Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Q 1. What is the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Q 2. What is the selection criteria for Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Q 3. Will my EOI be accepted without a certificate from my Political Party?
Q 4. How many Fellows will be selected as the YPFP Cohorts?
Q 5. What will I do once I join Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Q 6. Will my Performance be evaluated?
Q 7. Is there Fee for joining the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)
Q 9. Who will bear my travel, food and accommodation expenses to join the 4 Weeks Fellowship?
Q 11. Where do I need to submit the completed Expression of Interest Form?
Q 12. How can I confirm that my EOI is submitted correctly online?
Q 13. Can I submit multiple EOIs?
Q 14. Can Government Employees submit EOIs for Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Q 15. What will be the process and venue of interviews for selection?
Q 16. What is the venue of Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Q 18. Can I take leave during the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP) Sessions?
Q 19. Is there a dress code to attend the fellowship once I am selected?
Q 20. Who is executing and supporting the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Q 1. What is the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
The Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP) is a prestigious programme of training and in-depth learning for young, active and passionate political party workers. The four-weeks fellowship programme is designed to provide a unique opportunity to young members, belonging to Pakistan’s political parties represented in the National Assembly and/or the four Provincial Assemblies, to tackle political challenges and opportunities and effectively contribute to policy reform. The fellowship, through high-level trainings and engagements, facilitates selected fellows to connect, exchange experiences, and receive academic and policy training to enrich their knowledge and advance their work. The YPFP exposes young members of various political parties of Pakistan to political knowledge and practices both within the parties and other political institutions through interaction and exposure with some of the most knowledgeable and experienced individuals and institutions.
Q 2. What is the selection criteria for Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
The Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP) has a highly competitive selection process based on a transparent selection criteria. The following selection criteria will be used to finalise selection of fellows:
- Nationality: Only young Pakistani nationals are eligible for selection in the fellowship. Women, Minorities, Persons with Disabilities and Young Pakistanis belonging to underprivileged areas are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Age Requirement: Only young members of political parties represented in the National Assembly and/or the four Provincial Assemblies, who are between the ages of 25 to 35 years of age on September 16, 2019 are eligible to submit expressions of interest to join the fellowship
- Political Party Membership: Only young members of all political parties represented in the National Assembly and/or the four Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan are eligible to be considered for the fellowship. It is mandatory that each candidate submits, as part of Expression of Interest, a signed certificate from an office bearer of the political party certifying party membership of the candidate.
- Qualification: There is no set qualification required for selection as a young fellow. However, candidates must be able to speak, read and write in Urdu language. In addition, candidates must demonstrate interest and passion for politics. Candidacy for final selection will be determined by the quality of political activism demonstrated in the Expression of Interest (EoI) and the quality of original answers which should be goal oriented and focused and free from plagiarism. In case of any plagiarised content, the EoI will be rejected.
- Deadline of Submission of Expression of Interest: To be considered for selection, each candidate must submit fully completed expression of interest form by the given deadline. EoIs submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Q 3. Will my EOI be accepted without a certificate from my Political Party?
Since the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme is exclusively designed for the benefit of young members of Pakistan’s political parties represented in the National Assembly and/or the four Provincial Assemblies, Expression of Interest without certificate from the political parties will not be acceptable. It is mandatory that each candidate submits, as part of the EoI, a signed certificate from his/her party certifying your membership of the party. Certificate can be signed by any office bearer of the political parties. This can include central or provincial office bearers. A certificate form is provided as part of the EoI that requires to be filled by the candidate and signed by an office-bearer of a party.
However, this requirement is not applicable in the case of a candidate for fellowship who is a legislator (Senator, MNA or MPA) elected on the ticket of one of the political parties represented in the National Assembly and/or the four Provincial Assemblies and is in good standing in the party on the date of submission of the EoI and during the four-week fellowship programme.
Q 4. How many Fellows will be selected as the YPFP Cohorts?
The Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme is a highly competitive fellowship programme open for only Twenty (20) fellows who will be selected purely on merit. While the selection will be based on open merit, an effort will be made to reflect gender and regional representation among 20 selected fellows.
Q 5. What will I do once I join Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Selected fellows will participate in a 4 weeks programme in Islamabad including academic and policy seminars, delivered by leading experts, thinkers and practitioners in the field of constitutional, legal and political affairs, explore new institutional models and frameworks to enhance their leadership skills and abilities to promote democratic and policy changes. Fellowship programme will also include opportunity of engagement and interaction with leaders from politics, government, justice system and think tanks, to provide fellows with practitioners viewpoint. Fellowship programme also includes study visits in Islamabad and provincial capitals of Pakistan while each fellow will be required to undertake, prepare and submit a Policy Brief and presentation, join group activities and present findings of the brief to an esteemed group of external reviewers who will evaluate the policy submission of each fellow. Successful fellows will receive certificates of completion of the prestigious Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP).
Q 6. Will my Performance be evaluated?
Yes, the performance of each selected fellow will be continuously evaluated throughout the 4-weeks fellowship while the final evaluation will be made based on the quality of the policy brief prepared by each fellow. Evaluation process will be used to determine and assign ranking of each fellow at the end of the fellowship and will be used to determine successful completion of fellowship.
Q 7. Is there Fee for joining the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
The prestigious and highly competitive Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP) imparts quality learning and skill-building employing numerous highly valuable intellectual and political resources. However, at this time, there is no fee for candidates to join the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP).
Q 8. Is there a stipend or salary for selected members of the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
The highly prestigious Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP) is not an employment or internship opportunity for Youth; therefore, there is no salary to be paid to those who are selected as young political fellows. Selected fellows, who are not residents of Islamabad/Rawalpindi region, will be expected to arrange for their own boarding and lodging in Islamabad for which a modest stipend of Rs. 50,000/- will be provided to them.
Q 9. Who will bear my travel, food and accommodation expenses to join the 4 Weeks Fellowship?
For those selected fellows who are not residents of the Islamabad/Rawalpindi region, one-time travel cost of a fellow from home base to Islamabad will be covered by the Fellowship Programme at this stage. In addition, selected fellows will be provided with a modest stipend of Rs. 50,000/- to directly cover food and miscellaneous expenses during the period of 4 weeks-long fellowship. However, expenses relating to travel, stay and meals for the study visit in the fellowship programme will be borne by the Programme.
Q 10. Can Overseas Pakistanis submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Overseas Pakistanis can submit Expressions of Interest to join the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP), provided they hold a membership of any political party represented in the National Assembly and/or the four Provincial Assemblies. However, overseas Pakistanis will need to cover the costs relating to their travel, stay and other expenses to appear for interview, if shortlisted, and to join the fellowship, if selected.
Q 11. Where do I need to submit the completed Expression of Interest Form?
Expression of Interest form in English or Urdu has to be submitted online at www.pildat.org by the given deadline. Before filling-out Urdu or English Forms, please carefully read all introduction of the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP) on both forms. You should fill out and submit Expression of Interest only if you understand and agree with the objectives and requirements of the fellowship.
Q 12. How can I confirm that my EOI is submitted correctly online?
Once you submit your EOI online, you will receive a confirmation message on your computer screen that will read: EOI Submitted Successfully. You will also receive a confirmation email of EOI receipt.
Q 13. Can I submit multiple EOIs?
No, you can only submit one EOI online. Please DO NOT submit multiple applications; otherwise you may be disqualified.
Q 14. Can Government Employees submit EOIs for Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Yes, all Pakistanis who are members of political parties represented in the National Assembly and/or the four Provincial Assemblies within the age of 25-35 years are eligible to submit EOIs for Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP). Government and other employees, however, are required to submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC) signed by their competent authority, alongside Expression of Interest Form. Those employed, be that in Government or private jobs, also need to specifically mention that they will be in a position to devote complete four-weeks time for the fellowship, if selected.
Q 15. What will be the process and venue of interviews for selection?
Selection process for membership is two-tiered. At the first tier, Expression of Interest Forms (EOI) will be evaluated and candidates are short listed for interview. Only those candidates are invited for interviews who will be short listed in the first round of selection. Interviews to be conducted in person or through Skype/telephone.
Q 16. What is the venue of Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Majority of the activities of Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP) will be held at a local hotel in Islamabad while Study Visits will take place in Islamabad and Provincial capitals.
Q 17. Will there be any special meetings or events at the sessions of the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
Special Events and Meetings are arranged during the fellowship programme such as meetings with distinguished personalities including the political leadership, Members of the Parliament, etc. National leaders will address the fellows on important issues during the programme. Eminent experts and seasoned politicians will be invited to train and educate the fellows on the current political topics.
Q 18. Can I take leave during the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP) Sessions?
Once selected, each fellow must complete entire four-weeks fellowship in total.
Q 19. Is there a dress code to attend the fellowship once I am selected?
Fellows are expected to always wear formal attire. Casual clothes and shoes such as Jeans and Sneakers, etc., are not allowed to be worn.
Q 20. Who is executing and supporting the Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme (YPFP)?
The Young Politicians’ Fellowship Programme is conceived and implemented by Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency – PILDAT under Tabeer programme.
