Website The Convergence Foundation

Overview

India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a rich cultural heritage and some of the finest historical monuments. Delhi has seen the rise and fall of a number of empires and rulers who have left their legacy behind, and today the National Capital Region has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites and over 170 protected monuments with enormous historical value. However, there is a low level of interest from the general public in visiting these sites and many of the monuments witness low footfall throughout the year, despite the historical and cultural value associated with them.

Who we are

We are a group of engaged citizens who want to inspire interest in the rich history our country has to offer, and increase footfall at sites and monuments in Delhi. Our working group includes Raj Jain, Ashish and Manisha Dhawan, Aditi Mittal, Tanvi Bikhchandani, and others who are interested in conserving and showcasing Delhi’s historical sites in unique and innovative ways. Raj is currently working on a conservation project for the Red Fort, Tanvi leads heritage walks in Delhi, and Ashish, Manisha, and Aditi are philanthropists who are passionate about promoting cultural heritage.

This project is supported by The Convergence Foundation, a grantmaking incubator that incubates and scales new initiatives in different sectors of the development space.

Our plan

We aim to tackle the issue in a systematic manner using a three-pronged approach:

Advocacy

Create case studies of exemplars and push for adoption of best practices at other historical sites
Advocate for easing regulations around the conservation of historical sites
Create promotional marketing material to increase awareness and generate interest from the general public in historical sites

Pilot specific interventions and scale up

Pilot innovative projects at demo sites to increase awareness and footfall
Track successful projects and implement them across multiple monuments

Create public goods

Create unique and accessible historical content leveraging different media platforms to generate interest in historical sites (storytelling, videos, re-enactments, etc.)

About the role

We are looking to hire an excellent project manager to kick off the Seven Cities project and work with the working group mentioned above, conservation architects, art historians, and the broader ecosystem to increase footfall at select historical monuments in Delhi. Key roles and responsibilities will include:

Project manage the initiative and work closely with the working group
Conduct an analysis of the current ecosystem of monuments and historical sites in Delhi, such as which monuments are under which jurisdiction, the footfall and revenue at different monuments, and an analysis of best practices
Manage the design and implementation of interventions at demo sites, and track success of various interventions
- Such as implementing QR codes at historical monuments that allow the visitor to access related content, historical narratives, videos, etc.
Form partnerships with related central and state governments/departments, including ASI and others, to mobilise the ecosystem
Create a list of potential funders/donors and assist with fundraising for various projects/interventions
Develop outreach activities in the local community to make historical knowledge more contextual and accessible

Required qualifications, skills, and abilities

Graduate degree from a top-tier institution. While the degree can be in any area, a strong passion for history and culture of India is essential
4-5 years of professional work experience, preferably in management or strategy consulting, general management, or a related field. Exceptional candidates with lesser work experience can also apply
Highly analytical with strong quantitative skills and structured thinking
Action-oriented with the ability to take initiative and develop solutions quickly and effectively
Ability to prepare written communication; skills in web-based communication will be a value-add to this position
Excellent stakeholder management skills

Remuneration