Program Lead - MNE (BTP) STEP Bihar

About Mantra4ChangeMantra4Change is a non‐profit organization working with governments to transform public education systems in India, so that millions of children can learn better, grow stronger, and thrive. We partner closely with state education departments to design and implement reforms at scale, strengthening leadership, governance, and classroom practice across public schools. Our work is grounded in the belief that lasting change happens when governments lead their own transformation.

Through long‐term collaboration with institutions such as Samagra Shiksha, SCERTs and DIETs, Mantra4Change focuses on developing school leaders and system leaders, building collaborative school cultures, and engaging communities as partners in learning. By combining strong on‐ground implementation with continuous learning, we help systems identify what works, scale it responsibly, and sustain improvement over time.

**About the Gaya Block Transformation Program (BTP)**We have been working closely with the education department of Bihar since 2021 to strengthen education leadership at various levels through collective action, leveraging technology to drive school improvement. Alongside our state‐wide Project‐Based Learning (PBL) work in the middle grades, we run a deeper district intervention in Gaya that provides governance and academic support to key stakeholders at the district, block, and complex levels.

Mantra4Change is now launching the Block Transformation Program (BTP), a four‐year initiative to build a replicable model of quality education across three aspirational blocks in Gaya, covering close to 200 government middle schools. The program deepens Project‐Based Learning in Grades 6 to 8 in math, science, and social subjects, and strengthens the whole block ecosystem, teachers, block and district officials, and parents, so that children in government schools learn better and develop both academic and holistic outcomes.

The program is built on a set of interdependent pillars: relevant, experience‐based learning resources; effective parent and community engagement; clear KPIs for block, DIET, and district officials; teacher capacity building centered on classroom action; recognition as a design element; instructional support by education leaders; and strong review systems where what gets measured gets done.

About the RoleThe Program Lead - Monitoring and Evaluation owns the measurement system for the Block Transformation Program across three blocks in Gaya and close to 200 government middle schools. The role builds and runs the evidence that tells the block whether classroom practice is actually changing classroom observation data against the Grade 6‐8 Classroom Observation Tool, PBL Gold Standard tracking, student assessment from baseline to endline, school visit coverage, and the dashboards that BEOs, the DPO, and DIET Gaya use in their monthly reviews.This is a field‐facing measurement role, not a desk role. It suits someone who can hold the line between coverage and practice, who is comfortable in a Grade 7 science classroom with an observation tool as well as in a spreadsheet, and who wants their data to change what the block does next month rather than sit in a report. The role works alongside the Program Leads, government mentors, Complex Coordinators, and Block Technical Teams.

Roles and Responsibilities (but not limited to)

1. 1. Measurement Framework and Indicators

   • Build and maintain the BTP results framework covering outputs, outcomes, indicators, baselines, targets, data sources, and frequency for each program pillar.
   • Keep coverage measures (visits done, teachers trained, kits delivered) clearly separate from practice measures (teachers facilitating a complete PBL cycle with Gold Standard elements) and hold the program team to that distinction.
   • Trace the indicator set upward to PARAKH readiness and to Bihar SQAAF Domains 2 and 3, so that block progress reads in the same language the state uses.

2. 2. Data Collection Systems and Data Quality

   • Design and maintain digital data collection tools on SurveyCTO or equivalent for classroom observation, school visits, learning circles, PTMs, and training feedback.
   • Run observer calibration with Program Leads, government mentors, and CRCCs so that two observers score the same classroom the same way and re‐calibrate each cycle.
   • Run back‐checks, spot checks, and routine data quality audits, and fix the collection process rather than only cleaning the data afterwards.

3. 3. Student Assessment

   • Plan and run baseline, midline, and endline student assessments in math and science for Grades 6 to 8, including sampling, tool design, field logistics, and enumerator training.
   • Analyse results by grade, by learning outcome, and by block, and identify the weakest NCERT learning outcomes so that teacher support is targeted rather than general.
   • Translate findings into specific instructional actions for teachers, Head Teachers, and CRCCs, and check in the next cycle whether those actions moved anything.

4. 4. Dashboards and Review Packs

   • Build and maintain the BTP dashboard covering school visits, classroom observations, Gold Standard element coverage, learning circle completion, Micro‐Improvement Project submissions on DIKSHA, PTMs, and student assessment.
   • Produce a monthly review pack for BEOs, the DPO, and DIET Gaya, with one clear message per page and school‐wise and complex‐wise variation made visible.
   • Keep program data aligned with government systems, including the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), wherever an official reporting line exists.

• Must be comfortable speaking and writing in English and Hindi.
• A master's degree in education, Social Sciences, Statistics, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field is preferred.
• Must have 2–5 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, research, or data‐related roles, preferably in the education or development sector.
• Must have hands‐on experience in collecting data from the field.
• Experience in teaching or working with classrooms will be an added advantage.
• Must have good knowledge of Google Sheets or Excel.
• Must have working knowledge of SurveyCTO, Kobo, or similar data collection tools.
• Must be comfortable with data visualisation using Looker Studio, Power BI, or similar tools.
• Must have a basic understanding of data analysis and statistics.
• Must have basic knowledge of Google Workspace, Canva, and AI tools.
• Knowledge of Python, R, or Stata will be an added advantage but is not mandatory.
• Must be willing to live in Gaya, travel regularly for school visits and assessments, and stay there for the duration of the programme.