Call for Experts for the Monitoring and Evaluation of the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund – Africa and Central America

The Assignment

The Defra-FCDO £100m Biodiverse Landscapes Fund is part of a larger £220 million International Biodiversity Fund which was announced by the UK Prime Minister at the UN General Assembly in September 2019. Its primary objective is to secure both biodiversity protection and enhancement and sustainable development.

The Fund will support approximately five highly biodiverse landscapes across the globe, between £10 million and £20 million each, over five years. The two preferred landscapes selected in the first tranche and the Mesoamerica and Kavango-Zambezi Landscapes, which will be followed by the remaining landscapes in the second tranche.

We will support the development of Fund-level Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will enable robust data collection and monitoring across all landscapes over the lifetime of the Fund, covering aspects such as area of land protected, measures of biodiversity, and poverty alleviation /livelihoods. We will also support the design and implementation of independent post-inception and final evaluations of the fund.

The Position

The thematic /subject matter experts work alongside our MEL specialists and provide key context-specific insights and inputs to support the design and implementation of a robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning framework for the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund covering the Mesoamerica and Kavango-Zambezi Landscapes.

The overall goal is to promote biodiversity conservation and climate resilient, low-emissions development in the selected landscapes. Although regional in scope and design, activities will be focused in targeted geographical areas within the transboundary regions to improve governance and policy over critical natural and human ecosystems; and increase the capacity of institutions at all levels to reduce wildlife trafficking, deforestation, and forest degradation, establish and improve land use and management of conservation areas to achieve biodiversity and sustainable landscape objectives.

The Person

We are looking for two expert profiles:

1. Profile 1:

• 15+ years professional experience, with a minimum of 7 years in ecosystem services, ecology, water conservation, land use planning and management, sustainable infrastructure development, sustainable livelihoods, community engagement and natural resource management relating to biodiversity and conservation in development contexts.
• Expertise /experience of monitoring, research and/or evaluation is highly desirable.

2. Profile 2:

• 10+ years of professional experience, with a minimum of 4 years of professional experience. Relevant PhD studies can be considered professional experience.
• Experience in ecosystem services, ecology, water conservation, land use planning and management, sustainable infrastructure development, sustainable livelihoods, community engagement and natural resource management relating to biodiversity and conservation in development contexts.
• Expertise /experience of monitoring, research and/or evaluation is highly desirable.

Applications close:  30 April 2021