RTI International
Position Title: County Horticulture Sector Analysts – Short Term Contract
RTI International is an independent organization dedicated to conducting innovative, multidisciplinary research that improves the human condition.
With a worldwide staff of more than 4,000 people, RTI offers innovative research and development and a full spectrum of multidisciplinary services. Universities in North Carolina founded RTI in 1958 as a centerpiece of the Research Triangle Park.
The USAID Feed the Future Kenya Crops and Dairy Market Systems (KCDMS) Activity is a five-year project
implemented by RTI International.
The Activity is working in 12 counties that include Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Kisumu, Siaya, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga, Kitui, Makueni and Taita Taveta.
KCDMS’s goal is to transform agricultural market systems to enable intensification and diversification into higher-value commodities and non-farm activities.
The Activity is doing this by facilitating improved productivity as well as the development of competitive, resilient, and sustainable market systems in the dairy, feed/fodder, and horticulture value chains in partnership with private sector market actors, who include dairy and horticulture input suppliers, aggregators, processors, and exporters among others.
One of the leading value chains supported by the KCDMS activity is the avocado sector which has emerged as a major export crop for Kenya as well as local manufacturing opportunity for the country.
The KCDMS has been actively engaged in supporting activities facilitating access to clean planting material, good agronomic practices, market and technology linkages among other interventions.
Kenya leads Africa’s avocado exports, producing about 320,000 tons of avocado yearly and earning more than US$100 million in 2019, with 18 percent annual growth.
The Horticulture Crops Directorate (HCD) has established that there is immense potential for avocado production in Western and Lake Victoria basin counties that fall within KCDSMS’ sphere of influence.
In this regard, KCDMS is commissioning a rapid assessment to document the status of avocado production and marketing status in the Lake Basin Economic Block Counties (LREB).
These include Trans-Nzoia, Uasin-Gishu, Nandi, Kericho, Bomet, Nyamira, Kisii, Homa-Bay, Migori, Kisumu, Siaya, Vihiga, Busia, Bungoma and Kakamega.
We seek to recruit short-term County Horticulture Sector Analysts to be based in the Western Kenya counties.
The study will take a maximum of 5 days.
Essential Duties:
1. Desktop review of relevant reports and documents from KCDMS, county governments, private sector
actors and other development agencies on the following:
- Confirmation if the county has identified avocado as a priority crop
- The last three years’ county budget allocated the sector
- Details on active county avocado projects undertaken over the last 5 years.
- Details on active private sector-led avocado projects undertaken over the last 5 years.
- Details on active development agency avocado projects undertaken over the last 5 years.
- Avocado seedling production looking into the number of certified nurseries and volumes of seedlings sold/distribute.
- Estimated number of farmers active in the sector.
- Acreage under avocado production
- The number of mature trees (where data is available).
- Identify leading local and national level buyers (including exporters) active in the county.
- List any challenges affecting avocado production and marketing in the county
2. Report writing and presentation
Qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s degrees in agriculture or any relevant field with a good understanding of the
horticulture crops production and marketing space. - Ability to administer questionnaires, collate, synthesize and interpreted field data
- Knowledge of MS Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel
Essential Competencies/Behaviors:
- Critical Thinking: Obtains information, identifies key issues and relationships, and breaks down problems into simple tasks or activities.
- Integrity/Trust: Demonstrates honesty, is widely trusted, keeps commitments, treats people with dignity and respect, admits mistakes; doesn’t misrepresent him/herself for personal gain.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness/Teamwork: Ability to develop positive working relationships and work
effectively with others. - Initiative/Results Oriented: Takes action to achieve goals beyond what is required, is pro-active, and is a self-starter.
- Motivational Fit: Is motivated to work, would fit in well with organization.
- Technical/Professional Knowledge: Performs complex tasks in area of expertise.
Disclaimer: The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.
Interested candidates should visit this link http://m.rfer.us/RTIeCwDkx and apply by May 31, 2022.
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis
RTI does not permit any payment requests demanded during any part of the hiring process. If such requests are made, please report it to the RTI Ethics Office via HRethics@rti.org. Any candidate making any payment will be disqualified from consideration for future employment with RTI.