Terms of Reference for an International consultant to Review the Current process of implementation of the new National Curriculum and establish a system for regular monitoring of the implementation of the national curriculum.
TOR Reference Number: TOR/2016/02
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Programme Information· CPD Output 1.3: Enhanced Implementation and monitoring of inclusive, child and gender sensitive education including learning achievements.
Activity: Development of a system for monitoring the implementation of the national curriculum.
1. Purpose of assignment (attach background documents if any)
Background:
The new national curriculum was rolled out in 2015 for Foundation (preschool) and Key stage 1(Grades 1-3) and in 2016 Key stage 2 (Grade 4-7) was implemented. New materials have been developed for the implementation of the national curriculum along with trainings on various aspects of the curriculum. Although implementation has started, continuous support is required by teachers and schools for effective implementation of the curriculum. This requires closer monitoring of the curriculum implementation process. Many concerns arise as to the level of readiness by schools for the implementation of the national curriculum, level and intensity of training offered, the level of curriculum awareness including shared understanding of the various aspects of the national curriculum. Effective curriculum monitoring will identify the strengths and the gaps; and issues related to the implementation of the curriculum which then could be addressed in an appropriate manner.
2. What is the basic project objective to which the consultancy is related?
Purpose of the project:
The purpose of this project is to establish an efficient and consistent system to monitor and report the implementation of the national curriculum at national and subnational level and feed the information into the policy and decision making process, to improve quality of education and learning achievement of all children across the country.
Objectives:
The objectives are to:
1) Study and document the current process and stages of implementation and identifying the issues in implementing the national curriculum.
2) Critically analyze and assess the process and identify the strengths, lapses and gaps for improvement.
3) Make recommendations on improving the process for effective implementation of the curriculum for the Ministry of Education, the National Institute of Education and the schools.
4) Develop a pragmatic strategy on how to carry out a curriculum monitoring and reporting.
5) Develop detailed monitoring package consisting of indicators, tools, procedures, protocols roles and responsibilities to monitor curriculum implementation in all schools.
6) Establish a system for NIE to collect data on curriculum monitoring with a link to Education Management Information System (EMIS).
3. Duty station:
Male’, Maldives
4. Major tasks to be accomplished (estimate the time required to complete each task).
The consultancy will be undertaken by a team of local experts in curriculum development and monitoring, supported by an international consultant who is well-versed with international best practices in curriculum development and implementation. The international consultant will work closely with the local institution, providing the team technical guidance and oversight for quality of the deliverables.
The delineation of responsibilities between the local team and the international consultant is as follows.
Major activities / Details of the tasks / Dates ( working days excluding weekends) / Deliverables
1- Study and document the current process and stages of implementation and identifying the issues in implementing the national curriculum. / Tasks for the local consultants team (local team):
· Study the curriculum documents and conduct a desk review
· conduct relevant stakeholder meetings to gather additional information and views on the implementation of the curriculum
· Observe school/classroom practice, survey and conduct an analysis teaching the new curriculum in schools
· Identify areas of strengths, gaps and issues in relation to the curriculum implementation at a system level.
· Present the findings to stakeholders for validation
· Draft study report, with recommendations on the implementation of the curriculum and submit for feedback.
· Incorporate feedback from stakeholders and finalize the report. / 20 days / Draft report on the implementation of the national curriculum
Tasks for the international consultant:
· Study the curriculum documents shared by the local team
· Finalize the desk review report drafted by the local team.
· Guide the local team in conducting observations of schools and classroom practices in implementing the curriculum.
· In consultation with the local team, develop data collection tools for the school and classroom observations.
· Review and edit the draft study report sent by the local team.
· Finalize the report with incorporation of feedback and submit the final report to UNICEF Maldives. / 10 days / Final report on the implementation of the national curriculum
2- Develop a pragmatic strategy on curriculum monitoring and reporting. / Tasks for the local consultants team (local team):
· Based on the findings of the study, draft a strategy to monitor and report the implementation of the curriculum at subnational (atoll level by the TRCs and schools level) and at the national level (by NIE /MoE).
· Conduct stakeholder consultations to for the strategy.
· Present the draft strategy to stakeholders for validation. / 10 days / Draft strategy on monitoring and reporting the national curriculum.
Tasks for the international consultant:
· Provide technical support remotely to the local team to develop the monitoring strategy based on the findings of the study and guided by good practices in curriculum monitoring in other countries.
· Review the draft strategy
· Provide the final draft of the strategy to UNICEF Maldives. / 4 days / 1) 1 skype call to discuss the things to consider when developing the strategy.
2) A write up on the main discussion points and suggestions provided.
3) Final draft of the strategy.
3- Guided by the strategy, develop a detailed monitoring package consisting of indicators, tools, procedures, protocols, roles and responsibilities to monitor and report on the curriculum implementation. / Tasks for the local consultants team (local team):
· Develop baselines and indicators for monitoring and guidance on collecting the data.
· Draft detailed monitoring and reporting procedures with guidelines and templates with instructions on how to fill the templates
· Draft the roles and accountabilities of the key positions that are responsible for the curriculum monitoring and reporting process at the school level, TRC level and at the Central level.
· Develop a pictorial/visual presentation of the proposed curriculum monitoring and reporting process, showing lines of reporting and accountabilities.
· Validate all the products with NIE.
· Compile the strategy, procedures, templates roles and responsibilities into a curriculum monitoring handbook, when finalized by the international consultant. / 14 days / Draft Monitoring and reporting package.
Tasks for the international consultant:
· Provide guidance to the local team to develop baselines and indicators for monitoring and collecting data.
· Finalize the draft curriculum monitoring and reporting package and submit to UNICEF Maldives. / 10 days / 1) 1 skype call to discuss development of baselines and indicators.
2) A write up on the main discussion points and suggestions provided.
3) Final curriculum monitoring and reporting package
4- Establish a system for NIE to collect, enter and analyse data on curriculum monitoring which can be linked to EMIS. ( will be done by the local team) / · Design a data entry system (using Microsoft Excel, Access etc ) with technical features to link it with the EMIS.
(The system should be able to do basic data analysis, generate dashboards, trends and graphs for all schools across the country.)
· Make a presentation on the system to stakeholders for feedback.
· Finalize the system / 9 days / Final Data entry system.
5. Deliverables
a) Final Report on the analysis of the implementation of the curriculum
b) Final Strategy to monitor and report on curriculum implementation.
c) Final Curriculum Monitoring Handbook.
d) A data collection, entry and reporting system.
6. Estimated duration of contract.
A total of 53 working days between May- September 2016.
7. Qualifications or specialized knowledge and/or experience required :
For the local institution:
· Consultants undertaking the stipulated tasks must have advanced university degrees or equivalent in education management/ curriculum development or a related field.
· The team must have at least 5 years of relevant experience and proven expertise in education management or curriculum implementation and research in the Maldives.
· Excellent English language skills and analytical writing.
· Experience in working with diverse teams.
Interested international consultants should submit an Expression of Interest along with;
(i) An updated CVs of the technical team with proof of similar work previously undertaken,
(ii) A proposal on how she/will undertake this assignment with methodology and timeline, and
(iii) Proposed fee (in USD)
UNICEF will only make milestone payment based on achievement of specific deliverables as listed on the table above. Also note that UNICEF does not make advance payment and UNICEF is exempted from paying VAT and any other forms of taxes.
Expression of interest and proposals must be submitted to copy
by 25th May 2016, 16:00 hrs.