Country: Kenya
Closing date: 27 May 2016
Introduction/Background:**
Kenya Feed the Future Innovation Engine; (The Innovation Engine) is a USAID funded program that identifies, fosters, and brings to scale innovative market-driven solutions to persistent food insecurity, under nutrition and poverty. It seeks to partner people who design new concepts, products and services with investors who can maximize their commercial potential. We support experimentation and reward proven success that represent game-changing approaches for thousands of Kenyan families.
The Innovation Engine enables improvements in Kenyan incomes and household nutrition by identifying, nurturing and scaling up high-impact, cost-effective and measurable agricultural innovations. The Innovation Engine encourages "Innovation Champions" to challenge obstacles that hinder value chain development through their own ideas that meet farmer-identified needs and fit local contexts.
The Innovation Engine offers a unique partnership - both financial and technical support - to game-changers whose innovations show potential for large-scale impact across Kenya. The Innovation Engine has already provided catalytic funding to 22 innovations that show a potential for large scale impact across Kenya. Sixteen (16) of these innovations are at “Proof of concept” while six (6) at the “Pilot roll-out” phase further elaborated below:
Stage 1: Proof of Concept – At this stage, innovation champions are provided seed capital to experiment and prototype with the aim of moving innovations from ideas to validated “proof of concept.” Most activity plans at this stage run between 6 and 12 months.
Stage 2: Pilot Roll-Out - At this stage, aspiring innovations are introduced into the consumer/user environment to test technical and market viability. Pilots are accompanied by testing and market research to evaluate impact, benefits and potential to function at a larger scale. Most activity plans at this stage run between one to three years.
The Innovation Engine works primarily in Kenya’s Feed the Future target areas, namely:
- High Rainfall zone 1 (HR1): encompassing all of Nyanza and Western Provinces and parts of Rift Valley Province (16 counties - Kisumu, Siaya, Vihiga, Homa Bay, Nyamira, Kisii Bungoma, Busia, Migori, Kakamega, Bomet, Elgeyo Marakwet, Kericho, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, Uashin Gishu).
- Semi-Arid zone 2 (SA2): encompassing parts of Eastern and Coast Provinces (six counties - Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Taita Taveta)
- Arid areas: consisting of five counties - Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Turkana and Wajir.
3.0 OBJECTIVE
In a bid to scale the number of innovations in HR1, KIE would like to engage the services of an experienced consultant that would address innovation scale in HR1 region.
KIE needs to tap into an existing irrigation system in the region to create significant impact in the region by September 2016. The consultant is expected to assist in driving up adoption rates and bring on board more than 5000 smallholder farmers.
The purpose of this Scope of work is therefore to seek an experienced consultant to provide services as follows:
1) Provide implementation support services that will assist and improve on the performance of the KIE selected grantees/enterprises in Homa Bay county
2) Register and train KIE supported farmers on relevant grantee innovations piloted in Homa Bay county
3) Bring on board more than 5000 smallholder farmers who will use or adopt various KIE Innovations.
TASKS:
The Consultant will:
Secure a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the County government of Homa Bay detailing how KIE will partner and work with the county in implementing various KIE innovations
Secure at least two MoU’s with other implementing partners, agencies or programs working in Homa Bay
Register and recruit a minimum of 5,000 smallholder farmers within Homa Bay County to adopt and utilize various KIE Innovations currently under piloting.
Strengthen coordination, collaboration and synergy within KIE , Homa Bay County and its grantee family and other key stakeholders regarding programs implementation, M&E, and lessons learned
Support Grantees and other stakeholders in organizing farmer trainings/field day and any other activities to facilitate knowledge sharing, innovation adoption and dissemination of technologies
Document and make available to KIE in useful form; analytic results, studies and evaluation reports, meeting notes, decisions made and follow up from learning engagements.
Conduct an institutional landscape inventory of organizations operating in Homa Bay that could offer insight and expertise to USAID/KIE.
Assist KIE in establishing practical, valuable technical and strategic relationships with GoK, CGH/Bay and the host community.
Solution Seeking” and “Matchmaking” sessions
Assist KIE forge strong relationships with private sector and development organizations, and capitalize on existing connections
Help KIE to promote Solution-Seeking and matchmaking events that will bring together grantees and innovation stakeholders in a forum that facilitates open dialogue and problem-solving.
Coordinate and collaborate with USAID, Government of Kenya and County government of Homa Bay programs
- Work closely with USAID and GOK to capitalize upon areas where projects overlap, while minimizing duplication of effort.
Cultivate and broadly disseminate Innovations identified by KIE
- Actively work to ensure that the local community directly benefits from the knowledge garnered and technologies developed during this project by:
o Supporting the active involvement of the County Government of Homa Bay, and GOK in KIE activities and forums
o Selecting opportunities to share KFIE‘s innovative practices and engaging with women and youth organizations in Homa Bay to reinforce the critical role women and youth play in agricultural innovation
o Identifying opportunities for grantees to highlight their achievements at tradeshows, agricultural association meetings, universities and other relevant partner events
DELIVERABLES:
Grantee MoUs with the county government of Homa Bay
At least two MoU’s with other implementing partners, agencies or programs working in Homa Bay
A minimum of 5000 smallholder farmers adopting KIE Innovations
Strengthened coordination, collaboration and synergy within KIE, grantees and other key stakeholders regarding programs implementations, M&E, and lessons learned.
Working relations established and strengthened between KIE, grantees and county government of Homa Bay and GoK
Working relations established and strengthened between KIE and other USAID funded programs implementing in Homa Bay county
In collaboration with KIE team, ensure that Feed the Future program developments and lessons learned, particularly in collaboration with GoK and CGoH/Bay are tracked and shared appropriately.
How to apply:
REQUIRED:
The consultant is expected to have:
Systems and structures in Homa Bay County
Experience working in the horticulture value chain, (shorter crop cycles).
Good working relationship with Homa Bay County and smallholders
Have demonstrated abilities to link smallholder farmers to ready markets for their produce
Note: This consultancy is open to qualified consultants only. Specific terms of references will be issued to successful consultants for specific assignments
Closing Date for Applications
Consultants interested in carrying out this assignment should submit both a technical and financial proposal; separately by 27th May 2016 tota.kfie@idd.landolakes.com .
The technical proposal must describe in detail how the consultant expects to execute the assignment (methodology). No presentation formats are preferred and hence interested consultants should feel free to use their own formats.
Applicants should also submit their CVs; with at least three (3) referees for consideration. The CV should also include telephone, fax and email contacts of the applicants.
The Innovation Engine and USAID/Kenya reserve the right to award consultancy contracts to any or none of the applications submitting their applications.
