Objectives and Scope of work

The MEL Consultant will be responsible for leading and coordinating all Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning activities under the IGNITE project across Africa and MENA. Specifically, the consultant will:

• Revise and implement the MEL framework, including updating the M&E plan and ensuring its alignment with the project’s Theory of Change.
• Coordinate data collection and analysis across all project countries, ensuring timely, valid, and reliable data for monitoring outputs, outcomes, and impact.
• Provide technical support and strengthen MEL capacities of partners and grantees through training, coaching, peer learning, data quality assurance, and development of tailored tools and feedback mechanisms.
• Lead the MEL Working Group (MEL WG), including organizing monthly meetings, coordinating MEL activities, and supporting cross-learning among consortium members.
• Generate insights and analysis at portfolio level through dashboards, briefs, and visualizations to inform strategic decision-making during Project Management Unit and consortium meetings.
• Support programmatic reflection and adaptation, including organizing quarterly monitoring meetings and aligning MEL activities with program implementation timelines.
• Design and manage satisfaction surveys and reflection sessions, including analysis of grantee reports and post-training follow-ups.
• Coordinate reporting and learning contributions for donor and internal reports, in collaboration with the Grants and Partnerships Manager.
• Conduct the endline evaluation of the IGNITE project across regions, including design, data collection, analysis, reporting, and support to external evaluators.
• Support the Phase 2 proposal development, including the revision/design of the Theory of Change and logframe.
• Organize and facilitate a lessons learned workshop at the end of the project to support adaptive learning.

Deliverables

• The consultant's deliverables for this consultancy are as follows:
• MEL Framework Finalized and Operationalized:
• Update and finalize the MEL manual.
• Develop an indicator guidebook and data collection tools, including for new/revised indicators.
• Coordinate with program and partner teams to define indicator targets.
• Integrated MEL Work Plan:
• Develop a MEL work plan aligned with the overall IGNITE work plan.
• Ensure clarity on roles, timelines, and responsibilities across MEL and program teams.
• MEL Working Group (MELWG) Coordination:
• Organize and co-chair bi-monthly MELWG meetings (chaired on a rotational basis).
• Document and file minutes of meetings (MoM).
• Follow up on action points and report progress back to the Project Management Unit.
• Learning and Reporting Outputs:
• Design and implement a grantee feedback mechanism to inform project adaptation and planning.
• Capture and disseminate success stories in coordination with the Communication consultant and consortium partners.
• Coordinate the analysis of grantee quarterly reports; produce briefs summarizing key quantitative and qualitative insights one month after submission.
• Lead quarterly data collection and analysis for logframe reviews to inform Project Management Unit and consortium meetings.
• Capacity Strengthening and Peer Learning:

Coordinate with the MELWG to:

• Conduct a minimum of 3 Communities of Practice (MEL CoPs) across grantee countries.
• Deliver 4 MEL online trainings for grantee partners (trainings in Africa to be completed by end October 2025; MENA by December 2025).
• Design and conduct satisfaction surveys and follow-up reviews (3–6 months post-training or capacity-sharing) using surveys, KIIs, or mixed methods.
• Evaluation and Strategic Learning: Lead the end-of-project evaluation, including tool design, data collection, analysis, and final report to be submitted to the Project Management Unit.

Timeline

• The timeline is scheduled to commence in  October 2025 until Mars 2026, aligning with the project's anticipated duration. The detailed timeline for the consultancy milestones will be mutually agreed upon between the selected consultant and the relevant stakeholders. Flexibility in setting the timeline will ensure that the workplan process is well-paced and efficient, accommodating any unforeseen challenges or adjustments required during the course of the project.

Qualifications and Expertise

The ideal consultant should possess the following qualifications:

• An advanced degree in International Development, business administration, management, education, social sciences, gender studies or a related field focusing on monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL).
• Clear understanding of feminist and women’s rights CSOs and feminist movements
• Experience working with feminist movements and grassroots organizations across Africa,
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing MEL and action research and collaborating with education organizations and projects in diverse contexts and settings.
• Strong knowledge of the CSO landscape in Africa and MENA.
• Ability to develop standardized processes and quality assurance tools and mechanisms
• Experience in compiling and synthesizing data and information.
• Experience leveraging data collection and analysis to develop communications products to inform strategic decision-making .
• Strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear and concise reports.
•  Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong skills in building and nurturing relationships with a wide range of stakeholders from diverse contexts.
•  Prior experience in organizing and facilitating online learning events and workshops.
•  Ability to work independently and as part of a diverse team.
• Proficiency in online meeting platforms, collaborative tools, facilitation and participatory methodologies.
• Ability to develop engaging session plans and agendas and experience in designing and delivering training materials and capacity enhancement interventions for CSOs.
• Fluency in English and French is mandatory