Aga Khan Foundation
Request for Proposal Foundations for Learning Annual Outcome Study.
Introduction
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of private not-for profit, non-denominational international development agencies, institutions and programmes that work primarily in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia to improve the quality of life of communities in remote and resource poor areas. In East Africa, AKF works with partners to improve the quality of life by promoting and developing innovative solutions to challenges of development in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Reflecting the complex and multi-faceted nature of development, AKF programmes in the region encompasses Education, Health and Nutrition, Early Childhood Development, Agriculture and Food Security, Climate Resilience, Economic Inclusion and Civil Society. AKF is seeking a qualified consultant(s) to lead on data analysis and reporting for a quantitative annual outcome study for the Foundations for Learning (F4L) component of the Foundations for Education and Empowerment (F4EE) project.
Background
The Foundations for Education and Empowerment (F4EE) is a five-year, CAD $57.6 million (GAC: $49 million, AKF Canada: $8.6 million) project funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and AKF Canada that will improve the educational systems at the pre-primary and primary level, in addition to strengthening women’s empowerment, and gender equality in five countries: Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda. The project is executed by Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) and implemented by Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) units in each country, in partnership with the Aga Khan Schools (AKS), Aga Khan University (AKU), and the Madrasa Early Childhood Programme (MECP) in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
F4EE comprises three components: Foundations for Learning (F4L), Advancing Gender Equality through Civil Society (AGECS), and Advancing Canadian Champions for Development (ACCD). Through these interrelated components, F4EE will: (1) strengthen the delivery of quality, gender-responsive, and inclusive pre-primary and primary education, and other social development services, (2) reduce gender and social barriers to the utilization and uptake of education and other sustainable development services, and (3) enhance the engagement of international and Canadian stakeholders in gender-sensitive and evidence-based development programming.
Scope
The study will cover only the F4L component of the broader F4EE project. The annual outcome study will analyse data collected from the work being conducted across various sub-geographies in Kenya (Mombasa, Lamu, Kilifi and Kwale counties), Tanzania (Lindi Rural, Lindi Urban, Ruangwa, and Zanzibar districts), and Uganda (Arua and Yumbe districts). The target samples are available in Annex 4. Please note that data collection is ongoing at the time of advertisement, so final sample sizes will be confirmed with the consultant after contracting. Additionally, data collection from primary schools in Kenya will take place in February 2024, after which this data will also be shared with the consultant for inclusion in the report and subsequent deliverables.
AKF requires the services of a consultant to clean, analyze and interpret the collected data and write a report. The task/consultancy will be done within a period of 35 working days between 3rd January – 10th May 2024. The tasks can be carried out remotely.
The indicators to be analysed for the Annual Outcome Study are available in Annex 2.
Objectives of the Annual Outcome study
The objectives of the annual outcome study include:
- To assess annual progress against the project’s outcome-level indicators under the Foundations for Learning (F4L) component of the Foundations for Education and Empowerment (F4EE) project that are included in the scope of the assessment (see Annex 2).
- To identify successes and challenges, informing data-driven decisions on project adaptations.
The Annual Outcome Assessment Plan will not only serve as a tool for internal reflection and improvement but will also play a vital role in fulfilling our reporting obligations to Global Affairs Canada at the end of the project year. This assessment will be the key means of collecting data to demonstrate project progress to GAC and internally during the current project year.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The consultant (individual consultants/firms) will be responsible for data analysis and reporting. See the specific tasks below:
- Review and clean the data to ensure it is ready for analysis and interpretation.
- Review indicator analysis plans and tentative dummy tables (see Annexes 2 and 3) and share any questions or comments.
- Share preliminary findings with AKF for feedback in the form of populated dummy tables, adding additional summary statistics or other metrics where relevant.
- Develop an annual outcome study report plus annexes (see Annex 1).
- Circulate the draft report to AKF for feedback and ensure that the feedback is adequately included in the revised report.
- Create (country-specific) PowerPoint materials for validation workshops to present key findings against outcome indicators to key AKDN staff for final feedback and validation: 1) Kenya, 2) Tanzania, and 3) Uganda.
- Produce a final report.
Deliverables and target timelines
The main deliverables for this project are as follows:
- Preliminary findings, including populated dummy tables and any other required metrics (excluding Kenya primary school data) – February 2, 2023
- Country-specific PowerPoint presentations for validation workshops (Uganda and Tanzania/Zanzibar) – February 16, 2023
- Draft report plus annexes (including Kenya primary school data) – March 8, 2023
- Country-specific PowerPoint presentation for validation workshop (Kenya) – March 11, 2023
- Final Annual Outcome Study report plus annexes (including Kenya primary school data) – April 5, 2023
Report requirements: All reports should be submitted in electronic form and should be submitted in English.
Detailed work plan: Bidders are required to provide a detailed work plan incorporating all relevant tasks and milestones from start to finish of the assignment.
See https://akdngva-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/bevian_elseba_akdn_org/EgYBn2a-kzBCpsf800hqG70Bmoys_mo-GPfn_LvNwBXZWw?e=1wSIyD for Data analysis plan, preliminary dummy tables and annual study outcome
- Ethical Standards and Safeguarding
The consultant must observe high ethical standards during this assignment. This includes protection of participants from potential research-related harms while observing confidentiality, data protection and safeguarding principles. The consultant must conscientiously abide by AKF’s Safeguarding Manual, and all members of the Consultant team must sign AKF’s Safeguarding Statement of Commitment upon contracting.
- Qualifications Required
The proposed consultant (individual consultants/firms) must demonstrate the following technical expertise and practical experience required to deliver the scope of the work:
- A bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline such as education, ECD or gender studies.
- Minimum of five (5) years of experience in management, analysis and reporting using quantitative data, preferably for international non-profit organizations or multilateral agencies.
- Specialization in pre-primary and primary education and gender equality issues.
- Demonstrated experience in cleaning and analyzing datasets for research purposes.
- Demonstrated experience in quantitative data analysis and statistics, including using statistical packages for analyzing datasets (Excel, SPSS, SAS etc)
Expert capacity in technical written and verbal English for international development projects
10. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following set of criteria:
CRITERIA MAXIMUM SCORE
Technical Component
Demonstrated experience in conducting similar studies assignments 30
Education and technical experience of team 15
Proposed methodology and approach 35
Total Technical Component 80
Financial Component
Realistic and appropriate costs for proposed work 10
All relevant costs included to carry out proposed work 10
Total Financial Component 20
Total Financial and Technical Marks 100
How to apply
- Application Package
Consultants (individual consultants/firms) meeting the above criteria are invited to submit the following application package:
- Letter of interest, including the names and contact information of two previous clients who can be contacted regarding relevant experience. Consultants are also expected to disclose any conflict of interest related to this mandate with AKF.
- Detailed technical proposal of not more than 8 pages clearly demonstrating a thorough understanding of this request for proposals and including the following:
- Description of proposed approach, including data cleaning, management, analysis, and reporting, factoring in gender equality and ethical standards
- Demonstrated previous experience in quantitative data analysis and reporting and other qualifications outlined in this TOR
- A proposed timeframe detailing activities and a schedule/work plan (including a Gantt chart)
- Team composition and level of effort of each proposed team member
- A financial proposal with a detailed breakdown of costs for the study (taking into account an additional 5% VAT for bidders based in Kenya and 20% VAT for bidders not based in Kenya)
- Itemized consultancy fees/costs
- Itemized administrative expenses
- Validity period of quotations
- Expected payment plan and method
- CVs of all proposed team members outlining relevant experience (annexed to technical proposal)
- A copy of a previous report containing similar work undertaken on: a) baseline study; b) endline study; OR c) other relevant outcome-level study or assessment
- Copy of legal registration, certificate of incorporation and current year tax certificate (for registered firms)
- Consulting firm profile (if applicant is a firm)
Submissions must be received by AKF no later than 4th December 2023. E-mail these documents to [email protected] with ‘F4L Annual Outcome Study Application’ in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
AKF is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is Committed to Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children and Vulnerable Adults and Expects all Staff and Partners to Share this Commitment.
The Aga Khan Foundation is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (www.akdn.org)