Applications Invited for Women in Public Finance Fellowship 2025-27

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About the Organization

Janaagraha began as a movement to promote participatory democracy at the neighbourhood level. We soon discovered, however, that citizen participation alone was not enough.

Governments must also be equipped to deliver infrastructure and services, build their own capacity through training and technology, fully empower elected leaders, and ensure high standards of accountability and transparency.

We then adopted a two-track approach: resolving issues on services and infrastructure through participation, even as we worked to reform the systems that delivered them.

Our learnings and experiences shaped our thinking and led to the development of the City-Systems framework.

Janaagraha’s mission is to work with citizens and governments to transform the ‘quality of life’ in India’s cities and towns. The term ‘quality of life’ as defined by Janaagraha has two dimensions. The first is the ‘quality of urban infrastructure and services,’ that is, roads, drains, transport, water supply, etc. The second is the ‘quality of citizenship’ – that is, the role that urban citizens can play by participating in civic matters.

About the Fellowship

A transformative Fellowship, the first of its kind development initiative in the ecosystem, dedicated to nurturing professionals and municipal finance officers to become reform champions within the Public Finance Management (PFM) sector.

The Women in Public Finance Fellowship empowers you to become a leader and places you at the heart of urban reform—working alongside the union government, constitutional agencies and senior state officers to design and implement impactful public finance reforms. With expert mentorship, hands-on training, and an inspiring peer cohort, you will be empowered to work towards inclusive, effective governance across India’s cities. This professional Fellowship offers a competitive stipend and attracts talented professionals and municipal finance officers from across the country.

Launched in 2024, the inaugural cohort of 11 Public Finance Fellows is working on critical reform projects across Finance and Urban Development Departments in six different states of India.

As a Public Finance Fellow, you will be part of a select cohort of changemakers working collaboratively within a wide, knowledge sharing network to gain insights and create impact along three pillars of public finance management.

• Sustainable Funding: Adequate and reliable funding sources for Urban Local Governments (ULGs) with funds transferred in a timely and predictable manner.
• Effective Utilization: Planned budgets that are optimally utilised and tracked throughout service delivery, with effective expenditure management.
• Public Accountability: Real-time trackability and public visibility of outlay, outputs and outcomes, building trust among stakeholders.

The Fellowship is designed to deepen your understanding of public finance and build real-world leadership skills. With structured mentoring from a domain expert and support from the Programme Team, your work will help shape impactful tools of policy engagement that can inform the discourse on public finance in India while developing a foundation for a long-term career in governance. As a Public Finance Fellow, you will:

• Explore the Policy Landscape: Research state and municipal laws, budgets, and revenue frameworks to understand how cities are financed, how they budget and spend, and disclose financial and performance information.
• Analyse Budgets and Financial Reports: Analyse data from budgets, audit reports, revenue trends, and service delivery data to uncover insights and gaps.
• Manage Stakeholders: Collaborate with senior government officers to align on project outputs, seek feedback, conduct reviews and follow through on the pre-agreed scope of work.
• Facilitate Systemic Reform: Help design and implement solutions across policies, processes, and tools that strengthen public finance systems.
• Document and Disseminate: Capture key learnings to support peer learning and contribute to the wider discourse on public finance management in India.

Why This Fellowship Is for You:

• Discover an Exciting Career Opportunity: Gain a two-year, full-time position with a competitive stipend.
• Gain Hands-On Field Experience: Collaborate with senior government officials on live reform initiatives.
• Connect to a Peer Network: Join and work collaboratively within a wide knowledge sharing network of peers and industry professionals.
• Engage with Industry Leaders: Participate in masterclasses with eminent women leaders in public finance.
• Learn from Expert-Led Webinars: Participate in residential workshops and  monthly sessions with domain experts, covering contemporary challenges and innovations
• Receive Expert Mentorship: Receive personalised mentorship from domain experts to guide you through every stage of the Fellowship.

What the Fellowship Offers:

• Hands-On Experience through Project Immersion

Project immersion is the cornerstone of this Fellowship, giving Fellows hands-on experience stationed within government departments. By engaging directly with government teams and stakeholders in the ecosystem, they tackle real challenges and drive systemic reforms such as;

• Strengthening municipal capacities
• Promoting fiscal decentralisation
• Tackling gaps in revenue generation strategies
• Streamlining budget processes
• Addressing inefficiencies in fund allocation and expenditure
• Improving financial and performance reporting and facilitating digital solutions

This immersive approach provides valuable insights into the complexities of public governance and finance management in cities.

• Structured Support through Learning and Development

Fellows receive ongoing support to ensure their Fellowship experience remains on track and delivers meaningful, impactful results. Here’s what this support looks like:

• Induction Workshop
• Webinars with Domain Experts
• Masterclasses on Thematic Areas
• Professional Development

 

• Guidance through Expert-Led Mentoring

Fellows are assigned a mentor to support their learning and growth in their second year of the Fellowship. The mentor aids in developing problem-solving skills, designing and planning projects, and also provides insights into navigating government systems.

Through regular, structured interactions, the mentor encourages reflection, critical thinking, and adaptive learning, ensuring Fellows remain aligned with their goals and equipped to overcome challenges. As the Fellowship concludes, mentors provide personalised guidance on career advancement and help the Fellows unlock impactful opportunities.

Eligibility

We’re seeking curious, committed professionals who are ready to step into public leadership and drive real change in how our cities are governed and financed.

• An academic background in public policy, urban governance, economics, finance, business or other relevant fields
• 4-7 years of work experience and the willingness and ability to transition to public finance
• Profiles with a minimum of 2 years of work experience may be considered if they display the willingness and ability to transition to the public finance sector.
• Detail-oriented candidates with creative problem-solving, stakeholder management and project planning skills.

Janaagraha will also seek nominations of young women Municipal Finance officers from Urban Development Departments of select states as potential Fellows who will thereafter be assessed for alignment with the Fellowship.

How to Apply

Applications Open

10th July 2025 – 10th August 2025

Our application process is designed to be inclusive, constructive, and engaging. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Submit your application through a Google Form, including written responses and a case study to help us understand your approach to real-world challenges. We will get back to you within 2 weeks of your application.

Apply Now

For more information please check the Link

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Tags Skill Development Women Empowerment Public Policy/ Policy Others