The consultancy mission has two main objectives:

1)     Support to the Mauritian Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Commerce in monitoring the circular economy policy in Mauritius. Specifically, this support will benefit the Steering Committee for the CE policy, enabling it to monitor and evaluate its implementation. The expert will propose data collection tools and a methodology to highlight the results of the actions carried out. A transparent monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework will be developed—gender-sensitive and evidence-based—aligned with the CE roadmap and action plan.

2)     Monitoring of the Expertise France project "Implementation of the Circular Economy": The expert will be responsible for developing a complete and robust MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning - MEAL) system for the project, to guide its management and implementation.This includes: Reviewing the logical framework and defining relevant monitoring indicators, Developing a monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning plan, Establishing a baseline, Setting up project-level monitoring tools, Data collection and compilation. The expert will contribute to project reporting to the EU Delegation (DUE), ensuring the quality of deliverables, and drafting interim and final technical reports. They will work closely with the project manager and lead experts. The M&E system must also serve accountability purposes—both upward (donors) and downward (beneficiaries).

The MEAL Expert will be mobilized on a part-time basis to provide regular and targeted support to both the project beneficiaries and Expertise France. A call-off contract will define the mobilization needs on a quarterly basis. They will work under the supervision of the Project Manager, in close collaboration with the Project Officer at Expertise France headquarters, and other team members. Several trips to Mauritius per year are expected.

The Monitoring & Evaluation Expert will be specifically responsible for:

Mission 1 – Support for Monitoring the Circular Economy Roadmap:

The National Circular Economy Roadmap already includes a monitoring and evaluation framework based on two levels of indicators: Macro-indicators, which measure impacts and the achievement of long-term strategic goals; and Micro-indicators, which monitor the operational implementation of the planned actions.

The expert will support the Steering Committee and the ministries and agencies involved in the operationalization and use of this monitoring framework so that it becomes fully integrated into public governance mechanisms.

Tasks will include:

1)     Development of the project's MEAL plan:

·       Review the logical framework and its indicators, clearly defining for each: the indicator's definition, means of verification, calculation methods, frequency, and responsible parties;

·       Define baseline values and targets for each indicator. If establishing baseline values requires in-depth investigation, support the team in conducting a baseline survey;

·       Clarify data flow: collection, transmission, consolidation, visualization, use for decision-making and project management, reporting;

·       Establish data management rules (archiving, confidentiality, quality control, GDPR compliance).

2)     Diagnosis of the existing system:

·       Conduct an analysis of existing mechanisms and practices related to the collection, management, sharing, and use of circular economy-related data (at ministerial, sectoral, and statistical levels);

·       Identify available data sources, assess their quality, update frequency, and detect any gaps or redundancies;

·       Map the actors involved in data production, compilation, and use (ministries, agencies, observatories, private sector, civil society);

·       Examine current inter-institutional coordination and reporting arrangements)

·       Formulate recommendations to improve the reliability, consistency, and accessibility of data, building on existing capacities.

3)     Support for the operationalization of the monitoring framework:

·       Clarify and harmonize definitions, means of verification, and responsibilities associated with the indicators (macro and micro);

·       Train and support ministries, agencies, and statisticians to improve the quality, regularity, and consistency of quantitative and qualitative data;

·       Develop practical formats and tools (dashboards, reporting templates, visualization tools) to consolidate and share data;

·       Facilitate the collective analysis of results within the Steering Committee to identify gaps between actual results and objectives, and propose corrective measures;

·       Integrate environmental, economic, social, and gender dimensions into the monitoring process to ensure a cross-cutting and inclusive approach;

·       Support the Steering Committee in organizing periodic reviews of the roadmap: an annual review to identify immediate challenges and suggest adjustments, and a triennial evaluation to measure overall progress.

Thus, the mission will be based on the existing framework (diagnosis), and will aim to structure and strengthen it so that it becomes a true management and accountability tool for the public circular economy policy.

This task proposal and the development of the mission (timeline) will be discussed with the consultant in order to establish a provisional schedule for initial support, monthly support, and periodic missions.

Mission 2 – Monitoring of the Expertise France Project: "Implementation of the Circular Economy":

In parallel, the expert will support the project team and its partners in designing and implementing a MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) system to enable effective project management, upward and downward accountability, and collective learning.

1)     Development of the project's MEAL plan:

·       Review the logical framework and its indicators, clearly defining for each: the indicator's definition, means of verification, calculation methods, frequency, and responsible parties;

·       Define baseline values and targets for each indicator. If establishing baseline values requires in-depth investigation, support the team in conducting a baseline survey;

·       Clarify data flow: collection, transmission, consolidation, visualization, use for decision-making and project management, reporting;

·       Establish data management rules (archiving, confidentiality, quality control, GDPR compliance).

2) Implementation and operationalization:

·       Ensure regular updates of the monitoring system, verifying the quality of collected data and maintaining interactive tools;

·       Liaise with project experts and stakeholders to support data collection and interpretation;

·       Develop and implement decision-making dashboards enabling the project team to track progress and adjust interventions;

·       Contribute to semi-annual reviews and integrate monitoring and evaluation results into technical reports;

·       Propose and develop a knowledge capitalization plan, in collaboration with the Communication Officer, to create suitable communication materials;

·       In collaboration with the Project Manager and HQ, prepare terms of reference for the final evaluation and contribute to quality control of this process.

3) Continuous adaptation:

·       Update the monitoring and evaluation system and data collection tools as needed, based on project developments;

·       Ensure the system remains aligned with project priorities, beneficiaries' needs, and donor expectations.

This task proposal and the development of the mission (timeline) will be discussed with the consultant to define an estimated schedule for initial support, monthly support, and periodic missions.