Five Years Sisal Project Evaluation
Terms of Reference
Oxfam in Tanzania
May 2017
Project name: Improving incomes and empowering women through
Developing sisal enterprises in Shinyanga, Tanzania
Project Duration: April 2012 – March 2017
Project Location: Kishapu and Meatu Districts in Shinyanga and Simiyu
Regions of Tanzania
Background
More than half of Tanzania’s population of 44.9 million people live in poverty, and as is
true in so many parts of the world, women are disproportionally affected. The Shinyanga
Region in northern Tanzania is an unforgivingly dry and barren place. The region is
experiencing changes to the climate, worsening the already harsh conditions and
resulting in persistent crop failure and food shortages. There is little government or
private sector investment in agriculture, meaning that local institutions, agricultural
markets and value chains tend to be underdeveloped and there are few viable livelihood
choices for local people.
The government’s investment in essential services such as education is often beneath
required levels, poorly targeted and often does not promote accountability. This is
coupled with a traditional emphasis on development of boys ahead of girls, which while
improving has resulted in a generation of women with low levels of literacy. As a result,
there is an absence of women in market systems and other profitable niches in
agricultural value chains.
Sisal has traditionally been grown along hedges in Shinyanga to demarcate farm
boundaries, and to produce fibre ropes during lean times to supplement incomes. While
Tanzania is a global market leader in sisal and sisal production technology, Shinyanga
has limited commercial sisal production, processing and agro enterprise development.
The demand for sisal is high, and there are key opportunities for small holder producers
in the region to exploit this opportunity and significantly increase their incomes.
The benefits of sisal production
Supporting the commercialisation of existing sisal through a value chain approach has
the potential to provide incomes for thousands of smallholder sisal growers - women and
men - plus sisal machine operators, rope makers and other stakeholders.
Out of 250,000 tonnes of sisal fibre produced globally each year, Tanzania produces
about 35,000 tonnes per year. The Tanzania Sisal Board, Tanzania’s leading authority
on the sisal industry, has estimated the sisal fibre production potential in Kishapu district
of Shinyanga to be more than 3,000 metric tonnes of fibre per year, due to well
established hedge sisal production and new sisal farms. Other districts such as Meatu
and Maswa are estimated to have similar production potential from existing sisal hedges.
Sisal has been identified as an appropriate crop for Shinyanga because:
 It is a drought resistant crop, and its yields are consistent in wet and dry years
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The consistent yield is a vital consideration for women and men who are living in
poverty who would be extremely vulnerable if their crops fail
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Sisal is an environmentally friendly crop, and it prevents soil erosion. The residue
from the processed leaves can serve as animal feed, organic fertiliser and biogas
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As there is no specific harvest period, it also provides a good livelihood for people
living with HIV and AIDS who don’t have access to medical treatment, as the crop
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can be harvested whenever a person is feeling healthy, and not confined to an
optimum time for harvest
Description of the project
The vision of the project is to develop a vibrant local sisal industry in Shinyanga, to help
poor people become a part of a lucrative value chain, supplying sisal produce both
locally and internationally. The project has been working with two main aims:
1. To support the development of small sisal enterprises in Kishapu and Meatu
districts
2. To develop scalable business models for linking smallholder producers with
private sector companies within sustainable value chains
Specifically the project has the following objectives:
i.
Link sisal smallholder farmers to national and international markets to increase
profitability
ii.
Strengthen smallholders’ processing capacity to improve sisal fibre productivity,
quality and marketing effectiveness
iii.
Review and develop the price setting mechanisms and quality assessment of
fibre to enable smallholder farmers and processors to get a fair price for their
produce
iv.
Improve sisal hedges and sisal production systems
v.
Empowered women to take part in rural sisal enterprise development for greater
women’s economic leadership
vi.
Documenting and sharing learning and information.
Evaluation Purpose and Objectives
This is an interim project evaluation that seeks to establish the following specific
objectives and enrich our learning process as an organisation:
 Assess accomplishment, achievement and changes resulting from the
intervention to the livelihood of small holders farmers in Kishapu
 Determine the contextual relevance and appropriateness of the business models
implemented by the project to deliver program outcome in Kishapu District
 Gauge the performance of the project in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and
sustainability against developed set of objectives and indicator.
 Generate innovation, lessons and best practice for improving performance of the
project in the next phase
 To assess the effects of the project to the target communities, particularly women
and youth, in the target regions
Evaluation Methodology
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The consultancy team is expected to propose scientifically, culturally and socially
(in relation to Tanzania context) approved approaches that will be used to answer
the questions raised in this ToR. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative
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approaches should be used as well as primary and secondary data in analysing
impact and multiplier effect of the action
The consultant is also expected to submit a detailed and costed work plan for the
assignment indicating the duration needed to complete the task
The consultant will hold a brief presentation of initial findings and impressions at
the Partner’s office in Kishapu prior to returning from field. The consultant will
then hold a more formal presentation of key findings and lessons learnt at the
Oxfam office in Mwanza in order to give room for to incorporate feedback or
preparation of the final report
The consultant will then prepare a draft report and submit to Oxfam (via e-mail)
for more feedback/comments before making the final evaluation report and
submit to Oxfam if PDF format
Oxfam will work with the Implementation partner to facilitate logistics for the
consultancy team during the evaluation
Desirable Qualifications
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An independent consultant/consultancy firm with experience in Monitoring and
evaluation (especially quantitative and qualitative measurements)
Understanding of political, social cultural context is essential
Strong research background, with demonstrable experience in conducting project
evaluations, does some literature search. Interest in and passion about issues
related to women and youth.
The consultant should have proven experiences of previous assignments on
development analysis, feasibility studies, and ability to engaging communities
using participatory methodologies and approaches.
Experiences in working around marketing and women empowerment will highly
be of an added value to the consultant.
Extensive experience in survey design including sampling, and data management
and analysis.
Proficient in the application of software statistical packages such as: SPSS,
STATA.
Experience of coordinating diverse teams and communicating with
individuals/groups at all levels.
Proven training and facilitation skills.
Strong analytical skills.
Excellent report writing and good communication skills in English.
Able to fluently communicate in Swahili language.
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Outputs and timeline
The consultant shall work for 21 working days level of efforts (LOE) as indicated in table
below, including travel time.
Tasks
Deliverables
Timeline
Briefing with Oxfam Project Lead,
Research and Advocacy Advisor and
Programme Quality Manager.
Key Questions/Issues for Program Team
Review
1
Document review to familiarize with
project, the existing data on project
delivery and progress
Detailed evaluation inception report approved
by the project team
4
Develop evaluation inception report,
including field work plan, research
methodology and sampling strategy;
refined in accordance with the feedback
received from Oxfam team
Adjust initial survey tools in English and
Kiswahili.
Conducting of evaluation, including data
collection data entry and data analysis,
and draft report skeleton writing (using
preferably electronic devices)
Complete, cleaned and fully coded dataset (in
Excel, Stata. SPSS or any other easily
accessible format) for the study, and other
raw data such as filled-in questionnaire
formats
10
Holding debriefing meetings and
present preliminary results to Oxfam
team
Debriefing presentation of findings
1
Draft evaluation report as per Oxfam
standards
Draft evaluatiom report, including summary of
findings and recommendations
2
Finalise evaluation report based on
feedback received from Oxfam team
and final edit to enable publication
without further edits.
Final survey report in English and not
exceeding 30 pages, excluding annexes
3
Preliminary Results, including outline of
chapters, headings, sub-headings of report
Total days (LOE)
5
21
How to apply
A consultant shall submit an expression of interest which should include:
1. Cover letter: A short (maximum two pages) letter expressing his/her interest and
related experience;
2. Technical Proposal (maximum eight pages) including:
a. Profile(s) of the Consultant(s) or curriculum vitae of the individual(s) (3
pages);
b. Understanding of the task to be accomplished (1 page);
c. Draft survey framework and work plan (3 to 4 pages).
3. Financial Proposal: The financial proposal should provide a preliminary budget of
cost estimates for services rendered
The Consultant(s) is required to use his/her own computer.
Applications should include three references and two writing samples/research papers of
similar previous products.
Interested applicants must send/submit their proposals to the following address on or
before May, 19th 2017.
Oxfam,
Central Technologies Building, Plot 96 Light Industrial Area,
P.O. Box 10962
Dar es Salaaam
Tanzania.
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