Consultant - Landscape Strategy and Capacity Development at SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

About Integrated & Climate Smart Innovations for Agro-Pastoralist Economies and Landscapes Kenya’s ASAL project

SNV Kenya (SNV) and Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) - in collaboration with County Governments - are implementing the Integrated & Climate Smart Innovations for Agro-Pastoralist Economies and Landscapes Kenya’s ASAL project (ICSIAPL) project which is implemented under the EU Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA) action. The project’s lifetime is from 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023. The project works in the Counties of Narok, Kajiado and Taita Taveta and is funded by the European Union and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The project’s overall objective is to improve livelihoods of agro-pastoralists communities (including women and youth) is enhanced through improved forage production and livestock husbandry, building on commercialization of climate smart innovations and sustainable landscape management in Taita Taveta, Kajiado and Narok counties.

The project has three main objectives:

• To increase resilience of agro-pastoralists and SMEs against climate shocks by upscaling of appropriate grazing and feeding innovations.
• To increase capacity of county governments to implement climate resilient integrated landscape management strategies and plans to support agro-pastoralist communities.
• To improve capacity of county governments to develop local strategies/frameworks for drought resilient sector development compliant with national policies.

Job Description

This assignment  will contribute to the  realization of Strategic Objective 3 highlighted below: :

Increased capacity of county governments to implement climate resilient integrated landscape management strategies and plans to support agro-pastoralist communities.

Outputs:

Output 3.1. County governments create capabilities to solve gaps in coordination and joint implementation

Output 3.2 Counties coordinate on harmonized grazing arrangements based on feed inventories and common strategies for herd mobility

Output 3.3. County governments and communities able to develop landscape management plans and grazing agreements that are agreed, accepted and enforced by all stakeholders through participatory decision-making and targeted communication.

The  project recently studied the status of the landscapes  including  capacity gap assessment of coordination of  implementation of integrated landscape management and drought resilience feeding strategies in Narok, Kajiado and Taita Taveta Counties. The study has identified various gaps  related to Integrated Landscape Management. In this regard, the  project  seeks to engage  engage  consul-ants with landscape expertise to build capacity of  the county technical teams and landscape organizations (group ranches, conservancies, land owners associations, Water Resources  Users Associations) in the rangeland eco- systems in the 3 Counties.. The support will focus on development of inclusive landscape strategies and capacity building action plans including implementation of proven sustainable intervention models that will  address existing gaps  identified in the landscape study, and priorities proposed by echo-system actors during the stakeholder validation consultation sessions.

Purpose of the Assignment

Based on the  findings and recommendations of the capacity gap assessment study and validation workshops, the consultant will  support landscape actors in the counties to prepare an inclusive capacity development interventions that:

1. Strengthen the county governments’ capabilities to address gaps in coordination and joint implementation
2. Strengthen county governments and communities’ capabilities to develop landscape management plans and grazing agreements that are agreed, accepted, and enforced by all stakeholders through participatory decision making and targeted communication.
3. Support integration of landscape management approaches into relevant county government plans and policies such as the CIDPs and cross -border plans.
4. Enhance adoption of gender equitable practices that allow for inclusivity of women and youth in the coordination and joint implementation of integrated landscape and grazing management.
5. Enhance adoption of participatory approaches in landscape and grazing management and drought resilient feeding strategies by county governments, communities, and other stakeholders.
6. Serve as a continuous monitoring and evaluation of progress against relevant project indicators and help create a solid foundation for long-term planning, implementation, and sustainable results.

Scope of work

The consultants will facilitate the development of county specific inclusive landscape strategy and capacity building action plans informed by  findings and recommendations from gap analysis   study and  stakeholder validation  with a deliberate focus on gender and social inclusion and climate change resilience building. The region-specific action plans will include strategies of implementation drawn from recommendations, best practice and lessons learned elsewhere. The specific actions will target identified the rangelands of Taita Taveta, Kajiado and Narok and will include but not limited to:

•   Review  the county gap analysis report and  consult with the  stakeholders on identified priority areas of intervention for the specified region.
• Jointly with county government facilitate the initial coordination agenda setting session to activate   joint planning in the implementation of  Integrated Landscape and Grazing Management (ILGM) and Drought Resilient Feeding Strategies (DRFS) for the specified region.
• Facilitate  participatory ILM strategy and capacity building action plan workshops involving both County government and stakeholders.  
• Conduct capacity development workshops of County and community landscape actors on  the development of landscape management plans and grazing agreements that will be  agreed and enforced by all stakeholders through participatory decision making.
• Build capacity of TOTs drawn from County technical teams & landscape organizations, community organizations in the development of Land use and grazing plans.
• Facilitate actors in developing targeted communication strategies  to promote adoption and ownership of agreed upon land use plans and grazing agreements
• Initiate interventions strategies with identified project partners; (conservation organizations, group ranches, WRUA,) on landscape use plans and grazing agreements.
•  Facilitate agenda setting for key policy issue for intervention for the landscape.

Deliverables

•  Specific County integrated landscape management strategy
•  Capacity building action plan with a clear road map of implementation strategies with specific relevant and achievable interventions for the region
•  Capacity development program and training materials
•  Report of the landscape actors multi-stakeholder forum for agenda setting and validation of landscape strategies and ecosystem capacity building plan.
•  Templates of relevant tools used in the development of grazing and land use plans for adoption by participating actors
•  Prioritized policy issue for landscape actors dialogue with policy makers.

Qualifications

Education

Landscape based organizations with a diverse team with expertise/advanced degree from recognized university education in the fields of Natural resource management, Range management,Dry land resource Management, Environmental science, and conservation.

Work experience

• Minimum ten (10) years of experience in Range-land Management, Natural Resource Management interventions and development of inclusive landscape management strategies and capacity building action plans.
• Experience working in Arid and semi-Arid areas in assignments related to integrated Landscape Management.
• Proven work experience and/or knowledge in the implementation of proven sustainable landscape management interventions models in Narok, Kajiado and Taita Taveta counties or similar semi-arid environments.
• Good understanding of and experience with the participatory approaches in landscape & grazing management and drought resilient feeding strategies in the context of pastoralist societies, herd mobility, resilience building, and sustainable utilization of natural resource.
• Proven expertise and experience in carrying out participatory capacity building to technical teams and landscape organizations/actors as TOTs within the range-land ecosystem.
• Proven expertise and Experience in working  with County government and Community organisations in agenda setting for key policy issues for interventions    on natural resources and Landscape Management with a focus in ASALs,
• Experience in facilitating the development of targeted communication strategies that promote adoption and ownership of land use plans and grazing agreements
• Experience and understanding of the role of women and youth in integrated landscape management
• Experience in facilitation of multi stakeholder engagement.

Additional requirements

• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
• Sensitive and committed to gender equity and inclusion of youth.

Additional Information

Timelines

The assignment must be completed by early November 2021

Requirements in response to this TOR

The following is required from the consultant in response to these terms of reference as a basis for evaluation and choice of the suitable consultant:

1. Organization or company profile.
2. Expression of interest that clearly stated the specific County/rangeland ecosystem   (Maasai Mara, Kajiado, or Taita Taveta) to be considered for.
3. A technical and financial proposal.
4. A tentative work plan of the planned activities; including proposed number of days.
5. CV(s) of the lead consultant and any support or technical  staff/consultants
6. Reference list of previous consultancies and relevant report