JOINT EVALUATION OF DONOR SUPPORT TO BASIC EDUCATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Invitation to express interest

1. Name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and facsimile number of the contracting authority

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB)
Attention: Mr. Ted J. Kliest
P.O. Box 20061
2500 EB Den Haag
The Netherlands
Tel: + 31 70 348 6201
Fax: + 31 70 3486336
Email: iob@minbuza.nl
tj.kliest@minbuza.nl

2. Award procedure chosen

International tender with pre-qualification.

3. Nature and extent of the services to be provided and characteristics of the work

Thematic evaluation of donor support to basic education in developing countries

4. Description of the evaluation

In the sequels to the World Education-for-All Forum held in Dakar in April 2000, the Evaluation Departments representing 12 bilateral and multilateral agencies for international development assistance intend to conduct a joint evaluation of donor support to basic education.

Sponsors

The initiative is sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA), the German Ministry of Economic Co-operation (BMZ), the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA), the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DfID) as well as the European Commission, UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank. Other donors and aid organisations may join this initiative.

Scope, purpose and context of the evaluation

The evaluation will focus on donor support to basic education in a limited number of partner countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Currently, in-depth case studies are planned for three countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including one francophone country, one country in Latin America (Spanish speaking) and one country in South Asia. The evaluation will be essentially formative in nature and aim at drawing lessons for policy and programme improvement in view of poverty alleviation and gender equality. It will focus on processes whilst also searching for results of external support to the basic education (sub) sector in selected countries of the South. The evaluation will examine relevance of external support for national education policies in those countries, its effectiveness in terms of outputs, outcomes and impact as well as its efficiency, notably in terms of aid co-ordination. Particular contextual factors to be taken into consideration are poverty and exclusion (notably of girls), the HIV/AIDS pandemic, unstable contexts and protracted emergencies, and the challenge and potential of new technologies.

Concept of basic education

The concept of basic education is understood in a broad and pragmatic meaning and hence covers components like early childhood development, formal and non-formal elementary or primary education, adult education as well as alternative forms of teaching basic knowledge and skills to a wide range of beneficiaries. It should also address investments in and reforms of the education system directly related to these components (e.g. teacher training, curriculum development, the production and distribution of teaching materials, and management and funding systems). It is recognised that different countries and agencies handle various definitions. Evaluators will have to be sensitive to different definitions and organise data collection and analysis in such a manner that systematic and reliable comparisons can be made to the largest possible extent.

Strategies and methods

Given the wide scope of the evaluation, it will require a combination of evaluative strategies and methods. The exercise will follow a staged approach with a "meta-study" of existing documentation and statistical data, which would provide insights for the design of subsequent in-depth case studies in five partner countries. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected through a variety of methods. As the evaluation is meant to be a learning experience for involved agencies and partner countries alike, there will be ample opportunities for stakeholder consultation and participation. The study aims at producing "middle level findings" rather than "grand lessons".

Organisation and management

Oversight of the evaluation process will be ensured by a Steering Committee chaired by the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This Steering Committee will be composed of representatives of the Evaluation Departments of participating agencies as well as of the partner countries included in the evaluation study. Education specialists in each of the agencies and partner countries will regularly consulted as resource persons. A Management Group composed of three members of the Steering Committee (CIDA, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNICEF) will ensure day-to day management of the exercise. In the partner countries, In-Country Reference Groups will be established in order to optimise the inter-action of country-specific evaluation teams with partners and stakeholders in those countries.

5. Location of the evaluation

The "meta-study" will be carried out on the basis of existing documentation and available data, and will take place at the premises of the consultancy firm and / or consortium of consultancy firms that will be awarded the contract. Additional work for the meta evaluation (e.g. interviews, data collection) will take place at headquarter level of the agencies sponsoring the evaluation. Field studies will be conducted in three African countries, one Latin American country and one country in South Asia. Finally, analytical work to synthesise the findings from the different sub-studies and the drafting of the final report will take place at the premises of the consultancy firm and / or consortium of consultancy firms that will be awarded the contract.

6. Estimate of cost range

Not yet available

7. Estimated date for initiating the award procedure

A preparatory scoping study for the evaluation was conducted between October 2000 and February 2001. Framework Terms of Reference for the study are presently under development and consultations with candidate partner countries in the South are under way. Once the Steering Committee has adopted the framework Terms of Reference for the study (June/July 2001) and pre-qualification of potential consulting bodies is finalised, an invitation for competitive bidding for the evaluation will be launched by July/August 2001.

8. Estimated date for the start of the work

The "meta-study" is expected to commence in October 2001, whereas the in-depth studies in the selected partner countries will have to be carried out in the period February-June 2002. Synthesis work incorporating the findings of the meta-study and the field investigations will take place in the third quarter of 2001.

9. Estimated time for completion of the work

During the course of the evaluation different products will be produced (a report of the meta-study, reports of the respective field studies, proceedings of interactive feedback in-country seminars and workshops). The final report incorporating the results of the respective sub-studies will have to be produced by the end of 2002.

10. Terms of financing

Not yet available

11. Other information

The evaluation work will require a core team (and field teams) of highly qualified independent evaluators. Given the nature of the subject, the core team of evaluators will have to be multidisciplinary in order to adequately address the policy aspects and the more technical (economic and institutional) aspects of donor support to basic education, sector-wide approaches (SWAPs) and budgetary assistance, and the different social issues around demand for and access to basic education, including poverty and gender issues. Last but not least, evaluation skills are of the essence. The core team and more particular the field teams should also include evaluation expertise from developing countries.

12. Language or languages in which the application has to be submitted

English

13. Application requirements

Applications should contain the company's or consortium's profile providing an insight in the professional background and/or experience in 1) evaluation of complex development processes (policy and institutional analysis), 2) evaluation of organisational and financial management; 3) evaluation of socio-economic programmes in developing countries, in particular in basic education.

14. Final date of receipt of request to participate

Consultancy firms and / or consortia of consultancy firms that would like to be included in the pre-qualification of potential implementers of the study are invited to express interest at this stage. Expressions of interest should be sent to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB), attention of Mr. Ted J. Kliest, P.O. Box 20061, 2500 EB Den Haag, The Netherlands, fax: + 31 70 3486336; tel: + 31 70 348 6201, Email: iob@minbuza.nl or tj.kliest@minbuza.nl Applications have to be received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs no later than 40 days following the date of the publication of this notice.