Skills Development in Fish Farming – Kuza Project

Adam Smith International is seeking a national consultant to assess employment opportunities and needs for skills training in fish farming. It will be a short-term assignment as part of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded Kuza project.

Background to Adam Smith International

Adam Smith International (ASI) is a leading professional services business that delivers real impact, value and lasting change through projects supporting economic growth and government reform internationally. Our reputation as a global leader has been built on the positive results our projects have achieved in many of the world’s most challenging environments.

Our wide-ranging experience can be grouped into two main areas that contribute to Government Reform and Economic Growth. Government Reform includes Justice, Security and Peace-building, Public Administration Reform, Public Financial Management, Revenue Reform and Education Reform. Economic Growth includes services in Extractive Industries Governance, Infrastructure, Climate Change and Private Sector Development.

ASI is headquartered in London, with offices in Nairobi, Delhi and Sydney, along with major project offices in many developing countries worldwide. Our projects are funded by a wide range of donor organisations, including the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank, the Swedish and Danish Government’s development agencies Sida and Danida, the European Commission and the Asian Development Bank. In addition, ASI also works directly for host governments.

Over more than 20 years, ASI has implemented some of the most complex solutions in many of the world’s most challenging environments. We apply professional standards, technical know-how and cultural sensitivity to every context. We’re proven to bring the best minds together and are known for turning policies into action. Our work is award-winning, such as the most recent British Expertise International Awards 2014 where ASI won in the category of Outstanding International Development Project in a Fragile State (Non Physical) for the Support to the Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR), the Republic of Burundi’s revenue authority project.

Background to the project

The three year DFID-funded Kuza project, implemented by ASI, intends to address selected root causes of youth unemployment in Mombasa, and to encourage productive and sustainable job creation for young men and women, especially low skilled youth who had not opportunities to further their education beyond primary level. The project consists of a combination of skills development, market development, and policy support. The project is market-led, so that jobs and skills are focused on sectors of the economy that have long-term growth potential. The project is aligned with the objectives and plans of the Mombasa County and the national government of Kenya.

The project team has been approached by the Mombasa County Department for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries that developed a comprehensive proposal for aquaculture fish farming, which is expected to create employment for Mombasa’s youth. The Kuza project has been requested to provide the required skills development for the youth to operate the fish farms.

The proposal of converting sea containers as basins and using them for fish farming aims to create the potential for employing up to 15 youth per unit in 30 wards. In view of various other options for fish farming (marine culture) and in employment creation the Kuza project would like the viability, the employment effects and the needs for skills development of this proposal to be assessed.

The proposed Youth Fish Farming Project in Mombasa

The proposed project will include the construction of fish tanks, provision of fingerlings and fish feeds, fish harvesting and marketing, training of participants in fish farming and fish trading.

The project will be rolled out in all 30 wards in the county, however in phases. The target is to put 5 fish tanks in each ward. 40 ft Cargo Containers will be used as fish tanks. Each Cargo container will be cut horizontally to make two (2) equal fish tanks. Each fish tank will be managed by a group of 10 youths, thus a total of 1,500 youths will be engaged in fish farming. All these youths would need to be trained in fish farming and the related commercial distribution.

Reefer containers will be used as cold storage facilities to store the fish upon harvesting as the product awaits marketing and distribution. At least each sub- county will have one reefer container with a backup generator to take care of any power failure.

Fish distribution and retailing will mainly be done by women who will be provided with trollies for selling fish.

At last year’s ASK Show the proposed project won a trophy and the President instructed the Devolution CS Waiguru to roll it out country wide.

Scope of work

• In order to assess employment potentials and identifying the needs for skills development in fish farming (aquaculture versus marine culture) it is of utmost importance to provide reliable estimates on job creation for low skilled youth in relation to required investments. Furthermore it is necessary to investigate how and where a large number of 1,500 Mombasa youths can acquire the necessary skills to successfully operating the fish farming units.


• Study and assess proposal on Youth Fish Farming Project developed by Mombasa County Department for Agriculture, Livestock and fisheries


• Assess the advantages of the proposed aquaculture systems over conventional fish ponds and over marine cultures


• Assess the viability of the project


• Assess the net employment effects for low skilled youth


• Investigate the commitment of the Mombasa County Government regarding the support of the project


• Investigate the scope and needs for developing the required skills of the youth (key training components)


• Investigate potential training providers and role of upcoming LMITCs


• Develop conclusions and recommendations regarding Skills Development for the proposed Youth Fish Farming Project


• Present findings in a workshop type meeting to the stakeholders


• Submit written report of a standardised format to Kuza

Selection criteria

• 10+ years experience in fish production and different types of fish farming


• 10+ years in assessing project proposals


• 5+ years experience in skills development for fishery, livestock or agriculture related interventions


• Educational background in related fields or social science with MSC or MA degree


• Strong analytical skills


• Experience working with government and a range of public and private sector and civil society stakeholders;