Under the supervision of the Project Leader, the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer develops and implements the MEAL system for the EU-PH Digital Economy Package activities managed by Expertise France. The Officer helps the team assess progress, demonstrate results and use evidence to improve implementation across Specific Objectives 1 and 2 (SO1 and SO2).

The position combines practical work on indicators, data collection and analysis with coordination, reporting and support to partners. It covers digital connectivity and Copernicus data infrastructure, capacity building, innovation ecosystem support and private-sector uptake of Earth Observation (EO) data.

The MEAL Officer works closely with the Technical Director, the Innovation and Space Ecosystem Coordinator, the Corporate and Start-up Engagement Officer, the Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement Officer and relevant support functions, under the supervision of the Project Leader. Expertise France headquarters and short-term experts provide methodological support as needed, particularly for specialised studies and evaluations. Technical specialists remain responsible for validating engineering and infrastructure performance information; the MEAL Officer ensures that this information is consistently documented and incorporated into the results framework. The Project Leader retains responsibility for overall reporting and approval of proposed changes to the monitoring framework.

The MEAL Officer will notably be responsible for:

1. MEAL framework and inception baseline

• Assess the project's monitoring needs, existing partner information systems and available resources, and develop a practical MEAL plan with clear responsibilities, collection methods, timelines and resource requirements;
• Review the theory of change and approved logical framework with the project team and partners, checking that indicators can be measured using realistic and reliable sources;
• Prepare indicator reference sheets specifying definitions, calculation methods, baselines, targets, disaggregation, sources of verification and limitations; align relevant indicators with the EU Global Europe Results Framework (GERF), applicable EU results reporting requirements and Expertise France standards;
• Coordinate the inception baseline exercise, including source mapping, collection of initial values and identification of gaps requiring surveys or expert support; propose justified adjustments to the Project Leader for validation through the applicable procedures.

2. Data collection, management and quality

• Develop and maintain proportionate data collection tools, indicator tracking tables, databases and dashboards, using existing tools where possible and documenting how information moves from partners to consolidated reporting;
• Collect, clean, verify and analyse quantitative and qualitative data, including partner records, technical performance evidence, training participation and follow-up, user feedback, EO uptake and innovation programme results, in collaboration with the staff responsible for each activity;
• Check completeness, consistency and traceability, avoid double counting, document uncertainties and organise targeted verification visits or consultations where needed; maintain an accessible evidence archive supporting reported results;
• Collect and analyse data disaggregated by sex, age and location where relevant to the indicator and feasible, and help the team assess inclusion, gender equality and youth participation;
• Apply Expertise France procedures for consent, confidentiality, access rights and secure storage, obtaining specialist guidance where data protection questions arise.

3. Progress monitoring and results reporting

• Maintain an overview of progress against agreed indicators, targets and key milestones; track relevant logframe assumptions and provide clear summaries of achievements, gaps, delays and issues requiring management attention;
• Support periodic project reviews, annual work planning and steering committee presentations by preparing concise analyses and recommendations with the technical leads;
• Consolidate results and supporting evidence in inception, annual and final narrative reports, explaining both progress and limitations; coordinate with the finance team where expenditure information is needed to interpret implementation;
• Prepare and maintain the indicator data and evidence needed for EU reporting, including OPSYS updates and the annual results reporting exercise, under the Project Leader's supervision; coordinate agreed inputs from other implementing partners where required by the programme's reporting arrangements.

4. Participant feedback and accountability

• Establish accessible and proportionate ways for participants and partners to provide feedback on the project's activities, working with activity leads and the Outreach Officer;
• Analyse satisfaction surveys and consultation feedback, identify recurring issues or barriers to participation and discuss practical improvements with the responsible colleagues;
• Document how feedback is followed up and communicate relevant responses through the appropriate channels; refer sensitive concerns through Expertise France procedures and designated focal points.

5. Evaluations, learning and capitalisation

• Identify evaluation questions, learning and capitalisation questions, and proposed evaluation criteria at an early stage, in consultation with the Project Leader, headquarters and relevant stakeholders; refine them as implementation progresses to guide studies, evaluations and capitalisation activities;
• Support the preparation of baseline studies, the mid-term and final evaluations and other MEAL assignments, including terms of reference, expected deliverables, evidence packages and consultation schedules, with the Project Leader and headquarters;
• Coordinate the work of the evaluation steering committee, including meeting agendas and documentation, stakeholder consultations, consolidation of comments on evaluation deliverables, and follow-up of agreed decisions and recommendations;
• Contribute to the selection of external MEAL consultants and manage the day-to-day follow-up of their assignments with the Project Leader, headquarters and procurement function: brief consultants, monitor work plans and contractual milestones, review methodological deliverables and reports, consolidate feedback, follow up required revisions and prepare deliverables for approval, while respecting evaluators' independence;
• Facilitate access to reliable information for external evaluators and coordinate contributions from the project team and partners;
• Facilitate periodic learning discussions and document lessons, good practices and recommendations, keeping track of agreed follow-up measures;
• Develop concise case studies and learning briefs, and provide the Outreach Officer with verified results and evidence for communication products, ensuring that claims reflect what the available data demonstrate.

6. Partner support and coordination

• Conduct an initial needs assessment of stakeholders' MEAL knowledge, practices and capacities, identifying training and support needs; use the findings to develop a tailored capacity-building approach for project colleagues, partners and relevant beneficiaries;
• Explain monitoring requirements to technical colleagues, service providers and relevant grant beneficiaries, and provide practical guidance on agreed tools and reporting formats;
• Deliver short training or coaching sessions on data collection and use, and identify needs for additional methodological support;
• Maintain regular working exchanges with relevant Expertise France headquarters functions and partner monitoring focal points to support consistent methods and timely information sharing.