1.Background
Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA) is the national representative body and voice for community and private wildlife conservancies in Kenya. As an umbrella body, KWCA’s role is to help catalyze the conservancy movement by connecting, informing, convening and representing private and community landowners and other key stakeholders in a shared effort to make wildlife conservancies thrive in Kenya. KWCA supports these conservancies through landscape conservancy associations as umbrella organizations at the landscape levels through which conservancies can have a voice, collaborate, share insights and best practices, integrate development planning and manage conservancies at a large scale.
The Conservancy network, as it interacts with community-led conservation approaches, aims to benefit local people and achieve conservation outcomes. However, some key stakeholders in these conservancies are often excluded, namely women and youth.
We have seen less agency and optimism among young people in conservancies, and more reliance on external resources and forces to assist them in improving their livelihoods, including the government and development stakeholders. This partially has to do with the restrictive conditions of conservancies and their remote locations. Often, not all micro businesses operating outside conservancies can be created inside them. Additionally, the lack of exposure makes it difficult for young people to find innovative perspectives on the work that can be done in any of the three value-chains in conservancy areas: tourism, livestock-keeping, and conservation.
This group of youth living within or in the vicinity of conservancies needs more consideration if they are to thrive. It has been noted that not all young people born in/around conservancies are able to thrive. A notable percentage usually leave their home areas and move elsewhere to explore available opportunities whilst contributing back to the communities members in their home areas.
KWCA recognizes the importance of youth engagement in the sustainability of conservancies hence seeks to support conservancy youth in development of skills, meaningful networks and a supportive environment.
In this regard, KWCA seeks to recruit a consultant to develop a conservancies and landscape level youth engagement guideline for youth forums at conservancies and landscape level to build their leadership in natural resource management.
2.Purpose of the assignment
The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a comprehensive, practical, and context-responsive Youth Engagement Guideline to strengthen the meaningful participation of young people in conservancy governance and landscape-level natural resource management in Kenya. The assignment responds to an identified gaps in youth inclusion, where young people, despite being key stakeholders and rights holders, have limited access to decision-making platforms, leadership opportunities, and sustainable livelihood pathways in conservation systems.
The guideline will provide a structured framework to enhance youth agency, leadership, and participation across conservation institutions, including conservancies, landscape level conservancies associations and conservancy support organizations. It should outline actionable approaches for integrating youth into governance processes, conservation programming, and green economy initiatives, while aligning with human rights-based approaches (HRBA), gender equality principles, and inclusive governance models promoted under the project.
The assignment should ensure that the guideline supports landscape-level coordination by linking youth structures (e.g., youth forums and caucuses) to existing ecosystem platforms and decision-making bodies. Ultimately, the guideline will serve as a scalable tool for KWCA, partners, and stakeholders to institutionalize youth engagement as a core pillar of integrated landscape management, fostering inclusive, resilient, and future-oriented conservation systems.
3.Scope of work
Objective of the assignment
- To develop a conservancies and landscape level youth engagement guideline and action plan outlining strategic objectives, and key strategic interventions that Landscape Associations, conservancy support organizations and conservancies institutions can undertake to engage the youth.
The consultant will undertake the following specific activities.
- Hold an inception meeting with KWCA team to get a clear understanding of KWCA’s mission, vision and goals for youth engagement.
- Review existing literature on youth engagement in conservation and conservancies
- Carry key informant interviews with landscape conservancy associations, conservancies and relevant conservation partners and align to KWCA strategy objectives.
- Document the youth engagement strategy to guide conservancies and institutions working with conservancies on strategic interventions for engaging the youth at landscape and conservancies level.
- Develop a 3-year action plan to implement the youth engagement guidelines.
4.Duration and Level of Effort
- Duration: Expected to take 25 consultancy days
5.Qualification and Experience
- A university degree in social sciences, community development, environment conservation, governance or a related field
- Proven experience working on youth projects and developing youth engagement strategies for non-governmental organizations.
- At least five years’ experience in development and conservation sector
- Excellent knowledge on youth development issues in Africa
- Strong analytical, strategic thinking and planning skills and ability to work under tight deadlines.
- Excellent communication skills
6.Deliverables
- Inception report and work plan describing proposed activities and timelines for carrying out the assignment
- Presentation of the youth engagement guideline to KWCA for review
- Final youth engagement guideline and action plan
7.Submission of Expression of interest
The proposal should demonstrate sound knowledge, technical skills and capacity as required by the nature of work and understanding of the requisite tasks set forth in the scope of work.
Interested candidates should submit the following;
- Technical and financial proposal
- Workplan
- Curriculum vitae of the consultant (s)
- Proof of previous two related assignments