Short-Term Expert (STE) – MEAL Specialist (Gender Mainstreaming project) (M / W)

Aktor Interactive Group; À distance; EUR 20 000 - 40 000; Temps partiel

Résumé du poste

A consulting firm is seeking a Short-Term Expert (STE) – MEAL Specialist to oversee monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning processes in a gender mainstreaming project funded by the EU. The role involves supporting capacity building, tracking indicators, and facilitating learning workshops, requiring at least 10 years of experience in MEAL and 3 years in gender-related projects. The position offers a contract-based arrangement with approximately 25-30 working days over 18 months, starting in October 2025.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional experience in MEAL, including EU/donor-funded projects.
• 3+ years in gender mainstreaming or gender-responsive budgeting.
• Experience designing and implementing MEAL frameworks.

Responsabilités

• Align the MEAL framework with EF standards.
• Monitor risks as defined in the project.
• Facilitate reflection workshops for project learning.

Connaissances

Analytical skills

Facilitation skills

Results orientation

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills in English

Formation

Advanced university degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Public Policy, Economics, Public Administration, Gender Studies or related field

Outils

Microsoft Office Suite

SPSS

PowerBI

Description du poste

Position Description

To ensure high-quality implementation, the project is structured around three complementary pillars: the Central Management and Coordination Team, the Local Experts (LEs), and a pool of Short-Term Experts (STEs) mobilised on demand.

• The Central Management and Coordination Team includes a Head of Project, who provides overall leadership, coordination and technical guidance; a Key Expert on Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB), who ensures methodological quality and supervises the pool of LEs together with the STEs; a Project Manager, responsible for contractual, financial and administrative oversight; and a dedicated support team, composed of an Administrative and Financial Officer and a Project Assistant, providing logistical and financial management.
• The Local Experts form the project’s frontline, working in close partnership with Beneficiary Authorities (BAs). They ensure that methodologies and tools are adapted to national and local contexts, provide tailored technical assistance and capacity building, and act as liaison between Expertise France and the BA.
• Short-Term Experts (STEs) are mobilised during peak periods or for specialised contributions (e.g. gender impact assessment, MEAL, capitalisation, communication), complementing the work of the central team and the LEs by bringing targeted expertise.

This position is dedicated to providing Short Term Expertise (STE) in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL).

The project is guided by an indicative logical framework, with indicators such as institutional readiness to apply gender-responsive tools, number of revised instruments, extent of capacity-building delivered, and use of sex-disaggregated data. Risks identified include limited political will, knowledge gaps within administrations, insufficient sex-disaggregated data, and sustainability challenges. The MEAL Expert will play a key role in monitoring these risks and ensuring that mitigation measures are tracked.

The MEAL Specialist will therefore ensure coherence, accountability, and learning throughout the project by setting up and operationalising the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) framework. He / She will be responsible for indicator tracking, data collection, risk monitoring, and adaptive learning across all Beneficiary Authorities (BAs), working in close collaboration with the Central Team, LEs, and other STEs.

Objectives

The MEAL Specialist will ensure robust monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning throughout the project. He / She will :

• Align the MEAL framework with EF standards and the TSI Results Framework.
• Support the baseline analysis during the inception phase, ensuring indicators are properly informed by each LE.
• Support the definition of baseline values and realistic targets for the project’s logical framework indicators, based on inception findings and in consultation with LEs and the central team.
• Track progress against the logical framework and consolidate data for SG REFORM reporting.
• Monitor risks as defined in the Detailed Project Description (DPD), and advise – in close collaboration with the LEs – on mitigation.
• Facilitate reflection and learning processes to enhance project effectiveness.

Reporting Lines

The STE-MEAL Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the Head of Project, with technical supervision from the Key Expert on Gender Responsive Budgeting. He / she will collaborate closely with all LEs, and the Capitalisation Expert.

Main Tasks & Responsibilities

a. Inception Phase :

• Brief the entire team (Central Team, all LEs, and other STEs) on the MEAL framework and EF / TSI standards.
• Work closely with each Local Expert to ensure proper data collection for baseline indicators.
• Contribute to the Inception Report with consolidated baseline analysis.
• Support the Central Team in developing harmonised progress report templates (one for LEs / BAs and one consolidated for the project as a whole) to report bi-annually to SG REFORM.

b. Implementation :

• Provide ongoing support on a part-time basis (approx. 1 day / month) for indicator tracking, data consolidation, and risk monitoring.
• Participate in Monthly Bilateral Monitoring Meetings with each Beneficiary Authority, together with the Central Team and, as appropriate, other STEs.
• Participate in Monthly Bilateral Monitoring Meetings with each Local Expert, together with the Central Team and, as appropriate, other STEs.
• Consolidate data for progress reports and alert the team if targets are off-track.
• Feed the project’s bi-annual progress reports with indicators’ evolution toward the settled targets.

c. Adaptive Learning :

• Facilitate reflection workshops to capture lessons learned and recommend adjustments.
• Ensure sex-disaggregated data and gender-sensitive indicators are systematically integrated.
• Support the design of reporting tools and dashboards for indicator tracking and analysis.

Key Deliverables

Component / phase

Deliverable

Timeline

Inception

Team briefing & MEAL framework presentation; Progress reports templates

Month 1

Baseline contribution to Inception Report; Updated logical framework with indicator targets

Month 2

Monitoring

Inputs to monthly bilateral monitoring meetings (BAs + LEs)

Throughout project

Indicator tracking updates & risk monitoring notes

Every 3 months

Learning

Reflection workshop reports & recommendations

Mid-term + as required

Capitalisation

Contributions to final report & lessons learned

Months 15–18

Expertise France

Expertise France (EF), part of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group, is the French public agency for international technical cooperation and the second largest cooperation agency in Europe.

EF designs and implements projects in more than 100 countries to support partner institutions in governance, public finance, health, education, climate action and gender equality. With long-standing experience in EU-funded programmes, EF has played a leading role in promoting gender equality across public administrations, notably through its implementation of the European Commission’s “Gender Flagship” projects, which supported several Member States in strengthening gender-responsive budgeting, gender impact assessments and gender mainstreaming practices.

By combining policy expertise, capacity development, and knowledge capitalisation, EF has established itself as a reference partner for advancing reforms that integrate gender equality into public policy and budgetary processes.

The Project

The “Gender Mainstreaming in Public Policy and Budget Processes 2025–2027” project, financed by the European Union under the Technical Support Instrument (TSI), is implemented by Expertise France in close cooperation with the European Commission’s SG REFORM and the national Beneficiary Authorities in France, Germany, Malta and Portugal. The project runs over an operational period of 18 months (September 2025 – February 2027).

§ In France, the project supports the City of Paris in piloting and scaling gender-responsive budgeting within the Public Health Department, and the State Procurement Department (DAE) of the Ministry of Finance in integrating gender considerations into public procurement, particularly in the digital and green sectors.

§ In Germany, the project supports the Federal State of Berlin in modernising and institutionalising its Gender Check and Gender Competence Tool, and the Federal State of Hamburg in harmonising and consolidating its gender equality instruments, including the GPR, GWHS, Equality Monitor, and the “printed matter audit.”

§ In Malta, the project supports the Human Rights Directorate within the Office of the Prime Minister in implementing the Gender Equality and Mainstreaming Strategy, strengthening the capacity of Gender Focal Points, developing a gender data portal, and piloting gender-responsive budgeting.

§ In Portugal, the project supports the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) and the Ministry of Finance in refining Annex XXI of the State Budget, enhancing gender impact assessments, strengthening sex-disaggregated data systems, and reinforcing sectoral capacity-building.

Overall Objective

The project’s overall aim is to strengthen the institutional and administrative capacity of the participating Member States to integrate gender equality into public policies, budgeting processes, and public procurement systems, thus contributing to more transparent, efficient and inclusive governance.

Specific Objectives

1. Support the City of Paris in piloting and scaling gender-responsive budgeting within the Public Health Department.

2. Equip the French State Procurement Department (DAE) with tools and guidance to integrate gender considerations into public procurement, particularly in the digital and green sectors.

3. Consolidate and harmonise gender equality instruments in the Federal States of Berlin and Hamburg, building on reforms launched under previous TSI support.

Strengthen Malta’s Gender Equality and Mainstreaming Strategy by enhancing the capacity of Gender Focal Points, developing a gender data portal, and piloting gender-responsive budgeting.

4. Improve Portugal’s implementation of its national equality strategy by refining Annex XXI of the State Budget, enhancing gender impact assessments, and reinforcing sectoral capacity building.

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the project, participating authorities are expected to have :

a. Stronger institutional frameworks to mainstream gender equality across policies and budgets. Improved availability and use of sex-disaggregated data for decision-making.

b. Practical tools, pilots and guidelines enabling the application of gender-responsive budgeting, gender impact assessments, and gender-responsive public procurement.

c. Increased capacity of civil servants through tailored training and awareness-raising programmes.

d. Documented good practices and policy briefs enabling knowledge sharing within and beyond the participating Member States.

Timeline and Key Milestones

The project runs over an operational period of 18 months (September 2025 – February 2027). Implementation is structured in successive phases, each comprising specific deliverables and activities :

I. Inception Phase : fact-finding missions, baseline analysis, and preparation of the Inception Report.

II. Country-Specific Support Phase : tailored technical assistance to Beneficiary Authorities, including pilots, guidelines, capacity building, and awareness-raising activities.

III. Capitalisation Phase : consolidation of results, preparation of policy briefs, case studies, and cross-country knowledge products.

Closure and Dissemination Phase : organisation of national closure events and a final dissemination conference at European level.

Candidates’ Qualifications and Experience

Education

Advanced university degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Public Policy, Economics, Public Administration, Gender Studies, or related field.

Professional Experience

• At least 10 years’ professional experience in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL), including in EU or donor-funded projects.
• Minimum 3 years in gender mainstreaming, gender-responsive budgeting, or related fields.
• Proven experience designing and implementing MEAL frameworks with logical frameworks and indicator matrices.
• Experience with risk monitoring and mitigation tracking.
• Experience with reflection workshops, adaptive management, and organisational learning.
• Familiarity with EU reporting (TSI / OPSYS) considered an asset.

Languages

Fluency in English; knowledge of French is an asset.

Core Competencies

Strong analytical and facilitation skills, results orientation, teamwork, stakeholder engagement, adaptability, and commitment to knowledge sharing. Excellent drafting and communication skills in English.

Technical Skills

Proficiency in EU MEAL frameworks and indicators, advanced command of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Experience with data visualisation and survey / monitoring tools (SPSS, STATA, PowerBI, Kobo, etc.). Fluency with online collaboration tools (Teams, Zoom, SharePoint).

Position Title : Short-Term Expert (STE) – MEAL Specialist

Project Title : Gender Mainstreaming in Public Policy and Budget Processes II (2025–2027)

Location : Home-based with missions to EU Member States

Job type : Consultant (contract-based)

Duration : Approx. 25-30 working days over 18 months

Starting date : October, 1st, 2025

Application deadline : September 21th, 2025

Application Procedure

Application dossier must include : CV (preferably EU format), Candidature Form, Cover Letter, 3 References, Daily Rate, and a 2-page Work Plan outlining understanding of the ToR, proposed approach, and indicative timeline. Only complete applications will be considered. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.

Applications will be assessed via transparent scoring. Application evaluation criteria: Education (15%), Professional experience (30%), Languages (10%), Core competencies (10%), Technical skills (20%), Work Plan Quality (15%). Total 100%; candidates scoring 70 points or more will be shortlisted for interviews. In case of a tie, preference will be given to candidates with stronger experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning in EU-funded governance or gender equality projects.