Monitoring Evaluation Accountability Learning (MEAL) Specialist

FAO; India; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

FAO in India is seeking an MEAL Specialist to lead monitoring and evaluation activities for the GEF-7 Food Systems project. You will develop SMART indicators, oversee data collection and reporting, and coordinate with national and state partners on M&E planning and results tracking.

The role requires a master's degree and at least eight years of relevant experience, with fluency in English. The position is based in FAO India for a 12-month renewable contract.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in agriculture, economics, statistics, rural development, development studies, environmental sciences, or related field.
• At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in monitoring and evaluation and/or results-based management of natural resource management, agriculture, rural development, climate change, sustainable food systems or related development projects.
• Working knowledge of English (level C) is required.
• National of India or resident with valid work permit.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine SMART indicators to track progress at output, outcome and objective levels.
• Lead preparation of a detailed M&E plan with data collection methods, frequency and responsibilities.
• Coordinate with MIS to identify indicators for state-level progress.
• Analyze data to report project results and contribute to PIR, NPRs and Technical Reports.
• Track GEF Core Indicators, SDG indicators and LDN indicators per programme requirements.
• Review results with FAO, NTC, MoA&FW and state partners; advise on adaptive management actions.
• Support training of NPMU, SPMU and DPIU staff on M&E systems and reporting.
• Develop methodologies and protocols for project M&E and oversee quality assurance.
• Prepare technical design documents for mid-term review and terminal evaluation.
• Coordinate updates to Results Framework and Theory of Change; assist with knowledge management.
• Coordinate with MEAL and Communications Experts to ensure consistent data collection and reporting.
• Assist Partners in preparing State/National Annual Work Plans linked to Indicators.
• Participate in meetings to present M&E findings and advise on impact assessment approaches.
• Address cross-cutting issues including gender and Indigenous Peoples' engagement.

Skills

MEAL knowledge

Data analysis

Report writing

Education

Master's degree in Agriculture/Economics/Statistics/Rural Development/Development Studies/Environmental Sciences

Job description

Job Description - Monitoring Evaluation Accountability Learning (MEAL) Specialist (2601962)

Job Description

2601962

Monitoring Evaluation Accountability Learning (MEAL) Specialist

Job Posting

18/Sep/2026

Closure Date

02/Oct/2026, 9:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit : FAIND - FAO Representation in India

Job Type

Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition : NPP (National Project Personnel)

Primary Location

Duration : 12 months (renewable)

Post Number : N/A

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO's commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved the Government of India's GEF-7 project "Promotion of Sustainable Food Systems in India through Transforming Rice-Wheat Systems in Punjab, Haryana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh" (GCP/IND/184/GFF), part of the GEF-7 Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact Programme. The project objective is to promote sustainable, integrated landscapes and efficient food value and supply chains at scale in rice- and wheat-based food systems in India. It works across two contrasting agro-ecological contexts: the intensive rice-wheat systems of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in Punjab and Haryana, and the biodiversity-rich, forested rice-growing landscapes of Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

The project is organized around four components: (1) integration of cross-sector sustainability provisions into food systems and planning frameworks, (2) enhanced capacities for climate-smart food production practices and responsibly sourced commodity value chains, (3) landscape management and restoration to sustain food systems and deliver global environmental benefits, and (4) knowledge management to guide policies and maximize impacts. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) is the Project Executing Entity/Operational Partner, and the project is implemented through a National Project Management Unit (NPMU) at the national level and State Project Management Units (SPMUs) in each of the four target states, under the oversight of the National and State Project Steering Committees.

The position is located in the FAO Country Office in India, within the project's NPMU.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in India, the direct technical guidance of the National Technical Coordinator, and in coordination with the FAO Lead Technical Officer (LTO), .

Technical Focus

The M&E Specialist will perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of data collected by the NPMU, SPMUs and Operational Partners to report on project results. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of agriculture and food systems, and natural resource management projects.

Tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent will undertake the following duties:

• Based on the project's Results Framework and Theory of Change, develop and refine SMART indicators to track regular progress at output, outcome and objective levels, and define other monitoring and evaluation requirements at national and state levels of project implementation.
• Lead preparation of a detailed, fully budgeted Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan for the project, defining data collection methods, frequency, responsibilities for data collection/analysis and means of verification for each indicator.
• Coordinate with MIS unit to identify and use appropriate indicators that capture the progress of the project in different states.
• Perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of data collected by the project team to report project results, including inputs to the annual Project Implementation Report (PIR), Narrative Progress Reports (NPRs) and Technical Reports.
• Coordinate the tracking, updating and reporting of GEF-7 Core Indicators, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) indicators, at project mid-term and closure, in line with FOLUR Impact Programme requirements.
• Review and discuss assessment, evaluation and monitoring results with FAO, the National Technical Coordinator, MoA&FW and state-level Operational Partners (SPMUs) and recommend corrective/adaptive management action.
• Support training of NPMU, SPMU and District Project Implementation Unit (DPIU) staff and partners on the project's Results Framework, M&E system and reporting requirements.
• Develop methodologies and protocols for project M&E, and support the Operational Partner in defining methodologies, timelines and quality assurance for the project's monitoring framework.
• Provide technical support for the design and Terms of Reference of impact evaluations, thematic studies and process-monitoring studies, work with third-party agencies/consultants engaged to oversee periodic evaluations, and review study reports and provide comments.
• Prepare the technical design document for the project's mid-term review (MTR) and terminal evaluation (TE), in coordination with the National Technical Coordinator (NTC), Budget Holder (BH) and Lead Technical Officer (LTO).
• Elaborate, and support the periodic review and updating of, the project's Results Framework and Theory of Change, making recommendations to adapt these to project needs and to fill missing baseline information.
• Coordinate with the MEAL and Communications Expert(s) at SPMU level and with the project MIS to ensure consistent, harmonized data collection, reporting and knowledge management across the four target states.
• Support Operational Partners in preparing State and National Annual Work Plans and Budgets (AWP/B) that are clearly linked to Results Framework indicators.
• Participate in team meetings, briefings and Project Steering Committee meetings to present M&E findings and conceptualize/propose approaches for assessing project impact and process indicators, both quantitative and qualitative.
• Contribute to addressing cross-cutting issues such as gender, Indigenous Peoples' engagement and knowledge/communication planning, including ensuring gender-disaggregated data collection within the M&E system.
• Provide M&E related advice and support to other thematic units in the project NPMU

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

• Master's degree in agriculture, Economics, Statistics, Rural Development, Development Studies, Environmental Sciences, or a related field.
• At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in monitoring and evaluation and/or results-based management of natural resource management, agriculture, rural development, climate change, sustainable food systems or related development projects.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English
• National of India or resident of the country with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

Technical skills and competencies

• Knowledge and demonstrated experience in project cycle management and results-based MEAL, including Results Frameworks/logframes, Theories of Change, indicator development, target setting and results monitoring.
• Demonstrated knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodologies and tools, including quantitative and qualitative data collection, data analysis, outcome monitoring, participatory approaches and data quality assurance.
• Familiarity with GEF monitoring and evaluation requirements, including GEF Core Indicators and Project Implementation Report (PIR) requirements.
• Experience in developing and operationalizing M&E/MEAL plans, indicator protocols, data collection tools relating to Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) and agriculture/food systems, means of verification and data quality assurance mechanisms for development projects.
• Ability to analyse and interpret monitoring data and translate evidence into practical recommendations for adaptive management, project performance improvement and learning.
• Experience working with or in international non-governmental organizations and donor organizations (UN agencies, World Bank, IFAD, Asian Development Bank, etc.) implementing participatory projects.
• Good data management, analytical, visualization and report-writing skills, with the ability to present results clearly to technical teams, government counterparts and senior management.
• Familiarity with the agro-ecological and socio-economic context of Punjab, Haryana, Odisha and/or Chhattisgarh is an asset.

Selection criteria

• Full proficiency in English and Hindi is desirable, working knowledge of Punjabi, Odia or other languages spoken in the target states is an asset.
• Experience working with government agencies and multilateral/donor-funded development projects will be an advantage.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.