Company Founded: Founded in 2017

External Evaluation of the Project Empowered Communities of Mt Elgon Working Together for Nutritious Food, Savings and Resilience Implemented by SOET

The project works through solidarity groups as units of community entry and implementation. By 2022, 961 (M209, F752) members had been mobilized into 48 functional groups. In the course of implementation, the project had empowered targeted community members and had recorded several results:

Common labor was being practiced by all the 48 SGs on their fields in addition 42 SGs undertaking common labour at three community seedling nursery sites.
The 48 SGs had been trained on Bio-intensive kitchen gardening and 961 kitchen gardens had been established with diverse crop varieties. A total of 191,400 vegetable seedlings and 50kg of assorted seeds were planted.
Member of 41 SGs had been trained on food forest establishment and management. A total of 12,180 trees had been planted with 820 food forests with the seven layers having been established
Three community nurseries had been established and were functional.
11 SGs had been trained on Fastenaktion approach on saving procedures and credit management.

The solidarity groups have accompaniers referred to as ‘community animators’ while the nurseries are managed by appointed community members called ‘nursery managers’. The animators facilitate training of groups, offer close monitoring and ensure the implementation of the trained approaches. The animators also ensure that the groups are well coordinated; conduct trainings at group level and regularly conduct home visits to group members to ascertain progress of each group and each individual/member and address any emerging challenges. The community animators continuously visit the farms of their respective farmers to offer technical support and report on progress of each group on monthly basis outlining progress made and any challenges observed.
The project team constitutes of: Programme Coordinator who is also the CEO of the organization, a Project Officer, Technical Advisor – Agroecology, Project Accountant, Nursery Managers and Community Animators. They meet once monthly for reporting and planning and also exchange on challenges and lessons learnt.
PROJECT CONTEXT
The target project areas are characterised by good climatic conditions (soils & weather pattern) suitable for vegetable and fruit production, cash crop growing and livestock production. The area experiences two rain seasons with the main one running from March to July and the short rains September to October recording approximately 1400mm to 1800mm annually. Soils are well drained and characterized by shallow rocks. Despite these, the area has been impacted by effects of climate change due to deforestation and harmful farming practices that have resulted to increased soil erosion. Of late, the area has experienced recurrent hail stones which had been destroying crops.
Due to high inflation rate and difficult global economic situation, the country has experienced an increase in price of basic commodities and this has affected the well-being of the people targeted by the project as well as negatively affected the operations of the project. An increase in the cost of production means that the people can only produce less food further deepening the food crisis. The major crops grown are maize and beans mostly for home consumption but the surplus is sold. The Mt. Elgon people have been a farming community who continue trading away their produce at reduced prices to brokers and middlemen. According to Bungoma County Integrated Development Plan, poverty level in Mt. Elgon is estimated at 56 percent.
The socio-cultural aspect of the community is characterized by most men meeting in social clubs and outdoor activities while women mostly engage in domestic activities and economically productive work. They thus are like the heads of their households even though women are also subordinated in most homes and in community decision-making processes. The issue of land ownership and control of resource’s is still capitalised by men which to some extent affects production.
EVALUATION PURPOSE
The evaluation should in a very clear manner:

Assess and document the extent to which the project objectives have been achieved (outcome and impact level), clearly outlining and describing the impacts, both positive and negative (intended and unintended), realized so far per each specific objective.
Give insight into the key elements of the implementation process which explain why the reported changes occurred and shed light on how such changes were achieved or caused. We expect that an assessment of impact and understanding of key processes will support the generation of Project recommendations that could be considered for the design of future project phases.
Elaborate strengths and weaknesses of the project, and document best practices and lessons learnt. The evaluation should clearly document and highlight any programming adjustments that might be required to achieve the project desired objectives.

3.USERS OF EVALUATION
The primary users of the evaluation are:

SOET: Project team and management
Fastenaktion: Country Programme Unit, Programme Manager and Head Office Programme Development Team
Fastenaktion’s Programme Development section
Right holders especially members of solidarity groups involved in the project to best understand effective strategies for bringing about desired change.

4.SCOPE OF EVALUATION
This being an external evaluation, it is expected to comply with the international evaluation standards (OECD), provide a space for learning around best practices for supporting target communities. The evaluation will be undertaken in Elgon Ward with a sampling frame of 19 villages. Fastenaktion is seeking to identify a consultancy team, which will undertake this evaluation within the agreed terms of reference. Selection of the study sites will be agreed upon with the consultancy team. The consultancy team has to prioritize the field research questions in order to maximize on time. The evaluation process will include engagement with direct and indirect beneficiaries as well as other stakeholders.
5.EVALUATION QUESTIONS
In line with objectives of the evaluation, the evaluation will be expected to answer the following questions:

6.1 RELEVANCE
The evaluation should conduct an analysis of the appropriateness of the project design, activities, strategies and approaches in the light of the operational context, the timeliness of the response and its adaptation to the livelihoods security situations. It will involve assessing the extent to which the activities are suited to the priorities of the target groups, target households, and donors as well as the prevailing policy environment. Key questions to be addressed:

To what extent are the intended project outcomes and actual activities in line with the needs of the target group (women and men)?
Has the project adapted appropriately to relevant changing needs and context after its onset?
How are the different aspects of the project implementation relevant in attaining cross cutting themes of gender equality, Leave No One Behind (LNOB), and climate change adaptability?

6.2 EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPACT
The focus will be on the extent to which project outcomes and objectives are being achieved. Key questions to be addressed:

How has the food security and wellbeing of the target group (women and men) changed due to the interventions? What other context factors had an effect on possible changes and to what degree has the project tampered with or reinforced them? (cases of success stories can be highlighted and annexed)
What is the degree of achievement of the planned results at outcome and impact level of the project?
Are there any unintended project results (positive or negative)? eg. multiplier effects
Did the project results reflect contribution to the principle of LNOB? How and to what extent?

6.3 EFFICIENCY
The evaluation will outline the extent to which the interventions have delivered, or are likely to deliver results in an economic and timely way. Key questions to be addressed:

Are costs (including time and human resources) and benefits in an appropriate relationship?
Are there organizational and/or management issues that hinder implementation and/or effectiveness of the project?
Are there unique or practical ways in which the quality of the project can be improved in a next phase? Which are the proposed approaches and how can they be executed?

6.4 SUSTAINABILITY AND LESSONS LEARNT
Within the scope of this assignment, the evaluator(s) should assess the extent to which the project interventions took into consideration longer term needs of the target population and to what extent project results or benefits will be sustainable after project closure. Key elements to be reviewed include environmental, operational and financial sustainability of the project. Key questions to be addressed:

Which benefits are likely to sustain beyond the life time of the project?
Did the project incorporate adequate measures and strategies to ensure sustainability of results over time (regarding the partner organisation and the target group)? Which measures and strategies are these and how effective are they in influencing the sustainability prospects of the gained benefits?
Can this project be expanded in other geographic and programmatic areas in Kenya based on need?

6.6 ACCOUNTABILITY

How effective was the community feedback mechanisms that was in place and the capacity of the organization to respond to comments received? Is there any evidence that feedback has or is influencing decision making?

6.7 GENDER

Did the interventions contribute to furthering (or hindering) gender equality within the project area? If so, how and to what extent? If it did contribute to furthering gender equality, why not?

6.EVALUATION METHODOLOGY
The evaluator(s) is welcome to suggest an appropriate methodological approach to successfully deliver a quality evaluation. The evaluation methodology should be consultative and participatory, entailing a combination of desk review, key informant interviews, face to face household surveys, interviews and/or FGDs. While interviews are a key instrument, the evaluators will triangulate a range of data sources to ensure that the evaluation is sound and objective. The evaluator(s) will further elaborate on the method and approach in a manner commensurate with the assignment at hand and reflect this in the inception report, which will subsequently be approved by the programme team in consultation with key stakeholders.
A final agreement on the evaluation design and methodology will be discussed on the basis of the submitted offer and/or the inception report.
Some of the key primary data sources include:

Interviews with key staff such as the Project Coordinator, Project Officer, Project Technical Advisor, Community Animators, Nursery Managers and others as deemed necessary by the evaluation team.
Interviews with stakeholders including respective county government departments, and community leaders
Household surveys, interviews and/or FGDs with women and men of the target group, and field observation in project sites within the project locations

Secondary data will be made available and it is expected that the evaluator(s) will have a comprehensive desk review of project documents. Some of the documents include project proposal and budgets, Log frame, baseline report, annual and quarterly reports, study reports among other as shall be deemed necessary by the evaluation team.
DELIVERABLES AND REPORING DEADLINES
The following deliverables are expected to be produced by the evaluation team:

Inception report (after initial meeting with the partner organization and Fastenaktion)

The report will include a detailed plan of the evaluation process including a revised evaluation approach, an evaluation matrix stipulating for each evaluation question the data/methods that will be used, as well as the sampling method, data collection plan including methods and timelines, and feedback loops.

Survey tools (with the inception report)

The tools should be developed in cooperation with Fastenaktion and the Partner organization. The field data collection should be informed by the evaluation objectives, evaluation questions and criteria. The survey tools and all raw data, statistical tables and coding lists (as appropriate), as well as transcripts have to be provided to Fastenaktion and the partner organization at the end of the evaluation. Data has to be disaggregated according to location and gender (minimum requirement). The evaluation team can decide to further disaggregate data in a way that improves answering of the evaluation questions.

Draft evaluation report (not more than 30 pages) pages excluding annexes (after the field work) plus a power point presentation

The draft evaluation report is to be presented to the partner organization during a staff meeting to collect feedback. A PowerPoint presentation should be prepared for this purpose.

Final evaluation report including PowerPoint presentation

The final evaluation report shall incorporate the feedback from the partner organization and any other stakeholder. The PowerPoint presentation shall be adapted to these revisions.
SUGGESTED OUTLINE OF THE EVALUATION REPORT:

Cover page with name of the project, logos for partner organisation and donor, name and contact details of evaluator(s), including one representative photos of the project (best option: photo from the evaluation exercise).
Executive summary (maximum 5 pages). This should be a section that can be used independently from the full report and should therefore cover: background to the programme, brief overview of aims of the evaluation, brief summary of the methodology, key findings per evaluation criteria and on the achievement of indicators, best practices and lessons learnt, conclusions, recommendations, and a summary of management response
Introduction (1 page)
Description of evaluation methodology (maximum 2 pages)
Situation analysis with regards to the outcomes, outputs and partnership strategies (maximum 2 pages)
Presentation and discussion of the findings (this will be the main part of the document). This section of the report should be clearly structured to show evidence-based answers to the evaluation questions (maximum 15 pages)
Key findings, best practices and lessons learnt, and conclusions derived from the findings (maximum 5 pages)
Clear and concise recommendations derived from the findings and conclusions to provide guidance for future programming (maximum 5 pages)
Annexes: Terms of reference; Data-collection instruments, incl. information on informed consent handling; Project planning matrix / logframe; Travel and work schedule; debriefing power point presentation (final version); Sources (e.g. bibliography, people interviewed); Management response matrix; maps, photos

DISSEMINATION OF FINDINGS
After a validation and stakeholder workshop, the final report will be submitted to Fastenaktion headquarters for final review and endorsement by the Programme Development Unit. This process will declare the report to the donors and the wider public.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA
All documents and data collected will be treated as confidential and used solely to facilitate this evaluation. Interviewees and their pictures will not be quoted in the reports without their permission. It is expected that the evaluators will used consent forms as appropriate, and hand over to the project team. The deliverables as well as all material linked to the evaluation (produced by the evaluator(s) or the organization itself)is confidential and remains at all times the property of the contracting party.
TIMEFRAME AND REQUIREMENTS
The Evaluation should take 15 days preferably beginning from September 4th 2023.

DAYS

TASKS

RESPONSIBLE

4 days

Initial briefings of the Programme
Desk review of key documents
Draft inception report detailing evaluation tools
Final inception report before the start of the consultancy

Consultancy team for interview schedule and inception
Fastenaktion is responsible for sharing all relevant documents and arranging meetings with key staff and stakeholders

5 days

Field work
Data collection

Consultancy team
SOET
Coordination office

6 days

Data analysis
Draft evaluation report which is circulated internally for comments
Presentation of key findings , feedback on draft evaluation, report, preparation of final report/presentation

Consultancy team
SOET, Fastenaktion, coordination office

EVALUATION TEAM COMPOSITION AND COMPETENCIES
The suggested team for this assignment includes:

An agroecology or sustainable agriculture expert (essential)
MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) Expert with experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods and data analysis (essential)
A gender and inclusion expert with experience in rural livelihoods / development (essential)

The consultancy team should be mixed in gender.
INTELLLECTUAL PROPERTY
All the materials, information and reports, the output of the evaluation exercise shall be the property of Fastenaktion and the consultancy team is bound by Fastenaktion’s confidentiality requirements. All data sets and transcripts must be provided to Fastenaktion Coordination Office and Head Office in electronic copies and on a CD (2). The evaluators will not be allowed, without prior authorization in writing, to present any of the analytical results as his or her own or to make use of the evaluation results for private publication purposes.
LABOUR LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS
The evaluation team commits itself to conclude (and any one contracted by the team) must commit to execute the contract in accordance with the local labour law, respect human rights, and not to allow discrimination based on gender, lifestyles, ethnic origin, religious affiliation or political opinions. The partner organization will not tolerate sexual or other abuse. The Fastenaktion Guideline on preventing and combating the abuse of power (2020) will apply to the contract.

14.HOW TO APPLY:
Submission of Proposals
Based on the above, Fastenaktion is inviting interested parties to submit expressions of interest entailing technical and financial proposals. Individuals or firms applying shall detail the following:

Consultants’ profile and capability statement describing the technical capacity and experience of the firm or group of individuals;
Names and resume of individuals or team members proposed and their roles in the achievement of the assignment. This should also entail the proposed team structure for the evaluation;
3 professional referees (preferably previous clients) and sample reports of similar assignments taken in the recent past;
Understanding of the Terms of Reference (TORs);
Detailed evaluation design with implementation plan and timeframe; and
A detailed budget, which should be presented in Kenya Shillings and must include all taxes and other anticipated expenses,
Quality Control and Quality Assessment for the Evaluation

All field visits costs including transport in the field, meals and accommodation during field work will be catered by the contracting agent.

Interested candidates should submit their application to the following email address: info@act4change.co.ke with “EXTERNAL EVALUATION, SOET 2023” as the subject of the e-mail. Deadline for submission is August 18th 2023
Kindly don’t forget to submit samples of your previous work (reference calls shall be made to validate your work)

Apply via :

info@act4change.co.ke

November 2, 2024
External Evaluation of the Project Community Social-economic Empowerment through Agro Ecology Project- Kimaeti Farmers Association

The project works through solidarity groups as units of community entry and implementation. The project targeted to build the capacity of 1325 members (947 female and 378 men) organised into 73 solidarity groups. The solidarity groups have accompaniers referred to as ‘community animators’ while the nurseries are managed by appointed community members called ‘nursery managers’. The animators facilitate training of groups, offer close monitoring and ensure the implementation of the trained approaches. The animators also ensure that the groups are well coordinated; conduct trainings at group level and regularly conduct home visits to group members to ascertain progress of each group and each individual/member and address any emerging challenges. The community animators continuously visit the farms of their respective farmers to offer technical support and report on progress of each group on monthly basis outlining progress made and any challenges observed.
The project team constitutes of: An Administrator, Project Officer, Technical Advisor – Agroecology, Nursery Managers and Community Animators. They meet once monthly for reporting and planning and also exchange on challenges and lessons learnt
PROJECT CONTEXT
The project areas is a low land that receives its rainfall in two main seasons of the year i.e. long rains between March- June while the short rain seasons in August-October in the year. Most farms within the area have sandy soils except for the wetlands/riparian areas that have some clay soils. The Kocholia location has a large land mass that is also covered with rocks and shallow horizons leaving very small parcels of lands for farming.
The main economic activities in the area are farming though some are involved in small businesses. It is from the farming practices of either crops or rearing of livestock’s i.e. cattle and poultry that they are able to meet their basic daily needs.
The communities residing within the project working areas are majorly the Teso and Bukusu tribes although the other tribes are also available though not dominant. In regards to gender roles, men are considered as the head of the households with their major responsibility being to provide for the family and participate in critical family decision touching on family investments as well access, control and ownership of family productive resources such as land. In most families women are allowed access to the productive resources such as land in terms of tilling and farming practices but very few own them though they have window of making decision in regards to the kind of meals to be prepared, cloths to be bought for children, households items such as utensils, furniture and what/when to be planted on the farm which is majorly participatory between men and women. Most of community related conflicts in the area are handled by the established council of elders both from Teso and Bukusu sub-tribes
EVALUATION PURPOSE
The evaluation should in a very clear manner:

Assess and document the extent to which the project objectives have been achieved (outcome and impact level), clearly outlining and describing the impacts, both positive and negative (intended and unintended), realized so far per each specific objective.
Give insight into the key elements of the implementation process which explain why the reported changes occurred and shed light on how such changes were achieved or caused. We expect that an assessment of impact and understanding of key processes will support the generation of Project recommendations that could be considered for the design of future project phases.
Elaborate strengths and weaknesses of the project, and document nest practices and lessons learnt. The evaluation should clearly document and highlight any programming adjustments that might be required to achieve the project desired objectives.

USERS OF EVALUATION
The primary users of the evaluation are:

KIMAETI: Project team and management
Fastenaktion: Country Programme Unit, Programme Manager and Head Office Programme Development Team
Fastenaktion’s Programme Development section
Right holders especially members of solidarity groups involved in the project to best understand effective strategies for bringing about desired change.

SCOPE OF EVALUATION
This being an external evaluation, it is expected to comply with the international evaluation standards (OECD), provide a space for learning around best practices for supporting target communities. The evaluation will be undertaken in Kocholia and Kimaeti locations. Fastenaktion is seeking to identify a consultancy team, which will undertake this evaluation within the agreed terms of reference. Selection of the study sites will be agreed upon with the consultancy team. The consultancy team has to prioritize the field research questions in order to maximize on time. The evaluation process will include engagement with direct and indirect beneficiaries as well as other stakeholders.
EVALUATION QUESTIONS
In line with objectives of the evaluation, the evaluation will be expected to answer the following questions:
6.1 RELEVANCE
The evaluation should conduct an analysis of the appropriateness of the project design, activities, strategies and approaches in the light of the operational context, the timeliness of the response and its adaptation to the livelihoods security situations. It will involve assessing the extent to which the activities are suited to the priorities of the target groups, target households, and donors as well as the prevailing policy environment. Key questions to be addressed:

To what extent are the intended project outcomes and actual activities in line with the needs of the target group (women and men)?
Has the project adapted appropriately to relevant changing needs and context after its onset?
How are the different aspects of the project implementation relevant in attaining cross cutting themes of gender equality, Leave No One Behind (LNOB), and climate change adaptability?

6.2 EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPACT
The focus will be on the extent to which project outcomes and objectives are being achieved. Key questions to be addressed:

How has the food security and wellbeing of the target group (women and men) changed due to the interventions? What other context factors had an effect on possible changes and to what degree has the project tampered with or reinforced them? (cases of success stories can be highlighted and annexed)
What is the degree of achievement of the planned results at outcome and impact level of the project?
Are there any unintended project results (positive or negative)? eg. multiplier effects
Did the project results reflect contribution to the principle of LNOB? How and to what extent?

6.3 EFFICIENCY
The evaluation will outline the extent to which the interventions have delivered, or are likely to deliver results in an economic and timely way. Key questions to be addressed:

Are costs (including time and human resources) and benefits in an appropriate relationship?
Are there organizational and/or management issues that hinder implementation and/or effectiveness of the project?
Are there unique or practical ways in which the quality of the project can be improved in a next phase? Which are the proposed approaches and how can they be executed?

6.4 SUSTAINABILITY AND LESSONS LEARNT
Within the scope of this assignment, the evaluator(s) should assess the extent to which the project interventions took into consideration longer term needs of the target population and to what extent project results or benefits will be sustainable after project closure. Key elements to be reviewed include environmental, operational and financial sustainability of the project. Key questions to be addressed:

Which benefits are likely to sustain beyond the life time of the project?
Did the project incorporate adequate measures and strategies to ensure sustainability of results over time (regarding the partner organisation and the target group)? Which measures and strategies are these and how effective are they in influencing the sustainability prospects of the gained benefits?
Can this project be expanded in other geographic and programmatic areas in Kenya based on need?

6.6 ACCOUNTABILITY

How effective was the community feedback mechanisms that was in place and the capacity of the organization to respond to comments received? Is there any evidence that feedback has or is influencing decision making?

6.7 GENDER

Did the interventions contribute to furthering (or hindering) gender equality within the project area? If so, how and to what extent? If it did contribute to furthering gender equality, why not?

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY
The evaluator(s) is welcome to suggest an appropriate methodological approach to successfully deliver a quality evaluation. The evaluation methodology should be consultative and participatory, entailing a combination of desk review, key informant interviews, face to face household surveys, interviews and/or FGDs. While interviews are a key instrument, the evaluators will triangulate a range of data sources to ensure that the evaluation is sound and objective. The evaluator(s) will further elaborate on the method and approach in a manner commensurate with the assignment at hand and reflect this in the inception report, which will subsequently be approved by the programme team in consultation with key stakeholders.
A final agreement on the evaluation design and methodology will be discussed on the basis of the submitted offer and/or the inception report.
Some of the key primary data sources include:

Interviews with key staff such as the Project Coordinator, Project Officer, Project Technical Advisor, Community Animators, Nursery Managers and others as deemed necessary by the evaluation team.
Interviews with stakeholders including respective county government departments, and community leaders
Household surveys, interviews and/or FGDs with women and men of the target group, and field observation in project sites within the project locations

Secondary data will be made available and it is expected that the evaluator(s) will have a comprehensive desk review of project documents. Some of the documents include project proposal and budgets, Log frame, baseline report, annual and quarterly reports, study reports among other as shall be deemed necessary by the evaluation team.

6.DELIVERABLES AND REPORING DEADLINES
The following deliverables are expected to be produced by the evaluation team:

Inception report (after initial meeting with the partner organization and Fastenaktion)

The report will include a detailed plan of the evaluation process including a revised evaluation approach, an evaluation matrix stipulating for each evaluation question the data/methods that will be used, as well as the sampling method, data collection plan including methods and timelines, and feedback loops.

Survey tools (with the inception report)

The tools should be developed in cooperation with Fastenaktion and the Partner organization. The field data collection should be informed by the evaluation objectives, evaluation questions and criteria. The survey tools and all raw data, statistical tables and coding lists (as appropriate), as well as transcripts have to be provided to Fastenaktion and the partner organization at the end of the evaluation. Data has to be disaggregated according to location and gender (minimum requirement). The evaluation team can decide to further disaggregate data in a way that improves answering of the evaluation questions.

Draft evaluation report (not more than 30 pages) pages excluding annexes (after the field work) plus a power point presentation

The draft evaluation report is to be presented to the partner organization during a staff meeting to collect feedback. A PowerPoint presentation should be prepared for this purpose.

Final evaluation report including PowerPoint presentation

The final evaluation report shall incorporate the feedback from the partner organization and any other stakeholder. The PowerPoint presentation shall be adapted to these revisions.
SUGGESTED OUTLINE OF THE EVALUATION REPORT:

Cover page with name of the project, logos for partner organisation and donor, name and contact details of evaluator(s), including one representative photos of the project (best option: photo from the evaluation exercise).
Executive summary (maximum 5 pages). This should be a section that can be used independently from the full report and should therefore cover: background to the programme, brief overview of aims of the evaluation, brief summary of the methodology, key findings per evaluation criteria and on the achievement of indicators, best practices and lessons learnt, conclusions, recommendations, and a summary of management response
Introduction (1 page)
Description of evaluation methodology (maximum 2 pages)
Situation analysis with regards to the outcomes, outputs and partnership strategies (maximum 2 pages)
Presentation and discussion of the findings (this will be the main part of the document). This section of the report should be clearly structured to show evidence-based answers to the evaluation questions (maximum 15 pages)
Key findings, best practices and lessons learnt, and conclusions derived from the findings (maximum 5 pages)
Clear and concise recommendations derived from the findings and conclusions to provide guidance for future programming (maximum 5 pages)
Annexes: Terms of reference; Data-collection instruments, incl. information on informed consent handling; Project planning matrix / logframe; Travel and work schedule; debriefing power point presentation (final version); Sources (e.g. bibliography, people interviewed); Management response matrix; maps, photos

DISSEMINATION OF FINDINGS
After a validation and stakeholder workshop, the final report will be submitted to Fastenaktion headquarters for final review and endorsement by the Programme Development Unit. This process will declare the report to the donors and the wider public.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA
All documents and data collected will be treated as confidential and used solely to facilitate this evaluation. Interviewees and their pictures will not be quoted in the reports without their permission. It is expected that the evaluators will used consent forms as appropriate, and hand over to the project team. The deliverables as well as all material linked to the evaluation (produced by the evaluator(s) or the organization itself)is confidential and remains at all times the property of the contracting party.
TIMEFRAME AND REQUIREMENTS
The Evaluation should take 15 days preferably beginning from September 4th 2023.

DAYS

TASKS

RESPONSIBLE

4 days

Initial briefings of the Programme
Desk review of key documents
Draft inception report detailing evaluation tools
Final inception report before the start of the consultancy

Consultancy team for interview schedule and inception
Fastenaktion is responsible for sharing all relevant documents and arranging meetings with key staff and stakeholders

5 days

Field work
Data collection

Consultancy team
KIMAETI Farmers
Coordination office

6 days

Data analysis
Draft evaluation report which is circulated internally for comments
Presentation of key findings , feedback on draft evaluation, report, preparation of final report/presentation

Consultancy team
KIMAETI Farmers, Fastenaktion, coordination office

EVALUATION TEAM COMPOSITION AND COMPETENCIES
The suggested team for this assignment includes:

An agroecology or sustainable agriculture expert (essential)
MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) Expert with experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods and data analysis (essential)
A gender and inclusion expert with experience in rural livelihoods / development (essential)

The consultancy team should be mixed in gender.
INTELLLECTUAL PROPERTY
All the materials, information and reports, the output of the evaluation exercise shall be the property of Fastenaktion and the consultancy team is bound by Fastenaktion’s confidentiality requirements. All data sets and transcripts must be provided to Fastenaktion Coordination Office and Head Office in electronic copies and on a CD (2). The evaluators will not be allowed, without prior authorization in writing, to present any of the analytical results as his or her own or to make use of the evaluation results for private publication purposes.
LABOUR LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS
The evaluation team commits itself to conclude (and any one contracted by the team) must commit to execute the contract in accordance with the local labour law, respect human rights, and not to allow discrimination based on gender, lifestyles, ethnic origin, religious affiliation or political opinions. The partner organization will not tolerate sexual or other abuse. The Fastenaktion Guideline on preventing and combating the abuse of power (2020) will apply to the contract.

Apply via :

November 2, 2024
Music Production Graphic Design Animation Journalism

Overview

The program is designed for anyone excited about making music, producing great tracks and engineering sound. The course exposes students to the entire music production process (idea conception, recording, mixing, mastering and distribution) empowering them to tell a musical story with the help of music production software. In a team-oriented and collaborative environment, students work on projects where they create music, jingles, and voice overs. This content forms part of their portfolios.

Course content
Music Producers will expand their technical knowledge. They will learn all about the creative aspects and technical aspects including:

Sound for media [Film, animation]
Live sound
Recording techniques
Mastering
Mixing
Music business

Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, graduates will be able to

Understand the dynamics of film sound
Set up for live sound
Record in FL studio, ProTools and Logic Pro
Understand sound for film / TV / games / animation / podcast / radio
Master for tracks, songs, jingles and music
Set up a studio

Duration

2 years

Entry requirements

KCSE C-

Career Options

What one can become
Join us and explore career opportunities as a :

Music Producer
Songwriter
Music Composer
Electronic Musician
Creative Performer
Sound Engineer
Audio Director
Mastering Engineer
Music Editor
Live Sound Engineer
Mixing Engineer
Production Sound Master
Recording Engineer
Sound Editor

go to method of application »

Use the link(s) below to apply on company website.

Apply via :

November 2, 2024
Office Administrator- 2 Posts Driver (1 position) Office Assistant

JOB VACANCY No.: NaMATA/HR/24/2023

NaMATA JOB GRADE 7

Job Specification

The Office Administrator, will report to the Senior (Human Resource Officer). He / She will be responsible for ensuring appropriate reception of visitors and facilitating communication into and out of the Authority, amongst other routine administrative office duties, as will be guided.

Duties and responsibilities
Specifically, duties and responsibilities at this level will entail:

Co-ordinating the general administration of the Directors’ offices;
Managing the Directors’ diaries;
Coordinating appointments and travel itineraries for the Directors;
Attending to visitors/clients;
Handling telephone calls;
Coordinating schedules of meetings;
Ensuring security of office records, equipment and documents including classified materials;
Maintaining an up-to-date filing system in the office;
Establishing and monitoring procedures for record keeping of correspondence and file movements;
Preparing responses to simple routine correspondence;
Managing office protocol and etiquette;
Supervising office cleanliness;
Ensuring security, integrity and confidentiality of data; and
Undertaking any other office administrative services duties that may be assigned

Requirements for Appointment
For appointment to this grade, a candidate must have:

At least four (4) years relevant experience:
Diploma in Secretarial Studies from Kenya National Examinations Council;

OR

Business Education Single and Group Certificates (BES & GC) Stages I, II and III from the Kenya National Examinations Council in the following subjects:
Shorthand III (minimum 110 wpm)
Typewriting III (50 Wpm)/computerized Document processing III;
Business English III/Communication II
Commerce II;
Office practice II
Office Management III/Office Administration and Management III
Secretarial Duties II;
Certificate in Computer Application from a recognized institution; and
Shown merit and ability as reflected in work performance and results.

Key competencies and Skills

Communication skills
Interpersonal skills
Planning and organization skills

go to method of application »

Interested and qualified persons are invited to make their applications by submitting their applications for their positions of interest.The applicants should attach COPIES of the following documents to their applications:Candidates who meet the requirements stipulated should submit their applications so as to reach the address shown below on Tuesday, 12th September, 2023 at 12:00 noon. Applications should include CVs with details of day time contacts, current and expected salary, notice period required to take up appointment, names and contacts of three (3) referees. Applicants must also attach copies of all Certificates/Testimonials, and copy of National ID / Passport. All applications MUST have the Job Vacancy No., clearly indicated on the envelope. The Director General,
Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NaMATA),
P. O. Box 30117 – 00100,
NAIROBIOr emailed to: recruitment@namata.go.ke or hand delivered and inserted in the Recruitment Box placed on the 6th Floor.
Successful applicants are expected to fulfill the requirements of Chapter Six (6) of the Constitution of Kenya, and MUST obtain and submit VALID clearance certificates from the following organizations upon offer of appointment:NaMATA is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity and gender equality. Persons living with disability (PWDs), women and those from marginalized areas are encouraged to apply.Applications without the relevant qualifications, copies of documentation / details as sought for will not be considered.
Any form of canvassing shall lead to automatic disqualification

Apply via :

recruitment@namata.go.ke

November 2, 2024
Director (Commuter Rail) Director (Corporate Services) Deputy Director (Communications) Deputy Director (Supply Chain Management) Deputy Director (Finance & Accounts) Deputy Director (Internal Audit) Deputy Director (Environment & Safety) Principal Officer (Finance & Accounts) Principal Officer (Administration) Principal Supply Chain Management Senior Research & Development Officer Senior Officer (Risk Management) Senior Environment & Safety Officer Network Development & Management Officer- 2 Posts Infrastructure Development Officer Information Communications Technology Officer Environmental Officer Legal Officer- 2 Posts Records Management Officer Accountant Finance Officer Senior Assistant Legal Clerk

JOB VACANCY No.: NaMATA/HR/02/2023

Job Specification

The Director (Commuter Rail) will report to the Director General. He / She will be responsible for coordinating, managing and supervising the Commuter Rail Infrastructure Department’s functions through the development and review of Commuter Rail policies, plans, designs and programmes for the implementation of Commuter Rail Transport within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area (NMA).

Duties and Responsibilities
Specifically, duties and responsibilities will entail:

Development of safe, reliable and clean Commuter Rail transport infrastructure;
Provision of technical advice on Commuter Rail infrastructure within the NMA;
Undertaking research on Commuter Rail infrastructure;
Maintaining safe custody of Commuter Rail Infrastructure data for policy decision making;
Commissioning the Annual Commuter Rail Infrastructure inventory and condition survey;
Surveillance and protection of Commuter Rail Infrastructure assets;
Facilitating the development and implementation of policies, strategies, standards, procedures and guidelines on Commuter Rail programmes;
Facilitating the design of Commuter Rail projects timetable to ensure harmonization of project deliverables;
Coordinating the Commuter Rail infrastructure department’s projects and programmes;
Facilitating of the agreements and contracts with other implementing agencies for Commuter Rail infrastructure development;
Ensuring infrastructure works are delivered as per schedule and to the specified quality;
Identifying and providing appropriate learning and development activities for department’s staff;
Facilitating the development of projects templates, tools and software to manage projects and programmes;
Coordinating the development of the scope, plans and schedules for the Commuter Rail infrastructure projects;
Monitoring Commuter Rail infrastructure projects implementation;
Managing Commuter Rail infrastructure project risks;
Coordination of the development and preparation of Commuter Rail infrastructure project reports;
Overseeing the vesting and transfer of Commuter Rail infrastructure assets from stakeholder agencies to the Authority;
Contracting Commuter Rail infrastructure providers;
Developing and enforcement of Commuter Rail standards on infrastructure.

Requirements for Appointment
For appointment to this grade, an officer must have:

A minimum period of twelve (12) years in relevant work experience and at least four (4) years in senior management role in a position in the Public Service or Private Sector;
Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Transport Engineering, Transport Planning, Urban Planning/Design and Development or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution;
Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Transport Engineering, Transport Planning, Urban Planning/Design and Development, Architecture, Project Management, Communication Technology, Computer Science, Digital System Design, Electrical and Electronic Engineering or any other relevant qualification from a recognized Institution;
Leadership Course lasting not less than four (4) weeks from a recognized institution;
Certificate in Project Management from a recognized institution;
Registered with an accredited and recognized professional body;
Registration in Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA);
Proficiency in computer skills;
Fulfil the requirements of Chapter Six (6) of the Constitution.

Behavioural Competencies / Attributes

Analytical skills
Communication skills
Strategic and Innovative thinking
Ability to mobilize resources
Negotiation skills

go to method of application »

Interested and qualified persons are invited to make their applications by submitting their applications for their positions of interest.The applicants should attach COPIES of the following documents to their applications:Candidates who meet the requirements stipulated should submit their applications so as to reach the address shown below on Tuesday, 12th September, 2023 at 12:00 noon. Applications should include CVs with details of day time contacts, current and expected salary, notice period required to take up appointment, names and contacts of three (3) referees. Applicants must also attach copies of all Certificates/Testimonials, and copy of National ID / Passport. All applications MUST have the Job Vacancy No., clearly indicated on the envelope. The Director General,
Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NaMATA),
P. O. Box 30117 – 00100,
NAIROBIOr emailed to: recruitment@namata.go.ke or hand delivered and inserted in the Recruitment Box placed on the 6th Floor.
Successful applicants are expected to fulfill the requirements of Chapter Six (6) of the Constitution of Kenya, and MUST obtain and submit VALID clearance certificates from the following organizations upon offer of appointment:NaMATA is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity and gender equality. Persons living with disability (PWDs), women and those from marginalized areas are encouraged to apply.Applications without the relevant qualifications, copies of documentation / details as sought for will not be considered.
Any form of canvassing shall lead to automatic disqualification

Apply via :

recruitment@namata.go.ke

November 2, 2024
External Evaluation of the Project Community Social-economic Empowerment through Agro Ecology Project- Kimaeti Farmers Association

The project works through solidarity groups as units of community entry and implementation. The project targeted to build the capacity of 1325 members (947 female and 378 men) organised into 73 solidarity groups. The solidarity groups have accompaniers referred to as ‘community animators’ while the nurseries are managed by appointed community members called ‘nursery managers’. The animators facilitate training of groups, offer close monitoring and ensure the implementation of the trained approaches. The animators also ensure that the groups are well coordinated; conduct trainings at group level and regularly conduct home visits to group members to ascertain progress of each group and each individual/member and address any emerging challenges. The community animators continuously visit the farms of their respective farmers to offer technical support and report on progress of each group on monthly basis outlining progress made and any challenges observed.

The project team constitutes of: An Administrator, Project Officer, Technical Advisor – Agroecology, Nursery Managers and Community Animators. They meet once monthly for reporting and planning and also exchange on challenges and lessons learnt

PROJECT CONTEXT

The project areas is a low land that receives its rainfall in two main seasons of the year i.e. long rains between March- June while the short rain seasons in August-October in the year. Most farms within the area have sandy soils except for the wetlands/riparian areas that have some clay soils. The Kocholia location has a large land mass that is also covered with rocks and shallow horizons leaving very small parcels of lands for farming.

The main economic activities in the area are farming though some are involved in small businesses. It is from the farming practices of either crops or rearing of livestock’s i.e. cattle and poultry that they are able to meet their basic daily needs.

The communities residing within the project working areas are majorly the Teso and Bukusu tribes although the other tribes are also available though not dominant. In regards to gender roles, men are considered as the head of the households with their major responsibility being to provide for the family and participate in critical family decision touching on family investments as well access, control and ownership of family productive resources such as land. In most families women are allowed access to the productive resources such as land in terms of tilling and farming practices but very few own them though they have window of making decision in regards to the kind of meals to be prepared, cloths to be bought for children, households items such as utensils, furniture and what/when to be planted on the farm which is majorly participatory between men and women. Most of community related conflicts in the area are handled by the established council of elders both from Teso and Bukusu sub-tribes

EVALUATION PURPOSE

The evaluation should in a very clear manner:

Assess and document the extent to which the project objectives have been achieved (outcome and impact level), clearly outlining and describing the impacts, both positive and negative (intended and unintended), realized so far per each specific objective.
Give insight into the key elements of the implementation process which explain why the reported changes occurred and shed light on how such changes were achieved or caused. We expect that an assessment of impact and understanding of key processes will support the generation of Project recommendations that could be considered for the design of future project phases.
Elaborate strengths and weaknesses of the project, and document nest practices and lessons learnt. The evaluation should clearly document and highlight any programming adjustments that might be required to achieve the project desired objectives.

USERS OF EVALUATION

The primary users of the evaluation are:

KIMAETI: Project team and management
Fastenaktion: Country Programme Unit, Programme Manager and Head Office Programme Development Team
Fastenaktion’s Programme Development section
Right holders especially members of solidarity groups involved in the project to best understand effective strategies for bringing about desired change.

SCOPE OF EVALUATION

This being an external evaluation, it is expected to comply with the international evaluation standards (OECD), provide a space for learning around best practices for supporting target communities. The evaluation will be undertaken in Kocholia and Kimaeti locations. Fastenaktion is seeking to identify a consultancy team, which will undertake this evaluation within the agreed terms of reference. Selection of the study sites will be agreed upon with the consultancy team. The consultancy team has to prioritize the field research questions in order to maximize on time. The evaluation process will include engagement with direct and indirect beneficiaries as well as other stakeholders.

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

In line with objectives of the evaluation, the evaluation will be expected to answer the following questions:

6.1 RELEVANCE

The evaluation should conduct an analysis of the appropriateness of the project design, activities, strategies and approaches in the light of the operational context, the timeliness of the response and its adaptation to the livelihoods security situations. It will involve assessing the extent to which the activities are suited to the priorities of the target groups, target households, and donors as well as the prevailing policy environment. Key questions to be addressed:

To what extent are the intended project outcomes and actual activities in line with the needs of the target group (women and men)?
Has the project adapted appropriately to relevant changing needs and context after its onset?
How are the different aspects of the project implementation relevant in attaining cross cutting themes of gender equality, Leave No One Behind (LNOB), and climate change adaptability?

6.2 EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPACT

The focus will be on the extent to which project outcomes and objectives are being achieved. Key questions to be addressed:

How has the food security and wellbeing of the target group (women and men) changed due to the interventions? What other context factors had an effect on possible changes and to what degree has the project tampered with or reinforced them? (cases of success stories can be highlighted and annexed)
What is the degree of achievement of the planned results at outcome and impact level of the project?
Are there any unintended project results (positive or negative)? eg. multiplier effects
Did the project results reflect contribution to the principle of LNOB? How and to what extent?

6.3 EFFICIENCY

The evaluation will outline the extent to which the interventions have delivered, or are likely to deliver results in an economic and timely way. Key questions to be addressed:

Are costs (including time and human resources) and benefits in an appropriate relationship?
Are there organizational and/or management issues that hinder implementation and/or effectiveness of the project?
Are there unique or practical ways in which the quality of the project can be improved in a next phase? Which are the proposed approaches and how can they be executed?

6.4 SUSTAINABILITY AND LESSONS LEARNT

Within the scope of this assignment, the evaluator(s) should assess the extent to which the project interventions took into consideration longer term needs of the target population and to what extent project results or benefits will be sustainable after project closure. Key elements to be reviewed include environmental, operational and financial sustainability of the project. Key questions to be addressed:

Which benefits are likely to sustain beyond the life time of the project?
Did the project incorporate adequate measures and strategies to ensure sustainability of results over time (regarding the partner organisation and the target group)? Which measures and strategies are these and how effective are they in influencing the sustainability prospects of the gained benefits?
Can this project be expanded in other geographic and programmatic areas in Kenya based on need?

6.6 ACCOUNTABILITY

How effective was the community feedback mechanisms that was in place and the capacity of the organization to respond to comments received? Is there any evidence that feedback has or is influencing decision making?

6.7 GENDER

Did the interventions contribute to furthering (or hindering) gender equality within the project area? If so, how and to what extent? If it did contribute to furthering gender equality, why not?

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

The evaluator(s) is welcome to suggest an appropriate methodological approach to successfully deliver a quality evaluation. The evaluation methodology should be consultative and participatory, entailing a combination of desk review, key informant interviews, face to face household surveys, interviews and/or FGDs. While interviews are a key instrument, the evaluators will triangulate a range of data sources to ensure that the evaluation is sound and objective. The evaluator(s) will further elaborate on the method and approach in a manner commensurate with the assignment at hand and reflect this in the inception report, which will subsequently be approved by the programme team in consultation with key stakeholders.

A final agreement on the evaluation design and methodology will be discussed on the basis of the submitted offer and/or the inception report.

Some of the key primary data sources include:

Interviews with key staff such as the Project Coordinator, Project Officer, Project Technical Advisor, Community Animators, Nursery Managers and others as deemed necessary by the evaluation team.
Interviews with stakeholders including respective county government departments, and community leaders
Household surveys, interviews and/or FGDs with women and men of the target group, and field observation in project sites within the project locations

Secondary data will be made available and it is expected that the evaluator(s) will have a comprehensive desk review of project documents. Some of the documents include project proposal and budgets, Log frame, baseline report, annual and quarterly reports, study reports among other as shall be deemed necessary by the evaluation team.

6.DELIVERABLES AND REPORING DEADLINES

The following deliverables are expected to be produced by the evaluation team:

Inception report (after initial meeting with the partner organization and Fastenaktion)

The report will include a detailed plan of the evaluation process including a revised evaluation approach, an evaluation matrix stipulating for each evaluation question the data/methods that will be used, as well as the sampling method, data collection plan including methods and timelines, and feedback loops.

Survey tools (with the inception report)

The tools should be developed in cooperation with Fastenaktion and the Partner organization. The field data collection should be informed by the evaluation objectives, evaluation questions and criteria. The survey tools and all raw data, statistical tables and coding lists (as appropriate), as well as transcripts have to be provided to Fastenaktion and the partner organization at the end of the evaluation. Data has to be disaggregated according to location and gender (minimum requirement). The evaluation team can decide to further disaggregate data in a way that improves answering of the evaluation questions.

Draft evaluation report (not more than 30 pages) pages excluding annexes (after the field work) plus a power point presentation

The draft evaluation report is to be presented to the partner organization during a staff meeting to collect feedback. A PowerPoint presentation should be prepared for this purpose.

Final evaluation report including PowerPoint presentation

The final evaluation report shall incorporate the feedback from the partner organization and any other stakeholder. The PowerPoint presentation shall be adapted to these revisions.

SUGGESTED OUTLINE OF THE EVALUATION REPORT:

Cover page with name of the project, logos for partner organisation and donor, name and contact details of evaluator(s), including one representative photos of the project (best option: photo from the evaluation exercise).
Executive summary (maximum 5 pages). This should be a section that can be used independently from the full report and should therefore cover: background to the programme, brief overview of aims of the evaluation, brief summary of the methodology, key findings per evaluation criteria and on the achievement of indicators, best practices and lessons learnt, conclusions, recommendations, and a summary of management response
Introduction (1 page)
Description of evaluation methodology (maximum 2 pages)
Situation analysis with regards to the outcomes, outputs and partnership strategies (maximum 2 pages)
Presentation and discussion of the findings (this will be the main part of the document). This section of the report should be clearly structured to show evidence-based answers to the evaluation questions (maximum 15 pages)
Key findings, best practices and lessons learnt, and conclusions derived from the findings (maximum 5 pages)
Clear and concise recommendations derived from the findings and conclusions to provide guidance for future programming (maximum 5 pages)
Annexes: Terms of reference; Data-collection instruments, incl. information on informed consent handling; Project planning matrix / logframe; Travel and work schedule; debriefing power point presentation (final version); Sources (e.g. bibliography, people interviewed); Management response matrix; maps, photos

DISSEMINATION OF FINDINGS

After a validation and stakeholder workshop, the final report will be submitted to Fastenaktion headquarters for final review and endorsement by the Programme Development Unit. This process will declare the report to the donors and the wider public.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA

All documents and data collected will be treated as confidential and used solely to facilitate this evaluation. Interviewees and their pictures will not be quoted in the reports without their permission. It is expected that the evaluators will used consent forms as appropriate, and hand over to the project team. The deliverables as well as all material linked to the evaluation (produced by the evaluator(s) or the organization itself)is confidential and remains at all times the property of the contracting party.

TIMEFRAME AND REQUIREMENTS

The Evaluation should take 15 days preferably beginning from September 4th 2023.

DAYS

TASKS

RESPONSIBLE

4 days

Initial briefings of the Programme
Desk review of key documents
Draft inception report detailing evaluation tools
Final inception report before the start of the consultancy

Consultancy team for interview schedule and inception
Fastenaktion is responsible for sharing all relevant documents and arranging meetings with key staff and stakeholders

5 days

Field work
Data collection

Consultancy team
KIMAETI Farmers
Coordination office

6 days

Data analysis
Draft evaluation report which is circulated internally for comments
Presentation of key findings , feedback on draft evaluation, report, preparation of final report/presentation

Consultancy team
KIMAETI Farmers, Fastenaktion, coordination office

EVALUATION TEAM COMPOSITION AND COMPETENCIES

The suggested team for this assignment includes:

An agroecology or sustainable agriculture expert (essential)
MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) Expert with experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods and data analysis (essential)
A gender and inclusion expert with experience in rural livelihoods / development (essential)

The consultancy team should be mixed in gender.

INTELLLECTUAL PROPERTY

All the materials, information and reports, the output of the evaluation exercise shall be the property of Fastenaktion and the consultancy team is bound by Fastenaktion’s confidentiality requirements. All data sets and transcripts must be provided to Fastenaktion Coordination Office and Head Office in electronic copies and on a CD (2). The evaluators will not be allowed, without prior authorization in writing, to present any of the analytical results as his or her own or to make use of the evaluation results for private publication purposes.

LABOUR LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS

The evaluation team commits itself to conclude (and any one contracted by the team) must commit to execute the contract in accordance with the local labour law, respect human rights, and not to allow discrimination based on gender, lifestyles, ethnic origin, religious affiliation or political opinions. The partner organization will not tolerate sexual or other abuse. The Fastenaktion Guideline on preventing and combating the abuse of power (2020) will apply to the contract.

Apply via :

November 2, 2024
External Evaluation of the Project Empowered Communities of Mt Elgon Working Together for Nutritious Food, Savings and Resilience Implemented by SOET

The project works through solidarity groups as units of community entry and implementation. By 2022, 961 (M209, F752) members had been mobilized into 48 functional groups. In the course of implementation, the project had empowered targeted community members and had recorded several results:

Common labor was being practiced by all the 48 SGs on their fields in addition 42 SGs undertaking common labour at three community seedling nursery sites.
The 48 SGs had been trained on Bio-intensive kitchen gardening and 961 kitchen gardens had been established with diverse crop varieties. A total of 191,400 vegetable seedlings and 50kg of assorted seeds were planted.
Member of 41 SGs had been trained on food forest establishment and management. A total of 12,180 trees had been planted with 820 food forests with the seven layers having been established
Three community nurseries had been established and were functional.
11 SGs had been trained on Fastenaktion approach on saving procedures and credit management.

The solidarity groups have accompaniers referred to as ‘community animators’ while the nurseries are managed by appointed community members called ‘nursery managers’. The animators facilitate training of groups, offer close monitoring and ensure the implementation of the trained approaches. The animators also ensure that the groups are well coordinated; conduct trainings at group level and regularly conduct home visits to group members to ascertain progress of each group and each individual/member and address any emerging challenges. The community animators continuously visit the farms of their respective farmers to offer technical support and report on progress of each group on monthly basis outlining progress made and any challenges observed.

The project team constitutes of: Programme Coordinator who is also the CEO of the organization, a Project Officer, Technical Advisor – Agroecology, Project Accountant, Nursery Managers and Community Animators. They meet once monthly for reporting and planning and also exchange on challenges and lessons learnt.

PROJECT CONTEXT

The target project areas are characterised by good climatic conditions (soils & weather pattern) suitable for vegetable and fruit production, cash crop growing and livestock production. The area experiences two rain seasons with the main one running from March to July and the short rains September to October recording approximately 1400mm to 1800mm annually. Soils are well drained and characterized by shallow rocks. Despite these, the area has been impacted by effects of climate change due to deforestation and harmful farming practices that have resulted to increased soil erosion. Of late, the area has experienced recurrent hail stones which had been destroying crops.

Due to high inflation rate and difficult global economic situation, the country has experienced an increase in price of basic commodities and this has affected the well-being of the people targeted by the project as well as negatively affected the operations of the project. An increase in the cost of production means that the people can only produce less food further deepening the food crisis. The major crops grown are maize and beans mostly for home consumption but the surplus is sold. The Mt. Elgon people have been a farming community who continue trading away their produce at reduced prices to brokers and middlemen. According to Bungoma County Integrated Development Plan, poverty level in Mt. Elgon is estimated at 56 percent.

The socio-cultural aspect of the community is characterized by most men meeting in social clubs and outdoor activities while women mostly engage in domestic activities and economically productive work. They thus are like the heads of their households even though women are also subordinated in most homes and in community decision-making processes. The issue of land ownership and control of resource’s is still capitalised by men which to some extent affects production.

EVALUATION PURPOSE

The evaluation should in a very clear manner:

Assess and document the extent to which the project objectives have been achieved (outcome and impact level), clearly outlining and describing the impacts, both positive and negative (intended and unintended), realized so far per each specific objective.
Give insight into the key elements of the implementation process which explain why the reported changes occurred and shed light on how such changes were achieved or caused. We expect that an assessment of impact and understanding of key processes will support the generation of Project recommendations that could be considered for the design of future project phases.
Elaborate strengths and weaknesses of the project, and document best practices and lessons learnt. The evaluation should clearly document and highlight any programming adjustments that might be required to achieve the project desired objectives.

3.USERS OF EVALUATION

The primary users of the evaluation are:

SOET: Project team and management
Fastenaktion: Country Programme Unit, Programme Manager and Head Office Programme Development Team
Fastenaktion’s Programme Development section
Right holders especially members of solidarity groups involved in the project to best understand effective strategies for bringing about desired change.

4.SCOPE OF EVALUATION

This being an external evaluation, it is expected to comply with the international evaluation standards (OECD), provide a space for learning around best practices for supporting target communities. The evaluation will be undertaken in Elgon Ward with a sampling frame of 19 villages. Fastenaktion is seeking to identify a consultancy team, which will undertake this evaluation within the agreed terms of reference. Selection of the study sites will be agreed upon with the consultancy team. The consultancy team has to prioritize the field research questions in order to maximize on time. The evaluation process will include engagement with direct and indirect beneficiaries as well as other stakeholders.

5.EVALUATION QUESTIONS

In line with objectives of the evaluation, the evaluation will be expected to answer the following questions:

6.1 RELEVANCE

The evaluation should conduct an analysis of the appropriateness of the project design, activities, strategies and approaches in the light of the operational context, the timeliness of the response and its adaptation to the livelihoods security situations. It will involve assessing the extent to which the activities are suited to the priorities of the target groups, target households, and donors as well as the prevailing policy environment. Key questions to be addressed:

To what extent are the intended project outcomes and actual activities in line with the needs of the target group (women and men)?
Has the project adapted appropriately to relevant changing needs and context after its onset?
How are the different aspects of the project implementation relevant in attaining cross cutting themes of gender equality, Leave No One Behind (LNOB), and climate change adaptability?

6.2 EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPACT

The focus will be on the extent to which project outcomes and objectives are being achieved. Key questions to be addressed:

How has the food security and wellbeing of the target group (women and men) changed due to the interventions? What other context factors had an effect on possible changes and to what degree has the project tampered with or reinforced them? (cases of success stories can be highlighted and annexed)
What is the degree of achievement of the planned results at outcome and impact level of the project?
Are there any unintended project results (positive or negative)? eg. multiplier effects
Did the project results reflect contribution to the principle of LNOB? How and to what extent?

6.3 EFFICIENCY

The evaluation will outline the extent to which the interventions have delivered, or are likely to deliver results in an economic and timely way. Key questions to be addressed:

Are costs (including time and human resources) and benefits in an appropriate relationship?
Are there organizational and/or management issues that hinder implementation and/or effectiveness of the project?
Are there unique or practical ways in which the quality of the project can be improved in a next phase? Which are the proposed approaches and how can they be executed?

6.4 SUSTAINABILITY AND LESSONS LEARNT

Within the scope of this assignment, the evaluator(s) should assess the extent to which the project interventions took into consideration longer term needs of the target population and to what extent project results or benefits will be sustainable after project closure. Key elements to be reviewed include environmental, operational and financial sustainability of the project. Key questions to be addressed:

Which benefits are likely to sustain beyond the life time of the project?
Did the project incorporate adequate measures and strategies to ensure sustainability of results over time (regarding the partner organisation and the target group)? Which measures and strategies are these and how effective are they in influencing the sustainability prospects of the gained benefits?
Can this project be expanded in other geographic and programmatic areas in Kenya based on need?

6.6 ACCOUNTABILITY

How effective was the community feedback mechanisms that was in place and the capacity of the organization to respond to comments received? Is there any evidence that feedback has or is influencing decision making?

6.7 GENDER

Did the interventions contribute to furthering (or hindering) gender equality within the project area? If so, how and to what extent? If it did contribute to furthering gender equality, why not?

6.EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

The evaluator(s) is welcome to suggest an appropriate methodological approach to successfully deliver a quality evaluation. The evaluation methodology should be consultative and participatory, entailing a combination of desk review, key informant interviews, face to face household surveys, interviews and/or FGDs. While interviews are a key instrument, the evaluators will triangulate a range of data sources to ensure that the evaluation is sound and objective. The evaluator(s) will further elaborate on the method and approach in a manner commensurate with the assignment at hand and reflect this in the inception report, which will subsequently be approved by the programme team in consultation with key stakeholders.

A final agreement on the evaluation design and methodology will be discussed on the basis of the submitted offer and/or the inception report.

Some of the key primary data sources include:

Interviews with key staff such as the Project Coordinator, Project Officer, Project Technical Advisor, Community Animators, Nursery Managers and others as deemed necessary by the evaluation team.
Interviews with stakeholders including respective county government departments, and community leaders
Household surveys, interviews and/or FGDs with women and men of the target group, and field observation in project sites within the project locations

Secondary data will be made available and it is expected that the evaluator(s) will have a comprehensive desk review of project documents. Some of the documents include project proposal and budgets, Log frame, baseline report, annual and quarterly reports, study reports among other as shall be deemed necessary by the evaluation team.

DELIVERABLES AND REPORING DEADLINES

The following deliverables are expected to be produced by the evaluation team:

Inception report (after initial meeting with the partner organization and Fastenaktion)

The report will include a detailed plan of the evaluation process including a revised evaluation approach, an evaluation matrix stipulating for each evaluation question the data/methods that will be used, as well as the sampling method, data collection plan including methods and timelines, and feedback loops.

Survey tools (with the inception report)

The tools should be developed in cooperation with Fastenaktion and the Partner organization. The field data collection should be informed by the evaluation objectives, evaluation questions and criteria. The survey tools and all raw data, statistical tables and coding lists (as appropriate), as well as transcripts have to be provided to Fastenaktion and the partner organization at the end of the evaluation. Data has to be disaggregated according to location and gender (minimum requirement). The evaluation team can decide to further disaggregate data in a way that improves answering of the evaluation questions.

Draft evaluation report (not more than 30 pages) pages excluding annexes (after the field work) plus a power point presentation

The draft evaluation report is to be presented to the partner organization during a staff meeting to collect feedback. A PowerPoint presentation should be prepared for this purpose.

Final evaluation report including PowerPoint presentation

The final evaluation report shall incorporate the feedback from the partner organization and any other stakeholder. The PowerPoint presentation shall be adapted to these revisions.

SUGGESTED OUTLINE OF THE EVALUATION REPORT:

Cover page with name of the project, logos for partner organisation and donor, name and contact details of evaluator(s), including one representative photos of the project (best option: photo from the evaluation exercise).
Executive summary (maximum 5 pages). This should be a section that can be used independently from the full report and should therefore cover: background to the programme, brief overview of aims of the evaluation, brief summary of the methodology, key findings per evaluation criteria and on the achievement of indicators, best practices and lessons learnt, conclusions, recommendations, and a summary of management response
Introduction (1 page)
Description of evaluation methodology (maximum 2 pages)
Situation analysis with regards to the outcomes, outputs and partnership strategies (maximum 2 pages)
Presentation and discussion of the findings (this will be the main part of the document). This section of the report should be clearly structured to show evidence-based answers to the evaluation questions (maximum 15 pages)
Key findings, best practices and lessons learnt, and conclusions derived from the findings (maximum 5 pages)
Clear and concise recommendations derived from the findings and conclusions to provide guidance for future programming (maximum 5 pages)
Annexes: Terms of reference; Data-collection instruments, incl. information on informed consent handling; Project planning matrix / logframe; Travel and work schedule; debriefing power point presentation (final version); Sources (e.g. bibliography, people interviewed); Management response matrix; maps, photos

DISSEMINATION OF FINDINGS

After a validation and stakeholder workshop, the final report will be submitted to Fastenaktion headquarters for final review and endorsement by the Programme Development Unit. This process will declare the report to the donors and the wider public.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA

All documents and data collected will be treated as confidential and used solely to facilitate this evaluation. Interviewees and their pictures will not be quoted in the reports without their permission. It is expected that the evaluators will used consent forms as appropriate, and hand over to the project team. The deliverables as well as all material linked to the evaluation (produced by the evaluator(s) or the organization itself)is confidential and remains at all times the property of the contracting party.

TIMEFRAME AND REQUIREMENTS

The Evaluation should take 15 days preferably beginning from September 4th 2023.

DAYS

TASKS

RESPONSIBLE

4 days

Initial briefings of the Programme
Desk review of key documents
Draft inception report detailing evaluation tools
Final inception report before the start of the consultancy

Consultancy team for interview schedule and inception
Fastenaktion is responsible for sharing all relevant documents and arranging meetings with key staff and stakeholders

5 days

Field work
Data collection

Consultancy team
SOET
Coordination office

6 days

Data analysis
Draft evaluation report which is circulated internally for comments
Presentation of key findings , feedback on draft evaluation, report, preparation of final report/presentation

Consultancy team
SOET, Fastenaktion, coordination office

EVALUATION TEAM COMPOSITION AND COMPETENCIES

The suggested team for this assignment includes:

An agroecology or sustainable agriculture expert (essential)
MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) Expert with experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods and data analysis (essential)
A gender and inclusion expert with experience in rural livelihoods / development (essential)

The consultancy team should be mixed in gender.

INTELLLECTUAL PROPERTY

All the materials, information and reports, the output of the evaluation exercise shall be the property of Fastenaktion and the consultancy team is bound by Fastenaktion’s confidentiality requirements. All data sets and transcripts must be provided to Fastenaktion Coordination Office and Head Office in electronic copies and on a CD (2). The evaluators will not be allowed, without prior authorization in writing, to present any of the analytical results as his or her own or to make use of the evaluation results for private publication purposes.

LABOUR LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS

The evaluation team commits itself to conclude (and any one contracted by the team) must commit to execute the contract in accordance with the local labour law, respect human rights, and not to allow discrimination based on gender, lifestyles, ethnic origin, religious affiliation or political opinions. The partner organization will not tolerate sexual or other abuse. The Fastenaktion Guideline on preventing and combating the abuse of power (2020) will apply to the contract.

14.HOW TO APPLY:

Submission of Proposals

Based on the above, Fastenaktion is inviting interested parties to submit expressions of interest entailing technical and financial proposals. Individuals or firms applying shall detail the following:

Consultants’ profile and capability statement describing the technical capacity and experience of the firm or group of individuals;
Names and resume of individuals or team members proposed and their roles in the achievement of the assignment. This should also entail the proposed team structure for the evaluation;
3 professional referees (preferably previous clients) and sample reports of similar assignments taken in the recent past;
Understanding of the Terms of Reference (TORs);
Detailed evaluation design with implementation plan and timeframe; and
A detailed budget, which should be presented in Kenya Shillings and must include all taxes and other anticipated expenses,
Quality Control and Quality Assessment for the Evaluation

All field visits costs including transport in the field, meals and accommodation during field work will be catered by the contracting agent.

Interested candidates should submit their application to the following email address: info@act4change.co.ke with “EXTERNAL EVALUATION, SOET 2023” as the subject of the e-mail. Deadline for submission is August 18th 2023
Kindly don’t forget to submit samples of your previous work (reference calls shall be made to validate your work)

Apply via :

info@act4change.co.ke

November 2, 2024
Trainer in Music Production Office Administrator Trainer in TV and Film Production Trainer in Tailoring, Dressmaking and Machine Knitting Trainer in ICT Trainer in Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy

Duties and responsibilities:

Teach and facilitate learning at diploma, certificate and artisan levels through lecturers, seminars, projects, tutorials and other learning situations as assigned by the HOD from time to time.
Participate in the development, administration, and marking of exams, assignments, projects and continuous assessment tests.
Assist in the development of learning materials, preparing schemes of work and maintaining records to monitor student progress, achievement and attendance.
Provide advice, guidance and feedback to students to support their academic progress and refer students to support services as appropriate.
Participate in supervision and assisting of diploma, certificate and artisan students in their projects.
Contribute to departmental, academic and/or college working groups or committees as needed.
Undertake continuous professional development and participate in staff development and training activities to update and enhance skills.
Maintain proper records of students’ examinations, assignments, projects and continuous assessments tests and ensure marks are submitted to the academic dean in time.
Attend departmental, academic and college staff meetings.

Qualifications, skills and competences

Have proven experience in the following areas:

Acoustics Fundamentals
History of Music & Music Technology
Intro to Live Sound and Live Sound Setup
Critical Listening
Basics of Music Production
Songwriting and composition
Arranging
Artist Development – Performance
Composing for Media and Games
Music Business
Advanced Acoustics – Studio
Digital Audio Editing
Intro and Advanced Mixing
Mastering
Advanced Music Production
Music Synthesis
DJing & Half Life
Live Sound Concert
Multitrack Recording for Studio & Live
Digital Audio Environment
At least 2 years’ teaching experience at college level Experience with TVET CDACC curriculum will be an added advantage.
Competent in the use of computer packages.
Able to communicate clearly; written and spoken.
Team player, proactive, adaptable and a problem solver.
Good time management, organizational and record keeping skills

go to method of application »

The Principal,Talanta InstituteP.0. Box 76961-00620,Nairobi, KenyaUse the title of the position as the subject of the email. Kindly note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted

Apply via :

careers@talanta.ac.ke

November 2, 2024
College Principal

Job Description

The college principal will be responsible for the leadership and administration of the school.

Duties and responsibilities:

Provide leadership and direction to the school, employees and students
Institute, implement and enforce academic policies and curricula
Promote compliance with school policies and values by all stakeholders
Oversee the preparation and delivery of time-tables, lesson plans, lectures and connected activities
Spearhead the recruitment and admission of students
Responsible for students’ disciplinary matters
Supervise the process of internal & external examinations and registration
Supervise staff and ensure adherence to teaching standards, policies and work ethics
Maintain an atmosphere of trust and engagement among students and staff
Develop and track benchmarks/KPIs for measuring institutional success
Create and implement programs within the school to meet the needs and interests of the students
Act as a liaison between student departments, staff and the BOD
Develop, implement and review procedures, policies, processes and goals
Manage stakeholder relationships and regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders
Responsible for the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the tutorial school
Any other duties that may arise consistently with the role.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in business/hospitality/beauty/fashion or related course
At least 5 years of working experience with at least two years of working experience as a school head or principal
Leadership and problem-solving skills
Pedagogy course certification will be an added advantage
Demonstrates strong passion, and good knowledge and understanding of the higher education environment.
Great team management skills, a firm and assertive implementer.

The Managing Director,Talanta InstituteP.O. Box 76961-00620,Nairobi, KenyaUse College Principal as the subject of the email. Kindly note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Apply via :

careers@talanta.ac.ke

November 2, 2024
Digital Marketing Executive

We are a media training college, focusing on whole youth development with an aim to produce market-relevant graduates through an emphasis on mentorship and practical training, entrepreneurship, the workplace, and life skills.

Job Description

If you live and breathe digital marketing, we want to talk to you.

The candidate will develop, implement, and manage marketing campaigns promoting the organization’s products and services. The candidate will majorly enhance brand awareness, drive web and social media traffic, and acquire leads and customers.

Duties and responsibilities:

Engage and manage marketing events virtually, which consist of media relations, advertising and promotion, social media platforms, and public event management.
Create, develop, and expand dynamic content on social media platforms, e.g., LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Organize, develop, and implement effective marketing communication campaigns.
Coordinate, design, and manage graphical content for all platforms, including websites and social media.
Coordinate the production of videos, photography, animated graphics, and other electronic multimedia.
Actively participate in team brainstorming and concept development sessions.
Complete projects by coordinating with the marketing, academic, and production teams.
Identify the target market, create a brand image, and maintain marketing campaigns for our student intakes.
Increase brand awareness and promote company products and services to increase student numbers.

Qualifications, skills, and competences

Bachelor’s degree or diploma in marketing, business, communication, or a related field
A course in digital marketing is an added advantage.
Proven 1+ years’ experience of related work.
Middle-level Adobe Creative Suite Skills (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator)
Knowledge in key areas of marketing (SEO, social media, content marketing, email marketing, PPC, and SEM)
A good working knowledge of online campaign management.
Excellent Microsoft Office Skills (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel).
Ability to learn and work with other emerging internet technologies.
Focused on providing excellent customer-oriented solutions and feedback.
Knowledge of social media scheduling tools.
Possess very strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
Team player, proactive, adaptable, and a problem solver.
Good time management, organizational, and record-keeping skills

Each application shall be accompanied by a detailed Curriculum Vitae, copies of relevant academic and professional certificates, testimonials, and other relevant supporting documents.Electronic scanned copies in PDF format (as one running document) are to be sent to the following e-mail: info@talanta.ac.ke Applications must be submitted on or before Friday, August 4, 2023, and be addressed to:
Principal,
Talanta Institute
P.O. Box 76961-00620,
Nairobi, Kenya

Use the title of the position as the subject of the email.

Apply via :

info@talanta.ac.ke

November 2, 2024