Key skills and expertise

Bringing over 42 years of experience, the expert is a seasoned social scientist specializing in socioeconomic research for development, monitoring and evaluation, and agricultural extension. They have coordinated agricultural research and training initiatives across 15 Southern Africa Development Community states and have extensive international project experience in 19 African countries. Key skills include qualitative and quantitative research methods, gender analysis, and disaster risk reduction. Career highlights include developing indicators for monitoring and evaluation and successfully mainstreaming cross-cutting issues such as gender and climate change. Responsibilities have included leadership roles in research coordination and impact assessments.

Project experience and donor exposure

With a background in collaborating with international donors, the expert has worked with organizations such as the EU, UNICEF, USAID, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Their involvement encompasses project implementation, technical assistance, evaluations, and capacity building in areas like climate change adaptation, disaster risk management, food security, and nutrition. These projects have been regional and national in scope, conducted across various African countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the broader Southern Africa Development Community region.

Sectors and geographic focus

The expert has worked across diverse sectors, including environment and climate, food systems and livelihoods, gender and human rights, water, sanitation and hygiene, disaster reduction and humanitarian relief, and agriculture and rural development. Previously held roles have involved research coordination, monitoring and evaluation, and impact assessments. Their cross-cutting expertise includes gender analysis, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction. The geographic scope of their work spans regional projects across Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa, with significant contributions to interdisciplinary initiatives. They have demonstrated deep familiarity with regional development issues, particularly in Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the Southern Africa Development Community region, focusing on local governance and cultural dynamics.

Languages and education

The expert is fluent in English and Swahili, with a fair proficiency in French. These language skills have been utilized in diverse international and regional projects across Africa, facilitating communication in multilingual teams and contributing to effective project implementation and coordination. The expert holds a PhD in Agricultural Extension from the University of Reading, UK, where the thesis focused on the influence of seasonality on household nutritional status. They also earned an MSc in Agricultural Extension from the same institution, with a dissertation on the impact of development policies on nutrition intervention programs. Additionally, the expert obtained a BSc in Food Science and Technology from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.