UNICEF/EAPRO, Bangkok

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1 UNICEF/EAPRO, Bangkok TERMS OF REFERENCE - LONG TERM ARRANGEMENT ********************************************************************************** 1. Background As a joint contribution towards the achievement of MDGs 2 and 3 and the EFA Goals, UNICEF and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) launched the global Out-of-School Children Initiative (OOSCI) at the beginning of The Initiative involves working with countries to improve statistical information and analysis, as well as qualitative analysis to identify factors driving exclusion and to help countries develop relevant policies and strategies to address issues pertaining to Out-of-School Children. Data is drawn from administrative records and household surveys, as well as other sources to help establish complex profiles of OOSC. This, combined with an analysis of the multiple and overlapping forms of exclusion and disparities that affect Out-of-School Children, enable us to better understand the barriers and bottlenecks affecting exclusion in terms of policies and implementation. The main goal is to provide an evidence base for governments to make targeted changes in their policies and strategies to eliminate barriers for OOSC and increase the number of children in school. A total of 26 countries participated in the first phase of the global initiative, involving countries which together account for half of the world s out-of-school children. In the East Asia and the Pacific Region (EAP), this included Cambodia, Indonesia, Timor Leste, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The second phase of OOSCI includes around 15 more countries globally. In the case of East Asia and Pacific it includes: Vanuatu, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea as well as Thailand (2 nd revised study). The UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) is committed to assisting the countries engaged in OOSCI with analytical work around OOSCI, as well as with the overall report writing and to provide guidance for translating the policy recommendations into actions. Further, the regional office is committed to deliver a Regional Synthesis of the country studies. 2. Objectives, Purpose & Expected results EAPRO Education Section is seeking a qualified institution to enter a Long Term Arrangement (LTA) to provide technical support to the regional office in Bangkok and to countries in East Asia and Pacific participating in the Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children (OOSCI). This involves (but is not necessarily limited to) assisting countries in developing the analysis (analysis of barriers and policies) and helping finalise and quality assure the country reports. The selected institution will contribute to capacity development within each participating country to help ensure that governments can do similar work autonomously in future. Further, the institution will contribute towards strengthening the regional analysis and advocacy around OOSC through developing a Regional Synthesis of all OOSCI country studies in the region (up to 10 countries) under this LTA. It is expected that the Regional Synthesis will be completed in 2016 after all country reports have been finalised. Most of the work under this LTA involves contributing to the OOSCI analysis which is based on the Five Dimensions of Exclusion (5DE) and follows a prescribed methodology (see OOSCI Operational Manual Annex B). These dimensions capture data on excluded children from the pre-primary to the lower secondary school ages. The analysis is based on an approach which includes the following elements: 1

2 a) Develop specific profiles of out-of-school children, and the five dimensions of exclusion (5DE); which capture the complexity of the problem of OOSC in terms of magnitude, inequalities and multiple disparities around the 5DE; b) Analyse the barriers and bottlenecks to education children face and clarify the dynamic and causal processes related to the 5DE; c) Analyse existing policies and interventions and whether they are addressing the key constraints affecting the complex needs of OOSC; d) Based on the analysis formulate recommendations on how to address the issues linked to children s schooling in the country, taking into account the national context. Whereas element a) focusses on the statistical profiles of out-of-school children and is managed by UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Bangkok, the remaining elements will be the focus of this consultancy. Collaboration with UNICEF EAPRO, UNICEF Country Offices and UIS-AIMS Asia Pacific Regional Office is required throughout the period of the agreement. Additional assignments which may in due course also be supported through this LTA In addition to above there may be other potential work to be supported through the LTA in the region. The detail of such work would be agreed separately between the institution and UNICEF EAPRO and/or UNICEF Country Offices. Such work may include the following types of activity: Further analysis of bottlenecks and barriers affecting education programming which may include areas such as teacher development and deployment, school governance, etc. Additional qualitative/quantitative analysis on specific issues or further research to explore on findings from the initial OOSCI analysis Support to the education component of UNICEF Situation Analyses Training of UNICEF Education staff in the use of UNICEF methodologies, such as Monitoring Results for Equity Systems (MoRES) and tools such as Simulations for Equity in Education. Guidance will be provided on these tools by UNICEF EAPRO and HQ. Support to UNICEF for the development of theories of change in relation to country programming. Again areas will vary according to the specific needs as the Country Office level. Support to UNICEF Country Offices in costings and budget analysis. Support for the above additional assignments would be separately negotiated by UNICEF EAPRO or UNICEF Country Offices based on their specific needs. Institutions are requested to include the profiles of consultants who can contribute towards the above additional assignments in their bids. The initial assignment Details of the initial assignments are provided in Section 4 below. 3. Requirements for a Long Term ARRANGEMENT An LTA in UNICEF is a non-binding agreement and is not an obligation to commit funds or procure services, but rather serves as a guiding framework that facilitates the contracting of services on a regional level. Legally binding contracts are created through institutional contracts that will be raised between the selected service provider and the UNICEF office requiring services. An LTA is non-binding 2

3 and non-exclusive, and entities outside of the LTA framework may still be contracted for these services via routine procurement processes. Requirements for this LTA are: (a) The institution shall have access to expertise and capacity to undertake actives and deliver against the services that have been identified. (b) Based on the Terms of Reference defined by the respective UNICEF office, the institution should be able to identify candidate(s) from their data bases and forward the nominated CVs to the requesting regional/country office within 72 hours. (c) Under the overall guidance of the Regional Education Adviser and UNICEF Programme Section Chiefs in country the selected consultant will be responsible for the timely completion of all deliverables, meeting the defined and agreed quality standards set out at the beginning of the contract. (d) The institution contracted under the LTA will provide quality assurance of the work carried out by the respective consultant/s for any agreed deliverables. (e) Institutions will maintain and provide mid-year data on the usage of services. Each year the provider should provide a short annual report that includes a list of all technical support provided to UNICEF, by country and costs, summary of current commissions, summary of completed commissions, note gaps in meeting commissions, challenges to implementation and quality assurance. (f) Institutions are required to maintain detailed financial records and submit annual financial reports for all services. (g) End of contract evaluation report including recommendations on regional strategies to further improve analysis of factors affecting OOSC and strategies to enhance their inclusion Concrete deliverables, outputs and timeframes against which payments are made will be defined by UNICEF regional or country offices committing funds through binding contracts that reference the service, personnel profiles and pre-negotiated rates as well as any cost calculation methodologies referenced within the LTA. The proposed Long Term Agreement is for a period of 24 months. 4. Description of initial assignments A Long Term ARRANGEMENT is the preferred modality for this agreement as it is difficult to predict the precise scope and timing of individual pieces of work, including additional assignments as discussed above, during the period of the LTA, as this will depend on capacity levels at the country level and on decisions made by partner governments in terms of the precise timing of the work. The institution will however be expected to carry out an initial assignment in collaboration with UNICEF EAPRO producing an inception report. This will be of value for the following reasons: stock taking on progress to date on OOSCI across the region; ensuring that the institution is fully up-dated on methodological and other issues in relation to the TORs and finally in developing a plan for future assignments in collaboration with UNICEF EAPRO and the UNICEF Country Offices. Details of the initial assignment are given below. They include an indicative estimation of effort/days, but there is flexibility to negotiate on effort and time. 3

4 A. Inception Report: This should include: a. a review of the key methodological tools, including the OOSCI Operational Manual and relevant annexes; UNICEF guidelines on MoRES and the Simulation for Equity in Education (SEE), noting any concerns that should be addressed and how. This will include considerations on the collection of additional data on children with gender, disabilities, linguistic status, children in conflict and emergencies and migrant populations. Allow 10 days. b. a critique of OOSCI studies undertaken to date in the region, noting strengths and weaknesses and issues to address to enhance their quality, according to an agreed methodological framework (to be suggested by consultants). Allow 10 days c. an outline of the proposed methodological approach to the Regional Synthesis Report (due in 2016). Allow 3 days. d. Suggested schedule for country visits and TORs for specific visits, as agreed with UNICEF EAPRO and Country Offices and an overall joint timetable for the country studies and Regional Synthesis Report. Allow 5 days. B. Presentation of the above inception report. This will be at the UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Education Network Meeting (May 4-6 th, 2015) in Bangkok. Allow 2 days preparation, plus 2 days work and 2 travel to Bangkok. C. In-country technical support: Lao PDR, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand. This support should include: a. Development of the workshop agenda and plans in collaboration with the UNICEF Country Office, UNICEF EAPRO and UNESCO UIS b. Capacity development materials c. Facilitation of relevant sessions at country workshops as part of the capacity building work d. Collection of key information for the development of the barrier and policy analysis and policy recommendations. It should be noted that UNICEF Country Offices in participating countries will provide coordination and logistical support for in-country workshops. Costs related to in-country logistics such as trainings and workshops will be meet by UNICEF and the relevant governments involved. Allow for travel to and from countries, plus 5 days in country, plus 5 days prior communication with countries and EAPRO and pre-reading etc. Please note: the tasks under A and C may need to be carried out in parallel depending on the timing of Country Office requests which will depend on government. A team approach will be required as will flexibility in terms of timing and availability. The team will need to include expertise in qualitative data analysis, report writing and the facilitation of capacity building. D. Additional remote technical support to assist country analysis The exact nature of the support will be worked out jointly with the country teams but should include the key activities below: a. Support for the analysis of the barriers & bottlenecks, and completion of this section of the report. b. Based on the analysis, formulation of policy recommendations on how to address the above issues. c. Communication with national experts and UNICEF Country Offices to guide the national Steering Committee/Advisory Board on findings and recommendations 4

5 Allow: 15 days per country. E. Quality assurance and finalisation of OOSCI Country Reports to ensure consistently high standards in the final OOSCI reports, through: a. Drafting the chapters for the national OOSCI reports in close collaboration with the National Technical Team, UIS statistical expert and UNICEF EAPRO - following the OOSCI Operational Manual and other documentation as provided by UNICEF EAPRO b. Based on input from the national team, quality assure and finalise country OOSCI reports for each participating country. Allow: 10 days per country The analysis and country support will follow the OOSCI Operational Manual (to be launched in March) - which is based on the Conceptual Methodology Framework (ANNEX B). The analysis and support should result in OOSCI country reports (see ANNEX C for an example of a finalised OOSCI Country Report) being finalised for each participating country according to the global guidelines for national OOSCI reports (ANNEX D). F. Develop a Regional Synthesis Report The Regional Synthesis report will include a meta-analysis of the country reports and help identify trends in the region. An agreed format will be agreed between the institution selected and UNICEF for this report based on experience from other regions. UIS will assist in providing the statistical component of this report. The report will identify common trends and specificities at the country and sub-regional levels. It will be used to provide evidence based advocacy at the regional levels through forums such as the South East Asia Ministers of Education Organisation and through ASEAN, with which UNICEF now has an MOA. The number of countries represented in this report will depend on the willingness of governments to release their country reports. UNICEF will be responsible for influencing this process. But we should expect that the synthesis report will include reference to at least 6 country reports. The development of this report will essentially be a desk exercise. It will also be disseminated in the region at an appropriate high level meeting which is yet to be negotiated. So proposals should include two days for this dissemination activity. Allow: 45 days G. End of contract evaluation report End of contract evaluation report including recommendations on strategies to enhance analysis and actions around factors affecting OOSC (max 15 pages not including annexes). This report will also reflect any other work that the institution has been commissioned to do under this LTA during the two year period of the contract. Allow: 5 days 5. Work Schedule: The above assignment under the LTA is expected to commence in April Institutions bidding for this work should be available from at least April The matrix below provides an indication of key dates and assignments. # Deliverables Dates A Inception report incl. work plan April B Participation in the EAP Regional Education Network Meeting May 5th-6th C In-country technical support May - August 5

6 D Remote technical support May - August E Quality assurance and finalisation of country reports Aug 2015 Feb 2016 F Final Regional Synthesis Report February 2016 G End of contract evaluation report Feb/Mar Estimated Duration of Contract: The proposed Long Term Arrangement is for a period of 24 months. 7. Official Travel Involved: Travel to Lao PDR, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand. This include up to one week field support incl. the training workshop per country. The contract should include the costs of travel from country of origin to location of the participating countries. The travel rate must be proposed. 8. Estimated Cost of Contract: To be proposed by the institution. 9. Payment Schedule: Payment will be based on schedule of fees indicating unit cost for specified work assignments. 10. Qualifications or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required: The proposal should contain the following elements: a) Profile of the contractor demonstrating: At least 10 years direct experience in education and development contexts Demonstrated capacity for conducting policy research in education Expertise in qualitative analysis of factors affecting education delivery and impact Understanding of human rights based and equity focussed approaches to planning. Understanding of flexible learning strategies and alternative approaches to education Previous experience of statistical analysis in the education sector Experience of working with simulations in the education sector, including costings Extensive and relevant publications in this area of research Familiarity with Asia-Pacific Government systems and procedures Strong facilitation and capacity development skills Capacity to travel and work in the participating countries In-depth knowledge and presence in the region would be an advantage b) A technical proposal demonstrating: Ability to meet requirements indicated for this Long Term ARRANGEMENT Suggested work plan for completion of the first assignments 6

7 Analytical description of how the end products could be delivered as per the work schedule c) Description of the profile of the team/institution demonstrating: Capacity statement detailing institutional experience and expertise Human resource profiles linked to the deliverables and profile statement in a. above. Knowledge of - and demonstrated experience in - the Asia-Pacific region, including ideally the participating countries (Vanuatu, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea) Knowledge and experience in areas critical to the delivery of all assigned end products d) Schedule of fees: Detailed schedule of fees indicating unit cost for specified work assignments. Please provide the all-inclusive price (in US dollars) for delivery of professional services in accordance with the assignments described under this TOR and listed in the template for the schedule of fees (ANNEX E). The price must include all costs to be borne by the Bidder for undertaking the assignments. Please note that prices quoted must include any costs related to travel in capital and major cities. UNICEF will not pay for travel costs related to services provided in capital and major cities. In cases where travel is required to rural and remote locations, the service provider can negotiate travel costs with the UNICEF office requesting the services. Any travel costs paid will be as per each UN agencies rules and regulations. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS: 1. The Contractor (and any sub-contracted institutions under the lead contractor) must be legally permitted to operate and have a license (if required by law) to carry out the required tasks 2. The Contractor or sub-contractor must be established for more than 2 years and have direct experiences in the required tasks 3. The Contractor or sub-contractor operation must comply with UNICEF security standards 11. Type of Supervision that will be provided: The Regional OOSCI Consultant will provide regular support and help monitor progress, including assisting with co-ordination with UNICEF country offices and UIS. 12. Consultant s Work Place: The work will be done at the contractor s own premises. 13. Nature of Penalty Clause to be Stipulated in Contract If the quality of the output does not meet expectations, UNICEF reserves the right to reduce the consultancy fee up to a maximum of 30% 7

8 Evaluation Matrix for the Out-Of-School Children Initiative (OOSCI) phase II Technical Evaluation of the Proposal Average Points Company and human resources profile i. Team leader: appropriate qualifications and relevant experience in providing similar supportive leaderships in terms of scope, content and complexity. ii. Team members: relevant technical knowledge and experience in providing assistance of similar scope content and complexity, covering all aspects of the TORs. iii. Proposed mode of coordination, both within the team, and with UNICEF Regional and Country offices. iv. Ability to travel to the participating countries, AND demonstrated ability to provide remote technical support. v. Previous experience of working with governments and other parties in the region. Client quality i. List of customer references ii. List of relevant previous work undertaken, including research and evaluation. iii. Examples of methodological tools/approaches previously used demonstrating linkage to the tasks required. Quality of proposals i. Demonstrated understanding of requirements, objectives and deliverables ii. Demonstrated understanding of the scope and complexity of the assignment, including the ability to analyse and respond to key issues in this RFP iii. Quality of work plan and timeline provided iv. Overall clarity and completeness of the proposal Implementation strategies i. Quality of proposed approach/ methodology as per the CMF ii. Quality of proposed Implementation Plan, i.e. how to undertake and execute the requested assignments for each country given the timeframe and factors affecting the different country contexts. iii. Overall quality of the proposed approach and its feasibility (25 points) (20 points) (20 points) (15 points) Financial Proposal FINANCIAL Assessment/ review will include: i. Overall budget proposed ii. Cost benefit comparison related to number and quality of personnel in the Proposal who will execute the initiative iii. Completeness of the Financial Proposal (ensure that all costs, including costs of travel, salaries, related support costs, operational costs, time period, etc. are included in the price offered). TOTAL MARKS (20 points) 100 points Please note that the technical proposal has a total evaluation value of 80 points. Technical proposals receiving 60 points or higher will be considered technically responsive and the Price proposal from these shortlisted intuitions will be opened and considered. Proposals which are not considered to be technically compliant and non-responsive will not be given further consideration. The total number of points allocated for the Price Proposal is at 20. 8