To help address the learning crisis in Pakistan which has been exacerbated by COVID-19 school closures and household income shocks (more background here), I am working as a Product Manager for the Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD) center and the Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP). Specific details of the research by EPoD and CERP’s which I am participating in can be found here.
Having told others that I will be working as the Product Manager for the Targeted Instruction Program (TIP) tech tool this summer, a few people reached out asking a series of questions – why did I decide to take up this role, how is this different from my previous private sector experience, and how do I see myself using this role for the next step in my career? Hence, in this blogpost, I would like to focus on my role in the team.
My role includes bridging the gap between the technology team based in Lahore and the research team based in Cambridge to support the app development for TIP. From my previous work as a Project Leader managing the development of a customer service chatbot and as the Analytics Team Lead tasked to develop the roadmap for pioneering the use of analytics in back-office support functions, I have experience translating client requirements into technical plans to be executed by the developers, data scientists, and data engineers.
This Product Management role felt like the perfect opportunity for me to use my private sector skills and experience in the research and non-profit context, allowing me to have a more seamless transition from the private to the public sector. Furthermore, this opportunity aligns with my long-term goal to work in the intersection of technology and policy by using data analytics to address pressing development issues, especially in providing access and opportunities.
Reflecting on why I decided to take up this role – friends and previous colleagues have asked if I see myself transitioning out of the private sector completely. I would not discount the possibility of taking up product and data related roles in technology companies. However, a significant difference that I have experienced is the daily motivation that I have working with the team and the rationale for taking odd-hour midnight calls to accommodate for differing time zones – my purpose in the team is not just improving a company’s bottom line but solving a fundamental problem for Pakistan’s learning crisis.
