DNPPF has traversed an 11-year journey and has carved a path for Nepali youth to actively engage and synergize with the Government of Nepal. The fellowship gives participating candidates a unique chance to collaborate with public partners from different government agencies and parliamentarians to conduct policy research. This collaborative initiative has become an action platform for Nepali students and young professionals, both inside and outside the country. Since 2013, we have supported 182 young Nepali professionals who have been trained in 32 countries to collaborate with 74 government organizations and 28 parliamentarians to conduct policy research.
With a key motive of “My Government, My Responsibility,” the Government of Nepal and Daayitwa have been partnering to identify and apply innovative policy ideas to promote economic growth and strengthen the governance system in Nepal. This collaborative initiative has become an action platform for Nepali students and young professionals, both inside and outside the country. In addition to the immense learning through a rare and close-up engagement with the public partners, the fellows also partake in a leadership course, a public administration course, research training sessions, statistical software training, analytical skills and project management sessions, an introduction to qualitative research skills, research mentorship sessions provided by Ph.D. experts in the various fields covered by the fellowship, and networking events with various public, private, and social stakeholders.
Mission
The mission of the Daayitwa Nepal Public Policy Fellowship is to ignite self-responsibility for public service in Nepali youth by nurturing their collaborative leadership towards an enterprising Nepal. It has three major goals:
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Support the government and political representatives in addressing the critical needs of priority projects.
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Strengthen the innovation and leadership capacity of youth through engagement in government projects.
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Build a collaborative community of young policy entrepreneurs, action-oriented policymakers, and policy experts to promote innovation in the governance system.
Fellowship Duration
The fellowship duration for 2024 is three months, beginning from June 3, 2024 to September 3, 2024.
Research Themes of DNPPF
This year, the Fellowship cohort of 2024 will have an opportunity to collaborate with one
of 7 public partners on policy research:
1. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) - Strengthening Market Access
2. Ministry of Communication Information and Technology (MoCIT) - Innovative Practices in ICT
3. Ministry of Finance (MoF) - Climate Financing
4. Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) - Local Governance and Sustainable Development
5. Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS)- Promoting Startups in Nepal and Women Enterprise Development
6. Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) - Transforming Governance for Inclusive Development
Frequently Asked Questions
a) WHAT IS DAAYITWA NEPAL PUBLIC POLICY FELLOWSHIP?
The Daayitwa Nepal Public Policy Fellowship is a program where young professionals collaborate with the government to conduct policy research and promote evidence-based policy decisions. The fellowship program competitively selects and places young professionals and students in public agencies for 3 months, builds their technical and adaptive capacities and enables them to provide research support to their public partners.
b) WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED TO BE A DAAYITWA NEPAL PUBLIC POLICY FELLOW?
The applicants are expected to have completed a bachelor's degree in public policy, international relations, economics, business, or a related field with high academic achievement (accredited university, GPA, coursework rigor). Applicants must have research experience, preferably in the field of public policy analysis or implementation. Master's or PhD candidates are preferred. The fellowship is open to Nepali citizens and non-resident Nepalis (NRN) only.
c) WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM?
In addition to the immense learning through a rare and close-up engagement with public partners, the fellows will receive a monthly stipend of NPR 25,000 to support them during the program, the fellows also simultaneously partake in the LPI course. This course is delivered in partnership with our capacity partners: Governance Lab, Nepal Leadership Academy, and Nepali Academics in America. It includes the following elements: Leadership course from Dr. Pukar Malla, former Senior Fellow at Harvard Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University, Public Administration course from experts in the field of public administration (in 2023, by Dr. Pramod KC, Visiting Faculty Member, Kathmandu University School of Management), Research training sessions provided by experts (in 2023, by Ms. Jenna Allard, Senior Research Manager from MacMillan Center at Yale University), Statistical software training (in 2023, by Ms. Samikshya Siwakoti, Data Analyst, Acumen), Analytical skills and project management session (in 2023, by Dr. Juni Singh, Postdoctoral Researcher, California Institute of Technology), Intro to Qualitative Research Skills (in 2023, by Ms. Ayesha Islam, Master's in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School). Furthermore, all fellows receive one-on-one mentorship from PhD experts at Nepali Academics in America in various fields, such as economics, public policy, agriculture, education, and information technology
d) WHAT IS THE LOCATION AND DURATION OF THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM?
The fellowship program is a full-time commitment that will take place from June 3, 2024, to September 3, 2024. The fellows are expected to be available in Nepal during the entirety of the program.
e) WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE APPLICATION?
The applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. The shortlisted applicants will move on to the interview round. The interviews are conducted in person, via Skype, or by phone. The selection process usually involves 2-3 rounds of interviews. This is the stage where the shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and qualifications and demonstrate their suitability for the fellowship program.
