Terms of Reference –Muchinga Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Employer – WeForest Zambia Ltd

Job Title –  Muchinga Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Location – Mununga (Lavushimanda) at first and shift to Mpika later (2023, exact timing TBD)

Reporting to – M&E manager (Zambia) and Muchinga manager

Responsible for – in-province M&E processes

About WeForest

WeForest is a fast growing international non-profit association with headquarters in Belgium and legal entities in France, USA, Ethiopia and Zambia. Our aim is to demonstrate, through the restoration of entire regions, that well planned tree planting and reforestation can be the solutions to today’s biggest challenge: climate change. The organization is promoting Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) best practices, creating a movement, engaging the greatest brands and their millions of customers to act positively. Our activities are growing and the organization is urgently looking for an experienced profile to further capacitate its Zambian team, and drive the projects there to the highest standards.

WeForest has been active around agroforestry and sustainable reforestation in Zambia since 2011, starting in Kitwe district, Copperbelt. Currently, six projects are running, two in the Copperbelt and four in Muchinga province (of which 3 directly implemented by WeForest).

The current position focuses on leading M&E processes in the three WeForest implemented projects in the province:

• The Chintumukulu project, which started in 2020, aims to support and capacitate the community (mandated through the Mpumba Natural Resources Conservation Society, MNRCS) to establish and functionalize a sustainably managed conservancy of c. 10,000ha and is expanding into the Mpumba buffer zone.
• The Mpumba CFA project, which is about to start in July 2022, aims to support four Community Forest Management Groups (CFMG) to manage their community forests (Mabonga, Mwenda, Salamo and Kalonje)
• The HEARTH project, which started in March 2022 in partnership with Frankfurt Zoological Society aims to scale up beekeeping in Mukungule GMA to support CFMG’s and local households with sustainable forest-friendly income sources.

WeForest is looking for a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) officer to develop, implement and supervise WeForest’s monitoring and evaluation work in the province, which includes providing support and training to the local community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) organisations on best M&E practices. The works will initially focus on the Chintumukulu and the Mpumba CFA project and later expand to the HEARTH project. The position is mostly office based but has a strong field component (about 75% office / 25% field).

Working across projects, there will be need for (bi-)weekly visits to the different projects with offices in Mununga (Mpumba CFA project, 90km S of Mpika along the Greath North Road), Salamo village (Chintumukulu Project, 70km S of Mpika along the Greath North Road) and Mpika (HEARTH project).

To facilitate the start-up of the Mpumba CFA project, the M&E Officer will be based in Mununga first at the WeForest office and subsequently move to Mpika (2023, but timing TBD). Work will focus in both Lavushimanda and Mpika districts and hence will require frequent travelling.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead WeForest Muchinga M&E

1. Lead the development and implementation of baseline surveys, logical frameworks and M&E plans for the Muchinga projects, through setting of SMART KPIs

2. Lead the M&E reporting for the Muchinga projects, through measuring progress of the KPIs and ensuring data quality

3. Ensure adoption of best data management practices at, and across, project level which includes adopting of a naming convention, structuring the geo-database, improving data protocols/templates and organizing folder structure

4. Provide technical and operational support for project teams to collect, analyse and report on socio-economic, law-enforcement, ecological and geographic data and any other types of data relevant for the project

5. In collaboration with the M&E manager, ensure lessons learnt are extracted and shared with relevant staff and advise project teams based on lessons learnt to guide adaptive management where relevant

6. Provide regular feedback to M&E manager to improve M&E operations/procedures/guidelines/templates

Others in support of WeForest

7.  Support project document development (including translation to local languages) where and when needed

8.  Support where possible, the field team in facilitating their work such as, but not limited to, data entry, data analysis and assist in field activities whenever necessary

9.  Any other duties assigned by the M&E Manager and the different project coordinators/managers in consultation with the line manager

Lead CBNRM M&E capacity building

1. Together with the Lead Community officer play an active role in building local CBNRM organisations (MNRCS, CFMGs, VAGs etc) to understand the value and use of M&E procedures tailored to their needs and capacity

2. Guide and support CBNRM organisations to adopt good M&E practices with their activities which includes, but not limited to, socio-economic interventions, law-enforcement operations and ecological monitoring

3. Support CBNRM organisations to extract lessons and adjust relevant project components based on their M&E outcomes

CANDIDATE PROFILE

a. Education:

• Essential: B.Sc. in Forestry/Agroforestry/wildlife management or equivalent.
• Desirable: M.Sc., or equivalent experience in Development Studies and a certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation

b. Work experience and skills:

Essential:

• 3+ years relevant work experience, with demonstrated experience in leading the monitoring and evaluation of different project activities
• Excellent communication and numerical skills
• Competent in GIS software, KoboToolbox/ODK, GIS Cloud or other equivalent phone monitoring applications
• Competent with Microsoft Office applications, email and other relevant computer skills
• Willing to learn new monitoring tools and techniques
• Clean and excellent track record and references

Desirable:

• Competent in or at least acquaintance with SMART law enforcement software
• Experience with Carbon finance monitoring is considered a plus
• Previous interaction with community-based organisations and experience with training and local capacity building
• Exposure to and experience with the NGO sector

c. Language: Fluent in English (both speaking and writing) and Bemba/Bisa (both speaking and writing)

d. Other requirements

• Driving license
• Be willing to relocate and live in Mununga and Mpika, Muchinga Province of Zambia
• Flexible in terms of travelling and working conditions

Terms & Conditions

Start date: 15th of August 2022 or earlier if possible

Duration of Contract: One year, renewable to a two year contract based upon performance

Salary: Level 3a. Remuneration based on experience.

Location: Based at the WeForest office in Mununga at first, and Mpika subsequently (Muchinga Province) in 2023 (exact timing TBD). Work in both Lavushimanda and Mpika districts.

Extras: Bonus of 5% based on performance, please note that there are no field allowances though this position is also expected to carry out fieldwork regularly (visits to the project offices). We do offer professional health insurance for employee, children and spouse (nuclear family). Gratuity of 25% upon completion of the contract as per Labor Laws.

Hours of Work: Full-time, working a minimum of 8 hours per day and 4 hours on Saturday. Hours will however vary depending on project needs and flexibility is essential.

Reporting line: The M&E officer will be supervised by the WeForest Zambia M&E Manager, and also report to the Muchinga Manager. The officer will collaborate intensively with the different project managers/coordinators on site. There will be regular contacts with the Country director and the M&E Manager at Headquarters.