CONSULTANT – Review and Strengthening of TVET
Curricula in Agriculture and Related Fields 

The Organization

The Alliance of
Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
(CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity
and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. The Alliance
solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change,
biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation (https://alliancebioversityciat.org/ )

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
(IITA)

The
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit
institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most
pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource
degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we
improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment,
and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global
agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.

About the position

The
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector in Kenya is
undergoing significant transformation. The Ministry of Education has reaffirmed
its commitment to strengthen TVET institutions to support the ongoing
transition to the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) . In 2023, the Ministry
launched Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) to align TVET curricula
with labour market demands. The CBET modular curriculum is now fully rolled out
in all public TVET institutions from May 2025. Assessment has moved from
exam-based grading to competency-based evaluation.

TVET
CDACC, established under the TVET Act No. 29 of 2013, is mandated to undertake
the design and development of competency-based curricula, examinations,
assessment and competence certification in TVET. The Council works closely with
all TVET stakeholders, including industry representatives through Sector Skills
Advisory Committees (SSACs).

IITA/CGIAR
seeks to contribute to strengthening TVET curricula in General Agriculture,
Crop and Livestock Production, Food and Nutrition Science, Food Processing,
Food and Agri-Industry Laboratory Technicians, Environmental Studies, Water
Management, and Climate Change.

The Consultant
will  conduct a comprehensive review of
existing TVET curricula in agriculture and related fields, identify strengths,
gaps, and emerging opportunities, and provide actionable recommendations for
curriculum enhancement aligned with Kenya’s CBET framework and industry
demands.

·       Review existing curricula in the areas of
interest to identify strengths and gaps in content and proposed modes of
delivery.

·       Identify outdated information that requires
updating and possible missing content.

·       Elaborate how curriculum review feeds into
examination and skills assessment under TVET and KNEC.

·       Assess requirements for upskilling of
trainers and propose cost-effective approaches.

·       Identify what needs to be done to align
curricula to CBET requirements.

·       Define how IITA and other CGIAR
institutions can be part of this process.

·       Identify the TVET governance structure
essential for this process, naming primary government institutions/agencies,
contact persons/emails, private TVET institutions to co-opt, and required
industry linkages.

SCOPE OF WORK, KEY TASKS,
METHODOLOGY  AND DELIVERABLES

Geographic Scope

     A pilot phase targeting selected regions
and TVET institutions offering programmes in:

·       General Agriculture

·       Crop and Livestock Production

·       Food and Nutrition Science

·       Food Processing

·       Food and Agri-Industry Laboratory
Technicians

·       Environmental Studies

·       Water Management

·       Climate Change

 Institutional Scope

The consultancy will engage:

·       TVET CDACC – curriculum development,
assessment, and certification

·       TVET Authority (TVETA) – regulation,
quality assurance, registration and licensing of institutions, programmes and
trainers

·       Kenya National Qualifications Authority
(KNQA) – Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF)

·       Kenya School of TVET (KSTVET) – training
and CPD of TVET practitioners

·       Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC)
– assessment coordination

·       National Polytechnics – 24 institutions
offering training up to Higher National Diploma level

·       Selected Public and Private TVET
institutions – a mínimum of 40 public and 10 privates

·       Industry stakeholders – through SSACs and
employer associations

KEY TASKS AND METHODOLOGY – Technical Proposal

Task 1: Curriculum
Review and Gap Analysis

Deliverable: Comprehensive curriculum review report

Activities:

–          Review
existing CBET curricula in the identified subject areas.

–          Assess
content relevance, and alignment with industry needs.

–          Identify
outdated information requiring updating.

–          Identify
missing content and emerging areas (e.g., climate-smart agriculture, food
safety, water management).

–          Evaluate
proposed modes of delivery for effectiveness and feasibility.

–          Conduct
stakeholder consultations with trainers, industry players, and TVET CDACC
officials.

 Task 2: Mapping of Government Curriculum
Review and Updating Process

Deliverable: Process map document

Activities:

• Document
  the step-by-step curriculum development and review process as per TVET CDACC
  guidelines.
  
• Identify
  timelines for each step (approximately 30 working days if guidelines are
  followed, though period depends on the institution/organization and SSAC
  responsible).
  
• Identify
  approval authorities and documentation requirements.
  

 Task 3: Examination and Assessment Linkages

Deliverable: Assessment alignment report

Activities:

• Map
  how curriculum content feeds into TVET CDACC competence assessment.
  
• Elaborate
  on the role of KNEC in examination coordination.
  
• Document
  the modular CBET assessment approach.
  
• Describe
  the competency-based evaluation framework using qualitative descriptors.
  
• Identify
  the role of National Polytechnics as Qualification Awarding Bodies (QABs) .
  
• Document
  accreditation requirements for assessors and verifiers (three months processing
  time) and assessment centers (one month processing time, Kshs 50,000 initial
  approval).
  

 Task 4: Trainer Upskilling Assessment

Deliverable: Trainer development recommendations

Activities:

• Review
  of the National Policy on Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for TVET
  Trainers.
  
• Identify
  CPD requirements and frameworks.
  
• Assess
  trainer qualification requirements: trainers are required to hold Masters/KNQF
  level 9 in the technical/vocational domain and/or have a minimum of 4 years’
  experience as a trainer, plus an approved Training of Trainers (ToT)
  qualification.
  

o   Blended
learning models

o   Industry
partnerships for practical training.

o   CPD
framework implementation through Kenya School of TVET (KSTVET) .

o   Trainer
licensing requirements. (What will be required for IITA/CGIAR experts to play
this knowledge transfer role to Trainers)

 Task 5: CBET Alignment Assessment

Deliverable: CBET alignment recommendations

Activities:

• Assess
  current curricula against CBET principles (industry-led, outcomes-based,
  emphasis on acquisition and demonstration of competencies).
  
• Evaluate
  integration with the broader CBC framework.
  
• Identify
  gaps in modularization.
  
• Propose
  revisions to ensure demand-driven curricula in the light of focus areas.
  

 Task 6: IITA/CGIAR Role Definition

Deliverable: Partnership framework document

Activities:

– Identify specific
areas where IITA/CGIAR technical expertise can add value

• Agricultural research – crop improvement, biotechnology
  
• Food safety – aflatoxin  and other Food
  contaminate
  
• Climate-smart agriculture
  
• Environmental sustainability
  
• Soil & Water management
  
• Propose mechanisms for IITA/CGIAR
  participation in SSACs
  
• Define IITA/CGIAR’s role in curriculum
  development, trainer training, and industry linkage.
  

 Task 7: Governance Structure Mapping

Deliverable: Stakeholder mapping document

Activities:

– Identify and map
the TVET governance structure

– Primary Government
Institutions/Agencies and their mandate

– National Polytechnics

– Private TVET Institutions

– Industry Linkages i.e. existing Sector
Skills Advisory Committees (SSACs) that represent industry in curriculum
development and gaps

DELIVERABLES

• Inception Report – To include a detailed
  work plan, methodology, data collection tools, and stakeholder list 
  
• Curriculum Review Report – A comprehensive
  review of existing curricula with identified strengths, gaps, outdated content,
  and missing information
  
• Process Map Document – A step-by-step
  mapping of Kenya Government curriculum review and updating process with
  responsible parties, approvals, stakeholders, and timelines
  
• Assessment Alignment Report – A report
  showing how curriculum review feeds into TVET CDACC/KNEC examination and skills
  assessment
  
• Trainer Development Recommendations – A
  report on cost-effective approaches for trainer upskilling in focus areas,
  aligned with CPD framework
  
• CBET Alignment Recommendations – Actions
  required to align curricula to CBET requirements
  
• Stakeholder Mapping Document – TVET
  governance structure, primary institutions/agencies, contact persons/emails,
  private TVET institutions to co-opt, industry partners required for focus areas
  
• Partnership Framework – How IITA/CGIAR can
  be part of the process
  
• Organize Validation Workshop with support
  from IITA
  
• Validation workshop Report – Minutes and
  outcomes of validation workshop
  
•  Final Comprehensive Report – All
  deliverables above consolidated with executive summary and recommendations
  
  

Financial Proposal
– Submit
Financial proposal broken down by deliverable as follows

• Consultant Fees i.e. professional fees
  
• Mobilization and Sensitization i.e.
  Stakeholder engagement, meetings, workshop
  
• Survey Administration i.e. Data collection,
  field visits, interviews
  
• Data Analysis – Analysis, synthesis, and
  interpretation
  
• Report Preparation – Drafting, editing,
  design, and printING
  
• Validation Workshop – Venue, Invitations
  & Confirmations, Participant refunds
  
• Administrative Costs – Communication,
  logistics, contingencies

Requirements

Benefits

Terms of employment

This
position is a consutancy position based in Nairobii, Kenya. The initial contract will be for Six
(6) weeks from 7^th September 2026  to 23^rd October 2026.

The
Alliance Bioversity-CIAT is committed to fair, safe, and inclusive workplaces.
We believe that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence,
and is critical for our mission. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an
inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority. We
encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes,
national or regional origins, ages, disability statuses, sexual orientations,
marital status, and gender identities.

Applications

Applicants
are invited to visit https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers to get full
details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST
include reference number REF: CONSULTANT – DATA ANALYST (NRS) as
the position applied for. Additionaly the Applicant must include:

·       Technical proposal detailing methodology
based on expected deliverables and work plan.

·       Financial proposal with detailed budget
breakdown by deliverable.

·       CVs of key personnel.

·       Contact details of three referees.

The
Alliance collects and process personal data in accordance with applicable data
protection laws.

Applications closing date: 6^th September 2026

Please note
that email applications will not be considered.