IYBA-SEED MEAL “MONITORING, EVALUATION, ACCOUNTABILITY AND LEARNING” OFFICER

Description of the missionUnder supervision of the Project Coordinator, the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer is responsible for the development and implementation of the MEAL system of the project “IYBA-SEED: Investing in Young Businesses in Africa – Supporting Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development”.The MEAL Officer is part of the Project Management Unit (PMU) – and is based in Brussels.He/she will work on a daily basis with the PMU Team (Team Coordinator; Project Officer; Administrative and Financial Officer; Project Assistant; 3x Technical Component Leads), will support the Country Teams (via the Country Leads), and will be in regular contact with the M&E teams of EF HQ.The position implies a high degree of autonomy and thoroughness, as well as interpersonal skills appropriate to working in a European, international and multicultural environment.MONITORING AND EVALUATIONThe monitoring and evaluation of the project is carried out under the supervision of the Project Coordinator, and in close collaboration with the 3x Technical Component Leads and the 5x Country Teams. The MEAL Officer will be responsible for:Developing the M&E Strategy and Framework, in accordance with Expertise France’s M&E guidelines and with the IYBA-SEED project, including:Reviewing IYBA-SEED’s logical framework and harmonising how the operational teams (i.e. Technical Component Leads and Country teams) report on these indicatorsDefining roles and responsibilities of the different actors (partners, Country Teams, Project Management Unit, Expertise France HQ staff, DG INTPA)Setting up the system for collecting, processing and consolidating M&E data (e.g. with innovative digital tools)Proposing a plan, calendar and communication tools to facilitate reportingProviding methodological support to different actors (internal staff and external partners) and train them on: appropriation of the M&E Strategy and Framework, as well as tools usedImplementing and deploying the M&E Strategy and FrameworkACCOUNTABILITYLead the consolidation of the technical reports that Expertise France must provide to the EU (annual reports, mid-year summary reports)Ensure compliance with the reporting schedule to the EULEARNINGOrganises external evaluations (mid-term and final evaluations) of the IYBA-SEED project (terms of reference, selection of evaluators, follow-up...)Develop a Learning and Capitalisation StrategyIdentifies, in collaboration with the relevant team members, the needs and elaborates the terms of reference for the selection of external service providers dedicated to the project experience capitalisation exercisesOrganises and leads internal capitalisation exercisesSupervises the awarding procedures and contractualisation of subcontracted capitalisation servicesEnsures the follow-up of these services and the production and distribution of the deliverables sent to the various parties involved in the projectEnsures the dissemination of capitalisation documents, in collaboration with the Communication & Visibility consultants, in order to promote a learning processCOMPONENT 4 TECHNICAL LEADComponent 4 “Ecosystem Mapping and Knowledge” is the cross-cutting IYBA-SEED Component on Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Mapping (methodologies and studies) and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Strengthening (learnings, best practices, case studies). As part of its functions, the MEAL Officer will act as Component 4 Lead, including:Technical backstopping for PMU, Country Teams, etcHarmonisation of thematic approaches between countriesDevelopment and implementation of international activities Description of the project or contextExpertise France is the French public international cooperation agency. It designs and implements projects which aim to contribute to the balanced development of partner countries, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and the priorities of France’s external action.IYBA-SEED is co-funded by the European Union (DG INTPA), the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Team France and SlovakAid, for a period of 4 years (2023-2026). It is implemented by a consortium of leading European development agencies, including Enabel (Belgium), Expertise France (France), GIZ (Germany), SAIDC (Slovakia) and SNV (Netherlands). The consortium is led by Expertise France.IYBA-SEED is part of the third Building Block of the Team Europe Initiative “Investing in Young Businesses in Africa”, which is made up of three Building Blocks: 1) Increase the financial and technical support for pre-seed stage entrepreneurs and micro and small enterprises, 2) Increase the finance for SMEs and entrepreneurs at seed and early stages, and 3) Supporting the ecosystem, with a special emphasis on women and young people.IYBA-SEED takes an “Ecosystem Strengthening” approach: it targets the entrepreneurship ecosystem and its actors, in order to reach young businesses (i.e. SEED beneficiaries) which are defined as:(Very-)early stage businesses and entrepreneurs (pre-seed and seed)Exclusively led by young entrepreneurs (18-35yo) and/or women entrepreneurs (of all ages)The project aims to “contribute to creating decent jobs and resilient economies by strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystems in a number of sub-Saharan countries so that they can increase access to Business Development Services (both financial and non-financial) for SEED beneficiaries” in 5 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Benin, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa and Togo).IYBA-SEED works on four key components / specific objectivesCapacity Development and Networks : strengthen and connect Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Actors (EEAs) and their networks (both nationally and internationally) to improve access to Business Development Services (both financial and non-financial) for SEED beneficiariesBusiness Environment : contribute to a business environment (policies and regulations) which is conducive to the creation and growth of SEED beneficiariesEntrepreneurial Culture : promote an inclusive entrepreneurial culture that encourages existing and future young and women entrepreneurs to create and grow SEED beneficiariesKnowledge : foster access for Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Actors, SEED beneficiaries and other stakeholders to lessons learned and best practices for Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Strengthening YOUR PROFILEUniversity degree in statistics, development economics, political sciences, or any other profile in line with the tasks to be carried out. A Master’s degree will be an asset;A minimum of 5-years professional experience in the use of M&E systems, preferably in the field of private sector development, in the context of international cooperation development projects;Experience in multi-stakeholder coordination;Proficiency in English and French is required. Other languages (e.g. Flemish, German, Slovak and/or Dutch) will be an asset.Specific knowledge, experience, skills or competencesGood command of the fundamentals of international project management and excellent knowledge of the M&E processes, particularly in EU-funded projects required (preferably also in multi-donor, multi-country, and/or multi-operator projects);Experience in the use of digital data collection and analysis tools (M&E-oriented software, data collection and analysis software, visualisation, etc). Experience in network analysis will be an asset;Proficiency in developing technical reports required;Thematic knowledge of Private Sector Development, in particular Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Mapping and Strengthening will be strongly appreciated;Experience with gender and youth issues will be an asset.Soft skillsStrong teamwork skills, flexibility, organisational skills, responsiveness;Proven writing skills (reports, briefing notes, strategies, etc);Pragmatic, proven ability to produce tools and documents in a short time;Skills in training facilitation and capacity building;Excellent interpersonal skills in a multicultural context. WHAT WE OFFERAn exciting job in an international environmentA contract for a term of 12 months (renewable for a total of up to 48 months) based in Brussels, with field visits in the five countries of implementation (Benin, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa and Togo)A salary package that comprises the monthly gross salary, in accordance with our salary scales (Category A), expatriation allowance and other benefits. The exact salary will be defined according to relevant recognised experience for the function.Apply here online with a CV and Cover Letter, at the latest by 26th February 2023. Expected start date: ASAP.