Project: Inclusive and Climate Resilient Management of Indonesia’s Blue Swimming Crab Fishery

Project funder: Climate and Ocean Adaptation and Sustainable Transition (COAST) Facility, under the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

Location: Bandung, Cirebon, Karawang, Pangandaran,  West Java

Reporting to: Associate Program Manager

Expected start date : Soon

Expected completion date: 30 April 2027

Position Objective
The MEL and GEDSI Officer will support the implementation of the Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Management of Indonesia’s Blue Swimming Crab (BSC) Fishery project on the north coast of West Java, Indonesia, by leading adaptive monitoring, evaluation, and learning and supporting inclusive community engagement across project activities.

The role will own and maintain the project’s MEL system, develop a thorough understanding of the donor’s MEL framework and Project Steering Document (PSD), and ensure that required data and Means of Verification (MoVs) are collected, quality-checked, documented, and reported accurately and on time. The Officer will serve as the project’s principal MEL focal point, coordinate directly with the donor’s MEL Manager, and work closely with the Project Lead to review reporting entries, resolve questions, and use monitoring findings to support adaptive project management.

Working closely with local partners, fisher groups, women’s processing groups, government stakeholders, and technical specialists, the Officer will lead activity planning, coordination, communications, and logistics for the communal mini-plant and associated poklahsar component in Cirebon. The Officer will facilitate community engagement activities, assist with trainings and consultations, support the integration of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles, and document lessons learned and success stories from the field, with particular attention to the participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other groups at risk of exclusion.

About Starling Resources
Starling Resources is a Bali-based sustainability consulting and advisory practice. We design solutions to answer economic, social and environmental concerns worldwide with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Starling Resources bridges the gap between business, the public sector, and civil society organizations, as well as between academic scholarship and on-the-ground experience. We take a holistic perspective and deploy business-minded tactics to deliver practical environmental solutions for our clients.

Background
Blue Swimming Crab (BSC) is one of Indonesia’s most important fisheries commodities and ranks among the country’s top seafood exports. In 2024, the export value of BSC reached approximately USD 513.35 million, representing around 8.6% of Indonesia’s total fisheries export value. More than 80% of BSC products are exported to the United States in the form of pasteurized crab meat.

Most BSC meat originates from catches by small-scale fishers operating in Fisheries Management Area (WPP) 712 using gillnets and traps. After capture, the crabs are picked by workers in small-scale mini plants before being packaged and pasteurized in Fish Processing Units (UPIs). Along the northern coast of West Java alone, more than 19,000 fishers operating approximately 5,000 small-scale vessels depend on this fishery. In addition, around 6,000 post-harvest workers—approximately 80% of whom are women—are involved in crab picking and processing.

Despite its economic importance, the BSC fishery faces increasing challenges including declining catch trends, shorter fishing seasons linked to climate change, coastal habitat degradation, and persistent gender and social inequalities across the value chain. Women, youth, and persons with disabilities—many of whom are involved in post-harvest processing—often face limited access to decent working conditions, social protection, and economic opportunities.

Context
Starling Resources is implementing the Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Management of Indonesia’s Blue Swimming Crab (BSC) Fishery project in West Java. The project aims to strengthen the resilience and inclusivity of the BSC fishery by addressing declining catches, climate-related pressures, and gender and social inequities across the value chain.

The project is now in its second year of implementation. Following a revision to its scope and budget, Year 2 activities focus on two complementary workstreams:

1. Value Adding in BSC Fisheries – improving post-harvest practices and developing a communal mini-plant in Cirebon that will be managed and operated by women crab pickers; and
2. BSC Aquaculture Pilot – exploring aquaculture as a complementary, climate-adaptive livelihood pathway through a grow-out facility in Karawang and a hatchery facility in Pangandaran.

These workstreams aim to improve economic opportunities for fishers and processors, strengthen the participation and benefits of women and other groups at risk of exclusion, and generate practical learning on more inclusive and climate-resilient approaches within the BSC value chain.

Key Responsibilities
The position has two principal areas of responsibility: leading the project’s MEL function and coordinating implementation of the communal mini-plant and associated poklahsar activities in Cirebon. GEDSI and inclusive community engagement will be integrated across both areas of work.

1. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

• Own and maintain the project MEL system in alignment with the donor’s MEL framework, Project Steering Document (PSD), workplan, indicators, and reporting requirements.
• Coordinate the timely collection, quality checking, disaggregation, organisation, and documentation of project data and Means of Verification (MoVs).
• Prepare MEL inputs for project and donor reporting, brief the Project Lead on reported results and supporting evidence, and identify any data gaps or questions requiring clarification.
• Serve as the project’s principal MEL focal point with the donor’s MEL Manager.

2. Communal Mini Plant Implementation and Poklahsar Coordination

• Lead day-to-day planning and coordination of the communal mini-plant project in Cirebon, including activity scheduling, stakeholder communication, community engagement, and logistics.
• Coordinate with the relevant women’s poklahsar groups, local government, project colleagues, and technical specialists to support timely, inclusive, and technically appropriate implementation.
• Support the participation, organisation, capacity development, and ownership of poklahsar groups, while identifying operational, social, or technical needs requiring specialist assistance.
• Monitor progress, risks, and agreed actions; maintain the necessary activity documentation; and ensure that the Aquaculture and Communications Field Coordinator is included in relevant planning, field activities, and learning.

2. GEDSI Integration

• Apply Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles across project planning, implementation, monitoring, communications, and learning.
• Review activity plans, engagement approaches, and monitoring tools to promote meaningful and accessible participation by women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other groups at risk of exclusion.
• Monitor and analyse relevant disaggregated data to identify barriers, participation gaps, and differences in project benefits.
• Facilitate inclusive consultations and document GEDSI progress, challenges, adaptations, and lessons for project management and reporting.

Key Deliverables

• Regular updates to the MEL plan, relevant PSD reporting entries, and indicator/MoV tracker in alignment with the COAST MEL framework.
• Complete, quality-checked, and well-organized data and evidence submitted in accordance with reporting deadlines.
• Clear MEL briefings and reporting inputs for review by the Project Lead before each submission to COAST.
• Periodic GEDSI reviews, recommendations, and documented evidence of adaptations across project activities.
• A maintained communal mini-plant and poklahsar implementation plan, stakeholder/action tracker, and record of progress, risks, and follow-up.
• Timely activity reports, field updates, meeting records, learning notes, and agreed communications content.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Development Studies, or related field.
• Minimum 3 years of field experience in MEL, project implementation, community development, or related work within development, conservation, fisheries, livelihoods, or comparable programmes.
• Willingness and ability to travel as needed to project sites in Cirebon, Karawang and Pangandaran.
• Demonstrated experience managing results frameworks, indicators, data-collection schedules, evidence, and reporting requirements; experience with donor-funded projects is strongly preferred.
• Practical understanding of GEDSI and experience applying inclusive approaches in field programmes.
• Experience coordinating community groups, women’s groups, local government, partners, trainings, and multi-stakeholder activities.
• Strong analytical, organisational, facilitation, and written communication skills, with careful attention to detail and deadlines.
• Ability to explain data, assumptions, evidence, and reporting decisions clearly and to raise uncertainties proactively.
• Proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia; good English communication skills are an advantage.

Apply soon to santi@starlingresources.com. Please include CV, cover letter, and sample reports if available.