SPARC Program

It is with great pleasure that Swaniti Initiative in partnership with Tata Trusts and Constitution Club of India would like to introduce the Supporting Parliamentarians on Analysis and Research in Constituency (SPARC) Program to you. SPARC is a one year program where an Associate will be placed with a Member of Parliament to catalyze development in his/ her constituency and provide critical research and ground level developmental support. Some MPs who are part of the SPARC Program include Mr. Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Mr. Dinesh Trivedi, Mr. Anurag Thakur, Mr. Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Mr. Gaurav Gogoi and Dr. Heena Gavit, among others.

The idea behind the SPARC Program is to engage with the next generation of leaders to solve some of the most complex problems on the ground and to strengthen governance. SPARC Associates will be young professionals from top universities with strong academic background and experience in diversified fields. They will be problem solvers who can successfully handle challenging situations, strong communicators who can build relationships with officials and community, and passionate doers who can make a difference on the ground. In order to identify such leaders, the Program will follow a 4 step selection process:

Round 1: Interested applicants will need to fill an application form and submit their resume

Round 2: Shortlisted candidates will then complete a task sent to them in a designated time frame

Round 3: A telephonic or skype interview will be conducted to further gauge the skill set of the applicants

Round 4: In the final stage, applicants will be asked to come in for a face to face interview

Based on the successful completion of all the rounds, top 20 candidates will be selected for the SPARC program. We see the SPARC Associates as governance leaders. The Associates will be expected to join by 1st December 2016 and will be paid a stipend of INR 40,000 per month, without tax deductions. The logistics and accommodation for the Associates in the Constituency will be provided by the office of the Member of Parliament.

As we move ahead, it would be wonderful if you can share about the Program within your extensive network, in order to reach out to the such leaders who can ‘sparc’ the change. The applications for the same will close on 15th October 2016. To know more about the program, please visit: www.sparc.swaniti.com and in case of any queries please reach out to Abheek Bansal at 8860263646 or Utkarsha Bhardwaj at 9540273565.