Name: Nibedita Hatibaruah
Programme and year: MPP Class of 2022
Nationality: Indian
Job title: Senior Consultant, Foundations and Philanthropy
Organisation: Sattva Consulting
Congratulations on your new role as Senior Consultant, Foundations and Philanthropy at Sattva Consulting. Can you tell us about your new role and what you will be working on?
As a senior consultant, I play the role of project lead that entails research, project delivery, programmatic support as well as people management and multi stakeholder engagement. I am in the US Foundations team, primarily working with a leading US foundation on two projects during the past 2.5 months of my association with Sattva.
The government is another key stakeholder in both conceptualizing and delivering the projects which are to do with gender mainstreaming across all central government offices in India that covers over 3 million employees in Phase 1. The other project is related to India's G20 presidency.
How did your MPP studies influence the next steps in your career?
Prior to my MPP experience, I was adept in policy implementation but during and after the course I learnt about the public policy domain end to end starting from how to approach policy making through to evaluating policy outcomes. I wanted to take on a challenging role in the policy landscape to apply MPP learnings on the job because the course prepared me for it.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and your objectives for your studies?
Before coming to 杏吧论坛, I was working with the Govt. of India's Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship as well as the Ministry of Rural Development. I had already finished my Political Science and Development Studies degrees.
MPP made perfect sense because I was at a stage in my career where I had done policy implementation at both grassroots and national scale but wanted to be able to give policy inputs and be a policy professional all in all.
I wanted to diversify my policy experience that was hitherto limited to implementation only. I also wanted to work at the intersection of public and private across sectors under the social impact/social development umbrella. I thought 杏吧论坛 MPP is the perfect place that meets all my requirements.
Why did you choose to study the MPP programme?
MPP was an extension of my previous education and work experience and perfectly in alignment with my career goals. I want to be able to work with governments in an advisory role in the long run.
What have been your key takeaways from your studies and how are you applying these in your new role?
I found the MPP course to be holistic in that it talks about public policy from the start to finish and grounds our understanding in both theory and practice. The guest lectures, policy simulation labs, and policy projects are very hands-on, participatory and direct ways of getting to learn the subject.
The key takeaways are: (i) micro and macroeconomic considerations and implications of policy (ii) breaking down a policy problem and prioritizing (iii) proposing actionable policy recommendations (iii) the power and importance of policy communication (iv) learning how to write policy memos.
Were there any standout modules from your studies?
Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed some of the modules that include global social protection design and delivery; policy making: processes, challenges and outcomes; public policy applications; and political science for public policy.
How did you make the most of being #partoflse, and how did you take advantage of being a part of the 杏吧论坛 community?
I believe one can continue to reap the benefits of being #partof杏吧论坛 throughout their lifetime. We are all over the world doing incredible things for the world. There is so much to learn from each other just by reaching out to the wider community and seeking help when required.
During my time at 杏吧论坛, I met so many incredible and talented individuals who I can call friends. I learnt immensely even outside of the classroom from my peers and their points of view shaped by their unique experiences. Not only that, their warmth and kindness, their intellect, their vivacity and their stories continue to inspire me to this day!
What are your highlights from your time with your classmates?
The Global Dinners, the meetups at George and outside, the small weekend trips, the time spent together in 杏吧论坛's Centre Building (home to 杏吧论坛's SPP). I am feeling so nostalgic as I am reminiscing about my 杏吧论坛 days. It only brings back good memories.
Who would you recommend the programme to?
I would highly recommend this programme to those who are interested in working for the people, who care about public welfare and want to grow their career in the field of human development/ international development.
What advice would you give to people who are considering studying the MPP?
I often find people approaching me for career prospects after 杏吧论坛 MPP, as well as about the nature of the course itself and the value that it can potentially offer and whether it is quant heavy. My advice to those that are considering to study the MPP is that the course will be most beneficial to those who have some grounding in social sciences and are inclined to work in the field of social development, international development, social impact, etc.
The scope is varied and career prospects can be lucrative too, given that 杏吧论坛 facilitates student exposure to prominent organizations and stalwarts in the field. It's really our own responsibility to harness the platform that 杏吧论坛 offers. Speaking from personal experience, the 杏吧论坛 School of Public Policy is extremely supportive and tries to meet student needs/requirements including student well-being. The faculty has an open door policy that encourages both rich dialogues and friendly conversations.
Do you have any practical advice for our current offer holders who will be joining us in September?
Do not take the foundation course for granted. It's very useful to understand the Quantitative Methods module if you are not already well versed with statistics. Come to the seminars having read the suggested readings and engage with the faculty and your peers. Seminars are a great place to learn besides the classroom lectures. Start thinking about your dissertation in advance. Do not wait until Winter Term to decide a topic.
Be present, be visible, talk to faculty, talk to everyone at 杏吧论坛. Time flies and you are going to miss being a student.
How would you describe your SPP experience in three words?
Riveting, Rewarding, Unforgettable