Organizational Background
Somali Lifeline Organization (SOLO) is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization established in 2008. Through its integrated program design and delivery approach, SOLO works with local communities and structures to mitigate the effects of drought, floods, conflicts, disease outbreaks, and gender-based violence. SOLO focuses on empowering the less privileged and most vulnerable to enhance and accelerate development through capacity building, youth training, livelihoods and economic diversification, education, health and nutrition, food security, environmental conservation, and peacebuilding initiatives.
SOLO implements programs in Kenya and Somalia/Somaliland in close partnership with communities across the Project Cycle Management (PCM). SOLO is currently implementing the REAP project in partnership with Save the Children and RRDO in Dadaab.
Background to the Project
The REAP project, funded by Save the Children Italy, is a 27-month intervention (October 2024 -October 2026) in Dadaab sub-county targeting both refugee (80%) and host community (20%) populations. The project aims to provide equitable, uninterrupted access to resilient, inclusive, and protective education and child protection services for crisis-affected children.
The project targets:
- Direct beneficiaries: 25,000 girls and boys
- Indirect beneficiaries: 40,000 children and adults
SOLO contributes to Outcome 4: Foster resilience and sustainable livelihood outcomes among adolescent mothers and foster parents to withstand shocks and stress, specifically:
Output 4.1: Increased participation of adolescent mothers and foster parents in viable and environmentally sustainable enterprises.
A 2025 labour and market assessment identified multiple viable enterprise sectors. However, all supported groups selected livestock and retail trade, leading to market saturation and declining profitability. The project therefore requires systematic follow-up to understand post-training outcomes and inform course correction. To support adaptive programming, SOLO will conduct bi-annual tracer studies following graduation of supported youth mothers and foster parents.
Purpose of the Tracer Study
The tracer study aims to track and assess the socio-economic outcomes of trained adolescent mothers and foster parents, focusing on employment status, income changes, enterprise performance, skills utilization, and sustainability of livelihoods. The study will also generate evidence to inform diversification strategies and improve future livelihoods programming under REAP. The tracer study will identify the factors facilitating or hindering success in small enterprises among the supported groups.
Objectives
Overall Objective
To determine the post-training socio-economic status and livelihood outcomes of target groups supported under the REAP project.
Specific Objectives
The tracer study will:
- Assess employment and self-employment status of trainees.
- Measure changes in income levels and household economic resilience.
- Evaluate utilization of acquired technical and business skills.
- Examine enterprise performance, profitability, and sustainability.
- Identify barriers to diversification into non-saturated sectors.
- Assess business survival rates, and market linkages where applicable.
- Generate recommendations to strengthen livelihoods programming.
- Track social outcomes including empowerment and decision-making capacity.
Key Evaluation Questions
The study will answer, at minimum:
- How profitable and sustainable are the supported businesses?
- What factors influenced beneficiaries’ enterprise choices?
- Why do participants continue to concentrate in livestock and retail?
- What barriers prevent diversification into other viable sectors?
- To what extent are acquired skills being applied?
- What is the average income change post-intervention?
- How stable are the jobs/businesses (tenure and survival rates)?
- What factors hindered some beneficiaries from starting or sustaining viable enterprises?
- What program adjustments are needed to improve outcomes?
Scope of Work
The tracer study will cover:
- Adolescent mothers, caregivers and foster parents trained under Output 4.1
- Both refugee and host community beneficiaries in Dadaab
- Trainees from each completed cohort
The study will include both quantitative and qualitative components.
Methodology
The consultant/firm will adopt a robust mixed-methods approach designed to generate credible, actionable, and context-sensitive evidence on the post-training outcomes of adolescent mothers and foster parents supported under the REAP project. The methodology should be sufficiently rigorous to track changes over time while also capturing the underlying behavioral, structural, and market dynamics influencing livelihood outcomes.
Study Design
The tracer study will employ a longitudinal tracer approach that follows graduates over time to assess the sustainability of employment, income progression, enterprise survival, and skills utilization. This design will allow SOLO and partners to understand not only immediate outcomes but also medium-term livelihood trajectories and resilience patterns.
A mixed-methods framework will be applied, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques to ensure both breadth and depth of analysis. Quantitative data will provide measurable indicators of socio-economic status and employment outcomes, while qualitative inquiry will explore motivations, constraints, cultural influences, and decision-making processes affecting enterprise choices and diversification.
The analysis will be gender- and age-sensitive, recognizing the distinct barriers and opportunities faced by adolescent mothers, foster parents, and different age cohorts within the refugee and host communities. Particular attention will be given to intra-household dynamics, caregiving burdens, mobility constraints, and access to productive resources.
In addition, the study will apply a conflict- and protection-sensitive lens appropriate to the Dadaab refugee context. Data collection processes will adhere to Do No Harm principles, child safeguarding standards, and ethical research practices to ensure the safety, dignity, and confidentiality of all participants.
Data Collection Methods
Primary data will be collected through a structured tracer survey administered to graduates of the livelihoods support program. The survey will capture key indicators including employment status, income levels, enterprise type, profitability, skills utilization, and job or business tenure.
To complement the quantitative findings, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) will be conducted with selected stakeholders such as project staff, community leaders, market actors, and relevant service providers. These interviews will provide contextual insights into market dynamics, sector saturation, and systemic barriers affecting diversification.
Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) will be held with groups of adolescent mothers and foster parents to explore shared experiences, behavioral drivers of enterprise choice, perceptions of risk, social norms, and gender-related constraints. Separate FGDs will be conducted where appropriate to ensure safe and open participation.
An enterprise observation checklist will be used during field visits to physically verify the existence, functionality, and operational status of supported businesses. This will strengthen data reliability and reduce reliance on self-reported information.
Where relevant, the study will also include light-touch market validation to reassess the viability of underutilized sectors identified in the 2025 labour and market assessment. This will help triangulate whether diversification barriers are demand-side, supply-side, or behaviorally driven.
Sampling
The study will draw a representative sample of trained adolescent mothers and foster parents supported under Output 4.1. The sampling strategy should ensure statistical reliability while remaining operationally feasible within the Dadaab context.
Data will be systematically disaggregated by refugee versus host community status, age group, gender, and enterprise type to enable equity analysis and targeted program adjustments. The sampling approach should also account for geographic spread across the areas of implementation.
Where feasible, the tracer will incorporate panel tracking of previous cohorts to enable longitudinal comparison across bi-annual rounds. Maintaining a panel component is strongly encouraged, as it will provide deeper insight into business survival rates, income mobility, and livelihood resilience over time.
Data Analysis
Quantitative data will undergo descriptive and comparative analysis to generate key performance indicators on employment, income, and enterprise outcomes. Comparative analysis should examine differences across cohorts, gender groups, refugee versus host populations, and enterprise categories.
Cohort trend analysis will be conducted to identify patterns in livelihood progression, business survival, and income changes across successive tracer rounds. This will support adaptive management and early identification of declining or improving trajectories.
Enterprise viability analysis will assess profitability, market saturation, growth potential, and sustainability of supported businesses, with particular attention to the over-concentration in livestock and retail sectors.
Finally, a gender and vulnerability analysis will be undertaken to understand how social norms, caregiving responsibilities, protection risks, and access constraints shape livelihood outcomes for adolescent mothers and foster parents. Findings should directly inform program adjustments to improve inclusivity, diversification, and resilience.
Key Deliverables
The consultant/firm will deliver:
- Inception Report (methodology, tools, workplan)
- Data collection tools (questionnaires, guides)
- Clean dataset and codebook
- Draft tracer study report
- Validation workshop presentation
- Final tracer study report incorporating feedback
- Policy brief (optional but recommended)
Reporting and Management
- The consultant will report to the REAP Project Manager (SOLO).
- Technical oversight will be provided by SOLO MEAL team.
- Coordination will be maintained with Save the Children and RRDO.
Timeline
The tracer study will be conducted following graduation of the cohorts.
Indicative duration per round:
- Inception: 1 week
- Data collection: 2 weeks
- Analysis and reporting: 2 weeks
Total is about 5 weeks
Ethical Considerations
The study must adhere to:
- Child safeguarding standards
- Do No Harm principles
- Informed consent procedures
- Confidentiality and data protection
- Gender and protection sensitivity
- Refugee context ethical protocols
Required Qualifications
Lead Consultant/Firm
- Advanced degree in Economics, Development Studies, Statistics, or related field
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in tracer or livelihoods studies
- Demonstrated experience in refugee and ASAL contexts
- Strong quantitative and qualitative analysis skills
- Experience working in Dadaab or similar contexts preferred
- Familiarity with Save the Children and SOLO MEAL standards is an asset
Proposal Requirements
Interested consultants/firms should submit:
- Technical proposal
- Financial proposal
- Workplan
- Relevant experience and sample reports
- Team composition and CVs
Payment Schedule
- 30% upon approval of inception report
- 40% upon submission of draft report
- 30% upon approval of final report and dataset
How to apply
Please send a detailed work proposal to [email protected] by 15th March 2026
