<p>POSITION TITLE: Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Manager</p> <p>LOCATION: Dhaka, Bangladesh</p> <p>GROUP: Agriculture, Resilience, and Water</p> <p>REPORTS TO: Deputy Chief of Party, Operations</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>PROJECT SUMMARY:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>The Systems for Expanded Trade and Uptake (SETU) project is a five-year USDA Food for Progress initiative implemented by Winrock International in Bangladesh. SETU seeks to expand international trade in agricultural goods by improving the efficiency, transparency, predictability, and effectiveness of trade related processes and institutions. The project will strengthen the trade enabling environment through four complementary areas of work: improving legal frameworks and processes for trade and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures; operationalizing risk management systems; increasing private sector engagement in trade related reforms; and strengthening trade infrastructure and access to finance. Through these activities, SETU will work with Government of Bangladesh agencies, private sector stakeholders, financial institutions, and other partners to reduce unnecessary trade costs and delays, improve regulatory coordination and compliance with international standards, and create a more predictable environment for agricultural trade and investment.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>POSITION SUMMARY:</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p>The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager will provide overall leadership for SETU’s monitoring, evaluation, learning, and performance reporting systems. The MEL Manager will lead the development, implementation, and adaptation of the project’s Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) and Evaluation Plan in close collaboration with the Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, technical teams, partners, USDA, and Winrock’s Home Office MEL support team. The MEL Manager will oversee project data collection, analysis, data quality, Management Information System (MIS), surveys and evaluations, USDA Food for Progress and FAIS aligned performance reporting, and learning and adaptive management processes. The position will work across all SETU Activities to ensure that project results are accurately measured, documented, analyzed, and used to inform programmatic decisions.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>MEL Systems and Performance Management</strong></p> <ul> <li>Provide overall leadership for SETU’s MEL function and ensure compliance with USDA MEL requirements, the approved cooperative agreement, Winrock MEL standards, and project reporting requirements.</li> <li>In collaboration with project leadership, technical teams, and Winrock’s Home Office MEL support unit, develop, maintain, and periodically update SETU’s Performance Monitoring Plan and Evaluation Plan, including indicators, definitions, data sources, methodologies, disaggregation requirements, baselines, and targets.</li> <li>Develop and manage monitoring and evaluation tools, processes, and protocols for routine monitoring, surveys, assessments, and other project data collection activities.</li> <li>Ensure that appropriate quantitative and qualitative data are collected across all four SETU Activities and that data accurately capture project outputs, outcomes, and progress toward intended results.</li> <li>Establish clear processes, roles, and schedules for collection, verification, analysis, storage, and reporting of project performance data.</li> <li>Work closely with technical staff to ensure MEL requirements are integrated into annual work plans, activity design, implementation, and reporting.</li> <li>Provide technical guidance and capacity building to SETU staff, subcontractors, consultants, and partners on indicators, data collection, monitoring requirements, and use of MEL information.</li> <li>Support external or subcontracted evaluation and survey firms and ensure that evaluations, surveys, assessments, and other MEL activities meet USDA standards and required deadlines.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Management Information System and Data Quality</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead the implementation and management of SETU’s project MIS and ensure that it provides reliable and timely information for project management and donor reporting.</li> <li>Ensure indicator data and required disaggregates are accurately entered, maintained, and reconciled against project indicator tracking tables and source documentation.</li> <li>Oversee routine data quality assurance and verification processes, including desk reviews, field monitoring visits, spot checks, and periodic data quality assessments.</li> <li>Develop and maintain appropriate data collection, validation, storage, documentation, and quality control procedures.</li> <li>Review and validate data submitted by project staff, subcontractors, consultants, and partners before inclusion in project and donor reports.</li> <li>Analyze project performance data to identify trends, implementation gaps, emerging results, and areas requiring management attention.</li> <li>Develop dashboards and other data visualization