Under the authority of the Project Manager and in close operational coordination with the agency’s Project Officers and the MEAL team at Expertise France headquarters, the MEAL Expert will support the Project Manager on all matters related to Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) during the inception phase. The MEAL Expert will contribute to the technical consolidation and initial structuring of the project’s MEAL approach, ensuring coherence, clarity, and alignment with donor requirements across all components, while taking into account the early stage of project implementation (no dedicated MEAL staff yet in place, limited engagement with partners, and ongoing preparation of diagnostic work).

The assignment will focus on the review and technical consolidation of the existing results framework, including the logical framework and indicators, informed by an analysis of the Theory of Change. At this stage, the MEAL Expert will not be expected to formally validate or substantially challenge the Theory of Change with stakeholders, nor to lock in design choices that may evolve once the project is fully operational. The MEAL Expert will also initiate the donor MEAL plan and core MEAL tools, and will contribute to the preparation of MEAL-related inputs to the project Inception Report. Throughout the assignment, close coordination with the Project Manager, technical leads, short-term experts and headquarters teams will ensure that MEAL considerations are appropriately integrated into technical planning, future diagnostic work, and early implementation arrangements. Particular attention will be paid to gender equality, youth inclusion, and social inclusion (including persons with disabilities) as cross-cutting priorities.

The following list of assignments is not exhaustive, and additional MEAL-related tasks may be assigned by the Project Manager, provided they remain within the scope of the inception phase and the MEAL Expert’s mandate.

Objective 1 – Deliver the contractual MEAL outputs required by the donor at the end of the inception phase (mid-April)

Estimated days : 10

Objective description: The objective is to deliver the MEAL-related contractual outputs required by the donor at the end of the inception phase.

At this stage, the assignment focuses on a technical and theoretical review of the logical framework, aimed at improving internal coherence, clarity, and operational understanding, without constraining future adjustments that may result from stakeholder consultations and diagnostic work beyond the inception phase.

The review of the logical framework will be informed by a critical analysis of the existing Theory of Change; however, the Theory of Change is not required to be formally validated with stakeholders nor submitted to the donor at this stage.

Given the project timeline, several baseline values are expected to remain unavailable by mid-April. These will be explicitly identified and scheduled for completion during the early implementation phase, in agreement with the donor.

Expected results

•       One revised and consolidated logical framework submitted to the donor at the end of the inception phase;
•       Improved clarity and coherence between objectives, outcomes, outputs, and indicators;
•       Harmonised understanding of indicators, including GERF, gender, youth, and social inclusion markers;
•       Clear identification of indicators for which baseline values will be completed at a later stage, with an explicit indication for each of:

o   the method foreseen to capture the baseline (e.g. diagnostic studies, partner data, administrative data, surveys, secondary source);

o   the timing (e.g. during early implementation, alongside specific diagnostics, or within Year 1);

o   the responsible entity (MEAL Manager, EF/ILO technical teams, implementing partners, external, etc);

•       A logical framework that remains flexible and compatible with future stakeholder-led refinements, while providing sufficient operational clarity to guide early implementation and MEAL planning.

Objective 2 – Frame and plan the MEAL system to be implemented by the future MEAL Manager

Estimated days : 8

Objective description / Expected results : The objective is to prepare and structure the foundations of the project MEAL system, to be further developed and implemented by the future MEAL Manager once recruited. Rather than fully designing the system, the assignment aims to define strategic orientations, priorities, and initial methodological choices, providing a solid and practical basis for the upcoming MEAL manager, while preserving the flexibility required for a complex, multi-component project implemented in phases.

Expected results

•       A clear strategic orientation for the project MEAL system;
•       Explicit methodological principles adapted to phased implementation;
•       A preliminary definition of roles, responsibilities, and information flows (Expertise France, ILO, partners, HQ);
•       Initial proposals for MEAL coordination and governance mechanisms;
•       Practical guidance to support adaptive management during implementation;
•       Handover notes for the MEAL Manager, summarizing key orientations, pending tasks, and next steps to continue building the MEAL system beyond inception.

Objective 3 – Initiate core MEAL tools and prepare the roadmap for diagnostics and baseline work

Estimated days : 12

Objective description / Expected results: The objective is to initiate the project’s core MEAL tools and to structure the analytical groundwork required for future diagnostic studies and baseline activities, ensuring a smooth transition from inception to implementation. The MEAL Expert will start drafting the MEAL plan and contribute to the Inception Report under Objective 3, where core tools, templates, and the MEAL roadmap are initiated.

Expected results

•      A pre-filled donor MEAL plan template, clearly identified as evolving and serving as the basis for future completion by the MEAL Manager; this will also provide inputs for the project’s Inception Report.
•       Draft indicator reference sheets, including definitions, data sources, frequency, and responsibilities, to support handover and orientation of the MEAL Manager.
•     A set of core MEAL tools and templates (e.g., activity tracking, partner reporting, risk/assumption logs, learning logs) ready to be used immediately or further refined during implementation.
•      A clear roadmap for diagnostics and baseline work, including identification of baseline data needs, gaps, sequencing, and responsibilities (who will collect which data, when, and how), aligned with project phasing and designed to feed into early-year MEAL activities.
•      MEAL-related inputs to the Inception Report, ensuring that the plan, tools, and roadmap are documented to guide implementation, adaptive management, and handover to the future MEAL Manager.

Deliverables with indicative timeline: