About the Centre for Civil Society
Centre for Civil Society (CCS) is a non-profit think tank based in New Delhi, founded in 1997. CCS is an independent think tank focused on educating on liberal principles of decentralisation, freedom and individual rights, and policy reform for inclusive and sustainable development. Over the past two decades, CCS has been working in the areas of education, livelihoods, and policy training.
The Centre for Civil Society advances social change through public policy. Its work promotes choice and accountability across private and public sectors. To translate policy into practice, CCS engages with policy and opinion leaders through research, pilot projects and advocacy.
Background
As part of its work on advancing conversations around liberal ideas and their relevance to contemporary India, CCS with the support of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, India (FNF) is convening a colloquium titled “The Future is Liberal” in October 2026.
The colloquium will bring together liberal thinkers, policymakers, academics, political actors, journalists, and civil society leaders for an intensive roundtable discussion on the challenges facing liberalism and ways to strengthen liberal ideas in contemporary public discourse.
The colloquium is intended to provide a space for a substantive and open discussion on the present and future of liberalism in India. It will examine both the challenges facing liberal ideas and the question of how liberalism can respond more meaningfully to the concerns of contemporary India.
It will combine thematic sessions with smaller group discussions and workshops intended to move the conversation from diagnosis towards concrete priorities, actions and public-facing arguments.
Purpose of the Consultancy
CCS seeks to engage a consultant to provide substantive and intellectual support in the design and curation of the colloquium.
The consultant will work with the CCS team to develop the overall intellectual structure of the programme, refine the themes and questions for individual sessions, curate discussion formats and support the development of background and discussion materials.
The consultant will help ensure that the different sessions form a coherent intellectual programme, that the questions posed to participants are sufficiently substantive and open-ended, and that the discussions ultimately contribute towards the larger objective of considering what a relevant and confident liberal agenda in India could look like.
Scope of Work
A. Programme and Content Development
- Contribute to the overall framing and structure of the colloquium.
- Review and refine the central themes and questions that the colloquium seeks to examine.
- Develop a coherent progression across the sessions so that individual discussions contribute to the larger enquiry of the programme.
- Advise on the appropriate format and structure for different sessions, including thematic discussions, moderated conversations and smaller group workshops.
B. Session Design
- Develop and refine the substantive framing for individual sessions.
- Assist in formulating session objectives, central questions and discussion themes.
- Assist in structuring sessions so as to encourage meaningful discussion.
- Advise on the sequencing and relationship between sessions to maintain continuity across the programme.
C. Research and Background Preparation
- Undertake research relevant to the themes and questions being explored through the colloquium.
- Review relevant academic, policy and public-facing literature to inform session design.
- Assist in identifying and organising relevant readings and background material for participants.
- Prepare or contribute to short background notes, session briefs and discussion documents.
D. Workshop and Breakout Session Design
- Assist in designing the structure and questions for breakout sessions.
- Develop questions and exercises that allow participants to translate broader discussions into concrete ideas.
- Help frame exercises around the practical implications of liberal ideas for citizens and public policy.
- Consolidate the key ideas emerging from the breakout room discussions, including points of agreement and differing views.
E. Documentation and Program Outputs
- Assist in recording the main points and arguments emerging from the colloquium.
- Identify key arguments, themes, areas of consensus and points of disagreement emerging from the sessions.
- Assist in consolidating the principal ideas and recommendations emerging from the programme.
- Contribute to a post-colloquium report or note setting out the main takeaways from the discussions
Key Deliverables
- Overall Programme Framework: A structured framework setting out the intellectual rationale, thematic progression and objectives of the colloquium.
- Session Briefs and Discussion Frameworks: Session-wise briefs setting out the purpose of each discussion, key questions, relevant themes and suggested discussion prompts.
- Research and Background Materials: Targeted research notes, reading suggestions and other background material required to support the substantive preparation of sessions.
- Workshop / Breakout Frameworks: Discussion questions and exercises for the smaller group sessions, including frameworks for drawing out concrete priorities, actions and messages.
- Substantive Support During the Colloquium – As required, provide support during the sessions, including assisting with the framing of discussions and capturing emerging themes.
- Post-Colloquium Reporting: A consolidated note/report capturing the principal themes, arguments, priorities and potential areas for further work emerging from the colloquium.
Qualifications & Experience
- A postgraduate qualification in Political Science, Public Policy, Law, Economics, or a related discipline.
- Strong academic grounding in political theory, political philosophy, liberalism, democratic institutions or related fields.
- 5+ years of relevant professional, research, academic or policy experience.
- Demonstrated ability to undertake independent research and engage critically with academic and policy literature.
- Strong analytical and written communication skills.
- Experience in developing or curating substantive discussions, seminars, conferences, colloquia, workshops or similar intellectual programmes would be desirable.
Reporting and Coordination
The consultant will work closely with the Senior Fellow, Academy & Policy Training at the Centre for Civil Society and will provide regular updates on the development of the programme and associated content.
The consultant will coordinate with the CCS team on the overall structure and thematic direction of the colloquium; development and refinement of session briefs; research and reading materials; discussion and workshop formats; and synthesis of the discussions and outputs.
Duration and Level of Engagement
The consultancy will cover the period required for the substantive preparation, delivery and post-event synthesis associated with the colloquium scheduled for 21-24 October 2026.
The engagement will include preparatory work leading up to the colloquium, substantive support during the programme, and post-colloquium work required to consolidate its outputs.
Ownership and Confidentiality
All research notes, session briefs, discussion materials, written outputs and other work products prepared specifically for the assignment shall be made available to and may be used by the Centre for Civil Society for the purposes of the project and its related educational, research and public-policy activities.
The consultant shall maintain confidentiality in relation to non-public information, discussions, documents and materials shared by CCS or participants in connection with the assignment.
Nature of Engagement
The consultant will be engaged as an independent consultant for the defined scope of work. Nothing in this engagement shall be construed as creating an employer-employee relationship between the consultant and the Centre for Civil Society.
The engagement is for providing specialised research, intellectual, content-development and programme-curation services in connection with the Colloquium on “The Future is Liberal”
