EU4Innovation STEM Project: Technical Assistance for strengthening of NCEDI capacities

  REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

                                            (CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

Country: Republic of Armenia

Name of Grant Project: EU4Innovation

Grant No.: TF0B2692

Assignment Title: TA for strengthening of NCEDI capacities

Reference No. (as per Procurement Plan): EU4 CQ -1/2021 (Line 2, Component 1) 

The Republic of Armenia has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the EU4 Innovation grant project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. 

The consulting services (“the Services”) include:     to provide advisory support to guide development of teacher professional development framework, suggestions for the development of schools management, governance, also assessment systems, to develop methodologies and guidelines for the development and expertise of educational curricula, learning materials, textbooks and standards for the accreditation of in-service teacher training providers, which will help to set up a proper quality assurance system to evaluate and monitor the quality and delivery of teacher trainings. The expected start date of the assignment is November 2021 and the implementation period will be about one year.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment are attached to this request for expressions of interest.

The Center for Education Projects Project Implementation Unit State Agency (CEP PIU SA) now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

The shortlisting criteria are: at least 6 experts with the higher education in the field of Pedagogy and Education Management with  excellent knowledge of English; at least 5 years experience in the field of education, at least 3 years of experience in the field of general education, including experience in schools management and governance system, developing of educational content, methodologies for the professional development of teachers and etc.; at least 5 years experience of organizing and conducting trainings, consultation services in the field of general education system; knowledge of the Armenian General Education System and ongoing reforms will be an asset.

Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016 , revised November 2017 and August 2018 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultant’s qualifications-based selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours

Center for Education Projects PIU SA

Coordinator: Ms. Lilit Shavarshyan

Address: 73 Simon Vratsyan street, 2nd floor, Yerevan, 0070, Republic of Armenia

Telephone:  +374 10 575690 ext. 24

Electronic mail address: info@cfep.am.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, by mail or by e-mail) by September 03, 2021 at 17:00 /Local time/.

“Center for Education Projects” PIU SA of MoESCS

Attn: Mr. Vardan Poghosyan, Procurement Officer

73 S. Vratsyan Street,

Yerevan, 0070, Republic of Armenia

Tel: +374 10 575690 ext. 27

E-mail: info@cfep.am

                                                                REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

“EU4INNOVATION IN ARMENIA: ENHANCED EDUCATION FOCUSING ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS” PROJECT

COMPONENT 1 “INCREASING CAPACITY OF THE NCEDI TO BETTER REGULATE POLICIES AFFECTING THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS”

                                                               TERMS OF REFERENCES

                                                                                 FOR

                          STRENGTHENING CAPACITIES OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION                                                               DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION (NCEDI)

1. BACKGROUND

The Government of Armenia has received grant, from the European Union through World Bank, under the EU-World Bank Partnership Part III for Europe and Central Asia Programmatic Single-Donor Trust Fund (EU4Innnovation Stem Pilot Activities) for the implementation of “EU4innovation in Armenia: Enhanced education focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics” project.

The purpose of this Project is: (i) to increase the capacity of the National Center for Education Development and Innovation (NCEDI) to formulate and manage key policies affecting general education quality and (ii) to improve the learning environment for delivery of STEM education in selected regions.

The Project Development Objectives of EU4 Innovation are to provide advisory services and technical assistance to raise the capacity of National Center for Education Development and Innovation (NCEDI) to develop and manage continuous professional development for teachers, including the acquisition of the hardware and equipment necessary for the roll-out of the STEM pilot.

The Project consists of the following components:

Component 1- Increasing capacity of the NCEDI to better regulate policies affecting the professional development of teachers

Component 2- Acquisition of hardware and equipment for the roll out the regional pilot on new approaches to STEM teaching and learning

Component 3- Project Management 

The first component of the Project is “Increasing capacity of the NCEDI to better regulate policies affecting the professional development of teachers”, which is intended to the professional development of teachers and other staff of school, to define methodologies and guidelines for the development and expertise of educational curricula, learning materials, textbooks, assessment system, as well to coordinate the implementation of above activities. NCEDI will also be responsible for education, research and innovation, including development of proposals to improve the ongoing policies regarding education financing, management and etc.     

The National Institute of Education (NIE) used to be the sole-source provider of most of the public in-service teacher trainings in the country. It is functioned like a service delivery institution, carrying out various activities defined by annual contracts with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MoESCS) and had limited capacity to form new policies for better regulation of the teaching profession. Several other specialized institutions created since early 2000 in the fields of examination and accreditation and textbooks had overlaps with the mandate of the NIE. Currently, the NIE is dissolved, and a new agency, called the National Center for Education Development and Innovation (NCEDI), will replace it. The rationalization and modernization of NIE under a new name and mandate was deemed necessary, since strengthening teacher qualifications and modern teaching methods are among the key priorities for Armenia. In this sense, the new NCEDI will need to build new capacity based on its new functions, which will include some of NIE’s former mandate as well as potential new ones to be announced described above. Besides, NCEDI develops draft laws and regulations, methodological materials, guidelines, organizes trainings for school principals, deputy principals, heads of methodological associations, teachers, board members and etc.

1. OBJECTIVE

The proposed component will support the Government in the development of the teacher professional development framework, which would outline the knowledge, practice, and professional engagement required from teachers. Besides, several activities will be implemented under this Component in terms of school management system development. The development of the framework will be guided by international best practice, stakeholder consultations and alignment with the requirements set forth by the new curriculum. This component will also support the Government’s strategy to outsource the provision of teacher training to eligible training providers. Technical assistance will be provided to develop standards for teacher training, defining requirements for the accreditation of teacher training providers, and putting in place a proper quality assurance system to monitor quality and delivery of in-service teacher trainings. Besides, methodologies and guidelines for the development and expertise of educational curricula, learning materials, textbooks, assessment system will be defined and proposals will be developed to improve the ongoing policies regarding education financing, management, evaluation system, good governance and etc. under the Component.

The specific activities supported under this component, include, but may not be limited to:

1. Strengthen the Capacity for Teacher Professional Development within NCEDI. This activity entails targeted advisory support to guide development of teacher professional development framework, on the job training of core staff of the unit and opportunities for study tour to learn about best practices and innovations in teacher policies, also development of school management system.
2. Supporting Outsourcing of teacher training. This activity will support development of standards for the accreditation of in-service teacher training providers and will help to set up a proper quality assurance system to evaluate and monitor the quality and delivery of teacher trainings. Besides, this Component will support to conduct trainings for school management implementers.

All actions, planned and implemented under the Project, aim at building and strengthening the capacities of the NCEDI staff for continuous further development after the Project completion.

1. CONSULTING ASSIGNMENT

The Consultant shall be expected to work in close collaboration with:

• Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport;
• National Center for Education Development and Innovation
• Center for Education Projects PIU;
• State General Educational Institutions

1. SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES

The following main activities shall be carried out by the Consultant:

• To examine specifications, structure, charter and other documents related to the newly established NCDEI;
• To examine legal acts, laws, and other related documents regarding to the General Education of Armenia;
• To examine experience of such Centers and provide suggestions;
• To present best practices and innovations in teacher training policies;
•      To provide advisory support to guide development of teacher professional development framework;
• To provide suggestions for the development of schools management, governance, also assessment systems;
• To develop methodologies and guidelines for the development and expertise of educational curricula, learning materials, textbooks;
• To develop standards for the for the accreditation of in-service teacher training providers, which will help to set up a proper quality assurance system to evaluate and monitor the quality and delivery of teacher trainings;
• To develop methodological materials, strategies or other relevant documents on the school management system;
•  To name the  names of  existing teacher professional development organizations , which they advise NCEDI  to join and also represent the features  of the  joining process;
• To introduce the best practices for work monitoring, support and assessment of what has been learned by trained teachers and administrative staff;
• To introduce methods for evaluating the work of school-trained teachers and disseminating what they have learned at school;
• To organize and conduct job trainings of core staff of the unit toward the above mentioned issues;
• To organize and conduct trainings regarding to the issues, specifications of school management, governance system;
• To organize and conduct trainings for NCEDI staff (20%) on the development of teachers accreditation mechanisms;
• To organize study tours to learn about best practices and innovations in school policies.

Taking into account COVID 19 the trainings will be online.

  Besides, the Consultant will cooperate with the established appropriate working groups      , including members from the core staff of NCEDI . In particular, working groups will be formed toward the developing of management system of NCEDI, schools management and governance system, developing of educational content, methodologies for the professional development of teachers and etc. 

1. DELIVERABLES

The consultant should present report on:

Phase 1 (2 months)

• Examination results of specifications, structure, charter, other documents related to the newly established NCDEI;
• Examination results of legal acts, laws, and other related documents regarding to the General Education of Armenia;

• Examination results of such Centers;
• Suggestions for the improvement of newly established Center;

Phase 2 (2 months)

• Best practices and innovations in teacher training policies;
• Suggestions and for the development of teacher professional development framework;

Phase 3 (2 months)

• Suggestions for the development of schools management, governance, also assessment systems;

Phase 4 (2 months)

• Developed methodologies and guidelines for the development and expertise of educational curricula, learning materials, textbooks;

Phase 5 (2 months)

• Developed standards for the for the accreditation of in-service teacher training providers, which will help to set up a proper quality assurance system to evaluate and monitor the quality and delivery of teacher trainings;
• Developed methodological materials, strategies or other relevant documents on the school management system;
• Suggested list of teacher professional development organizations and advice to NCEDI  on joining process.
• The best practices for work monitoring, support and assessment of what has been learned by trained teachers and administrative staff;
• Methods for evaluating the work of school-trained teachers and disseminating what they have learned at school;

Phase 6 (2 months)

• Organized and conducted job trainings of core staff of the unit toward the abovementioned issues; Results of trainings of core staff.
• Organized and conducted trainings regarding to the issues, specifications of school management, governance system;
• Organize and conducted trainings for NCEDI staff (20%) on the development of teachers accreditation mechanisms;
• Organized study tours to learn about best practices and innovations in school policies.

1. REPORTING

     The Consultant should provide report during 5 working days after the end of each phase. 

1. REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATION

At least 6 experts with the higher education in the field of Pedagogy and Education Management with - excellent knowledge of English.

The minimum qualification requirements and evaluation criteria for the consulting firm are as the follows:

General Experience      

- At least 5 years experience in the field of education;

- At least 3 years of      experience in the field of general education, including experience in schools management and governance system, developing of educational content, methodologies for the professional development of teachers and etc.      

Specific experience concerning the assignment      

- At least 5 years experience of organizing and conducting trainings, consultation services in the field of general education system;

- Knowledge of the Armenian General Education System and ongoing reforms will be an asset.