Background about Save the Children
Save the Children is the leading global independent organisation for children. Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.
We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.
Our vision: A world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.
Our mission: To inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.
Our values: Accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity and integrity.
We are committed to ensuring our resources are used as efficiently as possible, in order to focus them on achieving maximum impact for children.
Background information/context of literacy boost project
In Ethiopia access to primary education has considerably been improved in the last decades, as many schools were constructed, reducing the distance children are traveling to reach schools. According to the Education Statistic Abstract for 2019/2020, the Net enrolment rate to primary education nationally is 95.3%. Yet, achieving education quality remains challenging. Different assessments on reading skills among children indicated that a significant proportion could not read fluently in their mother tongue after completing grade 2 and 3. Sidama, Southern Ethiopia and Central Ethiopia regional states are among the regions in Ethiopia where children demonstrated the lowest reading skills.
Save the Children has been implementing Literacy Boost (LB) common approach in Sidama, Southern Ethiopia and Central Ethiopia regional states through this project funded by Save the Children Italy. The goal of the project was to promote the integration of LB approach into the official curriculum of English and local languages, to build teachers’ capacity on the methodology and, ultimately to improve the reading skills of school-age children.
This overall goal was expected to be achieved through a series of inter-connected activities addressed to teachers, children, and district, regional, and national education bureaus. The goal was expected to be achieved through 1) Training 38 master trainers (34 education experts from national, and regional education bureaus and district education offices, and four SCI Education Specialists) on the LB approach; 2) Training 1,500 mother tongue and English teachers from 750 lower primary schools (grades 1-4) using those who were trained as master trainers; 3) providing training to teachers, 66 education experts (2 from MOE, 8 from Sidama, Southern Ethiopia and Central Ethiopia regional states (3 zones), 6 from districts on coaching and mentoring services. and 4) Strengthening the integration and implementation of the Literacy Boost approach into the primary grade curriculum.
In addition, schools have the potential to expose children at risk of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Violence in school can reduce school attendance, lower academic performance, and increase drop-out rates. Children who are subjected to violence may experience physical injury, sexually transmitted infections, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal thoughts. They may also begin to exhibit risky, aggressive, and anti-social behaviour. Children who grow up around violence have a greater chance of replicating it for a new generation of victims.
This has devastating consequences for the success and prosperity of children, their families, and entire communities. In this regard, it is pertinent to develop and implement life skills and social and emotional learning programmes to build the resilience and protective capacity of children and youth.
Therefore, along with building the capacity of teachers and the school community on literacy boost for primary school children, it is believed important for schools to provide quality, inclusive and safe education, children can learn, build friendships, and gain the critical skills they need to navigate social situations. This will be granted whenever schools are free from violence and other child protection issues.
As a result, endline assessments and evaluations are scheduled to be carried out in order to produce proof of the effects of the Literacy Boost approach as well as a few important child protection indicators that are focused on schools. The endline assessment is anticipated to guide our upcoming programming and assist SCI in utilising the lessons learned and difficulties encountered during the project's execution. Additionally, it will help in identifying the best lessons to be documented. It will primarily encourage gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive classroom instruction, which will further support the project's major goals. In this process, the end-line assessment will also be supportive to identify key child protection concerns ( such as child marriage, child abuse, exploitation, neglect, violence, trafficking, etc) in the school and community surroundings. Brief summary of the project is provided below:
Project General objectives - the overall objective of the project was to Strengthen the integration of Literacy Boost Approach into the official curriculum and improve reading skills of children in primary schools (grades 1-4) of Sidama, Southern and Central Ethiopia regional states through building teachers’ capacity on Literacy Boost approach.
Specific Objective(s) - To demonstrate the effectiveness of the LB on the literacy level of grades 1-4 children in selected schools of SNNPR and Sidama regions for it to be integrated in the official curriculum in mother tongues and English language.
Member / Donor - Save the Children Italy
Project duration - July1, 2021 - December 31, 2022 (18 months)
Thematic areas – Education
Target groups- 187,500 Children (93,750 Females) age 7-10 years old in Grades 1-4:, 1500 (750 F) Primary school mother tongue and English teachers: and 122 Education experts:
Implementing partners – District education offices in Sidama and SNNPR
Implementation areas (regions, woredas, schools, etc.) – South Ethiopia, Central Ethiopia, and Sidama Regional states.
Objective of the consultancy assignment
This end-of-project survey aims to gather data regarding the project's effectiveness across three regions: Sidama, Central, and South Ethiopia. Additionally, its goal is to monitor how the project has impacted students' reading abilities and teachers' ability to teach. Furthermore, the evaluation is anticipated to identify important child protection-related interventions (e.g., school clubs, psycho-social support programmes, reporting protection risks and compliant handling mechanisms, teacher capacity on CP fundamentals, etc.) and evaluate the ways in which protection issues are recognised, handled, and evaluated in relation to academic achievement and literacy gains.
The results and suggestions will be utilised to track advancement towards the project's goals and objectives and to close any gaps found during the implementation of the project's next phase. The project's final report will be distributed to various education stakeholders so they may draw lessons from it.
The evidence will serve to establish benchmark for the Education and child protection integrated project, which is under implementation. In other words, the finding (s) will provide information on strengths and area of improvement to gear the current project implementation.
More specifically, the end-line assessment will have the following key objectives.
Location (s) and travel involved
Data should be collected from Sidama, central and South Ethiopia regions and districts of project intervention. The consultant is expected to train and deploy data collectors in sample of 750 schools in three regions mentioned above and ten intervention districts.
Regions | Zones | Woredas | Number of Schools |
South Ethiopia Regional State | Gedeo | Dilla Zuria | 25 |
Gedeb | 41 | ||
Kochore | 26 | ||
Wonago | 36 | ||
Dilla Town | 1 | ||
Bayra Koysha | 14 | ||
Boloso Bombe | 42 | ||
Boloso Sore | 43 | ||
Damot | 32 |
sodo Zuri | 29 | ||
Offa | 29 | ||
Central Ethiopia Regional State | Halaba | Atoti Ulo | 23 |
Kulito Town | 17 | ||
Weira | 37 | ||
Weira Dijo | 30 | ||
Sidama Regional State | Wondo Genet | 23 | |
Dale | 48 | ||
Aleta Wondo | 36 | ||
Loka Abaye | 35 |
Shebedino | 27 | ||
Dara Kewadu | 37 | ||
Gorche | 47 | ||
Aleta Chuko | 37 | ||
Hawassa Zuriya | 35 | ||
Total | 750 |
Services the Supplier will provide
The consultancy firm is expected to describe methodology to be followed for collecting data to achieve assessment objective related to literacy skills of children and stakeholders involved in education of children. This will include scientific sampling method to be pursued (with 95% Confidence Level and 5% margin of error) , tools to be used in line with target population of the study, namely, children and adults.
Data collection tools should be drafted and submitted for SCI for review and feedback. number and qualification of data collectors should be indicate per data collection location, including language skill and the mechanisms to consolidate and analyse the data collected. Consolidated data should be provided to SCI along the report for reference and cross checking. The consultancy firm should be willing to be engaged in Pre- consultancy offer consultation session about the methodology, its team composition (number of data collectors and language skill), cost breakdown and deadline for submission of the report. The firm should be able to organize a validation workshop to receive feedback from SCI and update the report based on the feedback.
Estimated Commencement Date: April , 2024
Estimated End Date: May 22, 2024
Deliverable | Duration | description | Start | Outputs |
Contract Signing | After technical and financial document is rated and winner identified | April 22, 2024 | Signed Contract | |
Desk Review and inception report | 4 days | Review literature and secondary data | April 23-26, 2024 | Inception Report with tools |
Tool development, enumerators training and Data collection | 5 days | Develop tool in line with data collection type | April 29-May 10, 2024 | agreed on tool developed |
Analysis and Report writing | 3 days | Analyse according to key indicators or components of literacy and triangulate data | May 13- May 15, 2024 | Draft Report |
Analysis and Report writing | 2 days | Interpret/analyse data | May 16- May 17, 2024 | Draft Report |
Finalization of report | 3days | Incorporate inputs from SCI | May 20-22, 2024 | Final report (hardcopy and softcopy) |
Total Days | Calendar days | 38 |
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The Supplier shall provide the below status updates for the duration of the services:
Acceptance
When deliverables are acceptable by SCI then this will be communicated through supply chain, by e-mail or phone as appropriate.
General assumptions and dependencies
The consultant selected for the assignment shall:
Save the Children shall:
Payment information
Payment will be made on a milestone basis, on specific dates or all on satisfactory completion of the work, as indicated below:
The Fees are inclusive of all costs, overheads and expenses, including travel, subsistence and accommodation (no additional cost or financial support to be extended outside the ToR).
Other important information
Sub-contracting to translation of tools to local language can be done by the consultant but deliverable should be finalized within the consultancy period and will be the responsibility of the consultant.
Technical proposal evaluation criteria
Criteria | Score |
Technical proposal |
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Understanding of the TOR | 5 |
Quality of the Technical proposal (in line with the TOR) and clarity of methodology | 20 |
Consultancy Team Up – relevant education and technical experience of the core team | 10 |
Experience with the consultancy firm for conducting similar works in a similar context | 20 |
Delivery schedule meeting the ToR needs | 5 |
Total score of the technical proposal | 60% |
Note: 1. Only consulting firms scoring 45% and above on the technical evaluation shall be considered for financial review. |
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Financial Proposal should link costs to the activities and outputs in the Terms of Reference Note: Among those technically responsive consulting firms the lowest price offered will score 40% and the others' offer will be calculated proportionally with the price of the least offered. | 40% |
Total (Combined) scores, (technical plus financial) Note: The highest combined score will be the winner for the assignment. | 100% |
Terms and Conditions of the Consultancy
Code of conduct: Because Save the Children's work is based on deeply held values and principles, our commitment to children's rights must be supported and demonstrated by all staff members of the consultancy firm. Save the Children's Code of Conduct (COC) sets out the standards that the consultant will also be expected to adhere to. Consultants must sign the child-safeguarding policy of Save the Children before departing to the field and ensure compliance with the code while on duty.
Logistics: The consultancy firm will cover the costs of accommodation, per diem, air tickets, and travel including vehicles for its staff and service fee of enumerators during data collection.
Tax and insurance: The consultancy firm will be responsible for paying taxation and other related government fees.
Contract: a contract will be signed between the consultancy firm and SCI upon the commencement of the endline assessment detailing additional terms and conditions of service.
Experience and skill set required
Bidder should indicate the proposed number of resources, along with the competencies, qualifications and experience of each resource in their application.. Bidders will be able to attach the CV and other documentation supporting their relevant experience of proposed individual/team when responding.
Expected Deliverables
The consultancy firm is expected to deliver the below services as part of consultancy undertaking:
Deliverable number | Deliverable title | Description | Format and style | Delivery date |
1 | Develop technical proposal for the assessment. | The proposal should indicate understanding of the TOR and alignment of application with the TOR | Follow issues raised in the TOR about literacy | April 22 |
2 | Conduct literature review | Review literature related to literacy work with arguments about the need, ways and mechanism developing children reading skills | Should be supported by reference to professional works | April 24 |
3 | Prepare and submit an Inception report | The inception report should describe the objectives, methodologies, sample size and tools of collecting data | April 26 | |
4 | Develop data collection tools and refine with technical input from Save the Children | Tools should be developed appropriate to the target audience in English and then should be translated in local language to engage children and adults ( could be in Amharic for adults, in consultation with field team) | April 29 | |
5 | Train experienced enumerators and collect data from the field | Indicate adequate and qualified number of data collectors for collecting data at the specified time | May3,2024 | |
6 | Collect data | As per the tools developed | May 6-10,24 | |
7 | Consolidate and Analyse the data and write an endline assessment report | Should be written in English and proof read, as well as all basic data from data collection included, analsysed and interpreted in the report; | Should indicate in track changes what has been incorporated and what is pending | May 13-15 |
8 | Conduct a validation workshop and present the endline findings | Power point should be prepared covering the summary of report | May 17 | |
9 | Submit the report/data in hard and soft copy | Send via e-mail as well as hard copy with cover letter | May 20 |
10 | Incorporate comments and submit a final assessment report | The changes should be indicated in track change for e-mail based submission of final report | With cover letter and responding to key issues raised by SCI | May 22 |