National Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) seeks to provide technical support to the Government of Bangladesh to facilitate the implementation of the “Technical Support to Sustainable and Resilient Investment towards Agriculture Sector Transformation Program of Bangladesh” (ATP) project, under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). This initiative is funded by the Gates Foundation (GF) and is anticipated to be executed over a period of 28 months. The Government of Bangladesh has designated the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) as the executing agency of the project. The project aims to achieve several objectives, including:

• Conducting policy, institutional, and investment gap analyses to inform an effective action plan for agriculture sector transformation.
• Identifying and establishing effective pathways for prioritizing and coordinating resources and partnerships.
• Enhancing collaboration with the private sector.
• Improving the scale and efficacy of investments in agrifood system research and innovation.
• Strengthening institutional capacity and system.
• Facilitating the piloting and scaling of catalytic technologies.

The National M&E Specialist will support tracking and documentation of project progress, monitor and evaluate the performance of Letters of Agreement (LoAs) / Contracts, and ensure comprehensive reporting to all project stakeholders, including FAO, the Gates Foundation, and the Government of Bangladesh and smooth completion of the project.

The National Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist is a SC 9 position.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Bangladesh, the Deputy FAO Representative, Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) and direct supervision of the Technical Advisor (TA), the incumbent will work closely with the National Project Coordinator, FAOBD’s Technical Assistance team, relevant government institutions, and other stakeholders.

Technical Focus

The technical focus includes documentation and tracking of project performance indicators including impact metrics; rigorous monitoring and reporting on LoA implementation; and alignment of all outputs with FAO, donor, and government reporting requirements and support to the completion and phase out of the project. The assignment also includes support to tool development for assessing socio-economic, agro-economic and natural resource base of the farming community in hotspots as per Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Generate and submit all required progress reports in accordance with the formats and timelines of FAO, the Gates Foundation, and the Government of Bangladesh.
• Assist in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of Letters of Agreement (LoAs) with partner institutions (e.g., BARC, DAE, and BADC), ensuring timely delivery, quality, and compliance with agreed technical deliverables.
• Produce periodic analytical reports on LoA performance, identify implementation bottlenecks, and recommend corrective measures.
• Assist in designing and implementing tools for assessing the impact of regional investment plans and technology adoption.
• Assist in coordinating data collection and validation related to socio-economic profiling, natural resource diagnostics, and innovation performance.
• Assist in ensuring timely and consistent data sharing and responses to information requests.
• Assist the preparation of project completion reports and impact assessments, ensuring alignment with FAO and donor expectations.
• Document lessons learned, success stories, and case studies to support scaling, policy uptake, and knowledge dissemination.
• Perform any other related tasks as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

• Advanced degree in Public Policy, Development studies, Economics, or any other related field;
• 9 years of experience in the monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
• Working knowledge of English (level C) and Bengali;
• National of Bangladesh or resident of the country with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Familiarity with FAO/donor M&E procedures, data collection software, quantitative and qualitative analysis tools;
• Experience in Agriculture, innovation systems or Investment Planning preferred:
• Strong analytical writing and communication skills:
• Strong command of M&E design, indicators, and impact evaluation
• Experience with mobile/online data collection platforms (e.g., KoboToolbox, ODK)
• Experience in development of dashboards and visualization tools
• Familiarity with investment tracking systems and agro-economic performance metrics
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder coordination skills
• Prior work experience with FAO, other UN agencies, or international development organizations will be considered an advantage