Faculty of Food and Agriculture

Vacancy : Gender and Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist (Part-Time)

Application Deadline: August 29, 2026, 11:59 p.m. (GMT-4)

 

Job Description

 

The Faculty of Food and Agriculture invites suitably qualified candidates to apply for the position of Gender and M&E Specialist (Part-Time): Bio Resilience: Nature based solutions for resilient landscapes in Trinidad and Tobago.

 

The project “Bio Resilience: Nature based solutions for resilient landscapes in Trinidad and Tobago” is a five-year project, funded by the GEF, implemented by the FAO, and executed by UWI. The project’s objective is “To have nature-positive development and increased food security in Trinidad and Tobago, including NbS, that halt current land degradation trends, increase biodiversity and provide resilience to climate change impacts in the long run.”

 

The Gender and M&E Specialist will review the objectives, outcomes and outputs, and activities of the project in terms of how these will contribute to addressing the needs of women and men, considering existing social and gender inequalities. The incumbent will confirm the methodology for capturing the gender dimensions of the programme. Gender sensitive indicators will be used to measure how programme outputs have affected women and men; how women and men have contributed to addressing the issues and achieving the expected outcomes; and to what extent the programme has equitably addressed both women and men’s needs. The Specialist will also provide support in designing a system for monitoring and evaluating the Project; develop data collection and assessment methodologies for all relevant elements in the monitoring and evaluation system. The incumbent will specify data collection and assessment tools to be used by Project Management Unit (PMU) members, external execution partners, and other relevant stakeholders.

 

Tenure of Contract:

The post will be for an initial period of one year, extendable to four years after review (part-time).

 

Duty Station:

Trinidad & Tobago (UWI Project Management Unit)

 

Eligibility:

Applicants must be nationals of Trinidad and Tobago.

Tasks

 

Under the direct supervision of the National Technical Project Coordinator (NTPC) and the overall guidance of the FAO Representative to Trinidad and Tobago, the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), the Gender and Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist will review the Project Document and relevant background information to develop a comprehensive understanding of the Project’s design, objectives and context. Further, the incumbent will identify, discuss and agree with the project team and beneficiaries’ areas that can benefit from the incumbent’s expertise in regard to improving monitoring and facilitating improvements with project execution.

 

The incumbent will provide technical guidance and support to ensure that gender mainstreaming, social inclusion, monitoring and evaluation are effectively integrated throughout project planning, implementation and reporting. The Specialist will work closely with the Project Management Unit (PMU), beneficiaries, Government agencies, implementing partners, consultants and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen project performance and ensure that women, men and youth are meaningfully engaged in project activities and benefit equitably from project interventions.

 

The incumbent will be responsible for the following:

  • Ensure implementation and monitoring of the GAP for the project;
  • Ensure proactive measures are taken to overcome barriers to participation and access to benefits;
  • Obtain sex and age disaggregated data to identify women and youth farmers who are involved in economic/agricultural activities or who may be residents in targeted areas;
  • Advise on strategies and ensure women and youth are beneficiaries from any community level incentive plans developed by the project and participate in public awareness initiatives;
  • Involve women and youth in the participatory process and in community meetings/Ensure women are members on multi-stakeholder committees;
  • Identify strong partnerships with Gender-sensitive organizations to support the implementation of activities;
  • Support inputs into ToRs for implementing staff;
  • Participate in PSC meetings and provide updates on the engagement of women, men and youth in the project, as required;
  • Participate in the terminal evaluation of the project, including assisting with compiling relevant gender disaggregated data and information on the performance of the project regarding gender mainstreaming to input into the terminal evaluation report; and
  • Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive and realistic monitoring and evaluation plans and strategies with appropriate data sources, collection methods, analysis plans, quality controls and resource requirements, with specific responsibility for the operationalization and implementation of the Project’s M&E Plan;
  • Coordinate and contributes to the collection and compilation of technical information related to the progress towards project outcomes and outputs;
  • Provide technical backstopping to the different project activities on M&E issues, as required, through technical oversight, capacity building, mentoring and support to ensure the quality of M&E related activities performed by national and international consultants and partner co-executing organizations;
  • Develop/Identify data collection and assessment tools to be used by the Project, government and other relevant stakeholders that take part in project implementation and evaluation and coordinate training on the use of the tools for project staff including the National Technical Project Coordinator and with relevant executing partners, as needed;
  • Support the National Technical Project Coordinator during the project Inception Phase to review the project’s work plan and the project’s procurement plans, as necessary, and preparing the annual Project Implementation Review (PIR) to be submitted to the FAO-GEF Coordination Unit for clearance (which subsequently submits it to GEF);
  • Prepare M&E related documentation for the PSC, Project Task Force (PTF), and the FAO-GEF Unit; Ensure that M&E findings are analysed and disseminated on a timely basis to all project staff and all relevant stakeholders to ensure fine-tuning of project implementation;
  • Support the organization of the final evaluation in close coordination with the National Technical Project Coordinator, FAO Budget Holder (BH) and the FAO Independent Office of Evaluation (OED), and preparing and submitting the six-monthly Project Progress Reports (PPRs) with the annual work plan and budget (AWP/B) to the Implementing Agency;
  • Review the Risk Plan of the project and ensure incorporation the project’s M&E system. (Facilitating continuous review);
  • Periodically review, identify any adjustments that may be needed to the Project’s Logical framework indicators;
  • Working alongside the Knowledge Management and Communications Officer, promote knowledge sharing and best practices internally and at national and international meetings and conferences;
  • Participate in project workshops, meetings, and trainings and ensure transfer of technologies/knowledge where necessary to stakeholder groups; Represent the project in external events; and
  • Provide relevant technical guidance to the project as required.

 

 

Minimum Requirements and Education

 

An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Gender Studies, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, Statistics, Environmental Management, Natural Resource Management, Environment and Sustainability, or another discipline relevant to the Project.

 

A postgraduate qualification or specialized training in gender, monitoring and evaluation, development planning, data analysis or related areas would be highly desirable.

 

 

 

General technical skills and experience:

 

  • A minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience, preferably including experience in gender assessments and action planning, project monitoring and evaluation, research, data collection and analysis.
  • Strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex issues to various audiences;
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset;
  • Demonstrated ability to work with national and international organizations, Government authorities, academia, technical experts, field workers and civil society organizations;
  • Proven experience in developing and implementing Monitoring and Evaluation Systems and knowledge of appropriate data collection methodologies;
  • Evidence of strong research, data collection and analytical skills;
  • Experience developing, implementing and maintaining databases;
  • Advanced computer literacy including the use of statistical packages as statistical analysis in social science (SPSS) and STATA, Microsoft Office Suite, and/or GIS packages, and in MS Office (word, excel, PowerPoint);
  • Strong writing and reporting skills including experience in preparing progress and monitoring reports.
  • Experience in working with/or in government departments, national and international NGOs and multiple stakeholder groups is highly desirable;
  • Experience and/or knowledge of environmental management, agriculture, and land use management will be an asset;
  • Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Other skills:

 

  • Planning and organizing: Ability to establish a coherent course of action to achieve goals, ability to translate plans into actions, organize work, monitor & review outcomes, and communicate the results clearly both orally and in writing;
  • Teamwork: Ability to build trust and respect among fellow team members and contribute to the resolution of workplace conflict;
  • Communications and interpersonal skills: Ability to expresses thoughts clearly, accurately and succinctly in verbal and in writing to different audiences, and ability to relate well with others and to maintain relations with cordiality and diplomacy;
  • Ability to work in a multi‐cultural setting and under pressure: Ability to interact effectively with people from different cultures, ability to multi-task and remain efficient and productive under pressure;
  • Effective problem-solving skills: Ability to use sound judgment and initiative, develop options and achieve outcomes;
  • Organizational awareness: Ability to align thinking and actions to organizational values;
  • Flexibility and adaptability: Ability to respond positively to change and new organizational practices, structures, procedures and technology; and
  • Personal credibility: Has high regards for self-discipline, good attendance record, respect punctuality and set example to others, show consistency in words and actions, has high integrity and is conscientious.

 

 

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply applicants are asked to submit an Application form, a full curriculum vitae and a letter of motivation to the Project Management Unit,  Faculty of Food and Agriculture, Frank Stockdale Building, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I. via email at  STA-BioResProj@uwi.edu and cc STA-ntpc_BioResProj@uwi.edu

Applications should be identified as Vacancy: Gender and M&E Specialist.

Three (3) references/letters of recommendation (one of which should be from your present organization) must be submitted via email for the application to be considered complete. Applicants are advised to ask their referees to send their signed references/letters of recommendation under CONFIDENTIAL cover ADDRESSED to the Dean, Faculty of Food and Agriculture at the above email addresses.

Applications and References received after the deadline date will not be considered.

Click here for the application form.

Please note that unsuitable applications will not be acknowledged.