Praxis Programme

What is Practicum?

Like academic semesters, the PPiA Praxis Programme consists of four practicums, each lasting six months. During the practicums, the learner cohort will be placed within public administration settings, where they will work directly with high-impact public programs while bringing system-based innovations to solve complex problems and expedite service delivery.

The cohort will be evaluated and assessed based on their ability to engage and deliver tangible outcomes aligned with the host project’s deliverables. Throughout the practicums, they will also receive periodic and consistent mentorship from world-class faculty to further enhance their knowledge, skills, and perspectives, enabling them to make impactful contributions to specific government programmes.

Practicum Timeline

While the learner cohort is placed within the public administration, they are expected to complete their practicums in four phases, each lasting six months.

Diagnosis & Design for Intervention

This phase will cover evidence gathering of deficiencies and opportunities within public system delivery, articulating surfacing issues with a solution-oriented approach, analysis of issues pertaining to critical public programmes, and stakeholder identification & analysis.

Solution Implementation & Treatment – I

This phase will consist of applying contextualised knowledge and perspectives to build user-centric programme design, and mobilising counterparts for action & supporting them through change.

Solution Implementation & Treatment – II

This phase will consist of building evidence-based methodologies for solutions, defining long-term vision and decoding the systems of implementation – gap analysis, scope, opportunity, and resources.

Impact Measuring & Sustainability

This phase will focus on building change at scale; building protocols, toolkits, & manuals; sustaining impact through communication; and mandate creation with counterparts.

Complementary Engagement

To bolster their practicum experience, the learners will be provided with the following opportunities:

Biweekly Check-ins

The learner cohort will meet virtually once every two weeks to reflect on their own experiences, support their peers in their professional and learning journeys, and benefit from each other’s experience, knowledge, and perspectives.

Monthly Praxis Seminars

The learner-cohort will benefit from monthly online lectures from prominent development practitioners, academics, and high level bureaucrats to strengthen their perspectives on public policy & its implications.

Quarterly Reflection Workshops

The workshops will be held online to consolidate engagement reflections and document them effectively. Learners will submit quarterly reflection papers (3-4 pages, double-spaced) during the Practicum, detailing instructional and observational learnings from their tasks. Papers are due every three months at a mutually agreed time.

Policy Brief

Learners must create a concise policy brief (2 pages, single-spaced) within the first 6 months of the practicum. It should outline the identified problem or intervention, offer context, urgency backed by evidence-based research, current policy approaches, and recommendations.

Media Publication

In the second year of the programme, learners are expected to produce one opinion piece of 750 words. This piece may be published in a recognized publication with the support of the programme team. It should present a convincing pitch of the issue at hand. Evaluation for this assignment is limited to submitting the opinion piece for publication. The actual publication of the piece does not affect the grades provided.

Seminar Organisation

Annually, in August, Transform Rural India hosts the India Rural Colloquy, allocating a slot for a group of 3-4 Graduates. Learners are tasked with crafting an engaging session blurb, selecting key speakers to facilitate a stimulating discussion, implementing relevant outreach strategies (such as social media and press releases), and engaging relevant stakeholders who will participate in the seminar.

Dissertation

At the end of the 2-year program, learners are expected to submit a dissertation (35 pages, single-spaced) summarizing and analyzing the tasks assigned in the practicum component. The dissertation should comprise four chapters: Context, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Impact.