The Maldives hosts globally significant marine and coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass meadows, and associated island ecosystems that underpin the national economy, food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience. However, these ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to multiple and cumulative pressures, including climate change, overexploitation of marine resources, coastal development, and pollution.

In response, conservation and management approaches are evolving beyond a sole focus on threat reduction towards strengthening ecosystem resilience by supporting natural processes that enhance resistance, recovery, and adaptive capacity under changing climatic conditions. This shift underscores the need for effective, science-based, and locally informed conservation actions.

Within this context, IUCN Maldives implements a diverse portfolio of initiatives spanning biodiversity conservation, marine and coastal management, waste management, pollution reduction, and environmental governance. As the programme continues to expand, there is a growing need to strengthen results-based management, performance monitoring, safeguards compliance, and risk management across projects.

The Monitoring & Evaluation Officer will play a critical role in supporting the Maldives Country Programme by ensuring systematic tracking of results, promoting learning and adaptive management, and strengthening accountability in line with IUCN standards and donor requirements.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

The Monitoring & Evaluation Officer will lead and coordinate monitoring, evaluation, learning, safeguards compliance, and risk management across initiatives under the IUCN Maldives Country Programme. The position will ensure systematic tracking of programme performance, support adaptive management, and strengthen evidence-based decision-making.

The Monitoring & Evaluation Officer will design and operationalise a results-based monitoring system to measure outputs, outcomes, stakeholder engagement, gender integration, and overall programme impact. The role will ensure timely and high-quality reporting in line with IUCN standards and donor requirements, while strengthening internal M&E capacity within the Country Office.

The position will contribute to Improved Biodiversity Management to support a Blue Economy in the Maldives Project funded by the European Union.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Develop and implement a comprehensive M&E framework for the Maldives Country Programme, aligned with IUCN regional and global frameworks.
• Establish and maintain programme and project-level indicator tracking systems, including databases and monitoring tools.
• Coordinate the collection, verification, and analysis of project data to track progress against outputs, outcomes, and targets.
• Provide monthly updates [CC1.1]on workplan performance and emerging risks and lead consolidated monthly reporting on indicator progress.
• Oversee baseline assessments, surveys, and impact measurement exercises to inform adaptive management and demonstrate results.
• Analyse performance data and prepare analytical reports, dashboards, and management briefs with practical recommendations to improve delivery.
• Provide technical inputs to mid-year, annual, and final reports, as well as internal and external evaluations. For all evaluations, ensure all relevant project data is organised and readily available to the evaluator.
• Conduct periodic field visits to verify data quality, assess progress, and provide technical guidance to project teams and partners.
• Advise programme staff on integrating monitoring and evaluation activities into project planning and implementation.
• Strengthen internal M&E capacity through guidance on indicator development, data collection methodologies, and reporting standards.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date programme data within IUCN institutional systems, including the Programme and Project Portal.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Risk Management and Safeguards

• Maintain and regularly update programme and project-level risk registers, ensuring timely identification, assessment, and mitigation of operational, financial, environmental, and social risks.
• Monitor and evaluate compliance with environmental and social safeguards requirements, including implementation of mitigation measures and safeguard reporting obligations.
• Provide technical advice to project teams and partners on safeguards monitoring, risk mitigation, and adaptive management measures.
• Support integration of gender-responsive and socially inclusive indicators into programme monitoring systems and track progress accordingly.
• Contribute to compliance and assurance reporting in line with IUCN policies and donor standards.
• Undertake any other tasks that may be assigned and mutually agreed upon with the line manager.