Independent Contractor role (approximately 4 days per month)

Background
The African Climate Foundation (ACF) is the first and only African-led climate change re-granting organisation on the continent. Through a combination of grant making, fellowships, transformational research, technical assistance, coalition building and advocacy the ACF seeks to support interventions at the nexus of climate change, and development that have the greatest potential to deliver long-term socio-economic transformation and inclusive development.

The JET PMU

The JET PMU operates as a high-impact delivery unit, driving the Just Energy Transition (JET) through strategic coordination, agile execution, and results-driven implementation. Focused on accelerating project pipelines, mobilising resources, problem solving and fostering collaboration, the PMU bridges policy and action.

About the role

As part of the MOU signed between the African Climate Foundation (ACF) and the Just Energy Transition Projects Management Unit (JET PMU); the ACF agreed to provide resources to the JET PMU to enable the JET PMU to fulfil its mandate pursuant to the JET PMU’s terms of reference. This includes the secondment of technical experts across all relevant disciplines to support the agenda of the JET PMU.

The Special Advisor: MEL is responsible for providing dedicated, expert support to the JET PMU's Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team, with a primary focus on the successful planning, execution, and quality assurance of the evaluation programme supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI). This role ensures the 19 evaluations (2026-2028) are designed, managed, and utilized effectively to generate credible evidence and actionable learnings, directly contributing to the planned outcomes and the broader JET Investment Plan's (JET IP) adaptive management. The Advisor will work under the guidance of the MEL Manager and in close collaboration with the core MEL team.

This role will be seconded to the JET PMU and will report to the MEL Manager. The JET PMU will be responsible for managing, engaging with, and overseeing the Special Advisor: MEL responsibilities and deliverables.

Key Deliverables:

IKI Evaluation Programme Management & Execution:

• Lead the detailed planning, sequencing, and day-to-day coordination of the IKI evaluation schedule (12 Rapid Response and 7 Rigorous Impact Evaluations from 2026-2028).
• Draft and finalize Terms of Reference (ToRs) for individual evaluations, ensuring they incorporate the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) framework as per the IKI proposal and address key evaluative questions for each JET IP phase.
• Manage the process for the selection of preferred external evaluators in line with IKI and DPME guidelines.
• Serve as the primary technical liaison between the JET PMU, external evaluation teams, and portfolio leads throughout the evaluation lifecycle.

Technical Quality Assurance & DPME Compliance:

• Ensure all IKI-commissioned evaluations strictly adhere to South Africa's National Evaluation Policy Framework (DPME, 2011) and relevant guidelines.
• Oversee the application of the DPME's external evaluation quality assurance mechanism for each evaluation to ensure recommendations are credible and robust.
• Support the development of evaluation improvement plans in line with DPME's policy framework following each assessment.

GESI/GLI Integration in Evaluations:

• Provide technical guidance to ensure the GESI framework is effectively applied to guide evaluation ToRs and the assessment process itself.
• Support the integration of predefined Gender Lens Investing (GLI) criteria into evaluation methodologies to assess the gender-responsiveness of JET interventions.
• Advise on the collection and analysis of gender-disaggregated data within evaluations.

Stakeholder Engagement & Utilization-Focused Process:

• Design and facilitate key stakeholder engagement plans at various stages of each evaluation (design, implementation, finalisation).
• Ensure the evaluation process is utilization-focused, with findings structured to directly inform JET IP improvement, portfolio design, and funding decisions.
• Champion the tracking of actionable recommendations, supporting the IKI target that ≥70% are incorporated into future work within 12-24 months of publication.

Synthesis, Reporting & Learning Integration:

• Synthesize findings and learnings across the suite of IKI evaluations to build a compelling evidence base on JET intervention performance.
• Contribute evaluation insights and evidence for inclusion in the JET IP quarterly reports and the updated JET Implementation Plan (by 2028).
• Support the dissemination of evaluation learnings on relevant platforms to inform the broader climate action community.
• Facilitate learning dialogues and reflection sessions with portfolio teams to translate evaluation evidence into adaptive management practices.

Candidate Profile: What You Bring

Education

• Master’s Degree: Monitoring and Evaluation, Development Studies, Public Policy, or Social Sciences.

Experience & Track Record

• 7–10 Years Senior Experience: In designing and managing complex evaluations (impact, outcome, and rapid response) within the development or climate sectors.
• DPME Framework Mastery: Extensive experience applying the South African National Evaluation Policy Framework and its quality assurance checklists.
• Donor-Funded Leadership: A proven track record of managing evaluation programmes for IKI, GIZ, or Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).
• Gender-Responsive Evaluation: Deep practical knowledge of integrating GESI and gender-lens approaches into large-scale M&E systems.

Technical Proficiencies

• Methodological Expertise: Mixed-methods evaluation design, including the ability to oversee both rapid assessments and long-form rigorous impact studies.
• Synthesis & Communication: Ability to translate 50-page technical reports into concise, actionable briefs for the Presidency and international partners.

Start date: Position available immediately

Location: South Africa

Contract duration: 12 months, consisting of 2 x 6-month renewable contracts

Closing date: 23 February 2026

For further information about the ACF, visit www.africanclimatefoundation.org.

Should you not hear back from us by 31 March 2026, please consider your application to be unsuccessful.

The ACF strives to be an equitable organisation with a team which reflects the diversity of Africa.

In compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), The ACF assures all applicants that any personal information provided during the recruitment process will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and used solely for recruitment purposes. Your privacy and data security are of paramount importance to us. By applying for this position, you consent to the collection, processing, and storage of your personal information for recruitment-related activities only. The ACF is committed to safeguarding your privacy and maintaining the trust you place in us.