Design and Delivery of a Product Quality Assurance and Standardization Training for REAP Retail Trading Groups

Background and Context

The Response to Education and Protection Needs (REAP) Project is a 27-month humanitarian and development intervention funded by Save the Children Italy and implemented by the Somali Lifeline Organization (SOLO) in partnership with Save the Children International (SCI) and the Relief, Reconstruction and Development Organization (RRDO), running from October 2024 to October 2026 across the Dadaab Refugee Complex, Garissa County, Kenya. Under Output 4.1, the livelihoods component supports adolescent mothers, caregivers and foster parents with enterprise-based livelihood training and start-up capital in the Ifo 1, Ifo 2, Dagahaley and Hagadera settlements.

In May 2026, SOLO commissioned the first round of a planned bi-annual longitudinal REAP Tracer Study — Livelihoods Component, covering 419 respondents through a mixed-methods design combining a structured survey, Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, enterprise observation and light-touch market validation. The study found that 99.8 percent of respondents are running a business and that mean monthly profit increased by 167.7 percent since programme entry. It also found that 96.2 percent of all REAP-supported enterprises are concentrated in only two sectors, retail trade (82.6 percent) and livestock (13.6 percent), making retail trade by far the dominant REAP livelihood activity.

Vendor Key Informant Interviews conducted for the study described how this concentration plays out in practice: retail kiosks across Ifo 1, Ifo 2 and Dagahaley overwhelmingly stock the same narrow range of goods, staples such as sugar, rice, oil and flour, alongside soap and small personal care items. Vendors reported that this product homogeneity across competitors made price the primary competitive variable, pushing selling prices and margins down for all sellers in the same market row. The study further found that 64.0 percent of REAP enterprises have no formal or informal market linkage, with most retail groups sourcing stock through informal spot purchases from market intermediaries or Dadaab town wholesalers, with no negotiated pricing, quality assurance, or guaranteed supply relationship. This leaves retail groups competing almost entirely on price within a saturated local market, with no basis to differentiate their goods or access markets beyond the camp economy.

SOLO therefore wishes to engage a qualified consultant or consultancy firm to design and deliver a product quality assurance and standardization training for REAP retail trading groups, so that these groups can move from undifferentiated, price-based competition toward offering quality-assured goods that meet recognized Kenyan standards, building consumer trust and opening access to more competitive markets beyond Dadaab.

Rationale for the Assignment

This assignment responds directly to structural findings of the REAP Tracer Study (Chapters 19 and 23) regarding retail market saturation and the absence of quality or market differentiation among REAP-supported traders:

• Retail trade dominates REAP enterprises (82.6 percent of all enterprises), and 96.2 percent of enterprises overall are concentrated in retail trade and livestock, creating market saturation and collective vulnerability to the same demand-side shocks.
• Products are undifferentiated and price is the only competitive lever (Chapter 19 vendor interviews): the emergence of new kiosks selling essentially the same goods has driven downward pressure on prices and margins for all sellers in the same market row.
• Market competition is the second most cited constraint on applying REAP skills, reported by 63.7 percent of respondents, after capital shortfalls.
• Market linkages are largely absent (Recommendation 5): 64.0 percent of enterprises have no formal or informal market linkage, and stock is sourced through unverified, informal spot-purchase arrangements rather than structured supplier agreements.
• A strong group-based foundation already exists to build on (Recommendation 8): 99.3 percent of REAP beneficiaries report group membership (VSLA/cooperative structures), providing a ready platform for collective, group-level quality assurance practice and joint market access.

The tracer study's overarching conclusion is that the programme needs to shift from enterprise entry support toward enterprise incubation, including market linkages and differentiation strategies for existing enterprises, not only diversification into new sectors. A product quality assurance and standardization training, aligned with the frameworks used by Kenya's national quality and trade institutions, offers retail trading groups a practical route to differentiate their goods, build consumer and buyer confidence, and reduce the price-based competition documented in the study.

Purpose and Objectives of the Assignment

Overall Objective

To equip REAP-supported retail trading groups with the practical knowledge, tools and referral pathways needed to source, handle and sell quality-assured goods that meet recognized Kenyan quality and trade standards, specifically those administered by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), so that groups can differentiate from saturated local competition and access more competitive markets.

Specific Objectives

1. Build practical, group-level understanding of the KEBS quality frameworks most relevant to REAP retail product categories: The Standardization Mark (S-Mark) for locally manufactured goods, the Import Standardization Mark (ISM) for imported stock, and the Diamond Mark of Quality (D-Mark) as a voluntary premium differentiator, including how groups can verify supplier and product compliance and avoid substandard or counterfeit stock.
2. Train groups on basic product handling, storage, display, labelling and record-keeping practices consistent with recognized quality and consumer-protection standards, building on the existing REAP business skills curriculum.
3. Orient retail trading groups on KNCCI Garissa Chapter membership, registration and trade facilitation services, and support interested groups to begin the practical steps toward group or cooperative registration and chamber membership as a route to wider market recognition.
4. Strengthen group-based collective quality assurance practice and joint market linkages, building on the existing 99.3 percent group membership base, so that REAP retail groups can supply quality-differentiated goods collectively to larger markets, including Garissa town wholesalers, aggregators and other buyers.
5. Equip groups, together with their SOLO, RRDO and SCI coaches and peer mentors, with a simple, low-literacy self-assessment and quality-compliance checklist, and a directory of relevant KEBS and KNCCI contact points, to sustain quality practice after the training ends.

Scope of Work

The consultant(s) will carry out the assignment in five phases:

Phase 1: Inception, Desk Review and Standards Mapping

• Review the REAP Tracer Study Final Report, existing REAP retail/business skills training content, and relevant KEBS and KNCCI published requirements.
• Map the KEBS certification schemes and KNCCI membership requirements applicable to REAP retail product categories and to group-based applicants such as VSLAs, cooperatives, and community-based organizations.
• Submit an inception report with a detailed work plan.

Phase 2: Institutional Engagement

• Consult with the KEBS regional/county office serving Garissa and with the KNCCI Garissa Chapter to confirm current requirements, fees, and any simplified or group-based pathways available to REAP trading groups.
• Document findings and any partnership opportunities in an institutional engagement brief.

Phase 3: Curriculum and Tool Development

• Develop a standardized, low-literacy, Somali-adapted Quality Assurance and Standardization training curriculum and facilitator guide for retail trading groups.
• Develop a Group Quality Self-Assessment and Compliance Checklist tool, using visual and demonstration-based formats appropriate for the target population.
• Develop a KEBS/KNCCI referral directory for groups wishing to pursue registration, membership or certification.

Phase 4: Training Delivery

• Deliver training sessions directly to retail trading groups and their leadership/committees across Ifo 1, Ifo 2, Dagahaley and Host.
• Co-facilitate with SOLO, RRDO and SCI field staff and peer mentors so the approach can be sustained and reinforced through routine coaching after the assignment ends.
• Where feasible, facilitate an introductory linkage session between interested groups and KEBS and/or KNCCI representatives.

Phase 5: Reporting and Handover

• Submit a training report with attendance records, pre/post knowledge assessment results and group feedback.
• Submit a final report comprising the complete standardized quality assurance package and an institutionalization brief with recommendations for sustaining and scaling the approach, including a possible pathway toward group registration or certification in future REAP cohorts.

Target Participants

• REAP-supported retail trading groups (VSLA/cooperative-based), prioritized given the 82.6 percent concentration of REAP enterprises in retail trade.

• Group leaders and committee members responsible for group purchasing, stock and sales decisions.

• SOLO, RRDO and SCI livelihoods field staff and selected peer mentors, as co-facilitators to sustain the approach through ongoing coaching.

• Indicative number of groups/participants: 50, drawn from Ifo 1, Ifo 2, Dagahaley and Hagadera settlements.

  Expected Deliverables and Indicative Timeline

  Deliverable and Indicative Timeline

  1.Inception report and work plan, including a mapping of KEBS product/quality certification schemes and KNCCI Garissa Chapter membership requirements applicable to REAP retail product categories and group-based (VSLA/cooperative) applicants:

  Indicative Timeline:

1.Within 5 working days of contract signing

• 2. Institutional engagement brief documenting outcomes of consultations with the KEBS regional/county office and the KNCCI Garissa Chapter, including confirmed requirements, fees, and any simplified or group-based pathways available to REAP trading groups:

  Indicative Timeline:

• Week 2

  3. Standardized, low-literacy, Somali-adapted Quality Assurance and Standardization training curriculum and facilitator guide for retail trading groups.

  Indicative Timeline:

• Week 2

  4.Group Quality Self-Assessment and Compliance Checklist tool, and a KEBS/KNCCI referral directory for groups wishing to pursue registration or certification.

  Indicative Timeline:

  Week 2

  5.Delivery of training sessions to retail trading groups and their leadership across Ifo 1, Ifo 2, Dagahaley and Host, co-facilitated with SOLO, RRDO and SCI field staff and peer mentors.

  Indicative Timeline:

  Week 3-4

  6. Training report with attendance records, pre/post knowledge assessment results, and group feedback

  Indicative Timeline

• Within 5 working days of training completion.

  7. Final report, including the complete standardized quality assurance package and an institutionalization brief with recommendations for sustaining and scaling the approach, including a pathway toward group registration/certification in future cohorts.

  Indicative Timeline.

• 5th September 2026

• Duration, Location and Level of Effort

• The assignment is expected to require an estimated 15 working days over approximately 4 weeks, combining desk-based work, institutional engagement in Garissa town, and field-based training in Ifo 1, Ifo 2, Dagahaley and Host. SOLO will facilitate access to project sites, groups and relevant contacts; the consultant is responsible for their own travel, accommodation and logistics unless otherwise agreed in the contract.

• Management and Reporting Arrangements

• The consultant(s) will report to SOLO's REAP Project Manager, with technical oversight from the MEAL Coordinator, and will coordinate with designated focal points from RRDO and SCI throughout the assignment. All deliverables must be submitted in draft for review and comment before finalization.

• Consultant Qualifications and Experience

• Applications are invited from individual consultants, consultant teams, or firms. The proposed team should collectively demonstrate:

• A relevant degree or professional qualification in quality assurance, trade/standards compliance, enterprise development, or a related field.

• Demonstrated familiarity with KEBS product certification schemes (Standardization Mark, Import Standardization Mark, Diamond Mark) and/or KNCCI membership, registration and trade facilitation processes.

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in MSE/SME development, market linkage facilitation, or quality/standards-focused business training.

• Demonstrated experience developing training materials for low-literacy, refugee, or other vulnerable populations, ideally in Dadaab, other ASAL counties, or comparable humanitarian contexts.

• Working knowledge of Somali language and Dadaab context, or the capacity to work with qualified Somali-speaking co-facilitators/translators.

• Strong facilitation skills and experience working with grassroots trading groups, VSLAs or cooperatives.

  General Conditions

• All materials, curricula, tools and directories produced under this assignment shall remain the intellectual property of SOLO and the REAP consortium and may not be reproduced or used for other purposes without written permission.

• The consultant(s) will maintain confidentiality of all programme data and beneficiary information accessed during the assignment.

• SOLO reserves the right to cancel or amend this call for applications at any stage without liability to applicants.

  Safeguarding and Code of Conduct

• Given that the REAP project works directly with adolescent mothers, caregivers and other vulnerable populations, the selected consultant(s) will be required to sign and comply with SOLO's Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct, including Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) commitments, for the full duration of the assignment.

• For clarification questions regarding this Terms of Reference, please contact Hussein.abdi@somalilifeline.org*.*

• Submission

• Please send your technical and financial proposal to jobs@somalilifeline.org by the stated date.

Interested and qualified consultants/firms should submit the following: 1. A technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology for the standards mapping and group training, and work plan. 2. A financial proposal detailing professional fees, logistics and any other assignment-related costs, in Kenya Shillings (KES). 3. Curriculum vitae of all proposed team members, clearly indicating relevant qualifications and experience. 4. At least two samples of previously developed training curricula, quality assurance materials, or facilitator guides. 5. Contact details of at least two professional references from comparable assignments. 6. A valid business registration/tax compliance certificate (for firms) or equivalent documentation (for individual consultants). **Evaluation Criteria** Applications will be evaluated using a combined technical and financial scoring methodology. Only applicants meeting the minimum technical threshold of 70 percent will proceed to financial evaluation. **Safeguarding and Code of Conduct** Given that the REAP project works directly with adolescent mothers, caregivers and other vulnerable populations, the selected consultant(s) will be required to sign and comply with SOLO's Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct, including Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) commitments, for the full duration of the assignment.