Call for Proposals Date: 17 January 2018 Request to submit a written technical and financial proposal for an assignment with STEP on: Bursary Program for Non-formal Skills Development Training Program for Vulnerable Populations The Skills and Technical Education Program (STEP) is inviting written proposals from local training institutions for the bursary initiative described in attachment A. To enable you to prepare a proposal for this assignment, please find attached the following documents: (a) Terms of Reference (attachment A); (b) Financial template (attachment B) Your written proposal should comprise (please also refer to the eligible criteria below): 1) Technical Proposal that consists of the following: A description of the training institution and how it meets eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria are described in the terms of reference. A description of the training institution s current and previous engagement in running skills development training programs for vulnerable populations and the results of the programs in Malawi; A detailed proposal of how the training institution will respond to the objectives of the bursary program A work plan, including specific indicators and timelines; A description of the proposed team to manage and facilitate the bursary program and the trainers providing the skills development training, including updated CV s; The technical proposal should be no longer than 10 pages excluding annexes STEP, Room 101, Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sport and Manpower Development, Capital House, Private Bag 344, Lilongwe 3. Tel 01773277, Mob. 0993232007, Web: www.stepmw.com
2) Financial proposal that describes costs to be charged for the bursary program which should be quoted in United States Dollars. The financial proposal should be separate and not included in the same document as the technical proposal. The proposal and any supporting documents must be in English. STEP places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the organisation best value for money. Your proposal should be submitted both by mail/hand delivered and by e-mail no later than close of business on February 8, 2018. E-mail proposals should not exceed 10MB. The e-mail address is: r.chadzunda@unesco.org The office address is STEP, Room 101, Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sport and Manpower Development, Capital House, Private Bag 344, Lilongwe 3. To ease the email tracing and facilitate quick processing, kindly use the following script Bursary Program for Non-formal Skills Development of Vulnerable Populations as the email subject. Submissions will be acknowledged by email upon receipt but ONLY selected organisations will receive further notification and correspondences. It is the organisation s responsibility to ensure that the proposal is received by the deadline. Thank you for your interest in this STEP assignment; and we look forward to receiving your proposal. Staff member responsible for the assignment: Jean Munro Gender and Education Specialist Skills and Technical Education Program (STEP) UNESCO Malawi E-Mail: Jean.munro@unesco.org 2
Terms of Reference Attachment A 1. Background UNESCO is implementing a part of the European Union funded Skills and Technical Education Programme (STEP) 1 in Malawi. In this context, UNESCO and the European Union are partnering in supporting the expansion and improvement of equitable and gender-balanced TVET in Malawi. In particular, the project is working to improve access to TVET, review qualifications system, update curricula, review the governance and management of TVET system, and better train TVET teachers and trainers. The project s time frame is four years (April 2016 March 2020) and the overall budget for the component being implemented by UNESCO is 9 million Euros. (When including the cost of building renovations and equipment plus the provision of grants to a number of NGOs, the entire value of STEP is 32.6 million Euro.) The project is targeting programmes 2 for the construction sector of the economy and also is tasked with promoting inclusion of disadvantaged groups. The specific objectives of STEP are to: 1. promote equitable and gender balanced access to TEVET; 2. improve the quality and relevance of TEVET; 3. strengthen the governance and management of TEVET regulatory bodies and training institutions. Under objective 1, there is one specific activity that this consultancy will address: Context Activity 1.2.4: Provide bursaries for female and vulnerable students and explore and implement other support mechanisms, as required, such as girls study groups and offer support to vulnerable students The Malawi TEVET Policy and TEVETA Strategic Plan have identified as priority areas increased access to technical training by women and vulnerable populations. To enrol in a formal training program at a National Technical College or a Community Technical College, one requires a Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE). This has proven to be a significant barrier for young women as relatively few go on to secondary school let alone receive this certificate. 3 The limited representation of females in schools is an issue faced at all levels of the education system. At primary level, more girls drop out of school than boys (7.5 percent compared to 3.9 percent). 4 This trend continues at the secondary level with fewer girls completing secondary school than their male peers. 5 The number of girls repeating a grade is higher than their male peers. Girls poor performance and ability to attend and complete school is due to socio-economic barriers, early and 1 The STEP website can be viewed at: www.stepmw.com 2 The documented training approach for the construction trade programmes is competency based training and assessment and this is combined in formal training with an apprenticeship scheme of four years. 3 World Bank. 2010. The Education System in Malawi. Working Paper No. 182 4 ibid 5 Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. 2015. Education Management Information System (EMIS). 3
unplanned pregnancy, violence in and on the way to school, and early marriage. 6 The number of girls enrolled in formal technical and vocational courses at the technical colleges between 2013-2015 represents only 27 percent of total enrolment. 7 Similarly, vulnerable students, such as those persons living with physical or mental disabilities, people living with HIV, those based in remote areas, orphans, and those with minimal economic means, are marginalized in the training sector in Malawi and experience significant challenges to access appropriate training opportunities. Moreover, few of the training centres are designed to ensure equal access of people with disabilities and training centres and few instructors have been trained to work with people with disabilities. However, efforts are being made to make training centres more inclusive. Related Programmes TEVETA offers bursaries and merit based scholarships. According to the TEVETA Strategic Plan (2013-2018), the target is to issue 500 merit based scholarships for girls and 1000 bursaries for needy girls. These bursaries and scholarships are for students in the formal training program. The TEVETA Strategic Plan states the plan to sensitize instructors on special needs teaching, and to Lobby for increased appropriate infrastructure to equitably accommodate TEVET trainees however there are no specific bursaries for students with special needs. 8 2. Purpose of the Consultancy The primary purpose of this consultancy is, through the provision of bursaries, provide the necessary skills and knowledge to enable vulnerable individuals to become financially independent and socially empowered. Through the provision of trade skills combined with core life skills, individuals will be enabled to enter the job market or start their own business. It is against this background that STEP is inviting interested and competent non-profit, registered organizations and training institutions to implement this initiative. Note that more than one contract may be issued for this initiative. Target Beneficiaries and Scope The target beneficiaries are vulnerable women or men between the ages of 16-27 who have not completed their MSCE or do not have sufficiently high enough grades to enter tertiary education. The institution needs to explain what constitutes vulnerable in their training context. There is no prescribed geographic scope for this initiative however the institution should state which geographical area the program will operate in. The program will run from March 2018 until December 2019. The number of bursary recipients trained in that period will depend on the length of the program, size of each 6 World Bank. 2010. The Education System in Malawi. Working Paper No. 182 and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. 2015. Education Management Information System (EMIS), p. 71 7 TEVET Authority enrollment database 8 ibid 4
class, and the number of venues where the program can be offered simultaneously. Over the 22 months, a minimum of 100 bursaries should be awarded. Skills Training The following criteria should be used to identify the type of skills training offered to bursary recipients: community needs and the ability to develop a business or find local employment with the skill; expertise of the organization and the trainers; and, ability and interests of the potential bursary holders. STEP is focused on building the capacity of the TEVET system particularly in the construction area. Recognizing that the local job market may dictate different required skills, applicants do not need to only focus on construction skills and other skill development areas can also be proposed. Skills development in the renewable energy sector would be important to consider. The skills development needs assessment and rationale for selected skills need to be reflected in the proposal. Studies on TEVET training have found the need for skills training to be complemented with both life skills training (including personal financial management) as well as business development or support to transition to work. 9 Applicants are encouraged to have a robust training program that addresses both the technical skills as well as life skills. 3. Tasks and Deliverables: TASKS T1: Design the necessary modalities for implementation of the skills training program including support programs T2: Set-up modalities for identification and selection of bursary recipients T3: Manage the implementation of the skills development training program: transparent and fair selection of bursary holders, disbursement of funds, monitoring DELIVERABLES 1. Detailed skills development training program 2. Detailed bursary recipient selection criteria and process 3. Orientation manual on detailed training program, code of conduct, and expectations for all bursary recipients 4. Appropriate training materials for teacher/facilitator and for students 5. Report on selection process and list of final bursary recipients 9 UNESCO 2017. Situation Analysis of Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs and Extent of Gender Based Violence in Technical Colleges in Malawi. and Changilwa Kigwilu, Peter & John Francis Bwanali Efficacy of Life Skills Education in Enhancing the Employability of TVET Graduates: The Case of St. Theresa Community College, Nairobi County at https://afritvet.org/index.php/afritvet/article/view/10/pdf 5
T4: Monitor bursary holders performances and assess impact of the training and support offered including through tracer studies T5: Reflection on skills development training program and recommendations for scaling up program to be used by government agencies in community skills development centres. 6. Monitoring reports of bursary holders (mid-training and 2 months after training) 7. Final report (no more than 12 pages) describing program, learning approach, necessary factors for success, challenges and responses. Recommendations for how to integrate program in community skills development centres. In addition to the skills development training, additional activities can be included in the bursary program to ensure successful completion of the training and transition into employment or self-run business. STEP allows for flexibility and innovation from the applicants, in terms of proposed activities to be implemented, provided that they contribute to the overall objective of the call for proposals. Applicants must demonstrate how the action will address the priorities targeted in this call for proposals through the proposed activities. All actions should be designed to produce specific and measurable results in response to identified problems. These activities need to be costed within the individual bursary. 4. Timing The assignment is expected to start in March 2018 and conclude by December 2019. 5. Reporting: The following are the list of reports that are required from the applicant during the design and implementation period: Inception report including a work plan with detailed activities schedule Two reports for each cohort (mid-training and 2 month post training) format will be given by STEP Reflective report on implementation of program (see deliverable 7) Annual Financial report with supporting documents This reporting must include a detailed financial report with certified copies of vouchers as proof of expenditure and receipt of attendance by bursary recipients. 6. Eligibility Criteria: The organization should be a non-for-profit entity with full respect to the following minimum eligibility criteria. The organization shall ensure following supporting documentation and evidence is part of the technical proposal. # Requirement Eligibility criteria (required and desirable) 6
1 Legal status Registered as a non-for-profit entity (required) 2 Training Expertise/ mandate 3 Training infrastructure and materials Evidence: Registration documents Strong record of engagement in education field (required) Experience in Malawi (required) Excellent knowledge of international standards and good practices in the delivery of skills development programs (required) Excellent knowledge of international standards and good practices in the design and delivery of support mechanisms for vulnerable populations to ensure the successful completion of training and transition to employment (required) Evidence: Institutional strategic plan, training evaluation, or tracer studies Well maintained, clean, and adequately equipped learning facilities (required) Student and teachers have access to written learning materials and training materials (required) Evidence: Written description, inspection reports (if possible), photos 4 Curriculum Curriculum used in skills training should be approved by TEVETA or in the approval process (required) Life skills and Sexual and Reproductive Health curriculum (desirable) Evidence: soft copies of curriculum and training materials 5 Institution Policies Institution Gender Policy (desirable) 6 Secure housing for students 7 Support programs for women or vulnerable students Sexual Harassment Policy (desirable) Instructor and Administrator Code of Conduct (desirable) Student Code of Conduct (desirable) Evidence: final or draft polices signed by board Well maintained hostels, adequate number of rooms/beds, with security measures in place (required for residential programs) Evidence: description of hostels, security measures and photos GBV prevention groups, Women study groups, Counseling Program or support group (desirable) Evidence: program material 7. Financial offer of the proposal including: The organization shall be able to provide STEP with a competitive financial proposal in accordance with the structure outlined in Attachment B. The pricing should consider the ability to implement the project in a cost effective manner. 7
The breakdown submitted should be sufficiently detailed in order to provide assurance regarding the reasonableness of the cost. In addition, the consultants are requested to employ the values of STEP by supporting technical college students (for example in the provision of services) and to purchase Malawian made products whenever possible. 8
Attachment B - Template for financial proposal submitted by a non-for-profit organization Contact information: Table 1: Bursary Program for Non-formal Skills Development Code Detailed Budget-Financial Template for a call for proposal Bursary Program for Non-formal Skills Development for Vulnerable Populations Name of training institution: Name and signature of authorized signatory Item Description Quantity Full amount of of 1 bursary * bursaries Total Amount in US$ Table 2: Breakdown of costs related to 1 bursary (use for entry to Table 1) Bursary * Code Item Description Cohort 1 Cohort 2 B.1 tuition Cohort 3 B.2 registration fee Cohort 4 B.3 written learning materials B.4 business start-up kit** Total bursary cost B.5 living allowance Overhead (7%) - includes all administrative costs related to B.6 the bursary program travel allowance** GRAND TOTAL (in US$) food and accomodation (cost of hostel B.7 if residential program) student support program (counseling, B.8 extra-curricular, etc)*** Total bursary cost for one bursary holder * Table 2 indicates the eligible costs to include in a bursary **if applicable ***if applicable. Describe in detail in proposal Total Amount Link to excel template STEP, Room 101, Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sport and Manpower Development, Capital House, Private Bag 344, Lilongwe 3. Tel 01773277, Mob. 0993232007, Web: www.stepmw.com