Latest Jobs at SNV

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.

The project seeks to fill the position of;

Local capacity Builder-Dairy Intensification (1 position)

Roles and responsibilities

• Facilitating and supporting activities to enhance efficiency of raw milk collection system/process.
• Facilitating training for farmers based on agreed curriculum
• Identifying, training and coaching Service provider Enterprises (SPEs) and farmer trainers.
• Supporting design and roll out of an (environmentally sustainable) T&E program.
• Supporting the Training coordinator in identification, selection and establishment of model farms.
• Facilitating linkages with private input suppliers and service providers.
• Facilitating farmer learning and knowledge development through field days and exchange visits.
• Facilitating farmer learning and knowledge development on fodder planning.
• Support to farmer groups with Feed & Fodder training programs and design and implementation of demonstrations for fodder establishment & preservation.
• Facilitating linkages with Feed & Fodder suppliers for quality seeds and quality feeds.
• Supporting the farmer groups with linkages for feed/fodder.
• Perform any other task (s) that may be assigned by the Project team Leader from time to time.

Expected Profile of Candidate(s);

• Minimum BSC degree in animal science or related field
• At least 2 years Technical experience in dairy management
• Extensive work experience in a multicultural environment
• Good communication, negotiation, public speaking, interpersonal and organization skills
• Good computer skills

Contract duration: 1 year 

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.

The project/s seeks to fill the position of;

Corporate governance and financial management Expert (1 position)

• Facilitate the development and implementation of business plans for three milk Collection and Bulking Enterprises (CBE) to especially expand their milk catchment area into the project area and also provide support services such as AI and agro input access to their members.
• Train and coach the board of directors and management on governance and business management.
• Conduct detailed diagnostic assessments of the financial and operational management systems of the CBEs including their financial health status.
• Through the development of a capacity development plan, recommend appropriate actions to improve the financial management systems including development/strengthening of policies, staff training and most importantly improving their financial health.
• Facilitate the development of internal controls for financial operations
• Facilitate the development of financial management policy and procedures manual as per IFRS, IAS and Co-operatives Act (CAP 390).

Expected Profile of Candidate

• At least 5 years’ experience in Agriculture, Rural Development, and Agribusiness Supply Chains
• Expertise/Experience in Cooperative Business Management Training with at least 2 similar assignments performed in the last 3 years linking cooperatives to commercial supply chains and / or the financial sector;
• Experience with the IFC Business Edge practices will be an added advantage
• Good working experience in Kenyan’s agribusiness sector.

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 

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.

The project seeks to fill the position of;

Monitoring and Evaluation Expert (1 position)

Roles and responsibilities

• Develop data collection tools in line with the projects KPIs
• Lead in the collection of baseline data and regular data sets for tracking key indicators
• Generate lessons learnt, case studies and success stories to inform project operations
• Analyse and present data in an easy to interpret format
• Provide a description of trends based on data collected and analysed
• Any other roles assigned by the senior livestock advisor
• Develop an outline of all the categories of data to be analysed in close consultation with the senior livestock advisor.

Expected Profile of Candidate

• A BSC in statistics or in a related field.
• At least 3 years’ experience in monitoring and evaluation in field projects.
• Good data collection, analyses and interpretation skills
• Good communication, negotiation, public speaking, interpersonal and organization skills.
• Good computer skills

Contract duration: 1 year