Terms of Reference for a Capitalization Study of the

LIFFT-Cashew Project: Senegal, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau (SeGaBi)
1. Introduction
Shelter for Life International (SFL) is an international, faith-based, relief and development organization with more than 30 years of experience providing sustainable development and humanitarian assistance to post-conflict countries around the world. We are currently operational in Afghanistan, Senegal, the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau.

2. Background
Under USDA/FAS Food for Progress (FFPr) program, Shelter For Life (SFL) has been implementing a $29.9 million, eight-year project called “Linking Infrastructure, Finance and Farms to Cashew” (LIFFT-Cashew) in Senegal (Ziguinchor, Sedhiou, Kolda, and Fatick), the
Gambia (North Bank, Western and Lower River), and Guinea-Bissau (Oio, Cacheu, Biombo, and Bafata). Under the project, this region is called the “SeGaBi” region. Beginning in 2017, the project was awarded a merit-based extension in 2022, which extended it to December 2025.
The goal of the LIFFT-Cashew project is to improve cashew productivity, processing and build the trade linkages for an integrated, regional trade network for the cashew value chain.
The project has had a wide array of beneficiaries along the cashew value chain. It has benefited smallholder farmers (producers), processors, cooperatives, associations, laborers, financial institutions, and buyers, in addition to stakeholders of the broader cashew sector such as potential investors and governmental policy makers. In greater detail the beneficiaries included:


9. Capitalization Study Management and Responsibilities
SFL’s responsibilities:
• Mobilize and designate individuals within the organization to lead and manage the process.
• Assist in coordinating logistics based on proposed study activities.
• Assist in coordinating stakeholders to participate in the study and within each country.
• Provide information and relevant project documents about program objectives, operations and beneficiaries, expectations about the study, and any other information.
• Provide input and feedback on study plan.
• Specify reporting requirements in terms of progress.

Consultant Responsibilities:
• Lead all study activities.
• Ensure the study runs according to plan and meets milestones and deliverables on time.
• Report on any challenges and their resolution in which potential issues need to be raised for decision-making elsewhere.
• Attend study meetings and check-ins to discuss progress.
• Implement and oversee data collection.
• Produce study update reports on a weekly basis.

10. Study Consultant Qualifications:
The individual consultant should have the following qualifications:
• Minimum 8 to 10 years of work experience in capitalization studies or similar types of studies of agricultural programs
• Expertise in knowledge management, and development sector practices
• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesize complex information
• Expertise in the cashew value chains, and preferably the cashew sector of West Africa
• Experience working in Africa, with strong preference for the region of West Africa
• Ability to hire experienced data collectors, and surveyors that are fluent in local languages (i.e. at a minimum French, and Portuguese);
• Excellent report-writing abilities


Download the full offer