Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, South Africa

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Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, South Africa Vacancy #: 7511 Unit: ESARO – South Africa Conservation Areas and Species Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Location: South Africa Country Office, Pretoria, South Africa Reporting to: Team Leader, SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas Facilities Work percentage: 100% Grade: P2 Expected start date: 01 May 2026 Type of contract: Fixed-term (up to 24 months) Closing date: 02 April 2026 BACKGROUND THIS IS A LOCAL CONTRACT WHERE THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE CAN BE BASED IN ANY IUCN OFFICES

BACKGROUND:

The IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) operates in twenty-four countries in the Horn of Africa, eastern Africa, southern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean. IUCN ESARO engages directly in biodiversity conservation in the region through its innovative Biodiversity Conservation programme). The Biodiversity programme draws on evidence-based and best practice approaches to enhance the conservation and management of biodiversity and ecosystems in Eastern and Southern Africa. IUCN ESARO operates through a “One Programme” approach working closely with IUCN members and Commissions to engage in a diverse set of biodiversity conservation actions ranging from the implementation of field projects to influencing policy and institutional frameworks at local, national, regional and global levels. The Biodiversity programme is focused on enhancing management effectiveness, governance and equity of protected and conserved areas, strengthening multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder engagement to improve biodiversity conservation at landscape and seascape level, and supporting effective local community engagement in biodiversity conservation. The thematic programme also contributes to building the capacity of IUCN Members and partners, as well as the ESARO Secretariat to tackle new and emerging biodiversity conservation challenges in the region and to implement relevant international conventions, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on Illegal Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. The programme also links closely to relevant work and regional priorities of Regional Economic Communities, the African Union and the United Nations Environment Assembly.

IUCN ESARO is the Project Executing Agency (PEA) for two Southern African Development Community (SADC) Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) financing facilities, with IUCN administering grants funded from the two Facilities. IUCN ESARO seeks to recruit a highly qualified M&E Officer to provide technical support to the two SADC TFCA Financing Facilities. A summary of the two SADC TFCA Financing Facilities is as follows:
1.SADC TFCA Financing Facility;
The development and establishment of a regional and sustainable Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) financing mechanism is a major component of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) TFCA programme (2023-2033). The initial funding for the SADC TFCA Financing Facility has been provided by the German Government (BMZ through KfW), with additional commitments made by EU under the NaturAfrica programme. The intention is to leverage additional funds from various partners, to reach an operational funding volume of approximately EUR 100 million in the medium to long term.
The SADC TFCA Financing Facility (FF) is intended to foster closer collaboration between stakeholders supporting TFCAs and provide the basis for longer-term and more sustainable funding opportunities to develop all TFCAs. The SADC TFCA FF is fully aligned with the objectives of the SADC Programme for TFCAs (2023-2033) aiming at contributions to various objectives and goals in other relevant SADC strategies and protocols.
Through the TFCA Financing Facility, investments in tangible measures strengthening ecological, economic, cultural and institutional connectivity within SADC TFCAs will be leveraged in a flexible, demand-and performance driven way. The measures shall integrate three dimensions:
1)improved habitat connectivity, especially for elephants and large carnivores as flagship species (“species” dimension),
2)improved management effectiveness and governance of TFCAs and protected areas PAs (“habitat” dimension) and
3)improved livelihoods for communities affected by human-wildlife co-habitation (“people” dimension)

The SADC TFCA FF aims to contribute towards: (i) faster implementation of projects, (ii) better dissemination and multiplication of innovative approaches, (iii) a pipeline of bankable projects, ready for funding and able to absorb additional funds, (iv) faster response and reaction to upcoming challenges, crises or opportunities, (v) better coordination and harmonisation of national, bilateral and multilateral programmes. Further, the financing mechanism shall contribute to the institutional development of TFCAs, including the preparation and constitution of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), treaties and other legal documents as required.

2.Training Programmes for Wildlife Managers and Rangers in the SADC region (Training Facility)
The Training Programme for Wildlife Managers and Rangers (WMRT) is managed as a separate window under the SADC TFCA FF and funded by the German Government through the financial cooperation of BMZ and KfW. The WMRT aims to strengthen the capacities of personnel in SADC TFCAs to help implement existing SADC TFCA programmes. With a commitment of €11 million made to this programme by the German Government, The SADC TFCAs WRM Training Programme will be a grant-making mechanism disbursing funds for skills-based training for Wildlife Managers and Rangers in SADC TFCAs. JOB DESCRIPTION MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

The M & E Officer will be responsible for the following main duties;
Lead the design and implementation of the M&E framework for projects funded through the SADC TFCA Financing Facilities.
Support a review of log frames and indicators of the SADC TFCA Financing Facilities where necessary.
Coordinate with M&E officers under other NaturAfrica components, especially the Joint EU-GIZ C-NRM project, the Nature Africa landscape actions implementing partners, and the B4Life Facility, for a common M&E approach on all NaturAfrica funded actions.
Develop standard reporting templates, data collection tools, and indicator protocols for grant recipients to report on relevant output, outcome, and impact indicators (e.g. community-based tourism, infrastructure investments, partnerships).
Review M&E sections in concept notes and proposals and provide technical input to ensure clarity, realism, and alignment with the overall programme indicators.
Support grantees with training, coaching and field-based technical assistance to ensure proper implementation of monitoring systems and data quality assurance.
Coordinate baseline studies, mid-term reviews, final evaluations, and thematic studies (e.g. human well-being using BNS, food security using FCS, green jobs metrics, etc.).
Participate in field missions and monitoring visits to ensure data verification and compliance with donor reporting standards.
Lead on the compilation of monitoring results, success stories and lessons learned, feeding into knowledge sharing platforms (e.g. TFCA Network meetings, donor events).
Support the production of regular performance reports to the donor, including M&E sections of the narrative reports.
Ensure cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth, human rights and environmental safeguards are integrated and reported in the monitoring system.

South Africa Country Office;
Provide MEL support to South Africa country Office as maybe needed by the Project Manager or the Country Representative.

Other Duties:
As a subject matter expert on performance, planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, provide technical support including M& E capacity development to team members in the Project Management Unit.
Ensure alignment of the intervention results and indicators with IUCN strategic goals and priorities (global, regional, national, and thematic) and with the principles laid out in the IUCN One Programme Charter.
Ensure that the performance measurement framework enables accurate and effective quantitative and qualitative measurement of progress and delivery of the project.
Coordinate across the members of the project team(s) and grantees to collect, analyse, and synthesize data and information to monitor and assess performance to support reporting and decision making, in line with donor requirements.
Provide technical advisory, operational guidance and capacity building to the project team(s) and project manager(s) on performance and accountability to support implementation and adaptive management, including on appropriate monitoring and data collection methods and tools.
Advocate for and facilitate the proactive use of performance and results information in decision-making and adaptive management across the project through the preparation of technical inputs from monitoring data and as a subject-matter expert on performance dashboards.
Prepare technical inputs and/or contribute to drafting reports, and other evidence-based communications on progress internally and to the donor, by coordinating, controlling quality and synthesizing monitoring and reporting data.
Promote project, programme and institutional learning through the design and facilitation of internal evaluative work, learning events or other mechanisms that capture, synthesize and share lessons and best-practices.
Contribute to communications with information stemming from the monitoring, evaluation and learning system.
Identify and contribute to mitigation of risks, supporting the Project Management Unit in the development of risk management tools and ensure project risk register is regularly monitored and updated.
Support the Project Management Unit to maintain accurate project data in the IUCN Programme and Project Portal.
Support the Project Management Unit in meeting IUCN requirements for formal project finalisation and closure (standards for documenting outcomes and lessons learned).
Carry out other relevant tasks assigned by, and mutually agreed with, the direct and functional line managers. REQUIREMENTS • POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Required Qualifications and Experience;
Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Monitoring & Evaluation, Development Studies, Environmental Management, Economics, or related fields.
Demonstrated proficiency in the fields of performance and accountability, results measurement methods and management in conservation, development, or other relevant sectors.
Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and managing complex monitoring and evaluation for multi-country, multi-partner or multi-sector projects in conservation, development, green economy or other relevant sectors in the region.
Proven track record in designing logframes, indicators, data collection tools, and managing evaluations.
At least 8 years of experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning for international projects or programmes or portfolios in the conservation or development sector.
Demonstrated experience with EU and BMZ-funded projects.
Excellent organisation and communication skills with broad international experience and a proven ability to engage across levels of an organisation and across geographies.
Group facilitation skills and experience with application of monitoring and evaluation methodologies.
Excellent ability to collate, analyse and synthesize information to deliver clear reports to facilitate management decision-making.
Proficiency in data management and analysis, with strong statistical skills is a plus.
Proficiency with data management and/or project management software and tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Kobo toolbox, PowerBI, SQL, and other related tools) is highly desirable.
Experience with institutional knowledge management and learning is an asset.
Capacity to work collaboratively within a diverse and multi-cultural team.
Excellent writing skills (in English) to deliver clear and concise reports.
Fluency in English is a requirement. APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the “Apply” button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/

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