Consultancy Opportunity: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist at STEP February 2025

Location: Head Offices of STEP, Wilolesi, Iringa, Tanzania
Description:
Southern
Tanzania Elephant Program (STEP) is an NGO that works collaboratively
to conserve the incredible Udzungwa and Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystems of
south-central Tanzania, through targeted support to key protected areas
and the communities living around them. STEP is a 10-year-old
organisation with a dynamic and young team that has expanded rapidly to
manage a range of programmes, activities, and partnerships.Seeking
to consolidate and build on the impact of our work, supported by the
Hempel Foundation, STEP is seeking an experienced MEL professional for a
3-month consultancy, starting in early March 2025.

STEP is a
member of a coalition implementing a major new initiative, the Udzungwa
Landscape Strategy (ULS). Together with our partners at local NGO,
Associazione Mazingira, a new MEL dashboard in Tableau has been
developed for the ULS. Building on this initiative, the consultant will
work with selected staff from all departments of STEP to develop a MEL
dashboard that covers and incorporates the existing long-term MEL data
from all of STEP’s programs and collaborative projects across all of our
Udzungwa and Ruaha-Rungwa working areas.

The consultant will
also work with key staff to review and improve all of STEP’s MEL
practices and protocols across the whole organisation; support
development of new data collection tools and surveys; and train staff in
the updated and improved MEL protocols to ensure that they are fully
incorporated into all activities, and that all relevant data are
regularly and efficiently fed into the organisational dashboard.

The
fee for this consultancy will be competitive and based on experience.
All travel expenses will be covered, and accommodation in Iringa will be
provided for the duration of the task, which will be for three months.

Duties and responsibilities:
Development of a world-class MEL programme covering all departments and activities of STEP, including but not limited to:

• Working
  with STEP Departmental Managers to review, enhance and expand on
  existing MEL dashboard and indicators, and integrate into a central,
  state-of-the-art, organisation-wide MEL system and dashboard
• Develop efficient M&E protocols and processes and produce a reference guide for all staff
• Conduct training of relevant staff in best MEL practice and use of the STEP MEL dashboard
• Conduct training of relevant staff in MEL data collection tools
• Design,
  in collaboration with relevant staff, baseline/endline surveys and
  ongoing monitoring programmes for any new projects that come online
  during the consultation period
• Provide MEL inputs on reports to
  donors and partners, utilising and contextualising all relevant MEL data
  on impact of activities

Required qualifications, experience, and qualities:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in managing MEL in the fields of
  conservation and/or development, utilising ecological and/or social
  science data
• Experience of developing and maintaining a complex
  MEL database and dashboard; processing and analysing data, and effective
  presentation of results in reports and public-facing documents
• Experience designing and implementing baseline and endline surveys
• Demonstrated
  passion for MEL, improving effectiveness and impact, and commitment to
  honesty, transparency and organisational integrity
• Demonstrated commitment to training and capacity building
• Relevant Masters degree or equivalent qualification
• Effective team worker
• Passion for wildlife and community conservation
• Strong computer literacy and report-writing experience
• Highly organized, excellent attention to detail and able to deliver work to a high standard and meet deadlines
• Fluency in English and Swahili (spoken and written)

Additional qualifications and experience:

• Prior experience with Tableau, KoboToolbox Suite, EarthRanger, ESRI’s Protected Area Management Solutions, GIS, and/or R

How to Apply
If
you possess the skills and qualifications outlined above, please email
your CV (with three referees), academic certificates, and cover letter
to applications@stzelephants.or.tz. Please write ‘MEL Specialist’ in the email subject.

The cover letter should include the following:

• Highlight relevant experience and skills, and any initial ideas on how
  you may help to take STEP to the next level in terms of measuring its
  impact.
• Explain why you are interested in this consultancy

The deadline for applications is 19th February 2025. Interviews will take be conducted shortly after the closing date. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.