General Information

Position Title:

Panchayati Raj Institution Expert

Reports to:

Principal Secretary Panchayati Raj Department

Department:

Bihar Vikas Mission

Job Code:

Key Accountabilities

Strategizing and Expert Advisory

• Design a strategic plan and roadmap forthe capacity building of the Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) in the State, in conjunction with relevant stakeholders in the Department (Principal Secretary, Secretaries etc.) and related functionaries

• Contribute to the Departments work plan related to need assessment studies for developing the State specific training curriculum for all panchayats to address planning and implementation, through insightful analysis and innovative solutions

• Conduct domain research and provide insights and perspective to ensure incorporation of best practices and latest trends & technologies from across different states and facilitate management decision-making

• Assist the Department in formulating new policies and reforming existing policies in order to coordinate with organizations or institutions for imparting training to the PRIs, government officials in place and identified community level master trainers

• Support the Department in required process and system reforms to ensure effective implementation of the strategic planfor PRI and its continuous monitoring, as required

• Provide the required guidance and support to the Department in determining comprehensive status of Panchayats in the State along with inter-state comparisons and best practices with respect to:

  • Election and representation in Panchayats, including issues related to State Election Commission

  • Structure and functioning of Panchayats, including Standing Committees

  • Devolution of funds, functions and functionaries to Panchayats

  • Decentralized planning, with a focus on participatory plans by Gram Panchayats

  • Role & issues related to elected representatives from marginalized sections such as SC, ST and women

  • Role of Panchayats in local institutions such as schools, Anganwadis, hospitals, PDS etc.

  • Infrastructure and manpower availability in Panchayats

  • Panchayats finance, accounts and audit

  • e-governance in Panchayats

• Liaise with relevant officials in the Department to develop ideas and plans to address other departmental priorities related to Panchayati Raj Institutions and undertake strategic and operational planning exercises

• Establish and build partnerships with important and relevant national level bodies and organizations like Ministry of Panchayati Raj (Government of India), Ministry of Rural Development (Government of India), and NITI Aayog and leading private organizations to garner support for strengthening PRIs in the State

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement of systems, processes and practices taking into account international and national best practices, in order to facilitate cost optimization and productivity improvement

Policies, Systems, Processes & Procedures

• Recommend improvements to functional procedures and follow all relevant departmental policies, processes, standard operating procedures and instructions so that work is carried out in a controlled and consistent manner

Related Assignments

• Perform other related duties or assignments as and when required

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• PG Diploma or Masters degree in Rural Development / Rural Management

• Minimum 15 years of post-qualification experience of working in the domain of rural development in India preferably with international NGOs, with at least 7 years of experience inplanning and driving capacity building of Panchayati Raj institutions and / or other rural institutions and bodies

Preferred

• Lessthan 70 years of age as on 1st January 2017

• PGDRDM from NIRD / PGPRM from IRMA

• Experience of working with state and national level large scale projects (budget value of more than Rs. 500 crores) will be given preference with proven records of execution of the project

• Proven track record of working with state / central government / bilateral / multilateral organizations (such as NIRD, SIRD, AARDO, RGRDF, ESCWA, World Bank, DFID, UNDP, ADB etc.) on capacity building of rural institutions

• Relevant diploma/ certificate in Panchayat Level Administration & Development from a Government of India recognized institute

• Honors / Awards / discourses / recognized publications in relevant area will be an added advantage

Knowledge and Other Skills

• Strong interpersonal and networking skills

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Hindi

• Experience of policy and process design, operations development and management in the domain of rural development

• Strong understanding of rural decentralized governance system (PRI) and familiarity with the working of the government institutions.

• Excellent knowledge of latest technologies, trends and best practices in governance.

• Good knowledge of government schemes and programmes, rural development dynamics, ground realities and political process.

• Experience in providing evidence-based, outcomes-oriented programme management and technical support, including training, operations research and large-scale programme monitoring