The KAPP is organized into four components; support to facilitate agricultural sector policy and institutional reforms, research, extension service, and empowerment of farmers and other clients.

Component 1: Facilitation of Policy and Institutional Reforms:

There is currently no forum in Kenya where debate and consensus building on a shared vision for increased productivity and sustained agricultural growth, subsequent required institutional changes and power sharing can take place. The government has its own internal processes – often in consultation with donors. The agricultural science and policy research community has recently begun to gain access to policy processes in the sector but farmers’ organizations have yet to break through. The issues involved in turning agriculture around need all stakeholders to be involved in an interactive process of dialogue to develop a shared vision, as well as implementation modalities at both national and local levels. This component is supporting the establishment of the policy and institutional framework required to increase agricultural productivity in the country. These include:

(i)  an Inter-ministerial Coordination Committee (SRA-ICC) composed of Permanent Secretaries of all rural sector related Ministries to provide coherence and direction to the reform process;

(ii) a National Forum (SRA-NF) to ensure that proposed reforms follow a common and coherent overall framework in line with stakeholder analysis and views.

(iii)   establishment and operationalization of consultative mechanisms for national level consultations as part of a broader stakeholder consultations and consensus building to help define and support KAPP’s reform agenda. These include three National Task Forces for extension (ETF), research (RTF) and the agricultural sector communication strategy Task Force (CTF) respectively and a National Farmers Forum (NFF) for farmer empowerment. The ETF and RTF have organic links to SRA- National Forum.

(iv)  Three project organs have also been put in place as follows:-

 

 •    the KAPP Secretariat (KS), which provides overall coordination of the program, while overseeing the Monitoring and Evaluation, and Information and Communication functions;

 

 •    the KAPP Steering Committee (KSC), (with chief executives and directors of the key sector ministries and agencies) which acts as a liaison between the Ministries, public institutions and the KAPP, and;

 

 •    District Service Units (DSU) to coordinate and implement targeted pilot interventions that feed into the reform process and capacity building activities in the selected twenty (20) pilot districts.

 

Component 2: Support to Extension System Reform

Agricultural extension is on transition worldwide. Governments and international agencies are advancing reforms to improve extension. Decentralization, pluralism, cost efficiency, transparency, accountability, participation of beneficiaries in development initiatives and the decisions and resources that affect them, empowerment and sustainability; are some of the elements in extension’s current transition. KAPP is facilitating the transition in agricultural extension through support to Extension System Reform and Farmer Client Component.

The component is building on the achievements made under the National Agricultural Extension Policy (NAEP) framework by facilitating the development and internalization of a shared vision, strategy and policy that will help establish a new system of national agricultural extension.  Extension related activities supported under the project have lead to the formulation and adoption of a revised National Extension Sector policy (NASEP). Its implementation framework (NASEP- IF) is under preparation.

Component 3: Support to Research System Reform:

This component focuses on reforming the agricultural research sector so that it involves a plurality of actors for efficiency and accountability. The key challenge is to make the national investment in research to be reflected in real sectoral productivity increases. There is need to identify and institutionalize appropriate rules and mechanisms for a responsive, demand driven and market-oriented technology generation system through consensus. A policy instrument and legal framework for the institutional and operational functioning of the entire National Agricultural Research System (NARS) is being developed. Much more efficient, value adding and accountable agricultural research system will result eventually to the benefit of all Kenyans.

Reforms would: i) Increase the role of end-users in planning of activities, resource allocation, and monitoring of implementation; ii) Promote performance/results-based resource allocation; iii) Induce greater collaboration and synergy between and among public and private research institutions; iv) Ensure effective integration of research, education and extension services at local levels; and v) increase the volume of appropriate technologies and knowledge generated and applied. This would be achieved through a) Establishment of a national agricultural research system; b) pilot collaborative research activities to generate inputs for policy formulation and; iii) support to KARI.

Component 4: Support to Farmer/Client Empowerment:

This component is supporting the development of institutional and financial mechanisms that will give farmers control/leverage over extension and research services and increase their access to productivity enhancing products. Formation of Farmers Fora (FF) is envisaged at national, district and grassroots levels as the principal consultative organs for farmers and other clients to articulate their demands.