Silas O.

Silas has 13 years practical work experience in Applied Research,Monitoring and Evaluation in Economic Growth Programming and Humanitarian Development Assistance, particularly on the market systems targeting the Poor and Vulnerable Households, Refugees, and the Internally Displaced People (IDPs). In his career life, Silas has led multi-discplinary teams in undertaking complex research studies on agro-based value chains and food security programmes aimed at formulating sustainable solutions to benefit the poor and the vulnerable populace in arid, semi arid and conflict affected settings. Most recently, Silas worked as the Research, Monitoring and Evaluations Manager at DAI -Europe on a DFID funded M4P programme known as Promoting Inclusive Markets in Somalia (PIMS- Covering Shabelle Valley, Mogadishu, Lower Juba, Puntland and Somaliland) that focused on Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Value Chain Development in Somalia. Previous to this, he served as a Research, Monitoring,Evaluations & Adaptation Manager at the Value Chain Finance Centre on a USAID Financial Inclusion for Rural Micro-Enterprises (FIRM) Programme whose aim was to strengthen agricultural value chains in Kenya by catalysing access to sustainable financial services for SMEs and Rural Economies. He also worked on Food Security Programmes at the World Agroforestry Centre (Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security programme-CCAFS) that covered 14 countries across Africa.Silas has conducted short-term consultancies in topical areas that have included agricultural value chain studies (dairy,livestock,export vegetables and poultry) for IFAD-Micro Finance Unit in Swaziland, Livelihood Market Assessments for IDPs and Returnees in Mogadishu and Kismayo areas for the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and Gender Contextual Analysis in Somalia for IFAD. Mr. Ochieng holds an MSc in Research Methods and Applied Statistics in addition to a BSc in Agriculture with certificates in Results Measurement for Sustainable Developmement (DCED Standards-Netherlands), Applied Statistics (University of Reading, UK), Statistics in Applied Climatology (Walker Institute, UK) and is a Certified Trainer of Trainers on Agro Based Value Chain Financing by FAO.