Cambodia: Tender for assessment of the Teaching & Learning dimension of VSO Cambodia’s Education Programme

The assessment

Objectives

The assessment should generate sufficient information for VSO Cambodia,

1. To understand the relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of volunteer placements in the Teaching & Learning dimension of the education programme, in particular the placements of Teacher Training Advisers at Teacher Training Colleges

2. To address the question of whether VSO’s interventions, especially volunteer placements, have had real results[PM1] in the Teaching & Learning dimension of the education programme, in particular the placements of Teacher Training Advisers at Teacher Training Colleges. If yes, what were some of the results

3. to be able to communicate examples of what worked well to improve the quality of teaching & learning in the selected provinces

4. to genuinely learn what interventions didn’t work well or that weren’t sustained, and why

5. to improve monitoring, evaluation and learning mechanisms in the Teaching & Learning dimension of the Education Programme

Output

In response to objectives 1 to 4:

· A report (in excellent English), for internal and external use, containing an executive summary, introduction, assessment methodology, information responding to objectives 1 to 4, recommendations, conclusion and annexes

· An executive summary (in Khmer)

In response to objective 5:

· A separate document (in English), for internal use only, containing recommendations responding to objective 5

Scope and scale

To assess the relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of the Teaching & Learning dimension of VSO Cambodia’s Education Programme, in relation to VSO Cambodia Strategy 2012-2017 and the dimension’s objectives. To determine what results, if any, have come from VSO’s interventions and volunteer placements in Teaching & Learning, and to identify some or all of the results.

The primary focus of the assessment is the recent placement (i.e. in the past three years) of Teacher Training Advisers at two Teacher Training Colleges (in Stung Treng and Kratie) and two District Offices of Education (in Kratie and Mondulkiri).

The secondary topics to be assessed, but to a much lesser extent, are three other placements in the Teaching & Learning dimension, i.e. the Science Education Adviser, Basic English Language Adviser and Teacher Training Curriculum Adviser at the Teacher Training Curriculum Department in Phnom Penh.

To make recommendations for further integration of the above interventions in the Teaching & Learning dimension, in order to increase their relevance, effectiveness and sustainability.

Method

The assessment should be informed by:

· Desk research: Volunteer Quarterly Reports, End-of-Placement Reports, Partnership Reviews, Programme Area Reviews, VSO Progress Review for donor, quantitative data from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and other relevant documentation

· Field visits to Stung Treng, Kratie and Mondulkiri. Conversations with volunteers, intermediate beneficiaries (including teachers, teacher trainers, teacher trainees, school directors and education staff at sub-national level) and ultimate beneficiaries (including students, parents and other community members)

· Meetings with officials of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (e.g. the Teacher Training Department) and VSO Cambodia Education Programme team.

A first draft of the report should be submitted to VSO by March 23^rd 2016. Upon receiving feedback from VSO by March 25^th 2016, a final report should be submitted to VSO by March 28^th 2016.

Requirements

VSO is looking for an individual or team with:

· Experience in the evaluation of projects;

· Experience and confidence in conducting meetings with a variety of actors (Ministry officials, intermediate and ultimate beneficiaries);

· Experience in education, preferably in a development country;

· A graduate degree [PM2] in development related studies and/or monitoring & evaluation;

· Complementary language skills (i.e. native English proficiency and native Khmer proficiency);

Desired but not compulsory:

· Experience in capacity building as a contribution to improving the management and delivery of education services;

· Familiarity with volunteering and working in partnership as approaches to development

[PM1]I think this is the question you are trying to address: Have they had results or not?

[PM2]Do you think they necessarily need a post-graduate degree if they have other relevant qualifications?

Application

Proposals should contain the following information, in separate PDF files and numbered as follows:

1. CVs of all team member(s);

2. An example of a report produced by one or more team members;

3. An explanation of the methodological approach, based on the objectives, scope and scale, and method of the assessment, including a work plan by week;

4. A cost of the proposal, including a tentative breakdown of costs;

5. Two relevant references

Please submit proposals, no later than Friday January 29^th 2016, to:

Onno de Weerd (Mr.), Education Programme Manager, VSO Cambodia

onno.deweerd@vsoint.org

Please submit inquiries related to this tender, no later than Friday January 22^nd 2016, to the abovementioned person. VSO will respond to inquiries, where appropriate, through an updated version of this tender. The updated version will be available from January 25^th 2016 and will be sent upon request, and by default to all who submitted an inquiry.