Irrigation Platform Acceleration Expert

Job Description

Vacancy Announcement

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in Kenya seeks to fill the following position:

Irrigation platform acceleration expert – Smart Water for Agriculture (farmer-led irrigation)

(For a Kenyan National OR Kenyan based international)

Based in Nairobi

SNV is a not-for-profit international development organization. Founded in the Netherlands nearly 50 years ago, we have built a long-term, local presence in 38 of the poorest countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Our global team of local and international advisors work with local partners to equip communities, businesses and organizations with the tools, knowledge and connections they need to increase their incomes and gain access to basic services – empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and guide their own development.

Background

The Kenya Smart Water for Agriculture (SWA) is a 4 year, 6 million euro program funded by the Netherland’s Embassy in Nairobi as part of its food security and private sector development agenda. SWA is implemented by a Consortium of partners. The Consortium consists of SNV, MetaMeta, The Royal Tropical Institute KIT, Practica and Aqua for All. SNV Kenya is the lead organisation.

This programme aims to improve the food security through optimized water availability and efficiency by small and medium farmers and businesses. In overall, SWA wishes to support small and medium entrepreneurial (SME) farmer-led irrigation.

Project Summary

The SWA programme will support entrepreneurial irrigated agriculture in Kenya, the promotion of a range of water-smart solutions appropriate to different groups of farmers and the strengthening of the financial and commercial products and services around irrigated agricultural development and the relevant value chains. The latter will open up the development of long term linkages with Dutch businesses. In Kenya a transition takes place with SME farmers supplying growing urban markets. This development is not unlike other countries in Sub-Saharan-Africa (SSA), the difference being that Kenya has progressed further in the development of its commercial SME irrigation sector. The program therefore is setting the scene for other emerging middle-income countries in Africa and the development of international trade linkages in that respect.

The SWA approach is farmer-led and market-based – in line with the draft National Irrigation Strategy (2015). SWA will look at smart water agriculture as part of understanding the entire value chain. The smart water solutions (SWS) that are promoted concern market–based options, both products and services that will save water and energy and serve sustainable resource use, but also in many cases reduce labour and inputs, which makes them extra attractive. Many SWS increase yields and timeliness/ quality of products – positioning them in value chain dynamics.

In realising the farmer-led and market-based approach the program will help strengthen stakeholder interaction on irrigated agriculture through facilitation of irrigation acceleration platforms, both at the regional level in the project areas and at the national level. These platforms will play a key role in identifying demands and market niches, create opportunities for collaboration in testing and adapting promising options and provide avenues for communicating and sharing relevant information and experiences. As preparation for the above the project will undertake a series of initial integrated studies in the project areas that will take stock of what already exists at farmer and stakeholder level, identify issues and opportunities and create an information base relevant for all project components.

The SWA Team will consist of a core team of around 4 advisors operating from the SNV Offices in Nairobi. The advisors will be supported by high level short term back-stopping missions bringing specific expertise and knowledge from the consortium members as and where needed.

SNV is currently looking for a professional to be part of the main team as the advisor / expert on facilitating multi-stakeholder interaction and farmer-led irrigation development who will lead the above work on irrigation acceleration platforms. This advisor will work together with and benefit from the technical support by KIT innovation platform experts.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategize and coordinate all work related to the setting-up, facilitation and/or strengthening of the irrigation acceleration platforms at various levels;
• Coordinate the validation, dissemination and implementation of the initial integrated assessment studies
• Provide training and coaching support to key people involved in the facilitation of the various irrigation acceleration platforms;
• Help facilitate testing, development or adaptation technical institutional innovations and the related M&E as prioritized by the platforms and relevant stakeholders;
• Facilitate collation, profiling and promotion of various tested SWS technologies;
• Facilitate and promote increased local dynamics between demand for and supply of smart water solutions, an improved enabling environment and stimulate local innovation
• Ensure and coordinate adequate quality linkages between the irrigation acceleration platforms and issues emerging and relevant parts of the SWA program, both ways;
• Prepare regular reports on all above activities to the SWA team leader according to agreed formats;
• Interact and coordinate with experts at KIT for mobilizing specific expertise to support the work of the SWA team on irrigation acceleration platforms and plan and prepare backstopping missions accordingly

Candidate Profile

• Deep understanding importance and functioning of multi-stakeholder platforms and experience in facilitating them;
• Understanding of the importance of and processes in farmer-led, participatory, irrigated agricultural development and experience in using such approach;
• Educational background at MSc level in agriculture, Natural Resources Management, Rural Development or related topics with work experience in development of irrigated agriculture;
• Training and coaching experience and skills
• A good networker; links-networks in the Kenya SWA sector is an advantage;
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience

Other requirements

• Extensive work experience in a multicultural environment
• Good communication skills in English
• Good computer skills, minimum fluent in MSOffice;
• Willingness to travel extensively to project regions in Kenya

Contract Duration:

2 years with possibility of extension.

Desired start date:

May, 2016

How to apply

Please apply by clicking the APPLY tab on this page and submitting application letter and a CV that contains three referees in English to the attention of Human Resources Officer before 3rd June, 2016 citing the position title as reference.

We do not appreciate third-party mediation based on this advertisement.

NB: Only shortlisted will be contacted