Field Officers - School of Human Development (SHD)

Field Officers (State or District HQ, Odisha) - School of Human Development (SHD) About Us The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is an interdisciplinary knowledge institution and distinct university, committed to the equitable, sustainable and efficient transformation of Indian settlements. It conducts an integrated programme of quality campus-based teaching and research, applied research/ practice-based work to deliver large-scale impact, training and lifelong learning for working professionals as well as blended learning. IIHS brings together theory and praxis around India-centric knowledge and applied research, while engaging with and drawing from knowledge across the globe. For more information, please see http://www.iihs.co.in About the School of Human Development (SHD) The School of Human Development (SHD) at IIHS focuses on social transformation. The School understands social transformation as a set of processes that are rooted in, and seek to directly address: Inequality in social status and substantive rights based on identity; The absence of material and economic dignity for the urban majority; and Inequities in political presence, recognition and participation. The School's core focus areas are: Decent work; Affordable housing; Social inequality; Social protection; Urban health; Community mobilization; Care Infrastructure. About the Care vertical nested under SHD The IIHS Care vertical has several programmes cutting across research and practice which conceptualises and explores feasible care models to address deficits in care, especially in childcare and care for the elderly. Some of the current projects include research to understand experiences across a series of interventions aimed at strengthening the ecosystem of actors involved in building care infrastructure. About 'Piloting Extended Childcare Models for Informally Working Women in India' IIHS is providing technical assistance to the Governments of Meghalaya (GoM) and Odisha (GoO) to support the extension of Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) into crèches (AWCCs), in alignment with the PALNA scheme. This support spans diverse geographies—including urban, peri-urban, and rural areas—with a strong focus on enabling these centres to serve as mechanisms for supporting women engaged in informal livelihoods and other vulnerable contexts in building their economic agency. Job Description In line with the objectives of the Palna Mission, IIHS has set up a technical support unit (TSU) to support the development of Anganwadi cum creches (AWCCs) in the state of Odisha. For the TSU, the project is hiring Field Officers based in Odisha, with a preference for candidates familiar with the geography and language of the state. The candidates will work closely with the people and functions of the Department of Women and Child Development (DoWCD), other members of the TSU, especially the Team Lead, and the School of Human Development (SHD), IIHS. These positions will be under the above-mentioned project as Field Officers at State HQ or District HQ. The positions involve various responsibilities aimed at supporting and advancing the implementation of the pilot centres. The project activities present an excellent opportunity to contribute to, and gain insight into, the implementation of government-led social development programs across rural and urban communities in India. The role will include conducting field research, coordinating with various stakeholders involved in pilot implementation, critically monitoring progress on implementation, and supporting any other documentation, analysis, and implementation activities as required. Additionally, the Field Officer assigned to Bhubaneswar (State HQ) will assume extended responsibilities. These include supporting the Team Manager in overseeing program implementation, providing monitoring and supervision, and managing communication and documentation efforts to regularly update the DoWCD on the program's progress. The incumbents will receive basic orientation on the themes of this project and will be part of the project team based in Odisha and Bengaluru. These will be contractual positions for an initial term of 11 months, renewable on mutual consent. Activities and Tasks Responsibilities would include, but not be limited to, the following: Monitoring and tracking progress and quality of Pilot Centres as per SOP and Monitoring Framework: Regular monitoring (field monitoring and remote monitoring) of all pilot sites and regular visits to experimental sites; Coordinating with government stakeholders and providing relevant technical support to achieve timely and quality implementation of Experimental Pilot centres. This will include: Providing technical and capacity-building support to relevant government stakeholders as required; Implementation of the SOP guidelines on the ground and providing necessary support for it, as well as documenting and reporting on the experience of the implementation; Reflective practice, that is, dynamically engaging with the stakeholders, field realities, government capacity, and the SOP to identify opportunities and ideas for refining the SOP; Supporting the project team in research and documentation on the project as required; Supporting the Odisha TSU in communications and reporting as required; Supporting the Palna program team in the State as required; Providing support to other IIHS activities including academics, research, training, practice, operations and others; Participating in all activities of Institution-building at IIHS; carrying out tasks as assigned by IIHS; and travelling on IIHS work within or outside the country as and when needed.

The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is an interdisciplinary knowledge institution and distinct university, committed to the equitable, sustainable and efficient transformation of Indian settlements. It conducts an integrated programme of quality campus-based teaching and research, applied research/ practice-based work to deliver large-scale impact, training and lifelong learning for working professionals as well as blended learning. IIHS brings together theory and praxis around India-centric knowledge and applied research, while engaging with and drawing from knowledge across the globe.