81304288 - Pool of short-term experts for advisory and training services to the AgSys country measure in KENYA

The tender is divided into five output areas. The contractor contributes to parts of all output areas by providing specialized short-term expertise, advisory and training services. Output 1 aims to encourage national governments to strengthen their commitment to improving the framework conditions for a sustainable transformation of agricultural systems. The impact hypothesis is that by improving the framework conditions, in particular through more sustainability-oriented policies, strategies, investment plans and programmes, transformation processes towards sustainable agricultural systems will be strengthened. For Kenya, this output particularly aims to promote the coordination of an inclusive political dialog on existing and emerging challenges in the agri-food sector. The output will support this process by strengthening needed institutional capacities in the Ministry of Agriculture (MoALD) to create a central platform to improve collaboration and coordination among all actors and to potentially facilitate the development of a framework for food systems transformation with a clear vision; shared objectives and commitments. The output also aims to support structured cascading of those policies that have greatest transformative effect to counties and their domestication at county level through capacity building at personal and organizational level. Existing efforts within MoALD especially on climate change frameworks and implementation, sustainably managed agricultural soils, and biodiversity in agricultural systems are considered for support. Output 2 aims to contribute tried and tested technical and organisational solutions for the transformation of agricultural systems at national (and state) level. The impact hypothesis is that the solutions introduced will be taken up by the partners and institutionally anchored. In this way, transformation processes towards sustainable agricultural systems are strengthened. For Kenya, the output aims to identify proven technical and organizational solutions from the experiences of German Development Cooperation and other development partners that are suitable for vertical integration into national policies and strategies. Inclusive exchange platforms involving farmers, extension, research organizations and political decision-makers are needed for the vertical (and horizontal) scaling of proven innovations and their institutional anchoring at national level. The output aims to establish and support such formats. The output also aims to examine existing knowledge management systems regarding their capacities and to contribute to their upgrade into one-stop shops for the dissemination of, access to and implementation of innovative solutions. Output 3 supports key societal change agents, especially women and young people, in incorporating their interests into shaping the transformation. The impact hypothesis is that the greater involvement of central social change agents contributes to strengthening the feasibility and sustainability of transformation processes. For Kenya on a policy level, the output contributes to thorough analyses of existing policies and their level of implementation to identify areas where they may be failing to address the needs of women and youth. Based on the finding, clear policy recommendations are formulated. Complementary, the capacities for the formulation and monitoring of agricultural policies that are both gender- and youth-sensitive are built at the Ministry's and Counties' level. The output also aspires to support the establishment of inclusive public-private exchange formats in which representatives of governmental and non-governmental actors, including youth and women associations, exchange views on key problems and the framework conditions in the agri-food sector in the counties and develop solutions. Output 4 strengthens processes for the expansion and conversion of investments or financing for sustainable agricultural systems. Partners use the support to mobilize financial resources for the implementation of the transformation agenda and to strengthen the transformation processes. To this end, the partners have various financing options at their disposal. For Kenya, the output aims to discuss the improvement of fertilizer subsidies schemes and to introduce alternative support mechanisms. The output engages with relevant stakeholders to initiate discussions about possible public payments for ecosystems services (PES) models for soil health in Kenya. This could eventually inform the National Green Fiscal Incentives Policy Framework developed under the National Treasury. If need is pronounced, support is extended to MoALD and the county governments in their task to implement this framework within the agricultural sector. There are a number of national funding mechanisms, however their effectiveness remains opaque. The output envisions to analyze these funding mechanisms in order to identify and gradually remove main bottlenecks for effective fund distribution to the target group. Output 5 supports linking the different levels of transformation. The impact hypothesis is that the partner countries use this support to work on the national implementation of global agendas. In addition, both the transformation processes in the countries and the processes at the regional and global level are strengthened. For Kenya, the output aspires to contribute to the identification of collaborative models with key climate and biodiversity finance actors - including multilateral climate funds and development banks, commercial financial institutions and private sector investors. The analysis provides an overview of relevant financing fields and investment criteria - and modalities of actors. From this, guidelines can be derived and used in the planning of transformative projects that are compatible with the financing criteria.