Monitoring & Evaluation Officer -Governance & Livelihoods

Job description

WeForest
WeForest is a fast-growing international non-profit association with headquarters in Belgium and legal entities in France, USA, Ethiopia and Zambia. The organisation is promoting Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) best practices, and our activities are growing.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The current position focuses on leading all governance and livelihoods-related M&E processes in the two WeForest-implemented projects in the province:

The Lavushimanda/Mpumba Community Conservation project [LCC/MCC] in Lavushimanda district, which started at the end of 2022, supports three Community Forest Management Groups (CFMG) to manage their community forests (Mabonga, Mwenda, and Salamo) as well as engage private landowners to support a holistic landscape vision that delivers for the community and conservation. This project is developed as a REDD+ carbon project to ensure long-term financing.

The Mukungule Project (MUK) in Mpika District, which started in March 2022, aims to scale up beekeeping in the Mukungule GMA by supporting beekeeping enterprise groups and local households with sustainable, forest-friendly income sources.

Work focuses on both Lavushimanda and Mpika districts and hence will require frequent traveling, involving approximately 75% office-based work and 25% fieldwork.

Lead governance and livelihood-related M&E
Provide technical and operational support for project teams to collect, analyze, and report on livelihood- and governance-related data.
Monitor the performance and capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs), including CRBs, CFMGs, BKEGs, and VAGs.
Track the implementation and outcomes of key livelihood activities such as beekeeping, agroforestry, caterpillar harvesting, and climate-smart agriculture.
Guide CBNRM structures to adopt and implement tailored M&E procedures to improve governance and promote sustainable livelihoods.
Ensure good M&E practices by maintaining proper data storage, organization, and accessibility to ensure data quality and usability.
Conduct regular spot checks and post-activity assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of training and capacity-building activities.
Update the adaptive management tracker quarterly to document project progress, challenges, and corrective actions for adaptive decision-making.
Support gender mainstreaming by assisting in the collection and analysis of gender-based violence (GBV) assessment data at relevant project stages.
Supervise & coordinate M&E processes
Lead the development and implementation of M&E frameworks, including baseline surveys, logical frameworks, and SMART KPIs for both projects.
Oversee verification and mapping of beekeeping plots, hive locations, and agroforestry sites to support accurate monitoring.
Monitor compliance with forest and land-use management practices, such as firebreak creation, ring weeding, tree protection, and grazing control.
Support performance evaluation meetings for honey value chain and agricultural stakeholders across the Mukungule and Mpumba Chiefdom projects.
Evaluate the performance of bee mentors, HFOs, CA lead farmers, and other key actors to document successes and identify areas for improvement.
Monitor seedling survival and nursery output, as well as agricultural yields, to assess progress in reforestation and sustainable farming.
Conduct post-harvest assessments and regular spot checks to assess the impact of livelihood trainings and improve project implementation.
Conduct Organizational Capacity Assessments (OCAs) for CBOs and provide follow-up support to enhance governance structures.
Train field teams and community organizations on relevant M&E tools, methods, and indicators to strengthen implementation and learning.
Other support to WeForest
Extract and document lessons learned in collaboration with the MEL Manager to inform adaptive project management and future implementation.
Collect and share MARCOM materials (e.g., photos, stories, updates) in line with WeForest’s protocols for communication and documentation.
Provide regular feedback to the MEL Manager on governance- and livelihood-related M&E processes, including recommendations to improve operations, tools, and reporting systems.
Support project document development, including translations into local languages, when needed.
Assist the field team with data entry, data analysis, and logistical support during field activities as necessary.
Perform any other duties assigned by the MEL Manager and project managers in consultation with the line manager.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education:

Essential: Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Development Studies, Project Management, Agroforestry, Wildlife Management, Social Sciences, or a related field.

Desirable: A Master’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Economics, Development Studies, Project Management, Agroforestry, Wildlife Management, Social Sciences, or a related field. A certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation and/or Project Management is an added advantage.

Work experience and skills:

Essential:

Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience, with demonstrated experience in leading the monitoring and evaluation of diverse project activities.

Excellent communication skills and strong numerical and analytical abilities.

Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, formulas, data cleaning, and data visualization.

Proficient in other Microsoft Office tools such as Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook for reporting, documentation, and communication.

Competent in GIS software and mapping tools, and mobile data collection platforms such as KoboToolbox, ODK, or other equivalent phone-based applications.

Willingness to learn and adapt to new monitoring tools and techniques.

Clean and excellent track record and references

Desirable:

Experience with Carbon project monitoring is considered a plus.

Previous interaction with community-based organizations and experience with training and local capacity building

Exposure to and experience with the NGO sector

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

Other requirements

Driving license

Be willing to relocate and reside in Mununga – Mpumba Chiefdom (Lavushimanda District) as the primary workstation, with frequent travel to and work from Mpika District (Mukungule Chiefdom), all located within Muchinga Province.

Flexible in terms of travelling and working conditions

All academic and professional certificates should be certified by the Zambia Qualification Authority (ZAQA)

Terms & Conditions

Start date: 01/06/2025 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:   The primary workstation will be Mununga, Lavushimanda District, with frequent travel to Mpika and Mukungule (Muchinga Province) for project monitoring and support.

Reporting line:     The M&E Officer will be supervised by the WeForest Zambia MEL Manager and will directly report to the site Project Managers for the Lavushimanda/Mpumba Community Conservation Project (Lavushimanda District) and the Mukungule Project (Mpika District).

Application Procedure

Please send applications to recruitment.zambia@weforest.org with your CV, a motivation letter with your CV, a motivation letter (maximum one page), and two recent references by 30th April 2025.

Applicants are required to include a draft logistical framework with at least 20 SMART KPIs that you

believe should be recorded for these Muchinga projects. As a guide, WeForest is working on three pillars:

Governance and CBO Capacity Building
Forest Restoration and Protection
Community Outreach and Livelihood Development

Ensure the job title is mentioned in the subject of the email, and indicate where you saw the job post.

In your motivation letter, we encourage you to share what makes you interested in working with

WeForest and how your experience aligns with the role, particularly in monitoring, evaluation, and reporting processes.

Recruitment Conditions

Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete a competency test, which will assess technical skills in data analysis, SMART KPIs development, GIS mapping, and reporting.

Due to the anticipated high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We thank you in advance for your interest.