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

Nairobi, Kenya | Posted on 09/01/2026

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Job Information

• Date Opened 09/01/2026
• Job Type Full time
• Work Experience 0-1 year
• Target Date 09/06/2026
• Industry Research
• Duty Post Nairobi
• Salary N/A
• City Nairobi
• State/Province Nairobi City
• Country Kenya
• Zip/Postal Code 00100

Job Description

The Alliance of Bioversity
International and CIAT on behalf of IITARecruiting:

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/ )

With novel
partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to
transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive
prosperity, and nourish people.

The Alliance a
member of the CGIAR Consortium (www.cgiar.org) a
global research partnership for a food-secure future.

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.

Objective And Purpose

• The Consultant willconduct 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

Specific Objective s

• 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.

• Map the Kenya Government curriculum review and updating process step-by-step, showing responsible parties, approvals required, stakeholders to be involved, and timelines.

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,
METHODOLOGYAND 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 practitioner

• 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.

Propose
cost-effective approaches for upskilling trainers, including:

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 – aflatoxinand 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

QUALIFICATIONS AND
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

The
consultant/consulting team should possess:

• Advanced
  degree (master’s or PhD) in Agricultural Education, Curriculum Development,
  TVET, or related field

• Minimum
  10 years of experience in curriculum development and review in TVET sector.

• In-depth
  knowledge of Kenya's TVET system, CBET framework, and TVET CDACC processes.

• Proven
  experience in working with government institutions (TVET CDACC, TVETA, KNQA,
  KNEC).

• Strong
  understanding of agricultural education, food safety, environmental studies,
  and related fields.

• Excellent
  stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills.

• Proven
  track record in producing high-quality reports and policy documents.

• TVET
  related experience

Benefits

Terms of employment

This
position is a consutancy position based in Nairobii, Kenya . The initial contract will be for Six
(6) weeks from 7th September 2026 to 23rd 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 - Review and Strengthening
of TVET Curricula in Agriculture and Related Fields 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: 6th September 2026