Position Description

EnCompass LLC is seeking a consultancy service of Consultancy: Agriculture & Livelihoods Specialists for the Evaluation of USAID/Bangladesh Food Security (RFSA) activities. EnCompass is implementing the four-year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bangladesh Upoma Activity, providing a range of analytical and advisory services in support of USAID’s design, performance monitoring, evaluation, and operational learning and adapting efforts. Under Upoma, EnCompass has been tasked to conduct two separate comprehensive evaluations of the Resilience Food Security Activities (RFSA) and subsequent initiatives in Bangladesh, specifically focusing on the SHOUHARDO and Nobo Jatra programs that span from 2016 to 2025.

The two evaluations will assess the performance and sustainability of the two programs, which were designed to improve food security, nutrition, and resilience outcomes among vulnerable populations in disaster-prone regions. Additionally, the evaluations will explore the broader community-level impacts and synergies of disaster risk reduction activities that overlapped with these programs, offering critical insights into their long-term effectiveness and the sustainability of service delivery systems established during their implementation.

To conduct the two evaluations, EnCompass LLC is seeking two experts with experience in Agriculture, and/or Livelihoods to support the evaluations of the SHOUHARDO and Nobo Jatra programs. Three local experts including this position will be assigned to the SHOUHARDO evaluation and three to the Nobo Jatra evaluation.

The Learning Questions (LQs) of the evaluation are:

LQ1: What is the performance of RFSA and post-RFSA in implementing sustainability strategies to achieve each program’s goal? What is the performance of RFSAs in developing/ influencing sustainability factors/parameters (motivation, linkages, resources, and capacity) and maintaining productive partnerships between LSPs, government agencies, private sector and local communities to enhance service provision?

LQ2. How viable is the Local Service Provision (LSP) model, established and promoted by the RSFAs, to ensure the sustainability of services for vulnerable populations and their continuation beyond the programs? Are the programs’ (RFSA) sustainability factors, facilitation modalities and interventions contributing to improve LSP businesses and incomes, and will this improvement result in continued service delivery?

LQ3. How, and to what extent, have the RFSA and post-RSFA activities impacted gender-equitable food and nutrition security and resilience capacities within targeted communities? How have program interventions impacted individuals’, households’ and communities’ perceived ability to cope with shocks and stresses? Does the impact on ability change by gender of participants?

LQ4. How and to what extent have the key food and nutrition security outcomes at the household-level changed since baseline and the 2021-2022 endline evaluations? What unintended consequences (positive or negative) have arisen from both programs?

LQ5. How are the village savings and lending associations (VSLA) contributing to the building of resilience capacity at the household and community levels? How likely are VSLAs to continue working (and does the effect vary by length of program support/number support cycles)? Is the sustainability of the cooperatives and networks of the savings groups and LSPs viable without external support?

Position Duties and Responsibilities

Essential functions:

Each Agriculture/Livelihoods Specialists essential functions include:

• Provide expertise in at least two of the following thematic areas: agriculture, livelihoods, nutrition, DRR, gender, resilience, and sustainability
• Contribute during the design and planning phases of the evaluation, ensuring the evaluation design and findings adequately addresses sector-specific challenges and objectives.
• Support the development of qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, ensuring they are tailored to capture key indicators in their thematic area.
• Conduct qualitative data collection including KIIs, FGDs and transect walks.
• Act as the primary point of contact for engaging with Implementing Partners, and stakeholders from the private sector and government to facilitate data collection.
• Lead the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data in their area of expertise, synthesizing findings to assess changes in key outcomes.
• Provide sector-specific insights throughout the evaluation process.
• Work collaboratively with other specialists to ensure a comprehensive and integrated approach to analyzing data and developing recommendations across agriculture, livelihoods, nutrition, DRR, gender, resilience, and sustainability.
• Contribute to drafting high-quality reports, ensuring thematic findings are integrated and recommendations are evidence-based.
• Address and incorporate feedback from USAID/Bangladesh or other stakeholders into final reports and recommendations.
• Participate in presenting results to USAID and stakeholders, incorporating feedback into final reports.

Deliverables and Timing:

• Contributions to Inception Report, including data collection methods, evaluation design, and key indicators for agriculture, livelihoods, DRR, gender, resilience, and sustainability.
• Data collection instruments including interview guides for KIIs and FGDs.
• KII and FGD transcripts/notes.
• Data analysis outputs, including qualitative and quantitative insights on changes in key outcomes and program performance.
• Draft evaluation reports, including key findings, conclusions, and actionable recommendations.
• Presentations of findings and recommendations to USAID and stakeholders.
• Stakeholder engagement materials, including summaries of discussions and insights from USAID, Implementing Partners, and other key actors.
• Integrated analysis that combines thematic findings with cross-cutting issues, ensuring a holistic view of changes in key outcomes.
• Response to feedback from USAID and other stakeholders ensuring timely incorporation into final reports.

Period of Performance and Level of Effort (LOE): The LOE for each thematic specialist is approximately up to 70 days. The period of performance is from on or about November 30, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

Travel: The position requires travel to Dhaka, Char and Hoar for SHOUHARDO program evaluation and Khulna and Sathkhira districts for Nobo Jatra program evaluation.

Position Requirements

Qualifications

Academic Qualifications: Advanced degree in a relevant field such as public health, social sciences, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, development studies or related fields.

Experience and Skills:

• 5 years of experience in Agriculture, and/or Livelihoods are required.
• Additional experience in one or more of the following sectors preferred: Disaster Risk Reduction, Resilience, Sustainability, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, or Gender Equality.
• A least 5 years of demonstrated expertise in program evaluations or research in international development contexts.
• Experience with USAID-funded programs or similar donor-funded projects, preferably in Bangladesh or South Asia.
• Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods, including experience conducting KIIs and FGDs.
• Strong data analysis skills, with the ability to synthesize findings from both qualitative and quantitative data sources.
• Proven ability to develop actionable recommendations based on data analysis and thematic expertise.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas clearly and effectively to diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring integration of cross-cutting issues such as gender equity and sustainability.
• Familiarity with the regional context in Bangladesh or South Asia, particularly in relation to agriculture, livelihoods, nutrition, DRR, and resilience.

How to Apply

• Please complete the application and submit a cover letter and CV demonstrating how your experience aligns to the requirements above and complete the application.
• Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs to write your application materials or to submit answers to screening questions could disqualify your application and/or candidacy

EnCompass LLC is a progressive Equal Opportunity Employer. We promote, celebrate, and support a diverse and inclusive organizational culture and workforce. We are committed to providing all of our employees with an environment free from discrimination and harassment, where all are treated with dignity and respect. We do not tolerate, and explicitly prohibit, discrimination or harassment of any kind, at any time, in all aspects of employment. This includes recruitment, hiring, promotions, disciplinary measures, terminations, compensation, benefits, social and recreational programs, and training. EnCompass also does not tolerate retaliation against individuals who report discrimination or harassment. Our continuing commitment to the principle of Equal Opportunity Employment for all means all employment decisions are based only on the job requirements, the candidate’s qualifications, and the needs of EnCompass as a business—not on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, belief, sex (including pregnancy and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability status, veteran status, genetic information, HIV status, family/marital/parental status, or any other status protected by the laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we work.