Multiple Studies
A Multi-Perspective Inquiry into Youth Participation, Agency and Leadership in Madhya Pradesh
Apply by 20th July 2026
Synergy Sansthan is launching three complementary research studies on youth participation, agency and leadership in Madhya Pradesh. These studies are built upon nearly two decades of Synergy Sansthan's deep engagement with adolescents and young people across Madhya Pradesh, particularly those from tribal, rural, semi-urban and historically marginalized communities.
The Three Studies: At a Glance
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Study
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Primary Unit of Analysis
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Core Question
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Indicative Methodological Approaches
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Ecosystem Study
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Institutions, systems, networks, norms, and public spaces
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What civic, economic, and social conditions shape opportunities and constraints for young people?
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Stakeholder mapping, policy review, key informant interviews, environmental scans, focus groups.
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Protagonist Study
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Young people, their experiences, aspirations, identities, actions
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How do young people experience, interpret and navigate these conditions, and how does their agency evolve over time?
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Life-history interviews, focus groups, participatory workshops, diaries or digital storytelling.
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Organizational Learning Study
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Synergy Sansthan (as a learning institution)
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What do two decades of organizational practice reveal about enabling youth participation, agency, and leadership?
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Document review (strategic plans, reports), staff interviews, timeline exercises, case studies.
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Distinct Focus and Contributions of Each Study
- Ecosystem Study: Focuses on the external environment around young people. It examines institutions (government, schools, community organizations), governance systems, public spaces and social networks that influence youth. Its aim is to map the opportunity structures — the resources, norms, and barriers in the ecosystem. This study provides the contextual backdrop for understanding youth engagement.
- Protagonist Study: Puts young people themselves at the centre. It explores their personal experiences, aspirations, identities and everyday actions. This study traces youth journeys: how individuals and groups of youth interpret the conditions around them, make choices, build skills and confidence (agency) and participate in their communities. It captures the lived reality of participation and leadership from the youth perspective.
- Organizational Learning Study: Centres on Synergy Sansthan as a youth-serving organization. It reviews how Synergy has learned and adapted over the past two decades. It examines program evolution; decision-making and institutional practices aimed at fostering youth participation. Its goal is to surface lessons about what works in enabling youth agency and leadership and how organizational strategies can drive systems change.
Each study addresses a unique layer of inquiry but they are closely linked. For example, the Ecosystem Study may identify a lack of civic engagement opportunities in rural areas; the Protagonist Study can reveal how motivated youth deal with this gap; and the Organizational Learning Study might show how Synergy's programs adjusted to support those youth. This interconnection ensures that the final synthesis reflects a cohesive understanding of the environment, experiences, and institutional factors shaping youth.
About Synergy Sansthan:Established in 2006, Synergy Sansthan is a youth-centric nonprofit organization rooted in the belief that Young People[1] are not just beneficiaries but changemakers. Born out of the vision and commitment of a few passionate youth leaders from rural India, the organization has grown into a powerful movement advocating for a youth-led, gender-just and participatory development paradigm. From its humble beginnings, Synergy Sansthan has evolved into a promising force in youth empowerment in Madhya Pradesh, currently operating directly across 9 districts and extending its reach to 21 districts through strategic partnerships and collaborative networks. Over the past 19 years, the organization has touched the lives of over 3 lakh adolescents and youth from marginalized tribal, rural and semi-urban communities—nurturing leadership, strengthening agency and catalysing grassroots change. At the heart of Synergy’s work is the empowerment of adolescents and young people, especially those from Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, religious minorities and people with different gender identities. Flagship initiatives such as HumRahi, Udaan Fellowship and Yuvalaya have consistently demonstrated that when rural and tribal youth are given the right platforms, they emerge as resilient leaders, social entrepreneurs and advocates for justice within their communities. To know about Synergy Sansthan visit https://www.synergysansthan.org/
Please refer to the attached link for details about each of the studies, process of proposal submission and other details.
As we anticipate a high volume of proposals, we request that you apply only if your experience and capacities closely match the requirements outlined in the RfP’s for the proposed studies. Only shortlisted organizations/consultants will be acknowledged
Please Apply on or before 20th July 2026.
[1] Young People in the context of Synergy Sansthan refers to individuals aged 10-29 encompassing their diverse identities and backgrounds. This includes marginalized, vulnerable, SC/STs, religious minorities, people with different gender identities, victims of sexual violence, child marriage, harassment and with lived experiences of struggles and challenges in their ecosphere.