MEL Consultant

Term of Reference for MEL Consultant 

Project: NESsT Data for Good: Equipping Amazon Communities for Data-Driven Social & Environmental Stewardship 

Consultancy Type: MEL specialists with experience with Impact investing, Impact Management and Data knowledge sharing 

Geography covered: NESsTAmazonia (Colombia, Brasil, Peru)  

General purpose: We will work with six companies from NESsT's Amazonia Accelerator to integrate additional green metrics, improve user experience, and develop simplified data extraction and visualization dashboards. The project aims to transform climate data from an extractive resource into a tool for local decision-making, enabling communities to meet reporting requirements while maintaining information sovereignty. The enhanced system will help bridge the critical gap between ground-level data collection and comprehensive environmental stewardship in the Amazon region. 

 

1. Context 
   

There is a critical need for improved data management and reporting tools for community-led enterprises in the Amazon region to enhance their capacity for environmental stewardship. NESsT, through its Performance Management Tool (PMT), has been instrumental in tracking and analyzing business, social, and environmental impact indicators for enterprises within its program. However, significant gaps remain in data accessibility, user-friendliness, and the comprehensiveness of impact measurement.  

 

The NESsT
PMT currently tracks a range of indicators that are crucial for understanding the performance and impact of these enterprises. These include:  

• Business Indicators: Increase in sales, percentage of companies reaching positive EBITDA, meeting financial projections, and accessing new investment capital.  

• Social Indicators: Number of jobs created percentage of jobs with contracts, family members of employees impacted, other underserved individuals impacted, income increase, average annual wage comparison to minimum wage, and gender wage equity.  

• Environmental Indicators: Number of hectares conserved and regenerated, tons of waste reduced, and reduction in energy, water, waste, and adoption of sustainable land management practices.   

 

Despite the robust framework NESsT has developed for tracking these indicators, the current system has limitations that hinder its effectiveness.  The dashboards are manually created, which limits scalability and the ability to quickly adapt to changing needs. Moreover, while the tool captures a broad spectrum of data points, it lacks more granular climate indicators that are increasingly critical in today's environmental landscape.  

  

Furthermore, there is a pressing need for more user-friendly tools that can be easily adopted by local actors.   Enterprises and their stakeholders require clear, accurate, and actionable data on climate indicators, as well as manageable reporting and analysis tools that facilitate better decision-making and drive sustainable practices.   

   

The need for good analytical tools is more than utilitarian.  NESsT believes that information sovereignty is crucial for ensuring that climate data does not become Amazonia's next extractive resource. By ensuring that local communities have access to practical, usable field tools to collect, analyze, and own their own data, we aim to mitigate the exploitation of critical information and promote sustainable, equitable stewardship of the Amazon's natural resources. 

1.1. Impact  

Impact: Improve measurement of social and environmental impact in Amazonian social enterprises in a structured approach facilitating an incremental advance in their investment readiness, providing data-based insights for decision-making and stakeholder engagement. 

 

2. Expected deliverables

We are seeking an IT company, specialized in MEL, to develop a comprehensive data management system for our impact investing organization. The project includes, but are not limited to, the following stages:   

2.1. Preparation & Data Collection  

• Conduct exploratory data analysis to understand the existing data structure and identify key indicators.   

• Identify data sources and agree on data collection methods and timelines.   

• Clean and prepare data for analysis and create new features to improve insights.   

• Interview the different stakeholders selected by NESsT to understand their
  different needs: Social Enterprises; Donors/ Investors; Portfolio Managers; Investment Committee 

2.2. Development of Data Management System  

• Design a user-friendly data management system tailored to social enterprises' needs.  

• Integrate the new system with existing NESsT Performance Management Tools.  

• New UX/UI for ease of data inputting, extraction, and visualization  

• Automation to eliminate manually rekeying data  

• Mobile integration of PMT and other complementing data sets such as NESsT’s biennial Dignified Employment survey and new green / climate indicators  

• Optimization for multiple platforms and ease of use in remote settings 

2.3. Dashboard Visualization Development  

• Develop comprehensive and interactive dashboards for effective data visualization and interpretation to different audiences 

• Clear visualization of outcomes and impact: dashboards available to all users  

2.4. Beta Testing & Assessment  

• Deploy the data management system and dashboards across the project team. 

• Prepare a training template to be replicated with Portfolio enterprises 

• Assess the results of the project and report the conclusions and recommendations to NESsT 

By following these stages, we aim to create a robust data management system that empowers our social enterprises and supports sustainable development. 

 

3. Community engagement

The program employs a comprehensive community engagement strategy with a deep focus on Amazon communities:  

Collaborative Design Process  

• Local enterprises will participate in needs assessment to identify critical data tracking requirements  

• The system development will follow a bottom-up approach, starting with community needs before exploring data solutions  

• User feedback will be continuously incorporated through iterative development cycles to ensure tools remain relevant and accessible  

Capacity Building  

• Training and technical assistance will be provided to ensure communities can effectively use the data management tools  

• The program emphasizes information sovereignty, ensuring communities maintain ownership and control of their data  

• Local actors will receive support in developing data collection and analysis capabilities  

  

4. Timeline & Budget

Timeline: 8-10 months (Starting in September 2025) 

Budget: to be confirmed based on the scope of the proposals received 

To apply, please upload:  

• A thoughtful cover letter in English explaining why you're the right fit for this role. Please mention any specific experience in MEL systems and similar projects.   

• Proposal with Budget in English 

• Deadline for application: July 22nd, 2025   

• If you have any questions, please contact Renata Truzzi at rtruzzi@nesst.org