the traditional focus of learning in Indian schools and lack of community engagement and ownership of learning.
The intervention aims to use an enquiry-based and student-centered pedagogy to teach critical academic and social-emotional skills in a community setting. Education Technology through use of educational software and digital content is a key anchor for learning. Innovations in pedagogy (such as group learning methods), curriculum, technology and community engagement are intended to increase student motivation.
The Intern will be hired to provide support during the Midline data collection activities. S/he will manage a team of field surveyors and coordinate our actions with Pratham. Finally, the intern will help the RA with the preparation of the data analysis.
Interns will work closely with Research Associates, Research Manager & Principal Investigators who guide and supervise them in their various tasks. Abhijit Banerjee (MIT), Esther Duflo (MIT), and Adrien Pawlik (J-PAL Europe) are the Principal Investigators for this project.
Key Responsibilities
The Intern will work closely with the Research Associate and other field staff to perform a variety of tasks including, but not limited to:
● Designing survey questionnaires, conducting qualitative research, running pilot exercises, refining study design and surveying instruments.
● Overseeing implementation of the evaluation in accordance to the research design, in association with our partner organization.
● Supervising data collection and data-entry, and ensuring data quality and productivity.
● Assisting with data cleaning, preliminary data analysis, and preparation of documents and presentations for dissemination.
● Managing the logistics and operations of the project under the supervision of the Research Associate
Note on Work Authorizations:
Candidates must have work authorization to work in India.
To apply for this job please visit jpalsouth.asia.
