Consultant shall work closely with the district administration in creating and implementing detailed District Action Plan (DAP), leverage district resources (especially the District FLN Nodal Officer i.e., AMO) to enhance the processes and strengthen existing inputs of the FLN Mission, such as the use of TLMs, effective TPD, dissemination of communication campaigns, and the effective monitoring systems as part of measuring outputs/outcomes.

Conduct small-scale pilot interventions (which are not part of the existing inputs) in the district to solve complex problems or problems specific to the district.

Other key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Providing efficiencies to implementation

• Deeper and grassroot-level diagnostic of “WHAT and WHY of the gaps” and problem-solving
• Ground level feedback to the state
• Design and/or execute district/mandal level strategies/solutions
• Build local capacities for adoption and usage
• Conduct Awareness campaigns/events on FLN across the schools/clusters /mandals/district

Improving enabling conditions

• Ensure state level governance structures (like review meetings) cascade effectively and functions well at the district level
• Creating deeper stakeholder buy-ins and salience for prioritizing FLN & become champions

Data monitoring and Progress check

• Conduct field trials to get ground feedback on monitoring system, and work closely with State to fix the gaps
• Analyze district level granular data
• Ensure regular data collection
• Improve data quality & reliability including independent data collection on KPIs, conduct pilot studies aimed at improving the same

Pilot Projects to test innovative models

• Implement pilot projects and test models for community/parental engagement
• TLM usage: Implement pilot projects and test solutions on key challenges such as MGML
• Work with District Admin. in the implementation of tech based Continuous Professional Development.

Documentation & Reporting

Prepare timely and accurate reports, documenting the program progress, achievements, challenges, and financial utilization
Document the quantitative and qualitative impact/outcomes of each and every intervention at the district level
District team will execute projects to stabilize outputs across FLN workstreams with the goal to improve KPIs.

Keen interest in the Development/Education sector

Fluent in both Telugu and English with excellent reading and writing skills

Prior experience working with state and district-level governance and institutional structures is highly desirable

Knowledge and experience in project management, including large-scale program implementation with multiple delivery tracks and monitoring

Strong skills in stakeholder management, problem-solving, and analytical thinking
 

About the team:

Strategic Support States: Strategic Support States (SSS) team at Central Square Foundation assists the States in designing and implementing the respective state missions to ensure FLN learning outcomes for children. Spread across five states, the Project Management Units (PMUs) of the team work closely with the state bodies in co-ideating goals for state’s FLN mission, identifying critical workstreams, setting indicators of success across the workstreams, and reviewing mission progress. Apart from these core activities, the SSS team also conducts action research projects and pilots context-specific programs to accelerate student learning.

CSF’s work in Telangana:

CSF has been actively working with the Department of School Education, Telangana, on its FLN mission "Tholimettu," ensuring that all children in Grades 1-5 receive quality education and achieve the desired FLN outcomes. To bring fidelity in the implementation of the mission, CSF has taken proactive steps to intervene in select districts. These interventions serve as demonstrative models to showcase how targeted strategies and coordinated efforts can bring about significant improvements in FLN outcomes within the given timeline.

CSF's interventions go beyond mere support; they involve strategic planning, capacity building, and continuous monitoring of the implementation process. By closely working with district administrators, grassroots NGOs, and local elected bodies, CSF aims to address implementation challenges, identify gaps, and prioritize areas that can drive significant improvements in FLN outcomes. These interventions serve as catalysts for change and provide valuable insights into effective implementation strategies that can be scaled up across the state.