Research Assistant – HP Gender DRR

About Palladium:
Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people's lives.

Position:
Research Assistant – HP Gender DRR

Location:

Shimla

Project Overview
Palladium is offering its technical expertise & support to the HPSDMA in scrutinizing the existing barriers to gender mainstreaming in DRR and to offer actionable insights for embedding gender considerations into the fabric of disaster management policies and practices in HP.
The broad scope of the project includes:
Literature Review:
Conduct an exhaustive review of existing literature, reports, and documents related to DRR, with a focus on identifying gaps in gender mainstreaming and opportunities for integration.
Baseline Gender Analysis:
Perform a baseline analysis of the impact of disasters on different genders within HP, evaluating the sensitivity and responsiveness of current disaster management practices to gender-specific needs and roles.
Policy and regulatory analysis:
Undertake a detailed review of state-level policies, regulations, and frameworks related to DRR, assessing their gender sensitivity and identifying areas for improvement.
Identification of Challenges:
Identify challenges to gender mainstreaming in DRR across various dimensions, including but not limited to:
Resource sharing and economic opportunity.
Human resource engagement in disaster management.
Capacity building within community resilience frameworks.
Information, education, and communication strategies.
Application of science & technology, including training.
Program implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning processes
Disaster preparedness.
Post-disaster relief & reconstruction.
Comprehensive Gender Analysis
Establish a baseline by sex-disaggregated data
Impact and Risk Assessment
Stakeholder engagement
Gender Mainstreaming Guideline Development
Implementation Planning

About the role:

The Research Assistant shall:
Support the overall execution of the Diagnostic Study on Hindrances in Mainstreaming Gender in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Himachal Pradesh, in alignment with the approved methodology, timelines, and Terms of Reference.
Support end-to-end research and analysis, including literature review, data compilation, methodology inputs, and development/refinement of gender-responsive research tools.
Contribute to preparation of all reports and knowledge outputs (Pre-Interim, Interim, Inception Report, Final Report, Guidelines), including drafting, synthesis of findings, and integration of stakeholder feedback.
Provide on-ground support for fieldwork activities across districts, including coordination with survey agencies, enumerators, and local stakeholders.
Manage and support data processes, including collection of oversight, cleaning, organization, and quantitative and qualitative analysis to generate evidence-based insights.
Support planning and execution of workshops and consultations, including stakeholder coordination, logistics, and preparation of materials.
Provide implementation and coordination support during field engagements (FGDs, KIIs, workshops), including survey team coordination where required.
Lead documentation and synthesis of stakeholder inputs, including preparation of workshop reports and ensuring integration of insights into study deliverables.
Support stakeholder engagement processes, including coordination with government departments, scheduling meetings, and documenting consultations.
Ensure compliance with ethical standards, gender inclusion principles, and data quality protocols.
Ensure timely completion of assigned tasks in accordance with the project workplan and reporting requirements.
Undertake any other task(s) related to the project as assigned by the reporting manager.

Timeline
The consultancy timeline would be 8 months starting from the date of joining.

Expected Deliverables
The Research Assistant is expected to support with the delivery (incl. acceptance from client) of the following

Desk support
Support with overall report writing (Inception report, Pre Interim report, Interim report, Final report, Approach and Methodology, Sampling methodology)
Literature review
Field survey tool kit design
Data analysis
Preparation of GIS Maps and
Field survey report

Field support
Support with field survey (KII, ETC, FGD)
Coordinate with enumerator
Coordinate with stakeholders for gathering data
Documentation of best practices, case studies, and DTC from the field

Workshop
Coordination and Organization
Note taking, collection of feedback
Overall support

Required Qualifications:

Post Graduate Degree in Social Science (Economics/ Sociology/ Social Work).
Minimum 2 yrs experience in research, with good Knowledge of…