Senior Programme Advisor Urban Governance & Digital Transformation

Senior Programme Advisor – Urban Governance & Digital Transformation

Location: Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Engagement: Secondment (12 months, extendable by a second year by mutual consent)

Functional Reporting: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha

Administrative Reporting: eGov Foundation (employer of record during secondment)

Do you want to help a State translate an ambitious vision for urban India into time-bound programmes that change how cities are governed and serviced We are seeking an experienced Senior Advisor to provide dedicated programme management and advisory support to the Additional Chief Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha, in furtherance of the State's vision for Viksit Odisha 2036. If this is you, we'd love for you to join us your work will directly shape citizen-centric, data-driven urban governance for millions.

About eGov Foundation

eGov Foundation is a 20-year-old tech-for-good organisation founded by Nandan Nilekani and Srikanth N to use technology to improve the delivery of public services and governance at scale and speed. Our goal is to make public services more equitable, efficient, and transparent. We currently work with national and sub-national governments and impact the lives of over 1 billion citizens, in sectors such as Public Finance, Water, Sanitation, Urban, Public Health, and Social Benefits. We do this through our core offering DIGIT (Digital Infrastructure for Governance, Inclusion & Transformation), an open-source, digital public good that works like an operating system to build, design, and scale digital transformation programmes in as little as 100 days. Read more about the work of eGov Foundation here:

1. https://egov.org.in/

2. https://www.digit.org/

The Role

As Senior Programme Advisor (Urban Governance & Digital Transformation), you will be seconded by eGov Foundation to H&UDD and positioned in the Office of the Additional Chief Secretary, functioning as part of the Digital Urban Governance Acceleration Unit. You will serve as a senior advisor to the ACS, placing considered recommendations on programme, governance, and technical issues before the Department for examination and action by the competent authority. Your role spans the full programme lifecycle – from translating departmental priorities into a structured portfolio, through governance design and adoption, to monitoring outcomes – while reducing the coordination burden on the ACS and serving as a central point for programme management, governance, and technology follow-up. An Annual Outcomes Plan and Quarterly Work Plans will anchor your work, reviewed quarterly against agreed KPIs.

What You'll Do

• Drive Strategic Programme Management:

◦ Assist the ACS in translating departmental priorities into a structured portfolio of programmes and projects with clear objectives, milestones, and timelines.

◦ Maintain a consolidated view of major urban governance and digital transformation initiatives, including those under the proposed Centre for Public Service Excellence (CPSE), and prepare periodic briefs, decision memos, and presentations for the ACS, the Chief Secretary, Finance Department, SFC, and development partners.

• Lead Coordination and Follow-up:

◦ Function as the principal programme coordination point in the Office of the ACS for internal wings of H&UDD, TASU, eGov Foundation, ARF, development partners, consulting firms, and IT vendors.

◦ Track decisions from key review meetings chaired by the ACS, ensure follow-up on action points with concerned officers and agencies, and escalate cases requiring intervention.

• Build Governance Frameworks for Digital Platforms:

◦ Assist in designing and operationalising governance mechanisms for SUJOG and other key platforms – including steering committees and working groups, prioritisation support on change-request and enhancement processes, ULB-level support mechanisms, and data-quality and grievance-redressal arrangements.

◦ Support extension of governance arrangements to strategic initiatives such as the Unified Administrator Dashboard, AI Innovation Hub, and CCUG.

• Champion Digital Adoption, Change Management and Capacity Building:

◦ Prepare a consolidated SUJOG Adoption and Governance Roadmap for approval of the ACS, based on field assessments and partner consultations, and coordinate its implementation with DMA, SUDA, TASU, and ULBs.

◦ Facilitate change-management, capacity-building, and IEC activities linked to SUJOG and other digital initiatives.

• Enable Revenue Augmentation and Decision Support:

◦ Assist H&UDD in formulating and driving a digitally-enabled revenue augmentation strategy, with emphasis on tax and non-tax revenue streams and better use of data to improve ULB revenues.

◦ Support the ACS in obtaining executive dashboards and analytics (including an AI-enabled Administrator Dashboard) for improved visibility over revenue, service delivery, and project execution.

• Support the AI Innovation Hub, CCUG and Emerging Institutions:

◦ Coordinate with the Airawat Research Foundation, eGov Foundation, and H&UDD officials to align AI Innovation Hub activities with departmental priorities and identified use cases.

◦ Provide programme management support for the design and rollout of CCUG initiatives, including convening workshops and pilots as approved by the ACS.

◦ Provide strategic coordination to develop institutional mechanisms such as the proposed Centre for Public Service Excellence (CPSE), anchored in the Odisha Urban Academy.

• Represent the Department Externally:

◦ Represent H&UDD, alongside department officials, in regional, national, and international forums to showcase Odisha's work on citizen-centric, data-driven urban governance and to bring back ideas, partnerships, and recognition that strengthen the reforms agenda.

How Success Will Be Measured

Performance will be assessed broadly on the following indicators, to be detailed further by the ACS in consultation with eGov Foundation and other ANKUR partners:

• Institutional set-up: a functional governance pod established in the Office of the ACS – with defined Terms of Reference and meeting cadence – within the initial period of secondment.

• SUJOG adoption and governance: a SUJOG Adoption and Governance Roadmap placed before the ACS within three months of commencement, with demonstrable improvement in SUJOG usage and reduction in off-system processes against agreed baselines.

• Revenue augmentation and analytics: submission and approval of a digitally-enabled revenue augmentation plan within the secondment period, and operationalisation of key dashboards on agreed priority indicators.

• Programme management and issue resolution: timely programme trackers and action-point registers with a high rate of on-time closure, and effective escalation of critical bottlenecks (typically within 1–2 weeks of identification).

• Stakeholder feedback: positive feedback from the ACS and key departmental stakeholders on the quality, timeliness, and usefulness of support provided, recorded during formal review.

You're a Great Fit If You Have

• Passion for Social Impact: You are committed to using technology and sound programme management for social good.

• Programme Management Experience: A proven track record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder programmes – from planning and coordination to delivery, monitoring, and issue resolution – ideally in or with the government.

• Domain Understanding: Familiarity with urban governance, public service delivery, and digital transformation in the public sector; exposure to municipal/ULB systems is an advantage.

• Governance and Technical Acumen: An understanding of how digital platforms (DPI), data standards, dashboards, and analytics support better governance and revenue outcomes.

• Strong Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to prepare crisp briefs and decision memos and to engage senior government and partner stakeholders.

• Coordination Mindset: You thrive in fast-paced environments, work closely with cross-functional teams, and bring discipline to follow-up and execution.

Engagement Terms

• This is a secondment: eGov Foundation remains the employer and bears basic remuneration, allowances, and service benefits; no salary liability accrues to the Government of Odisha.

• Official travel, tour, and related incidental expenses on duties assigned by H&UDD will be borne by the Department per applicable Government norms, subject to prior approval of the competent authority.

• The secondee will be subject to the confidentiality, conduct, and conflict-of-interest norms applicable to officers in H&UDD, and will not enter into financial, contractual, or policy commitments on behalf of Government unless specifically authorised in writing.

• The secondment may be curtailed, extended, or modified by H&UDD in consultation with eGov Foundation in the interest of public service. Either party may seek withdrawal by giving 90 days written notice; H&UDD may discontinue with immediate effect in case of administrative, disciplinary, or other exigencies, with intimation to eGov Foundation.

eGov is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of background, experience, abilities, or

perspectives.

Interested candidates can apply through the following link.

https://forms.gle/hCZvRaVPw36SkpbL7