External Quality Assurance of the Foundation Phase Initiative

The purpose of this assignment is to provide external quality assurance on the implementation of the FPI training against predetermined minimum standards as set by the Department of Basic Education and FPI partners as to ensure that the programme meets the highest standards of effectiveness, relevance, and impact for foundation phase teachers using manipulatives.

The objectives of the assignment are as follows:

(a) To develop a quality assurance tool that compliments and integrates into the Department of Basic Education’s existing quality assurance tools on the implementation of the FPI training against predetermined minimum standards.

(b) To determine through the quality assurance the effectiveness of the training delivery methods and techniques used by Master Trainers and trainers as to provide regular feedback on to Department of Basic Education, FPI partners, Provincial Education Departments (District Offices and Trainers).

(c) To implement the quality assurance using the quality assurance tool in close collaboration with the Department of Basic Education, FPI partners and Provincial Education Departments in nine provinces to verify that the FPI training is achieving its intended outputs through implementation in classrooms in randomly selected schools. This includes determining through the quality assurance how educators integrated the use of manipulatives in the implementation of all areas of the CAPS in the classroom.

(d) To provide support and technical assistance to the Department of Basic Education as well as Provincial Education Departments (including District Offices) on how to integrate the ongoing and sustained implementation of the FPI into the Department of Basic Education’s existing monitoring and reporting systems.