Solidaridad Network is an international solution-oriented civil society organization working through eight regional expertise centers to transform markets to make them more sustainable and inclusive. Our eight regional expertise centers include Asia, Eastern and Central Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Southern Africa, South America, West Africa, and our global Secretariat in the Netherlands. Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa, one of the regional centers, is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with country offices and programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda. We bring together supply chain players and engage them with innovative solutions to improve production, ensuring the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy that maximizes the benefit for all. We facilitate strengthening of local capacity in developing countries, support the creation of enabling environments for economies to thrive, and improve market access.
Creating Shared Value in Maize Value Chain in Kenya (‘CSV Maize’) project is a four-year food security and climate resilience project that aims to improve the livelihoods and resilience of 3,000 smallholder maize farmers (50% youth and women) by driving innovation towards sustainable maize production systems in Bungoma County, Kenya. The project is funded by the Louis Dreyfus Foundation (LDF) and implemented by Solidaridad Eastern & Central Africa in partnership with the Cereals Growers Association (CGA) and the County Government of Bungoma.
The project goal is to improve the livelihoods (food security and income) and resilience of 3,000 smallholder maize farmers by innovating the maize business case and production systems through improved production, productivity, quality, and collective marketing practices. Project interventions are based on a theory of change combined with business cases that are built around smallholder farmers and producer organizations to sustainably increase maize productivity, build resilience to changing climate, and improve gender and social inclusion in the value chain.
The consortium comprises the following organizations:
Similar to many African countries, Kenya is mainly an agricultural country, with maize providing a basic diet to millions of people in the country. Maize remains to be the most important cereal crop in sub-Saharan Africa because it is a staple food to an estimated 50% of the total population of Sub-Saharan Africa. In Bungoma County, maize is the staple food; hence, most of it is produced mainly for local consumption. Smallholder maize farmers depend on rain-fed maize farming. Currently, the total area under food crops in Bungoma County is 201,654.6 Ha, of which 110,912 Ha (55%) is under maize cultivation.
Efforts to increase household incomes through intensive and sustainable maize production in the county are hindered by multiple challenges, including low productivity due to poor agronomic practices, degraded soils from agrochemical overuse, high post-harvest losses, poor waste management, and severe pest and disease pressures. Soil degradation is further driven by continuous cultivation, limited knowledge on fertility management, climate change, and high input costs. These issues are compounded by inefficient marketing systems and a fragmented value chain, leaving rural households vulnerable to food insecurity.
The CSV-Maize Project aims to promote sustainable maize production in Bungoma County by addressing systemic challenges in the maize production ecosystem. The project focuses on enhancing market access for smallholder farmers through efficient aggregation, building resilience to climate variability, and reducing gender and social disparities across the maize value chain. The overall objective of the ‘CSV Maize’ project is to promote sustainable production of maize while building resilience to climate risks and addressing the barriers to youth and women’s inclusion in the maize sector in Kenya.
OUTCOME AREA 1
Yield trajectory (Changes in the Volume of maize available for both home use and sale over the years in targeted households )
Key indicators ( not limited to)
Maize production using economically and environmentally viable methods
Key indicators ( not limited to)
% of maize sold that meet premium standards
OUTCOME AREA 2
Increase access to market for smallholder maize farmers in Bungoma through efficient aggregation at the farmer-led centers.
Effective transition from farm gate sales to formal markets
Key indicators ( not limited to)
2.Functionality and efficiency of the Farmer-led centres
Key indicators ( not limited to)
Comparisons;
% change in production marketed through aggregation centers versus sold individually/ middlemen
% change in handling and processing of maize to improve grading
Changes in Percentage reduction in grain damage or rot during storage at the center compared to traditional farm-level storage.
OUTCOME AREA 3
Increase the ability of smallholder maize farmers to manage climate variability effects in the long term. measuring
Measure of the farmer to withstand climate shifts) – This will be largely covered by the CVA study but for triangulation it may be important to capture indicators of
Key indicators ( not limited to)
Measure long term resilience of the farm infrastructure
Key indicators (not limited to)
OUTCOME 4
Reduced gender disparities due to strengthened gender-responsive mechanisms in the maize value chain.
This outcome will be assessed by measuring changes in women’s participation and decision-making across the maize value chain, including control over productive resources (e.g., land, inputs, income) and leadership roles within producer organizations and aggregation centres. The endline will also track women’s access to and utilization of extension services, financial services (e.g., VSLAs), and market opportunities, as well as shifts in intra-household decision-making and gender norms compared to baseline values.
Key indicators ( not limited to)
% reduced burden with introduction of climate smart technologies/ approaches/ gender responsive labor tools
OVERALL PROJECT PERFORMANCE
The evaluation will adopt a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative techniques.
Key Components
The composition of the survey team will be determined by the selected consultant or organization, based on their internal systems, logic, and proposed approach. However, Solidaridad recommends the inclusion of the following key roles:
The Team Leader will work in close collaboration with Solidaridad’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer and the Project Team, with ongoing consultation at every step of the process. The TL will also ensure proper oversight and quality assurance throughout the fieldwork.
The survey will be conducted across selected wards in Bungoma County, Kenya, specifically:
The consultant team will be primarily responsible for the following tasks:
Aligned to project Key Performance Indicators, the endline evaluation will assess the following:
Outcome Indicators
Yield (t/ha) – disaggregated by:
Household income changes (%)
Volume marketed (MT)
% of farmers accessing markets
Percentage adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices
Number of functional producer groups
Gender and Social Inclusion
Market Systems & Sustainability
Value for Money / Return on Investment (NEW)
The selected consultant will be expected to prepare and submit the following:
The successful consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and will receive technical support from the Project Officer and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Officer. The Project Officer will facilitate the process by providing relevant information and making the necessary linkages to project beneficiaries and stakeholders at the sub-county and community levels.
Consultancy firms or companies with verifiable research experience are invited to express their interest, provided they meet the following requirements:
The overall time frame of the survey will be 60 days (including Saturdays), which will include inception meetings, finalizing the survey methodology, training of enumerators, data collection, data analysis, report writing, and presenting findings of the survey.
Number of activities and deadline
Interested parties should submit a Technical and Financial proposal (Budget proposals should include logistics costs (transport, communications, meals, and accommodation) – 8th May 2026, 5:00 pm (EAT)
Decision on the selected consultant – only selected candidates will be contacted. – 29th May 2026
Signing of Contract – 5th June 2026
Inception report and meeting (in-person) – 5th June 2026
Field Work – 15th June 2026
Draft report submitted – 30th July 2026
Validation meeting and final report (in-person) – 5th August 2026
Presentation of the findings to the stakeholder – 30th September 2026
Proposal Submission:
Interested consultancy firms or individuals must submit an EOI of not more than 15 pages and include the following:
Interested parties can submit their proposals digitally by 8th May 2026 at 5:00 (EAT) to procurement.eca@solidaridadnetwork.orgwhile addressed to:
Attn: Managing Director
Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa Expertise Centre
Europa Towers, 5th Floor, Lantana Road, Westlands
P.O. Box 42234 – 00100 GPO
Nairobi
The subject of the e-mail should read Endline Evaluation and Production Assessment for the CSV-Maize Project.
Note: Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification and only successful candidates will be contacted.
Tagged as: Agriculture, Food Security and Livelihoods
Source ⇲
ReliefWeb - Jobs
Job no: 592595 Contract type: Consultant Duty Station: Cotonou Level: Consultancy Location: Benin Categories: Education UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s...
Apply For This JobJob no: 592693 Contract type: Consultant Duty Station: Vientiane Level: Consultancy Location: Lao People’s Democratic Republic Categories: Health UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories...
Apply For This JobInternational Consultant to Strengthen Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, including the Children and Armed Conflict agenda Job no: 592682 Contract...
Apply For This JobUNICEF Nigeria in Abuja, is seeking a passionate and committed person to work in the role of a national legal...
Apply For This JobUNICEF is looking for an International Consultant to develop specialized programme for justice professionals dealing with children in criminal proceedings....
Apply For This JobOrganization: Reporters sans Frontières Closing date: 1 Jun 2026 1/ General information 1.1/ Introduction and context Since 2022, journalists covering...
Apply For This Job
In order to provide an optimal experience, we use technologies such as cookies to store and/or access information on your device. This allows us to analyze navigation, personalize content, and improve the functionality of the site. Refusal or withdrawal of consent may limit certain features or affect the performance of the site.