Call for Expressions of Interest for a Learning Partnership
on The “Supporting Coding among Rwandan Adolescents & Teachers through the Curriculum & Clubs Heading (SCRATC2H) for Rwanda 2050” Project
About VVOB
VVOB – education for development has been sustainably improving education systems worldwide in partnership with ministries of education for over 35 years. VVOB works towards improving the quality of education in nine partner countries (Cambodia, DR Congo, Ecuador, Rwanda, South Africa, Suriname, Vietnam, Zambia, and Uganda). For VVOB, quality education implies ensuring equal opportunities for learners to become economically productive, develop sustainable livelihoods, contribute to peaceful and democratic societies, and enhance individual wellbeing.
In pursuit of quality education, VVOB works on two components, professional development of teachers and professional development of school leaders in the following subsectors:
- Early childhood education to improve the quality of formal pre-primary education and assist the transition to primary school,
- Primary education to improve literacy, numeracy, and life skills,
- Secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes; and in
- Secondary technical and vocational education and training to improve quality, align knowledge and skills imparted with the labour market, and integrate entrepreneurship.
To realise these objectives, VVOB focuses on capacity development of its operational partners: ministries of education, teacher training institutions and organisations focusing on professional development. Partners range from national and regional governments to institutions, individual schools, school leaders, teachers, and students. VVOB aligns its interventions with the local education policy and developing education expertise based on strong partnerships.
In Rwanda, VVOB is currently implementing the following programmes/projects:
- Mathematics Achievements in Rwandan Schools (Girls on MARS), funded by the Belgian Federal Government, Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGD)
- Induction system for Newly Qualified Teachers (2017-2021), funded by ELMA foundation and Belgium (DGD)
- Leaders in Teaching (2018-2021), funded by Mastercard Foundation
- Building Resilience through Leading, Teaching and Learning Together (BR-LTLT) (2020-2021), funded by Mastercard Foundation (COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program)
- Supporting Coding among Rwandan Adolescents & Teachers through the Curriculum & Clubs Heading (SCRATC2H) for Rwanda 2050 (2020-2022), Wehubit (implemented by Enabel; financed by Belgian Federal Government)
This call for expression of interest focuses on the Wehubit founded project “SCRATC2H” that started in July this year and will be completed in 2022.
Purpose of the assignment
VVOB in Rwanda is looking for a learning partner who will provide technical support to implement the SCRATC2H 2050 project’s evaluation and learning strategy during the project timeline (2020-2022). Through this technical support, VVOB aims to get an external perspective on its evaluation and learning strategy. More specifically the learning partner will work together with the VVOB MEAL team into designing evaluation tools and identifying learning questions that will inform the implementation of the project. At the end of the project the learning partner will help in providing evidence and key influencing factors on the performance of the project, and to identify recommendations and lessons learned that will be useful for the scaling up of the project to other districts in Rwanda.
In accordance with the logical framework of this project (see Annex 1), during this learning partnership the role of VVOB will be to design and conduct a needs assessment of the SCRATC2H 2050 project as well as addressing the identified learning questions. The objectives of this needs assessment (done by VVOB) will be:
1. To qualitatively assess the digital literacy skills of STEM, and ICT teachers, specifically on coding.
2. To explore experiences and attitudes of students, STEM, and ICT teachers regarding coding.
3. To assess which conditions need to be in place at school, sector, and district level to ensure that SCRATCH can be integrated into STEM/ICT classes and after school clubs.
4. To understand the specific needs of girls and vulnerable groups to ensure that they can also participate in SCRATCH lessons and after-school coding clubs.
Accordingly, the learning partner will provide external expertise in two phases of the project. First, in line with achieving the specific objectives, the learning partner will:
1. Develop, and validate a Pre- and post-training Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) survey tool for STEM and ICT teachers based on VVOB’s digital literacy assessment tool and a review of relevant literature (Inception Phase)
2. Analyze the results from the Pre-KAP survey (Baseline Study)
3. Identify key learning questions from the literature and document review, interviews with VVOB staff and operational partners, the analysis of the Pre-KAP survey as well as the needs assessment conducted by VVOB. (Baseline Study)
Second, in line with the expected result of the SCRATC2H 2050 project, the learning partner will conduct an end evaluation of the project:
1. Analyze the results from the Post-KAP survey and compare results with the Pre-test KAP survey
2. To assess the relevance, effectiveness, impact, and efficiency of interventions as well as the sustainability of the results considering gender as a cross-cutting theme.
3. To highlight lessons learned from the project and make recommendations for the scaling- up of the project
4. Share findings and insights learned from the project with key stakeholders in a dissemination event
Expected qualifications
The learning partner should have the following qualifications:
- At least a Postgraduate degree in either Education, Economics, Social Sciences, or related field,
- At least 7 years of experience with the evaluation of international development/donor-funded projects,
- Solid experience in M&E and education research,
- Familiar with the Rwandan Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) sector,
- Extensive knowledge and experience of current issues relating to the curriculum development,
- Knowledge and experience in the formulation of Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks,
- Experience with governmental institutions/agencies in the education sector at national, provincial and/or district level, in the country
- Excellent written and oral communication in English.
Note that the learning partner or members of the team should not be staff members of one of the VVOB partner organizations (REB, or RP/ RCA). Sub-contracting is not allowed, except for contracts between the applicant and the individual consultants for whom the CV is an intrinsic part of the proposal.
Applications
Interested applicants should provide an expression of interest proposal covering the following aspects:
- An overview of the (lead) consultant’s past work, focusing on the most relevant. This should include a digital copy of at least one previous report delivered by the (lead) consultant(s).
- A curriculum vitae of the proposed consultant(s).
- If the consultant includes in his/her proposal one or more assistants, the CVs of the latter should be included in the proposal as well.
- References and other information supporting the required expertise listed in the qualitative requirements.
- An outline of the evaluation approach, including a detailed description of the proposed methodology/methods and workplan
- A financial proposal: detailing number of days for each part x daily fee and the total cost per phase and for the three phases together. The proposed budget should be inclusive of all applicable taxes and desired insurances.
A maximum of 25% of the agreed performance fees can be paid in advance, upon request. Payments will be subsequent to approval of deliverables.
Payments shall be regulated through the contract with VVOB.
Please note that the contract will be concluded with VVOB Rwanda, KG 565 St, Kacyiru, Kigali, Rwanda. The expression of interest therefore need to include in their financial proposal a 15% withholding income tax.
Deadline for submission: 2nd November 2020, 23:00 CEST
Proposals need to be send by email to: Jocelyne.cyiza.kirezi@vvob.org.
