Dr. Wellington Ekaya
I am Head of Capacity Development at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Capacity Development is a strategic objective as well as a critical success factor in the
achievement of ILRI’s strategy as it will ensure that a critical mass of people and
organizations have to be equipped with the skills to design, implement and maintain
appropriate livestock research and development initiatives. Capacity Development at ILRI is
a function that cuts across all the seven research programmes. ILRI and its partners advance
collaborative research and development projects that provide opportunities for both early-career
and established scientists to excel in research and development
for food security and poverty reduction. A key strategy for such advancement is the
strengthening of livestock research and capacity development through the ILRI fellowship
program. The Capacity Development
Unit specifically oversees the recruitment, onboarding, pastoral care, administrative
support, fellows’ supervision, and mentorship coordination, mobilizing external faculty,
Monitoring and Evaluation, creating connections and facilitating fellowship alumni to form
Communities of Practice.
The Capacity Development Unit’s other major crosscutting role (across all ILRI programmes)
is to conduct capacity needs assessments, design and facilitate the delivery of fellows’
professional development activities including enhancement of skills and knowledge beyond
the technical e.g. leadership, communicating science to non-scientific audiences, and
creating connections to post-fellowship mentors. The Capacity Development Unit fosters
institutional partnerships to support and provide new opportunities for capacity development
e.g. creation of extended faculty members to strengthen the supervisors, mentors and
experts within ILRI programmes.
