The USAID Leading Through Learning Global Platform (Leading Through Learning) is a global education learning system for USAID and its partners to enhance thought leadership and education program quality. Our vision is to elevate the experience of the field by providing avenues for local, regional, and global knowledge generation and sharing. We do this by bringing USAID together with international and local implementing partners, researchers, donors, private sector actors, representatives of other education networks, and partner country government leaders in a system of global learning networks and hubs. These three global Learning Networks, the USAID Education in Crisis and Conflict Network (ECCN), the USAID Global Reading Network (GRN), and a new USAID Higher Education Learning Network (HELN), create opportunities for members to share and address education needs while benefiting from and contributing to a global community of learning. As the Leading Through Learning Global Platform expands, we will regionalize this global learning by convening regional hubs to facilitate further exchanges and activities.
Leading Through Learning is implemented by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), one of the world’s leading nonprofit research and development organizations. EDC designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide. Collaborating with both public and private partners, EDC strives for a world where all people are empowered to live healthy, productive lives.
To find out more about Leading Through Learning and to join one or more networks, please visit our webpage on Education Links.
Activity Overview
Financing inclusive education is an emergent area of interest for the education sector globally. USAID has a keen interest in understanding the issue of financing disability inclusive education in particular. Through a desk review; in-depth consultations with partner country governments, implementing partners and multilateral organizations (UNESCO, UIS, UNICEF and the World Bank) currently working in this space; and stakeholder ideation, this activity aims to a) gather and present information on what is known and being done related to disability inclusive education financing; b) provide insight into the type, scope and scale of challenges that exist related to disability inclusive education financing; and c) put forward recommendations for future USAID programming related to disability inclusive education financing. Work will include review of financing in both formal systems, and nonformal education.
Rationale
Financing disability inclusive education is at the intersection of two thematic priorities for USAID: inclusion and sustainability. In order to make a meaningful contribution, USAID seeks to learn more about what organizations are working in this space, what they are doing and where, and with what goals/objectives. In addition to a review that would elucidate these points, this work would simultaneously benefit from participatory, inclusive ideation on how USAID can contribute to this workstream in future years and how to translate and action these ideas with USAID Missions and partners working in the field. USAID hopes that this process will kick-off conversations and exchange between USAID, local partners and practitioners in this technical space that continue after a white paper is finalized.
Objectives and Outcome
The three main objectives of this activity are to 1) Orient USAID to the current state of play of disability inclusive education finance (who is doing what, where, when and with what goals/objectives); 2) Describe the primary challenges and promising strategies for financing disability inclusive education; and 3) identify how USAID can contribute to this workstream and advance inclusive education through education finance in the future.
The outcome of this activity is that USAID has programming development guidance to support disability inclusive education financing.
Approach and Methodology
The consultant will begin with a brief desk review of existing documentation regarding disability inclusive education financing. Work will include review of UNESCO, UIS, UNICEF and World Bank initiatives, which are focused on formal systems, and additionally include perspectives on non-formal education as well as the perspectives of partner country governments. It will also include a review of key documents like the 2020 GEM Report’s chapters on finance and governance to summarize high-level themes, challenges, and opportunities in financing disability inclusive education.
Next the consultant will engage in key information interviews and focus group discussions with key multilateral, partner country governments, and implementing partners. Finally, with support from LTLGP, the consultant will facilitate an online community-based ideation event to harness innovative ideas around how USAID can contribute to this workstream and advance disability inclusive education through finance in the future.
For consultation and ideation activities, USAID will provide a list of Missions, implementing partners, experts and local government stakeholders involved in or interested in disability inclusive education finance work. Any identification and/or contact with local government stakeholders must be initiated in consultation with USAID.
The consultant will use results of the desk review and the stakeholder consultation and ideation to outline a possible high-level work plan for this area covering the next five years.
In particular, this activity will produce an orientation document (White Paper) that includes: a) summary of the landscape of who is doing what, when, where and with what objectives related to disability inclusive education finance; b) a high level summary of key data points as well as cross-country findings, challenges, opportunities, and perhaps myths and misconceptions; and c) recommendations for future programming, multilateral engagement, research and technical leadership. Recommendations could possibly be in the form of a notional, high level work plan for this area, covering the next 3-5 years. In addition, the paper could include discussion of guiding principles for disability inclusive education finance, key considerations, financing models and approaches, case studies or program examples, and identification of challenges/persistent questions without simple answers.
While the main focus of this work is on disability inclusive education finance, intersectionalities should also be included, where and as appropriate. Results of this work will also be disseminated through and in collaboration with USAID’s learning networks and partner communities.
Deliverables and Timeline
Work is expected to commence in December 2021. EDC expects applicants to propose a final delivery date.
Deliverables:
- Consultant onboarding
- Consultancy Work Plan
- Stakeholder Consultations (Part 1)
- Pause and Reflect session with USAID; white paper working group selected and approved
- White Paper Working Group Consultation (Part 2)
- Powerpoint and Presentation summarizing the white paper’s key themes and outlined work plan
- White Paper
- Powerpoint and Presentation on White Paper for stakeholders
Minimum Requirements
Offerors should demonstrate the following qualifications:
- Activity lead should meet one of the following education and experience combinations:
- PhD in education, education finance, inclusive education or other related topics and 8+ years of experience working on education finance or inclusive education in development and/or crisis and conflict settings, experience working both in program implementation and research an asset
- MS/MA Degree in education, education finance, inclusive education or other related topics and 10 years of experience working on education finance or inclusive education in development and/or crisis and conflict settings, experience working both in program implementation and research an asset
- Bachelor’s degree in education, education finance, inclusive education or other related topics and 12 years of experience working on education finance or inclusive education in development and/or crisis and conflict settings, experience working both in program implementation and research an asset
- Deep understanding of principles and concepts of education finance and inclusion, demonstrated experience working in the development and/or humanitarian settings on this topic, and a preference for candidates with knowledge and experience in disability rights and inclusion
- Ability to translate complex, technical concepts to a range of stakeholders, with differing levels of knowledge
- Strong collaboration and communication skills; ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with multiple stakeholders
- Proficient and fluent in English; strong communication skills, fluency in other languages helpful
- Strong multi-tasker with excellent organizational skills who can pay close attention to detail
- Prior experience working with EDC and/or USAID an asset.
How to apply:
All proposals must be received by EDC, before the extended deadline date and time of November 30, 2021, 5pm EST. If you have questions, please send them to Robin DePietro-Jurand at ltlgp_proposals@edc.org.
- All proposals must be delivered via email to: Education Development Center, Inc., Attention: Robin DePietro-Jurand at: ltlgp_proposals@edc.org. Please include “SRFP (Financing Disability Inclusive Education Landscape Assessment)” in the subject line of the email
- For more information, see the full Request for Proposals here.
Proposal Checklist:
Offerors must provide the following information. Incomplete applications will not be evaluated:
- All proposals must clearly identify the name of the individual submitting the proposal.
- A written proposal, no more than 3 pages, describing how the services described in the attached SOW will be delivered and including a workplan, as well as why they are interested in this work. If applying as an organization, please include the approach/rationale for proposing a team.
- A Level of Effort table that describes for each deliverable (in the SOW): the estimated LOE in hours, and the estimated delivery date. This may be an Annex to the proposal.
- A writing/similar work sample. This may be an Annex to the proposal.
- A description of the Offeror’s qualifications. This may be an Annex to the proposal.
- Three references including company name and contact information. This may be an Annex to the proposal.
- Name, title and resumes or CVs of key individual(s) who would be involved in the providing the services. CVs do not count as part of the page limit and may be placed in an Annex. No key personnel shall be replaced without EDC's express prior approval. If changes in key personnel are necessary, Contractor agrees to furnish replacement personnel that meet substantially the same education, training, and work experience qualifications as those of the personnel originally proposed.
- Pricing Template: Proposal pricing must be in the following format: Name, Role, Hourly Rate, Number of Hours, and Total Amount, for a Total Price Quotation. Proposals may not exceed a ceiling of $91,000. Applicants should not budget for final editing and design costs, as these will be covered by the project.
Applications must be either from individual consultants or from organizations. Groups of individual consultants will not be considered. EDC anticipates awarding a Time & Materials contract for the services described in the Statement of Work. EDC may award one or more contracts resulting from this request to the Offeror(s) whose quotation(s) conform to this request. EDC may also (a) reject any or all quotations, (b) accept other than the lowest quotation, or (c) accept more than one quotation. EDC may award a contract without discussions with Offerors. Offerors are strongly encouraged to submit their best quotations. EDC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to conduct discussions, which may result in revisions to quotations, with one or more than one or all Offerors(s).
