CAFI, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer
Libreville
- Organization: WCS - Wildlife Conservation Society
- Location: Libreville
- Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
-
Occupational Groups:
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Closing Date: 2025-04-04
Job Description
Location: Libreville
Reports To: Country Director
Work in close collaboration with: WCS project managers and regional team, implementing partners
Position type : Full time
Start Date: ASAP
Duration: 2 years
About WCS
The Wildlife Conservation Society is an international NGO headquartered at Bronx Zoo in New York City working to save wildlife and wild lands and to meet global challenges in over 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the world’s oceans. The Africa Program is the largest of WCS’s field programs, with approximately 1,100 staff in 12 country programs focused across four major regions (Central Africa, Sudano-Sahel, East and Southern Africa, and Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean).
Our MISSION is to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education and inspiring people to value nature. Our VISION is a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. Our GOAL is to conserve the world’s largest wild places in 16 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the world’s biodiversity. Our VALUES are Respect, Accountability and Transparency, Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion, Collaboration, Integrity.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct utilization of natural resources.
Project Background:
Gabon is the second most forested country in the world (more than 88% of the territory covered by resilient tropical forests) and one of the few to have a positive carbon footprint. From 2018 t0 2020, a non-invasive survey technique applied by WCS, Gabon’s National Park Agency (ANPN) and Vulcan Inc. confirms that Gabon remains the principal stronghold for the forest elephant, a critically Endangered species. While the protection of forests and wildlife has been a triumph for Gabon's conservation and climate change policies, it has also contributed to unintended consequences for local people; specifically increased incidents of crop destruction and food insecurity and, in some cases, direct conflicts between humans and elephants resulting in loss of human life. As such, Gabon is refining the countries conservation and climate change policies to ensure they are not only environmentally effective but also socially equitable, with real positive impacts on rural communities.
The government's vision is to create mechanisms that mitigate the negative effects of conservation activities, such as the increase in human-elephant conflict, while promoting the enabling conditions required for nature, people and wildlife to coexist harmoniously and sustainably.
In 2015, Gabon signed the Joint Declaration of the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) to mitigate climate change, reduce poverty and contribute to sustainable development. As part of its participation in CAFI, Gabon developed its National Investment Framework (NIF), which outlines programs for potential CAFI support. To address the human elephant conflicts, a new project entitled “Peaceful human-elephant co-existence in Gabon" will be executed with WCS as the implementing organization. The project defines an integrated approach to human-elephant conflict (HEC) designed to reduce negative human-elephant interactions while improving the food security of rural communities, significantly contributing to their physical security and reducing deforestation by smallholders. The project builds on successes of an existing electric fencing project coupled with the development of smart agriculture extension activities to optimize food production in fenced agricultural fields. The project will also develop multidisciplinary assistance for populations affected by human-elephant conflict through an intensive education and awareness campaign and an innovative insurance system to cover elephant damage.
The “Peaceful human-elephant co-existence in Gabon” project expands and strengthens WCS’s long-standing conservation portfolio in Gabon, which has been active for several decades, while also necessitating the creation of a dedicated M&E Officer position within the WCS Gabon program to support its implementation and integration with existing initiatives.
Thus, although the M&E Officer will be recruited under the current project, they will be providing country-wide MEL support, ensuring alignment across all WCS projects in Gabon.
Job Summary
Under the direct supervision of the Country Director, the M&E Officer will be responsible for the monitoring and ensuring high quality and timely inputs, and for ensuring that the project maintains its strategic vision and that its activities result in the achievement of its intended outputs in a cost effective and timely manner.
The M&E Officer will be responsible for designing and implementing M&E activities of the HEC Project and of the wider Gabon program ; assisting the HEC Project Coordinator in preparing Quarterly/Annual reports on project progress and will monitor the project activities on a regular basis, developing and maintaining the program knowledge management system and will be responsible for the collection & analysis of different data in relation to the project activities and to the overall WCS Gabon program portfolio. The M&E Officer works in close collaboration with the implementing partners and the WCS project team.
Based in Libreville, there will be frequent travel to field sites to support the field-based implementing partners and WCS project team members.
Duties and Responsibilities
The M&E Officer is responsible for observing and ensuring high-quality and timely inputs, and for ensuring that the program maintains its strategic vision and that program activities result in the achievement of intended outcomes and impact in a cost-effective and timely manner. Specific tasks will include:
Collaboration with other teams:
Feedback and Recommendations:
Reports To: Country Director
Work in close collaboration with: WCS project managers and regional team, implementing partners
Position type : Full time
Start Date: ASAP
Duration: 2 years
About WCS
The Wildlife Conservation Society is an international NGO headquartered at Bronx Zoo in New York City working to save wildlife and wild lands and to meet global challenges in over 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the world’s oceans. The Africa Program is the largest of WCS’s field programs, with approximately 1,100 staff in 12 country programs focused across four major regions (Central Africa, Sudano-Sahel, East and Southern Africa, and Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean).
Our MISSION is to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education and inspiring people to value nature. Our VISION is a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. Our GOAL is to conserve the world’s largest wild places in 16 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the world’s biodiversity. Our VALUES are Respect, Accountability and Transparency, Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion, Collaboration, Integrity.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct utilization of natural resources.
Project Background:
Gabon is the second most forested country in the world (more than 88% of the territory covered by resilient tropical forests) and one of the few to have a positive carbon footprint. From 2018 t0 2020, a non-invasive survey technique applied by WCS, Gabon’s National Park Agency (ANPN) and Vulcan Inc. confirms that Gabon remains the principal stronghold for the forest elephant, a critically Endangered species. While the protection of forests and wildlife has been a triumph for Gabon's conservation and climate change policies, it has also contributed to unintended consequences for local people; specifically increased incidents of crop destruction and food insecurity and, in some cases, direct conflicts between humans and elephants resulting in loss of human life. As such, Gabon is refining the countries conservation and climate change policies to ensure they are not only environmentally effective but also socially equitable, with real positive impacts on rural communities.
The government's vision is to create mechanisms that mitigate the negative effects of conservation activities, such as the increase in human-elephant conflict, while promoting the enabling conditions required for nature, people and wildlife to coexist harmoniously and sustainably.
In 2015, Gabon signed the Joint Declaration of the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) to mitigate climate change, reduce poverty and contribute to sustainable development. As part of its participation in CAFI, Gabon developed its National Investment Framework (NIF), which outlines programs for potential CAFI support. To address the human elephant conflicts, a new project entitled “Peaceful human-elephant co-existence in Gabon" will be executed with WCS as the implementing organization. The project defines an integrated approach to human-elephant conflict (HEC) designed to reduce negative human-elephant interactions while improving the food security of rural communities, significantly contributing to their physical security and reducing deforestation by smallholders. The project builds on successes of an existing electric fencing project coupled with the development of smart agriculture extension activities to optimize food production in fenced agricultural fields. The project will also develop multidisciplinary assistance for populations affected by human-elephant conflict through an intensive education and awareness campaign and an innovative insurance system to cover elephant damage.
The “Peaceful human-elephant co-existence in Gabon” project expands and strengthens WCS’s long-standing conservation portfolio in Gabon, which has been active for several decades, while also necessitating the creation of a dedicated M&E Officer position within the WCS Gabon program to support its implementation and integration with existing initiatives.
Thus, although the M&E Officer will be recruited under the current project, they will be providing country-wide MEL support, ensuring alignment across all WCS projects in Gabon.
Job Summary
Under the direct supervision of the Country Director, the M&E Officer will be responsible for the monitoring and ensuring high quality and timely inputs, and for ensuring that the project maintains its strategic vision and that its activities result in the achievement of its intended outputs in a cost effective and timely manner.
The M&E Officer will be responsible for designing and implementing M&E activities of the HEC Project and of the wider Gabon program ; assisting the HEC Project Coordinator in preparing Quarterly/Annual reports on project progress and will monitor the project activities on a regular basis, developing and maintaining the program knowledge management system and will be responsible for the collection & analysis of different data in relation to the project activities and to the overall WCS Gabon program portfolio. The M&E Officer works in close collaboration with the implementing partners and the WCS project team.
Based in Libreville, there will be frequent travel to field sites to support the field-based implementing partners and WCS project team members.
Duties and Responsibilities
The M&E Officer is responsible for observing and ensuring high-quality and timely inputs, and for ensuring that the program maintains its strategic vision and that program activities result in the achievement of intended outcomes and impact in a cost-effective and timely manner. Specific tasks will include:
- Designing M&E Frameworks:
- Develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks and tools plans defining objectives, indicators, and determining methodologies for data collection and analysis, in compliance with donors’ guidelines and ethical standards for handling sensitive information particularly when dealing with local communities and conservation partners.
- Embed equity, gender, and social inclusion (GESI) principles in the design of project indicators and ensure that M&E frameworks reflect the needs of women, youth, indigenous communities, and marginalized groups.
- Data and knowledge management:
- Support implementing partners and WCS project team with the development and use of M&E tools. in collecting, storing, and managing data efficiently to ensure its accuracy, reliability, and accessibility for analysis.
- Manage project’s knowledge database to ensure timely archiving of project documents including sources of verification.
- Supportand backstop external evaluators or consultants for the conduct of mid and end term evaluations and other ad-hoc assessments (surveys, community engagements, focus group discussions etc)
- Conduct gender-disaggregated data collection and analysis.
- Analyze data to extract actionable insights and compiling findings into reports that inform donor and implementing partners about the project’s progress, outcomes, and impact. Provide input, information and statistics for quarterly, annual and other reports
Collaboration with other teams:
- Work closely with the WCS community conservation team and project implementing partners team to ensure inclusive, participatory, and community-driven approaches in project monitoring and evaluation.
- Align M&E activities with human rights standards, ensuring that data collection respects the dignity, privacy, and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of local communities.
- Support the integration of community feedback mechanisms into the M&E system to capture community concerns and ensure responsiveness.
Feedback and Recommendations:
- Provide evidence-based recommendations to Project Coordinator and implementing partners to refine strategies, enhance performance and guide future decision-making and learning.
- Participate in annual project reviews and planning workshops and assist the Project Coordinator in preparing relevant reports
- Strengthen the M&E skills of WCS team members and implementing partners through training and support, ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of M&E practices
- Support project teams to prepare ahead of ad hoc assessments from donors, including EU-Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM), USAID Data Quality Assurance (DQA) missions, and other external evaluations. Ensure MEL teams are well-equipped to meet compliance and reporting expectations.
- Ensure that all data collection, fieldwork, and engagement with community members adhere to WCS's and donors’ safeguarding policies and international standards on protection from exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PSEA).
- Coordinate with implementation partners to track and report any risks or safeguarding concerns arising from M&E activities.
Qualification Requirements
Requirements
- University Degree preferably in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Data Science, Economics or other related fields.
- At least 5 years of experience in the design and implementation of M&E/MIS in development or conservation projects implemented by national/international NGOs/Government
- Strong knowledge of social and environmental safeguarding, community rights and approaches
- Good understanding of capacity assessment methodologies; excellent ability to identify significant capacity building opportunities
- Excellent knowledge of data and project management tools and software (e.g., KoboToolbox, CommCare, Asana, R, GIS, SMART etc).
- Strong training & facilitation skills with ability to incorporate diverse and inclusive perspectives, prioritizing engagement with local communities
- Excellent communication skills (written and oral): Sensitivity to and responsiveness to all partners, Respectful and helpful relations with the implementing partners and WCS project team
- Collaborative spirit
- Fluency in written and spoken French and English
Application process
Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications, skills and experience, should apply at the tab below by April 4th 2025.
WCS is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value.
#LI-SM1
Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications, skills and experience, should apply at the tab below by April 4th 2025.
WCS is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value.
#LI-SM1
Salary Range
Competitive salary commensurate with experience
We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.