Request for proposal for Strengthening Education management information system
Request for proposal for "Supporting the state Ministry of Education (SMoE)/STATE Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), State Agency for Mass Education (SAME) and state Ministry of Religious affairs (SMoRA) in strengthening Education Management information (EMIS) in Northern states
TERM OF REFERENCE - see attached for deatils
Technical Assistance on “Supporting the State Ministry of Education (SMoE)/State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), State Agency for Mass Education (SAME) and State Ministry of Religious Affairs (SMoRA) in strengthening Education Management Information System (EMIS) through the assessment of existing Information System and related databases and the establishment of an Integrated System in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states in North East Nigeria”
Period of Consultancy: December 2019 – December 2020
Programme Area and Specific Project involved: Education Programme, Output 5.4 on Education in Emergencies, with specific reference to increased capacity of government to provide quality basic education.
v Purpose of the consultancy
The overall purpose of this consultancy is to plan, manage and implement state-wide EMIS that provides the information needed by education managers at all levels to achieve the goals of the SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/SMoRA to improve the access and quality of education provision for children of all ages by ensuring that resources are planned for and deployed optimally through the utilisation of accurate and timely available data for planning and other activities.
v Background/Scope of Work
Background
The situation in North East Nigeria continues to be a highly complex humanitarian crisis. The eight-year conflict has affected over 14 million people, with approximately 1.7 million currently displaced, predominantly in the north-eastern states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa. More than 50 per cent of those affected are children, including many unaccompanied minors or children orphaned by the crisis. The insurgency, which targeted schools and other facilities, has disrupted livelihoods for millions of households, leaving over seven million people in need of humanitarian assistance. More than 2.8 million children need urgent education services. Prior to the crisis, the North East had the highest percentage (52 per cent) of children who had never attended school. Besides providing data to handle immediate crises, EMIS will provide basic education indicators that represent the core planning and operation of any educational system. The targeted indicators to be provided by EMIS represent an essential day to day data for decision makers responsible for the operation and short and long-term planning of the educational system.
Education indicators for northern Nigeria are the worst compared with southern states because of a number of factors. These include socio-cultural attitudes towards formal education, especially for girls, difficulties in ensuring educational provision in predominantly rural Local Government Areas (LGAs) and the impact of insurgency in the north-east. In Borno, 74.8 per cent of children aged 4-16 years have never attended school. The current situation shows a decline in the total number of schools by 58 per cent and a decline in total enrolment by 61 per cent.
The problems of access, equity, quality and relevance of education can be addressed using various approaches which require an evidence-based management system for policy and decision-makers to determine the causes of these problems, the magnitude and extent of education services and the realistic amount of resources needed. In many countries, the dearth of empirical data generated through a reliable system is a problem that can be addressed by developing an education management information system (EMIS). EMIS in fact, is designed to collect and analyse a wide range of data on the educational system to improve planning, resource allocation and mobilization, monitoring, evaluation, policy formulation, and decision making in general. A school-based standardized information system is fundamental to improve the management of education at all levels and ideally, the system should allow the tracking of individual children across the grades. In the education management process, the information system should inform the different actors and partners on the state of the sector, its internal and external efficiency, its pedagogical and institutional operation, its performance, shortcomings and needs.
Generally, the focal functions of EMIS are: collection, storage, processing, extrapolation and dissemination of educational data providing timely and relevant information to educational stakeholders using functional and user-friendly interfaces. In its normal operation it employs both manual and ICT functions. The establishment of EMIS also promotes an institutional culture that utilizes objective information for policy formulation and implementation. It also seeks to sustain the policy process through accurate, reliable and timely statistical information. In addition to quantitative data and statistical information, which are routinely collected and processed, EMIS can also provide other important information, such as outcomes of findings of education researches and assessments, results of school inspections, newsletters, regulations, school mapping and micro planning reports, public expenditure reviews, education acts and other relevant policy documents.
The establishment of a functional and effective EMIS can be affected by potential problems such as:
· Inadequate financial, technical and/or human resources,
· The system of data collection does not follow standardized procedures,
· Data are collected, generated and processed by different actors with different systems,
· The system is not supported by adequate regulations and guidelines,
· Data generated are not effectively used for policy formulation, implementation and management.
What currently prevails in the NE that runs counter to this process? This should be stated here. This should be described in all its ‘chaotic’ form.
Strengthening Education Management Information System (EMIS) includes capacity building for 50 key SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/SMoRA senior staff and 20 technical education EMIS staff members. The availability of reliable data is critical for measuring progress. UNICEF is currently supporting EMIS but there is a need to further build the capacity of the state government to enable them effectively manage the annual school census which is the primary source of data for EMIS. The capacity of education personnel will be enhanced to collect and analyse EMIS data to inform equity-based planning and performance monitoring, including equitable deployment and management of teachers.
In view of these challenges, it is crucial to analyse and assess the existing system of data collection, processing/management, utilization, dissemination and storage which will lead to operationalization of EMIS.
UNICEF Borno Field Office `seeks a Consultancy Agency to strengthen the Education Management Information System (EMIS) and establish an Integrated System.
Specific Tasks for Institutional Consultancy
UNICEF Nigeria would like to engage an institution to support the SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/SMoRA in North East Nigeria to:
a) Conduct a situational analysis, this should inform the development of a long-term phased and budgeted strategic plan for the development of a (decentralized) EMIS, typically 3-5 years. The strategic plan is a live document subject to review on an annual basis
b) Support/guide an immediate baseline school census using readily available tools and resources
c) Concurrently implement the first phase of the strategic plan, which is likely to be the development of a census-based EMIS The EMIS system is based on School records. For the first year the data collection can be based on interview and or existing school records, but at the same time "school records keeping" should be put in place or improved with head teachers and teachers trainings, supply on school registration/attendance/... books and box to keep safe all these documents..
d) Develop training modules, which can be utilised at the state and Local Government Area (LGA) levels for improving the collection, analysis and use of EMIS data.
e) Develop the capacity of SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/SMoRA and state level staff members through training to access and utilise EMIS data for effective planning, monitoring and evaluating the education sector.
f) Data quality and timeliness for 2019/20 & 2020/21 census according to standard indicators described in ANNEX 1 Improved.
g) 2019-2020 EMIS data collected and analysed.
h) The first statistic book for the SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/SMoRA presenting quality data issued.
i) Expansion of EMIS to include data on private and non-formal schools.
j) Provide policy recommendations for the alignment of state level EMIS with National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
k) Provide policy recommendation to align annual development programme with annual school census for the provision of human resource and basic mission facilities in schools.
4. Deliverables and timelines
(HB= home based, IC=in country)
No
Activity/Output
Deliverable
Estimated timeframe
Payment
1. Undertake planning mission to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa and develop work plan
· Consultancy work plan
· questionnaires designed
December 2019.
1st payment (20%)
2. Support the selection of officials and technical staff for interviews and those to be included in workshops and training
3. Develop a situational analysis framework, methodology, collection of data and finalization
Situation analysis completed
January 2020 – September2020
2nd payment
(50%)
4. Development of a long-term phased and budgeted strategic plan for the development of a (decentralized) EMIS, typically 3-5 years. The strategic plan is a live document subject to review on an annual
Development plan completed
5. Develop training modules, which can be utilised at the state and Local Government Area (LGA) levels for improving the collection, analysis and use of EMIS data.
Training modules for the three capacity building components completed
6. l) Develop the capacity of SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/SMoRA staff and state level staff members through training to access and utilise EMIS data for effective planning, monitoring and evaluating the education sector.
Three training sessions completed. 50 relevant SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/
SMoRA staff members trained
Capacity building of 50 relevant SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/SMoRA staff members relating to EMIS data collection, verification, use and analysis developed and strengthened
7. Data quality and timeliness for 2019/20 & 2020/21 census according to standard indicators and described in ANNEX 1 Improved
2019-2020 EMIS data collected
8. 2019-2020 EMIS data analysed.
· Recommendations for coordination mechanisms between the SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/SMoRA, and other relevant stakeholders developed, submitted and presented.
· Recommendations for policy development, cooperation mechanism between SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/SMoRA discussed and presented.
· Final consultancy report
October 2020 – December 2020
3rd payment (30%)
9. The first statistic book for the SMoE/SUBEB/SAME/SMoRA presenting quality data issued.
10. Propose recommendations for policy development, cooperation mechanism between SMoE, SUBEB, SAME and SMoE
11. Prepare final report
5. Reporting Relationship
The contractor will report directly to the Project Manager/Education Specialist based in Maiduguri while working closely with relevant Education Specialists for all agreed deliverables. In addition, the contractor will maintain close engagement with government officials in the three states.
6. Qualifications or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required
The consultancy institution will have at least 10 years of experience at the international level in providing technical assistance on education reform, development and planning with specific and significant experience in supporting Governments, International Organizations and other relevant institution for the establishment of the Education Management and Information System. In addition, a specific extensive experience (at least five years) in development countries is required.
The project team must be composed of senior experts (at least 10 years of experience in relevant fields), with the following profile:
· Advanced degree in education, statistics, mathematics, computer science or related fields;
· At least five years of extensive experience and demonstrated ability in designing and establishing EMIS;
· Excellent understanding of the current status and trends in terms of international education indicators, standards and targets in the context of MDGs, EFA, etc.;
· Competency in EMIS-related database programmes and other software with broad understanding of information systems and technology;
· Extensive knowledge and skills of computer program applications, particularly in database management system (e.g. SQL programming);
· High analytical skills using diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources;
· Demonstration, application of technical knowledge and sharing it with government partners;
· Fluency in English;
· Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing to varied audiences;
· Ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
7. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND WEIGHTING CRITERIA
Criteria for Technical Review of Proposals
70% technical + 30 financial= 100% total
A two-stage procedure shall be utilized in assessing the proposals, with assessment of the technical proposal being completed prior to any price proposal being compared. Applications shall therefore contain the following required documentation:
Technical proposal
Submitted proposals will be assessed using Cumulative Analysis Method. All request for proposal will be weighed according to the technical (70%) and financial considerations (30%). Financial proposals will be opened only for those application that attained 70% or above on the technical part. Below are the criteria and points for technical and financial proposals.
A. Technical Evaluation Criteria
a) Overall Response (10 points):
· General adherence to Terms of Reference and tender requirements
b) Company and Key Personnel (20 points):
· Team member(s) meet academic requirements (10 points)
· Institution has previously conducted similar work (10 points)
c) Proposed methodology and approach (40 points):
· Deliverables are addressed as per TOR (10 points)
· Proposed timelines are met (10 points)
· Innovative and creative approaches (10 points)
· Overall design and structure of the proposal (10 points)
Technical score: 70 % of 70 points = 49 points
For details on evaluation criteria, please refer to the attached document
B. Financial Offer
A financial proposal with a breakdown of all costs that are to be charged to UNICEF. This includes estimated number of working days, consultancy daily fees, all office administrative costs, international and local travel costs, as well as any additional requirements needed to complete project or that might have an impact on cost or delivery of products. Travel expenses should be based on the most direct route and economy fare. Quotations for business class fare will not be considered.
Total Financial 30 %
The total amount of points allocated for the price component is 30. The maximum number of points will be allotted to the lowest priced proposal that is opened and compared among those invited firms/institutions which obtain the threshold points in the evaluation of the technical component. All other price proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price;
The Financial Proposal shall be submitted as a separate file, clearly named Financial Proposal. No financial information should be contained in the Technical Proposal.
8. Official Travel involved (itinerary and duration, if applicable).
International and Local travel and airport transfers (where applicable) will be under responsibility of the contractor in accordance with UNICEF’s rules and tariffs. All travel costs (international and local) should be planned properly in the technical proposal and included in the financial proposal. Please note that if selected, the contract can be a supporting document to obtain entry visa (if necessary). UNICEF will be unable to secure travel visas. Flight costs will be covered at economy class rate as per UNICEF policies.
9. PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR EVALUATION OF RESULTS
The contract will be based on the delivery of satisfactory deliverable as requested.
All tasks have been delivered in a timely manner as indicated in the TOR/Contract. High quality of work and results achieved correspond to the specification of the TORs. Good communication with social policy program specialist, ESC and other stakeholders whom the consultant will interact with.
10. FREQUENCY OF PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
Frequent feedback will be provided to the consultant firm on the quality and the timely submission of deliverables as necessary. Final evaluation to be conducted at the end of the contract.
Ongoing performance review, strategic direction, key deliverables and progress discussions to take place with UNICEF on a regular basis with the consultant/firm. The expert/firm will work closely with the both the Social policy specialist, ESC as well as UNICEF’s key stakeholders.
11. UNICEF RECOURSE IN CASE OF UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE
UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment on each individual and consolidated output until the consultant provide satisfactory quality output as reviewed by the project supervisor. In case of unsatisfactory performance, the payment will be withheld until quality deliverables are submitted. If the firm is unable to complete the assignment, the contract will be terminated by notification letter sent 30 days prior to the termination date. In the meantime, UNICEF will initiate another selection in order to identify appropriate candidate.
12. INDICATION OF HEALTH STATEMENT AND CERTIFICATE OF GOOD HEALTH HAS BEEN RECEIVED PRIOR TO SIGNING THE CONTRACT
For consultants/individual contractors traveling with UNICEF or working in UNICEF Office, they will be requested to submit health statement and fit to travel certificate.
13. OTHER CLAUSES: PSEA LANGUAGE
Consistent with the UN Secretary General’s Bulletin related to “Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse” (ST/SGB/2003/13), entities and individuals entering into cooperative agreements with an agency of the United Nations are obligated to “take preventative measures against sexual exploitation or abuse, to investigate allegations thereof, or to take corrective action when sexual exploitation or sexual abuse has occurred.” Failure to do so “shall constitute grounds for termination of any cooperative arrangement with the United Nations.” The Contractor is expected to have in place explicit policies related to the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse of beneficiaries, including commitment to the IASC 6 Core Standards (IASC/2002), and the investigation of such cases. Where the contractor does not have sufficient capacity for the investigation of such cases, it should request the support of UNICEF. Reasonable suspicion of sexual exploitation or abuse of beneficiaries may be reported by any individual to UNICEF if the complainant so prefers.
14. CONDITIONS
The contractor will work on its own computer(s) and use its own office resources and materials in the execution of this assignment. The contractor’s fee shall be inclusive of all office administrative costs. International and Local travel and airport transfers (where applicable) will be under responsibility of the contractor in accordance with UNICEF’s rules and tariffs. Flight costs will be covered at economy class rate as per UNICEF policies. Please also see UNICEF’s Standard Terms and Conditions attached
Please direct any enquiries to: ngrsupply@unicef.org
Please note the following instructions:
- This is an RFP and as such, two proposals (technical + financial) in separate envelopes inserted into a bigger envelop is required of a prospective bidder
- The first pages of all your correspondence should have the name, phone number and email address of the contact person.
Make all your proposals on your letter head paper, duly signed with the name and contact details of the signatory.
- Submission of bids shall either be by hard copies dropped into our bid box located by the security post outside UN building ; central business district - Abuja or by email to : ngrsupply@unicef.org - don't copy anybody. You will receive an automated response - please don't reply
- Please ensure you quote the RFP number on your email or envelop. Failure to do so will render your proposal invalid. Please take note
- For enquiries on this RFP, kindly contact cadomati@unicef.org or psule@unicef.org
- Please note the deadline set for this RFP. Your response MUST reach us on or before 21st November, 2019 ; noon.