Chandan Dawar

Development Studies postgraduate (TISS Mumbai) with hands-on internship experience in monitoring & evaluation, policy research, CSR program support, and geospatial analysis across UNICEF, WRI India, and Madhya Pradesh government projects. Comfortable turning field data into dashboards, evaluation frameworks, and policy-ready reports; experienced coordinating with government officials, NGOs, and rural and tribal communities across Madhya Pradesh.

Research Intern at Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) (2025-04 – 2025-05)

Conducted field research across 10 CIRCs under the Soochnapreneur Program, engaging digital entrepreneurs and beneficiaries.

• Ran SWOT, PESTLE, Theory of Change, and CIPP evaluations to assess centre performance; developed a centre-strengthening Action Plan covering branding, pricing, and reactivation strategies.
• Designed 10 case studies and contextual village profiles.

M&E Intern at SAKSHUM – UNICEF Project (CSBCC) (2025-02 – 2025-03)

Processed and validated 1,000+ monitoring tools on gender perception in government schools under UNICEF's Saksham framework.

• Built Excel dashboards from large datasets to surface trends and gaps, and presented findings to the project team for evidence-based program planning.

CSR Intern at SRF Foundation (CSR arm of SRF Limited) (2024-12 – 2025-01)

Supported education, health, and digital literacy initiatives across 50 Anganwadis, 15 schools, and community centres.

• Coordinated vocational training, exposure visits, and community surveys; assisted in CSR program implementation, evaluation framework design, and community engagement.

Research Intern at WRI India (2024-11 – 2024-12)

Used ArcGIS, Google Earth, and Bhulekh for geospatial mapping of urban environmental challenges.

• Engaged local communities to propose nature-based solutions; co-prepared reports emphasising geospatial analysis and community-driven interventions.

Research Intern at MP Forest Department (2024-10 – 2024-10)

Verified 500+ forest rights land claims through District Level Committees (DLCs) under the Forest Rights Act, 2005.

• Created and analysed KML files in Google Earth to map forest land, calculate encroachments, and assess trench construction, supporting officials' evidence-based decisions.

MA in Development Studies – Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai (2024 – 2026)

BA in History + Political Science – Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, University of Delhi (2020 – 2023)

Class XII in MPBSE – Govt. Boys HS School, Kannod, MP (2019 – 2020)

Class X in CBSE – Kalyan Vidhya Niketan, Indore, MP (2017 – 2018)