County Government of Machakos

Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) seeks to recruit competent and highly motivated consultant(s)  to support the County Government of Machakos to review, strengthen, validate, and finalize the existing Zero Draft Agroecology Policy and develop.

About Biovision Africa Trust

Established in 2009 and headquartered at the icipe campus in Nairobi, Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) is a Pan-African not-for-profit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty and enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. We serve as a leading catalyst for the agroecological transformation of African agri-food systems by bridging the gap between scientific research and practical, farmer-led solutions through robust knowledge dissemination and capacity building. Our continental impact is driven through the Farmer Communication Programme in East Africa, the AU’s Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative, and the Knowledge Centre for Organic Agriculture (KCOA) hubs across all five regions of Africa. Guided by our 2025–2028 Strategic Plan, “Transforming Livelihoods Sustainably in Africa,” we focus on six core priorities: strengthening climate resilience, advancing applied research and communication, fostering dynamic market systems, influencing policy reforms, ensuring institutional stability, and deepening strategic partnerships. Ultimately, we are committed to realizing a food-secure Africa where healthy people and thriving environments coexist sustainably.

Background

Recognizing the importance of agroecology in addressing agricultural and environmental challenges, the County Government of Machakos initiated the development of a County Agroecology Policy and has already prepared a Zero Draft Policy through internal technical processes and preliminary stakeholder engagement. The Zero Draft provides the foundation upon which the County intends to build a comprehensive policy framework that will guide agroecological transition and sustainable food systems development within the county.

To strengthen the draft policy, incorporate broader stakeholder perspectives, align it with national and county development priorities, and develop an implementation framework, the County Government of Machakos seeks to engage a qualified consultant or consulting firm.

Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) is providing financial support for the consultancy process as part of its commitment to promoting sustainable food systems and agroecological transitions in Kenya. However, the policy development process shall remain fully led and owned by the County Government of Machakos. The County Government shall provide overall policy direction, coordinate stakeholder participation, approve all deliverables, and retain ownership of all outputs produced under this assignment.

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the County Government of Machakos to review, strengthen, validate, and finalize the existing Zero Draft Agroecology Policy and develop a costed implementation framework and monitoring system to support policy implementation.

The consultant shall facilitate a participatory and evidence-based process that enhances the quality, coherence, practicality, and stakeholder ownership of the policy while ensuring alignment with relevant county, national, regional, and international frameworks.

Overall Objective

To support the County Government of Machakos in reviewing, validating, refining, and finalizing the Machakos County Agroecology Policy and developing an accompanying implementation and monitoring framework to guide the promotion of sustainable and resilient food systems within the county.

Specific Objectives

The consultant shall:

1. Review the existing Zero Draft Agroecology Policy and assess its technical, policy, legal, and institutional adequacy.
2. Conduct a gap analysis to identify areas requiring strengthening, updating, or further evidence.
3. Review relevant county, national, regional, and international policy and legal frameworks related to agroecology, food systems, agriculture, climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable development.
4. Conduct stakeholder consultations to obtain feedback on the Zero Draft and build consensus on priority policy interventions.
5. Revise and enrich the existing draft policy based on evidence and stakeholder inputs.
6. Develop a costed implementation framework and action plan.
7. Develop a monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning framework.
8. Facilitate stakeholder validation of the revised policy and implementation framework.
9. Produce a final Agroecology Policy for consideration and adoption by the County Government of Machakos.

Scope of Work

The consultant shall undertake the following tasks:

Task 1: Inception and Review of the Zero Draft Policy

The consultant shall: Hold inception meetings with the County Government of Machakos and Partners (Biovision Africa Trust); Review the Zero Draft Agroecology Policy; Assess the content, structure, policy coherence, relevance, and completeness of the draft; Review available studies, reports, datasets, and consultation outcomes relevant to agroecology in Machakos County; Develop an inception report outlining the methodology, work plan, stakeholder engagement approach, and timelines.

Task 2: Situational Analysis and Evidence Enhancement

The consultant shall: Review existing literature, policies, strategies, and sector reports relevant to agroecology in Machakos County; Assess the extent to which the Zero Draft adequately reflects the county context; Identify emerging issues and evidence gaps requiring further attention; Strengthen the policy rationale through updated evidence and analysis.

Task 3: Policy, Legal and Institutional Review

The consultant shall review relevant frameworks including: National Frameworks; County Frameworks; Regional and International Frameworks

Task 4: Stakeholder Consultations

The consultant shall facilitate participatory stakeholder consultations to collect views, strengthen policy content, and build ownership of the policy.

Stakeholders shall include: County Government; Producer and Community Groups; Research and Academia; Civil Society and Development Partners; Private Sector

Task 5: Revision and Strengthening of the Draft Policy

The consultant shall revise the Zero Draft Agroecology Policy and incorporate stakeholder and technical inputs.

The revised policy may include: Introduction; Situational Analysis; Vision, Mission, Goal and Objectives; Guiding Principles; Policy Interventions and Strategic Priorities; Institutional and Coordination Framework; Resource Mobilization and Financing; Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Accountability

Task 6: Development of a Costed Implementation Framework and Action Plan

The consultant shall develop a detailed implementation framework that includes: Strategic objectives; Outcomes and outputs; Key interventions; Performance indicators; Targets; Responsible institutions; Timelines; Budget estimates; Resource mobilization strategy.

Task 7: Development of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Framework

The consultant shall develop a framework that provides: Indicators and targets; Reporting mechanisms; Evaluation approaches; Learning systems; Accountability structures; Data collection and reporting responsibilities.

Task 8: Validation of the Policy and Implementation Framework

The consultant shall: Organize and facilitate county stakeholder validation workshops; Present the revised policy and implementation framework; Collect and document stakeholder feedback; Incorporate agreed comments and recommendations.

Expected Deliverables

The consultant shall submit the following:

• Inception Report and Policy Gap Analysis Report;
• Situational Analysis and Evidence Enhancement Report;
• Policy, Legal and Institutional Review Brief;
• Stakeholder Consultation Report;
• Revised Draft Machakos County Agroecology Policy;
• Draft Costed Implementation Framework and Action Plan;
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Framework;
• Validation Workshop Report; Final Machakos County Agroecology Policy;
• Final Costed Implementation Framework and Action Plan;
• Final Consultancy Report.

Duration of the Assignment

The consultancy shall be conducted over a period of 65 calendar days from the date of contract signing.

Reporting Arrangements

The consultant shall report to the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Machakos County, or a designated representative. All technical deliverables shall be reviewed and approved by the County Government of Machakos.

Institutional Arrangements and Roles

The County Government shall: Lead the policy development process; Provide strategic and technical direction; Convene stakeholder consultations and validation forums; Review and approve all outputs; Lead policy adoption and implementation processes; Retain ownership of all outputs.

BvAT shall:

• Provide financial support for the consultancy;
• Provide technical and advisory support where necessary;
• Participate in technical review meetings. Please note that BvAT shall not approve policy content or make policy decisions on behalf of the County Government.

The consultant shall:

• Provide technical expertise;
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement;
• Revise and strengthen the existing Zero Draft Policy;
• Develop implementation and monitoring frameworks;
• Deliver quality outputs within agreed timelines.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Academic Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Agroecology, Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, Public Policy, Development Studies, or a related field.

Professional Experience

• At least ten (10) years of professional experience in policy development.
• Demonstrated experience in agriculture, food systems, agroecology, climate resilience, or sustainable development.
• Proven experience in developing county government policies, strategies, or legislation in Kenya.
• Strong understanding of Kenya’s devolved governance framework.
• Experience facilitating multi-stakeholder policy processes.
• Excellent analytical, facilitation, and report-writing skills.

Proposal Submission Requirements

Technical Proposal: Understanding of the assignment; Proposed methodology and work plan; Team composition and roles; Relevant experience and references; Detailed implementation schedule.

Financial Proposal: Professional fees; Travel and logistics costs; Workshop facilitation costs; Detailed budget breakdown.

If you are interested in the above consultancy and can demonstrate your ability to meet the

qualifications required, submit your expression of interest with the above mentioned documents to procurement@biovisionafrica.org with the subject heading: “Consultancy for review of the Machakos County Agroecology Policy”.

The closing date for applications is 22^nd October 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

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Biovision Africa Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer.