Monitor and Evaluation Officer

Mission and objectives

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in approximately 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty and the reduction of inequality and exclusion. The programme helps countries to develop policies, leadership and partnership skills, institutional capacities, and to build resilience to sustainable development results. UNDP implements several projects in different areas, offering its partners technical, operational and management assistance through access to methodologies, specialized knowledge, specialized advice and technical cooperation through its Global Policy Network.

Context

The Monitor and Evaluation Officer- Conserving Biodiversity and Reducing Land Degradation using a Ridge-to-Reef approach, will become a key member of an innovative environmental conservation initiative focused on implementing the Ridge to Reef (R2R) approach in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

This role will concentrate on monitoring, evaluation, and assessment of project activities related to Protected Areas (PA) management, Sustainable Land Management (SLM), and biodiversity conservation. Working within a diverse team of environmental specialists, the Volunteer will provide technical expertise to advance the project's comprehensive objectives.

Operating under the supervision of the Project Coordinator and in close collaboration with field teams and stakeholders, the position will focus on tracking project implementation, measuring impact, and ensuring alignment with Global Environment Facility (GEF) strategic objectives.

The primary objective of this role is to establish and maintain robust monitoring and evaluation systems that support the project's multi-focal strategy across four key components:

• Component 1: Monitor and evaluate the strengthening of institutional frameworks for protected areas, biodiversity conservation, and SLM/CSA (Climate Smart Agriculture) implementation.

• Component 2: Track the effectiveness of management systems for new and existing Protected Areas covering 13,214 hectares (ha) of terrestrial area and 2,183 hectares (ha) of marine park.

• Component 3: Assess integrated watershed management measures and their impact on sustainable livelihood opportunities.

• Component 4: Evaluate knowledge management systems and their effectiveness in promoting SLM, CSA, and biodiversity conservation practices.

This position will focus on developing and implementing comprehensive Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) frameworks to:

• Track progress in addressing biodiversity loss drivers, including habitat fragmentation and land degradation.

• Monitor the implementation of sustainable land management practices across the Buccament, Yambou, and Kingstown watersheds.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of participatory approaches and gender-responsive programming.

• Assess progress toward GEF Strategic Objective 3 targets and associated co-benefits. The Volunteer will be instrumental in documenting transformational changes in agriculture and forest sectors while ensuring that project interventions deliver measurable global environmental benefits through the Ridge to Reef framework.

Task description

Under the delegated authority and direct supervision of the Project Coordinator, the Monitor and Evaluation Officer will:

• Develop, update, and manage the M&E framework to track the progress and impact of project activities in alignment with UNDP Quality Assurance principles.

• Regularly update the M&E plan, including indicators, targets, and status reports, ensuring alignment with project objectives and donor requirements.

• Design and validate new performance indicators in collaboration with stakeholders to enhance project monitoring and reporting.

• Confirm and validate baseline data to establish benchmarks for evaluating project impact.

• Develop and maintain a centralized Data Repository using GEF tracking tools for efficient data management and reporting.

• Conduct data collection and analysis to generate evidence-based insights for adaptive project management.

• Prepare and present quarterly reports, highlighting key findings, lessons learned, and recommendations for improvement.

• Organize and facilitate stakeholder workshops to share project progress, validate findings, and gather feedback.

• Update project risk logs and contribute to the development of the Project Implementation Report (PIR) for the 2024-2025 cycle.

• Support terminal evaluation activities, including data provision, document preparation, and stakeholder engagement.

Results/Expected Outputs

As a critical member of the project team, the Monitor & Evaluation Officer will ensure the effective tracking and evaluation of project outcomes. Expected outputs include:

• A comprehensive and well-maintained M&E framework, including updated indicators, baselines, and targets.

• Development and operationalization of a centralized Data Repository and tracking system using GEF tracking tools.

• Accurate and timely quarterly reports presenting project progress, achievements, and recommendations.

• Successful facilitation of stakeholder workshops for progress validation and knowledge exchange.

• Updated risk logs and a comprehensive PIR for the 2024-2025 project cycle.

• Support the completion of Quarterly reports.

• Validation and documentation of performance indicators and baseline data.

• Support for terminal evaluation activities, ensuring robust data availability and stakeholder involvement.

• A final assessment report summarizing M&E activities, achievements, and key lessons learned to guide future project initiatives.