International Development and Social Impact
After completing my Economics Honours at Panjab University and earning a Master’s (with scholarship) in International Political Economy from King's College London, my work from 2017 to 2021 encompassed policy research, program design and inclusive development. I contributed to policy improvements at the United Nations Office at Geneva, led knowledge management and designed evaluation processes at Development Alternatives, and mapped digital banking services for inclusivity at Quicksand Design Studio. Throughout this period, I developed expertise in policy analysis, field research, program implementation, and content development, addressing complex challenges across international and rural development landscapes.
Overview: Roles and Skills
Policy Research and Development
At the United Nations in Geneva, I honed my ability to analyse and synthesize complex policy information, focusing on international organisational processes. I worked closely with evaluation officers and inspectors from the General Assembly to draft reports aimed at improving efficiency within the UN. This required a strong understanding of conflict case reports, policy analysis, and the ability to interview external organisations to benchmark best practices.
Key Skills: Policy analysis, report writing, stakeholder interviewing, international relations, conflict research.
Field Research and Community Engagement
Through my work at Development Alternatives and Quicksand, I gained expertise in conducting grassroots field research in rural Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. I engaged directly with the local population, particularly women and youth, to understand their needs, challenges, and aspirations. This required not only an empathetic and methodical approach to gathering information but also a deep cultural sensitivity and adaptability.
Key Skills: Fieldwork, community engagement, participatory research, data gathering, cross-cultural communication.
Program Design and Implementation
At Development Alternatives, I played a crucial role in designing frameworks to address the socio-economic challenges faced by rural entrepreneurs. I contributed to developing strategies to connect them with potential service providers to support their ventures. My work also involved creating an evaluation system to continuously assess and evolve the program's processes.
Key Skills: Program design, system thinking, design thinking, micro-entrepreneurship frameworks, partnership building.
Knowledge Management and Content Development
In my role as a knowledge manager, I was responsible for producing a range of content, including short stories documenting entrepreneurial journeys, reports on the program's progress, toolkits for broader adaptation, and scripts for short documentaries. This involved translate complex program data and individual stories into compelling, accessible content for diverse audiences.
Key Skills: Storytelling, content creation, publication development, knowledge dissemination, documentation.
Event Organisation and Facilitation
I have organised national-level events to facilitate policy discussions and knowledge exchange, bringing together stakeholders from various sectors. This required detailed planning, coordination, and facilitation skills to ensure productive dialogues between policy-makers, entrepreneurs, and institutions.
Key Skills: Event planning, facilitation, stakeholder management, policy exchange, coordination.
Stakeholder Mapping and Inclusive Design
During my time at Quicksand Design Studio, I conducted stakeholder mapping to understand the landscape of digital banking services in Varanasi and Mirzapur. Through a series of interviews and observations, I explored ways to make digital financial services more inclusive for women and minority groups; identifying drawbacks for greater accessibility.
Key Skills: Stakeholder analysis, inclusion strategies, human-centred design, interview techniques, service design.
Publications
Published by International Labour Organisation's Decent Jobs for Youth and EMES Research Network
An article about the potential of youth-led influence networks in challenging existing norms about self-employment in rural parts of India
Featured by UNICEF's Generation Unlimited
A toolkit for building an integrated learning system for development programs, and principles for understanding social and behaviour change (in the context of job creation; adaptive to other thematics).
Featured by UNICEF's Generation Unlimited
Series of documentaries about the power of collaboration.
Published by Development Alternatives and la Caixa Foundation
A report about the Work 4 Progress program in India and its lessons for social innovation and job creation programs in developing countries.
Featured by UNICEF'S Generation Unlimited
Stories written with young leaders and entrepreneurs in rural parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Published by United Nations, Joint Inspection Unit
Supported Inspector Aicha Afifi and Alexandra Samoulada in primary and secondary research and conceptualising the review published in 2019.
Published by United Nations, Joint Inspection Unit
Supported Inspector Rajab Sukayri and Alexandra Samoulada in synthesising findings and drafting the review published in 2017.
Contact
Since 2021, I have focused on independent projects, including designing Creative Learning and Expressions, an adaptive educational program, founding Mysticeti, an art and literary community, and establishing Kauri, a centre for art and storytelling in Varanasi.
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I am open to collaborating on international development and social impact projects that align with my focus areas: child development, creative learning, and storytelling. If you have a project in mind, feel free to reach out at stutisareen1@gmail.com - I would love to discuss potential opportunities for collaboration.