Training Coordinator - Consultant at SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

Livestock Intensification and Integrated livestock projects-components of ISLA Project

The Initiative for Sustainable Landscapes (ISLA) Kenya is a partnership set up by IDH in 2015 in response to deforestation and forest degradation in the South West Mau Forest block in western Kenya. ISLA aims to conserve 60,000 hectares of the forest by 2030. The partnership is built on the interest of tea and other companies to conserve the forest for its microclimate and of the Kenyan government to improve livelihoods of communities.

The South West Mau is the largest of 22 blocks of the Mau Forests Complex (MFC). The MFC covers over 400,000 hectares and is critical for Kenya and parts of East Africa. More than 10 million people depend on its rivers. The forest also influences the region’s microclimate such as rainfall patterns, creating ideal conditions to produce crops such as tea. Furthermore, the area is one of Kenya’s main water towers and much of its hydroelectric power is generated here.

In recent decades, more than 25% of the forest has either been cut down or degraded, putting tea production, other sectors and community livelihoods at risk. This is caused by growing populations, unsustainable livestock grazing, charcoal burning and timber extraction from the forest.

In response, IDH created a strong coalition of the Nakuru, Kericho and Bomet national government agencies; tea, energy, telecommunications and timber companies; and civil society made up of NGOs and community groups, implementing partners and knowledge institutions to work together across the landscape. Together, we developed an integrated action plan for holistic landscape management in the South West Mau Forest across four key themes: forest conservation, water conservation, sustainable energy with livelihoods as an important cross-cutting theme. The focus of ISLA Kenya is on the northeast boundary of the forest, where threats are highest. Based on baseline and feasibility studies done by IDH, it was clear that overstocking (of livestock) in the forest is a key threat.

Roles and responsibilities

• Support in the identification and selection of 1 000 forest depended community households to participate in the dairy intensification project and coordinate the analyses of knowledge gap with ample attention to dairy management practices on milk production and quality, data on size of herd (wet (high & low producers), dry, & young stock) and the requisite training needs on which the Training curriculum should address.
• Support the Project team Leader in the mapping and engagement of stakeholders in the project area
• Lead in the establishment of 25 demonstration farms in order to aid in the dissemination of practical skills and training on good dairy practices.
• Monitor and assure quality of Training and Extension messages/services delivered to farmers, including from input suppliers CBE staff and service providers
• Advice CBEs (Cooling and Bulking Enterprises) on any needed training for CBE staff in the supply chain, e.g. milk graders, transporters, feed store, vet shop etc.
• Provide coaching and mentorship for the LCBs –Local Capacity Builders to learn and be able to implement Training and Extension. Lead in the identification of input suppliers, drawing a training calendar, organizing the training program, demo farms, field days, exchange visits etc
• Document cases of best practice scenarios (including success stories/case studies) such as feed and fodder production and sales, farmer adoption, developed in the course of implementation for purposes of knowledge development and sharing
• Identify, train, coach and mentor a team of Service Provider Entrepreneurs (SPEN) to support in the provision of livestock intensification skills.
• Sensitize and mobilize forest depended communities to implement a forest grazing plan in order to reduce forest grazing.
• Perform any other task (s) that may be assigned by the Project team Leader from time to time.
• Generate project activity reports and share all the relevant information with the project and SNV as a whole.

Expected Profile of candidate;

• BSC in project management, animal science, Agriculture or a related field
• At least 5 years practical experience in the dairy value chain
• Technical experience in dairy management and working with rural communities
• Good communication, negotiation, public speaking, interpersonal and organization skills
• Extensive work experience in a multicultural environment
• Experience in managing teams

Contract duration: 1 year