FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Coexistence Champions

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Can only individuals apply or can groups of individuals, organisations and/or collectives apply jointly?

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This programme is intended for individual Champions only. We welcome collaborative projects, but one consultant must take primary responsibility and be the named applicant.

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What are the location and nationality requirements?

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All projects must be based in India. Additionally, applicants must be able to demonstrate that they reside for a substantial period (approximately 180 days in a year) within the landscape where the project is based. Applicants must also indicate their longer-term engagement with the landscape in which they plan to work.

You must be an Indian citizen and a resident to apply. If you are in the OCI category, you will need to have an Indian bank account and have been resident in India for at least 183 days in the current financial year and must continue to be resident for a minimum of 183 days during every subsequent financial year for the duration of the programme. 

Applicants who do not meet these criteria will not be considered. 

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Do I need to be employed with an organisation to apply?

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No. You need not be working full-time with an organisation. If you are not currently working with an organisation, we strongly encourage you to collaborate with an organisation and/or a network in the landscape where your project will be based to ensure that you have the required institutional field support. You will be asked to provide a letter of support from your organisation at a later stage. 

 

Do I need a mentor’s support for the application?

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Yes. You are required to identify a mentor, preferably within the organisation that you are affiliated with, or a person in a leadership position from the professional network in the landscape where your project will be based, to provide professional support during the programme.

 

Am I eligible to apply if I have more or less than 10-15 years of work experience?

 

This programme is specifically designed for mid-career environment and conservation practitioners with work experience of 10-15 years. The programme content, kind of support and peer learning environment are tailored for individuals at this stage in their careers. 

If you have less than 5 years experience, we encourage you to apply in the future.

If your work experience is between 5 and 10 years, we advise that you apply only if you are confident of your capacity to manage a project of the depth and nuance expected from a Champion, and/or if your project is about a unique and underresearched species or a unique perspective to coexistence. 

 

A few exceptions can be made especially for PhD students who are working on issues closely aligned to coexistence and to the objectives of this programme.

If you have more than 15 years of experience, you may find that the programme does not fully align with your professional needs. However, it does not disqualify you. Please also note that the programme is a significant time commitment, and the consultancy cannot be transferred, so please make sure you are able to commit that time. 

There are no age restrictions on applications. 

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I live and work in the project area but am not originally from the community. Can I still apply?

 

Yes, you may apply. However, you will need to demonstrate that you are: 

a. Deeply embedded in the landscape and community and committed to long term change

b. Working in collaboration with community members or accountable to them; 

c. Recognised to have legitimacy for your work in the community

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I don’t work directly on human-wildlife conflict. Can I still apply?

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Yes. We welcome a wide diversity of applications from those whose work advances coexistence in any form. This could include education, community health, governance, storytelling, farming practices, or cultural preservation, among others, as long as it is grounded in the values we have detailed and furthers coexistence on the ground. You will be expected to explain what coexistence means in the context of your project. Please look at the projects of the first cohort of Champions to get a sense of the diversity of what constitutes coexistence.

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How explicit do I need to be about outreach in my project?

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You will be required to briefly describe how your work will engage your target audience, the broader conservation space, and the general public. Since leading paradigm shift is a core objective of the programme, storytelling plays a vital role. The induction will include support to build your storytelling skills, and you will be asked to deliver social media outputs in collaboration with the programme team. As always, we emphasize that these approaches be grounded in your local context and community.

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Does the project have to be new?

 

No, the project does not need to be entirely new. However, it should present a compelling approach to celebrating and strengthening coexistence in the community and amplifying community voices. We are looking for projects that are innovative and impactful, even if they are not completely novel.

 

What costs will the project cover?

 

We are open to compelling justifications for the costs you propose, other than capital expenses such as land, buildings and vehicles. If there are concerns around this, we will follow up at the proposal stage. We understand that fieldwork can be resource heavy, especially around salaries, but do note that we are unlikely to support budgets made up only of salary costs.

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How will the project funds be disbursed to the Champions?

 

The Champions will be awarded individual consultancy contracts. Champions will be paid consultancy fees and travel advances as per the approved budget, based on our institutional policy. All other project costs, including contracting for other team members, equipment purchases or large transactions will be managed by the programme team. There will be appropriate accounting and compliance requirements from the Champions in collaboration with our team, as per institutional policy. 

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Is this a full-time commitment?

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No, but it is a significant and ongoing commitment over a minimum of 2 years.  The budgets should also reflect the quantum of work and impact that you hope to achieve. Champions must be able to dedicate adequate time and energy to undertake the project effectively and meet their commitments, but are not expected to work solely on this project.  

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How will my application be evaluated?

 

Applications will be assessed based on:

 

• Embeddedness: Embeddedness and relationship with the community and the site, including collaboration with and accountability to the community and to local government institutions. Evidence of at least 5 years of living and working in the landscape. A few exceptions can be made especially for PhD students who are working on issues closely aligned to coexistence and to the objectives of this programme.

• Locally connected/networked: A history of collaboration with multiple stakeholders at least at the local level, ideally also at the regional and national levels and connected to local as well as wider networks. 

• Experience/work history: History of work in issues related to coexistence and at least 5 years of working experience at the site where the project is proposed.; 

• Evidence of leadership: Demonstrable ability to lead projects; willingness to reflect, learn, and adapt. Ability to network, collaborate and communicate.

• Local to global storytelling: Ability to further coexistence in ethical, compelling and inspirational ways, and a commitment to outreach. Has a track record on outreach and communication.

• Potential to be self-sustaining: Ability for the project to be sustainable beyond the programme; demonstrated ability of the Champion to continue fundraising for the work; long-term sustainability of the project with ownership from the community and a clear exit plan where needed.

• Project quality: Alignment with and commitment to the values and philosophy of coexistence; Measurable goals and metrics; strength and feasibility of the proposed project. Alignment with the programme’s goals and objectives.

• Diversity: We will aim for diversity in geographies, levels and kinds of experiences, themes and types of projects. In each cohort, we will aim for 1-4 people whose experience and work differs from the others, for eg. a PhD student; a local leader with limited capacity in English. Depending on capacities and budgets, some of the criteria may be relaxed to suit their needs. 

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