JOB DETAILS:
Evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity-building services. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits.

Project Description:
On January 19, 2023, USAID/Tanzania awarded International Business Initiatives (IBI) and SI a four-year contract for the Tanzania Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation (T-MELA) Activity. This activity is to assist the USAID/Tanzania Mission with strategy- and activity-level performance monitoring, evaluation, and learning. This activity will also provide data gathering and verification, data visualization (including Geographic Information Systems), data quality assessments, impact and performance evaluations, assessments, organizational learning, and collaboration among USAID’s implementing partners and DO teams. The MEL Support Platform will also implement a capacity-building agenda for the mission, developing a baseline of M&E knowledge within the mission and tailoring a curriculum to provide skills development to mission staff. USAID/Tanzania has commissioned SI to conduct a mid-term evaluation of the Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity.

Background of Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity
The overall 5-year goal of Tuhifadhi Maliasili is addressing dynamics that hinder habitat connectivity and the long-term persistence of biodiversity in Tanzania. This Activity incorporates a series of interventions that support and strengthen government and civil society capacity for biodiversity conservation in a manner that:
builds the capacity of the public sector and civil society.

increases private sector engagement in conservation and natural resource management (NRM);
strengthens the policy and regulatory framework for conservation and NRM.

These interventions together are expected to reduce threats to biodiversity in Tanzania while moving Tanzanian institutions further on their Journey to Self-reliance. The Activity focuses on seven selected wildlife corridors in Tanzania: 1) Kwakuchinja, 2) Amani-Nilo, 3) Nyerere Udzungwa-Selous, 4) Kigosi Moyowosi – Burigi Chato, 5) Mahale – Katavi, 6) Ruaha Rungwa – Inyonga, and 7) Ruaha Rungwa – Katavi1. By the end of the activity, the following results are expected:

Strengthened capacity of Tanzanian government institutions to conserve biodiversity and sustainably manage natural resources

Increased economic benefits from biodiversity and natural resource management-related enterprise activities for local communities in high priority areas.

Reduced wildlife and forest crime
Key biodiversity areas and corridors better managed

Position Description:
Social Impact is seeking a Biodiversity Expert with strong experience in conducting NRM evaluations The Biodiversity Expert will be a key member of the Tuhifadhi Maliasili Mid-term Evaluation team, providing technical expertise and insights on biodiversity conservation, species protection, habitat management, and ecological sustainability. This role requires a deep understanding of the biodiversity landscape in Tanzania, particularly in the seven selected wildlife corridors. The Biodiversity Expert will collaborate closely with other team members to ensure that biodiversity aspects are thoroughly evaluated and that recommendations are scientifically sound and relevant to the Tanzanian context. This is a consulting position with an estimated start date of December 2023. The estimated level of effort (LOE) for the Specialist will be 52 days with expected travel of up to 21 days in Tanzania. The Expert will report directly to the evaluation Team Leader.

Purpose and use of Tuhifadhi Maliasili Midterm Evaluation:

This mid-term evaluation aims to assess the performance of the USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity, with a particular focus on reviewing the efficiency, effectiveness, relevance and sustainability of the intervention as it relates to host-country, development partner, and other stakeholder interests. To the extent possible, the Evaluation team will assess what interventions are working well and what interventions require adaptive management or course correction. To the extent practicable, the mid-term evaluation will support USAID strategic programming needs to better understand and validate the threats and drivers to biodiversity loss in Tanzania and the strategic-level opportunities for leveraging change as relates back to the Activity goal.

Evaluation Questions:
EQ1 Effectiveness: To what extent has the Activity been effective in achieving planned outputs and outcomes to date?
Theory of Change - Which Strategic Approaches has the Activity identified within each of the seven corridors (as well as those that relate to policy-level interventions) and how effective are they in reaching intended results? To what extent has the TM activity meet its intended objectives?

Theory of Change - Has resource allocation been effective (such as direct implementation and sub-awards) in ensuring the expected outcomes within these Strategic Approaches are achieved by the project's conclusion?

Integrated Government Management - How do these different governance systems interact within the Activity’s interventions, and how has the Activity been successful (or not) in bringing them together towards mutually agreed upon goals or outcomes?

Integrated Government Management - To what extent does Tuhifadhi Maliasili effectively strengthen local governance (as identified in corridor-scale stakeholder engagement meetings)?

Integrated Government Management - How effective is the Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity in strengthening policy frameworks, particularly within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism?
EQ2 Relevance: Do Activity interventions continue to be relevant, addressing key threats and opportunities in the sector (and what are those threats and opportunities), or are revisions needed to meet the Activity’s objectives?

Theory of Change - To what extent does the Theory of Change (including Assumptions) remain valid? How might it be improved?

Sustainability and Local Capacity - Is this approach to strengthen the capacity of local systems (government, local NGOs, private sector, and others) to implement conservation programs in each of the selected wildlife corridors realistic given the capacity of these institutions and organizations?
Integrated Governance Management - Using USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity selected wildlife corridors, what are the key communities’ perceptions regarding wildlife corridors restoration and management in Tanzania? How should USAID and USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity support governance and policy to ensure wildlife corridor work is a success amid these communities’ perceptions?
EQ3 Sustainability: Which interventions are likely to produce sustained corridor conservation efforts by government, communities, and the private sector, and which interventions are likely to be less efficient and should be modified?

Theory of Change - At what state within the theory of change is each corridor likely to be in at the end of the Activity and what aspects might need continued or additional support to be sustainable?
Sustainability and Local Capacity - Is the approach to strengthen the capacity of local systems (government, local NGOs, private sector, and others) to implement conservation programs in each of the selected wildlife corridors more/less sustainable to achieve the desired biodiversity and wildlife outcomes compared to direct implementation support?

Sustainability and Local Capacity - What’s working well and sustainable beyond the 5-year project life (to be replicated/scaled)? What’s insufficient/unsustainable (to be graduated/released)?
Integrated Governance Management - How can corridor work be effectively scaled with the Government of Tanzania and other donors, and where do USAID and USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili have the most added value moving forward?

Responsibilities:
The Biodiversity Expert holds a pivotal role in the Tuhifadhi Maliasili Mid-term Evaluation, ensuring that the project's ecological impact is comprehensively assessed. Entrusted with a blend of technical, analytical, and collaborative duties, this expert will delve deep into biodiversity metrics while aligning findings with the broader goals of the evaluation. Their responsibilities, as outlined below, encompass a range of tasks that underline the significance of biodiversity in the context of the project and its overarching objectives.
• Provide specialized knowledge on biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management, and related topics during the evaluation process.
• Conduct field visits to validate and assess the quality of existing data on biodiversity indicators, habitat quality, species richness, and other relevant metrics.
• Collaborate with local stakeholders and data providers to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness of the collected information, and identify any gaps or areas for further exploration in future initiatives.
• Analyze collected data to assess the progress of the Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity on biodiversity conservation in the target areas.
• Engage with local communities, conservation organizations, and government bodies to gather insights on biodiversity-related issues and interventions.
• Collaborate with the Team Lead to ensure the evaluation report comprehensively covers biodiversity aspects, presenting findings, insights, and actionable recommendations.
• Propose evidence-based recommendations for improving biodiversity conservation outcomes in the project's future phases.
• Work closely with other evaluation team members, sharing expertise and integrating biodiversity considerations into broader evaluation objectives.
• Offer guidance and, if necessary, training sessions to the evaluation team on biodiversity-related topics to enhance the team's overall understanding.
• Engage with key stakeholders to gather insights and feedback regarding the Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity.
• Conducting desk review and identifying additional information required for analysis.
• Conduct Qualitative Data Analysis using Dedoose or similar software.
• Participate in the development of codebook and synthesize findings into actionable recommendations to inform new designs.
• Collaborate with the team to compile and present detailed evaluation reports, highlighting key findings, insights, and actionable recommendations.
• Participate in the development and refinement of the evaluation design and methodology, including data collection instruments, ensuring alignment with project objectives and USAID expectations.
• Participate in the preparations of PowerPoint presentations of the Evaluation Design and Preliminary findings and present to USAID.
• Participate in dry runs before presentations to share the findings, insights, and best practices derived from the evaluation with a broader audience.

Deliverables:
With support from USAID/T-MELA and team members, the Team Lead will be expected to take overall responsibility for the production and management of the following:

Final Evaluation Design: A detailed, full evaluation design and work plan following an initial consultation with USAID that will include chosen methodologies and data collection tools.

Kick-off meeting/In brief: A PowerPoint/Google Slides presentation summarizing the Inception Report for USAID/T-MELA and key partners prior to the launch of data collection.

Findings Conclusions and Recommendations (FCR) Matrix: An analysis tool through which data is triangulated and findings, conclusions, and recommendations specific to each evaluation question are produced. Two FCR matrixes are expected, a preliminary document after the first full week of data collection, and a final matrix at the end of the data analysis period.

Preliminary Findings PPT: The team will present the key findings to the wider USAID/Tanzania Mission through a PowerPoint/Google Slides presentation. The TL is expected to update this PowerPoint after the final report.

Draft Report: A draft report with fully developed findings, conclusions, and recommendations, no longer than 30 pages excluding annexes, will be submitted to the T-MELA COP who will submit to the USAID COR for T-MELA activity. The format will include an executive summary, table of contents, methodology, findings, and recommendations. USAID/T-MELA and key local stakeholders will provide comments on the draft report.

Final Report: The team will submit a final report that incorporates responses to USAID's/partner's comments and suggestions. The report will be submitted electronically in English. The report will be disseminated within USAID and key stakeholders.

Qualifications and Skills:
The Biodiversity Expert must have/hold:
• Master’s degree or higher in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Conservation Biology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in biodiversity conservation, with specific experience in Tanzania or East Africa being highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting field studies, surveys, and assessments related to biodiversity.
• Proven track record of effective engagement with diverse stakeholders, including local communities, NGOs, and government entities.
• Proven record of Working in diverse teams and ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality reports.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to liaise effectively with stakeholders at various levels.
• Familiarity with USAID's evaluation policies and procedures would be advantageous.
• Proven expertise in conducting operational research (qualitative data collection)
• Strong background in qualitative data collection methods, including focus group discussions (FGD), key informants/ in-depth interviews (KII/IDI).
• Significant experience in conducting qualitative data analysis is required.
• Experience in conducting Quantitative data analysis is recommended.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with USAID, local organizations, other program partners, and counterparts.
• Must be fluent (writing and speaking) in English; additional language proficiency in relevant languages (e.g., Kiswahili) would be an asset.