Somalia: LRPS-ALI-2015-9122601 - Education Sector Analysis and Education Sector Strategic Plan Development

1.0 PROCEDURES AND RULES

UNICEF is the agency of the United Nations mandated to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child UNICEF strives to establish children’s rights as international standards of behavior towards children. UNICEF’s role is to mobilise political will and material resources to help countries ensure a “first call for children". UNICEF is committed to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children.

UNICEF carries out its work through its headquarters in New York, 8 regional offices and 125 country offices world-wide. UNICEF also has a research Centre in Florence, a supply operation based in Copenhagen and offices in Tokyo and Brussels. UNICEF’s 37 committees raise funds and spread awareness about the organisations mission and work.

1.2 PURPOSE OF THE RFP

The purpose of this RFP is to invite proposals from qualified institutional consultancy firms to conduct Education Sector Analysis and Strategic Plan Development in Somaliland as stipulated in the TOR.

1.3 FORECAST SCHEDULE

The schedule of the contractual process is as follows:

Closing date and time for submission of full proposal:

a) 17/12/2015 at 10.00 a.m. Nairobi Time

b) Award Notice: To be determined

c) Signature of contract: To be determined

1.4 RFP CHANGE POLICY

All requests for formal clarification or queries on this RFP must be submitted in writing via email to somsupply@unicef.org. Please make sure that the e-mail mentions the RFP reference number.

Only written inquiries will be entertained. Please be informed that if the question is of common interest, the answer will be shared with all potential RFP bidders.

Erasures or other corrections in the proposal must be explained and the signature of the applicant shown alongside. All changes to a proposal must be received prior to the closing time and date. It must be clearly indicated that it is a modification and supersedes the earlier proposal, or state the changes from the original proposal. Proposals may be withdrawn on written request received from bidders prior to the opening time and date. Bidders are expected to examine all instructions pertaining to the work. Failure to do so will be at bidder’s own risk and disadvantage.

1.5 RFP RESPONSE FORMAT

Full proposals should be submitted in English and must be received not later than 17/12/2015 by 10.30 a.m. Nairobi Time. Proposals received after the stipulated date and time will be invalidated.

The proposals should be submitted as follows:-

· Sealed Envelope 1: Technical proposal only without mention of the budget – the envelope should be clearly marked with “ RFP No; Name of Company; Technical Proposal”

· Sealed Envelope 2: Financial Proposal - the envelope should be clearly marked with “RFP No.; Name of Company; Financial Proposal”

· Sealed Envelope 3: Outer envelope containing the individual envelopes for Technical & Financial Proposals – the envelope should be clearly marked with “RFP No……; Company Name”

· Please remember to sign the “Request for Proposal for Services Form” on Page 3 of the RFP document and return together with the proposal.

NOTE: Proposals not submitted in this manner will be invalidated.

BIDS may be hand-delivered or sent by Courier to:-

UNICEF SOMALIA SUPPORT CENTRE OFFICE,

UN GIGIRI COMPLEX, BLOCK Q, GROUND FLOOR

P.O. Box 44145-00100

Nairobi

Bidders are requested to provide details (Name/ID No.) of the persons delivering a day in advance by sending an email to somsupply@unicef.org to facilitate clearance to enter the UN complex.

Due to the nature of this RFP, there will be no public opening of proposals and responsible officers will open technical proposals when the specified time has arrived.

1.6 BIDDER RESPONSE

1.6.1 Formal submission requirements

The formal submission requirements as outlined in this Request for Proposal must be followed, e.g. regarding form and timing of submission, marking of the envelopes, no price information in the technical proposal, etc.

1.6.2 Mandatory criteria

All mandatory (i.e. must/have to/shall/should/will) criteria mentioned throughout this Request for Proposal have to be addressed and met in your proposal.

All references to descriptive materials should be included in the appropriate response paragraph, though the material/documents themselves may be provided as annexes to the proposal/response.

It is important that you read all of the provisions of the request for proposal, to ensure that you understand UNICEF’s requirements and can submit a proposal in compliance with them. The bidder must also provide sufficient information in the proposal to address each area of the Proposal Evaluation to allow the evaluation team to make a fair assessment of the candidates and their proposal. Note that failure to provide compliant proposals may result in invalidation of your proposal.

1.7 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Information, which the bidder considers proprietary, should be clearly marked "proprietary", if any, next to the relevant part of the text, and UNICEF will treat such information accordingly.

1.8 RIGHTS OF UNICEF

UNICEF reserves the right to accept any proposal, in whole or in part; or, to reject any or all proposals. UNICEF reserves the right to invalidate any Proposal received from a Bidder who has previously failed to perform properly or complete contracts on time, or a Proposal received from a Bidder who, in the opinion of UNICEF, is not in a position to perform the contract. UNICEF shall not be held responsible for any cost incurred by the Bidder in preparing the response to this Request for Proposal. The Bidder agrees to be bound by the decision of UNICEF as to whether her/his proposal meets the requirements stated in this Request for Proposal. Specifically, UNICEF reserves the right to:

• contact any or all references supplied by the bidder(s);

• request additional supporting or supplementary data (from the bidder(s));

• arrange interviews with the bidder(s);

• reject any or all proposals submitted;

• accept any proposals in whole or in part;

• negotiate with the service provider(s) who has/have attained the best rating/ranking, i.e. the one(s) providing the overall best value proposal(s);

• Contract any number of candidates as required to achieve the overall evaluation objectives.

1.9 VALIDITY

Proposal must be valid for a minimum of ninety (90) days from the date of opening of this RFP and must be signed by all candidates included in the submission. For proposals from institutions, the proposal must also be signed by an authorised representative of the institution. Bidders are requested to indicate the validity period of their proposal in the Proposal Form. UNICEF may also request for an extension of the validity of the proposal.

2.0 Technical Proposal

The technical proposal should address all aspects and criteria outlined in this Request for Proposal, especially in its statement of work, terms of reference and paragraph 1.10 of this Request for Proposal. However, all these requirements represent a wish list from UNICEF. The bidders are free to suggest/ propose any other solution. UNICEF welcomes new ideas and innovative approaches. (NOTE: No price information should be contained in the technical proposal).

2.1 Price Proposal

The price proposal should be in line with the TOR, indicating overall/total cost of assignment and itemized budget.

2.2 PROPOSAL EVALUATION

After the RFP opening, each proposal will be assessed first on is technical merits and subsequently on its price. The proposal with the best overall value, composed of technical merit and price, will be recommended for approval. UNICEF will set up an evaluation panel composed of technical UNICEF staff and their conclusions will be forwarded to the internal UNICEF contracts Review Committee.

The evaluation panel will first evaluate each response for compliance with requirement of the RFP. Responses deemed not to meet all of the mandatory requirements will be considered non-compliant and rejected at this stage without further consideration. Failure to comply with any of the terms and conditions contained in this RFP, including provision of all required information may result in a response or proposal being disqualified from further consideration.

2.3 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

The technical proposals will be evaluated against specified criteria below. The total amount of points allocated to the technical proposal is 70% and only technical proposals which received a minimum of 60% will be considered further.

Technical Evaluation Criteria and Relative Points

Weights: Technical 70% vs. Financial Offer 30%

CATEGORY/CRITERIA

1. OVERALL RESPONSE - MAXIMUM 10 POINTS

-Overall concord between UNICEF requirements and the proposals of the candidate organization - 5 points

-Understanding of, and responsiveness to the requirements of the assignment in terms of technical and expert services as per the attached TOR; Detail and thoroughness of the proposal in respect of the requirements of the TOR and assignment 5 points

1. STRATEGY/METHODOLOGY OF ASSIGNMENT - MAXIMUM 30 POINTS

The Technical Offer including Work Plan and Approach comprising of:

• Proposed design of the process, methodology, preparations and implementation of the analysis and program design process and description of how the institution or company is intending to carry out the tasks (e.g. How to organize the required staff/experts and support their activities in Somaliland, schedule of planned activities, proposed implementation of the required work, etc.) Proposed overall process and design of the assignment, including timetable and required deliverables - (work plan) - 10 points

• Logistical and staff/expert arrangements in Somaliland for efficient implementation - 10 points

• Detail and thoroughness of the entire approach/methodology - 10 - points

• TECHNICAL CAPACITY: MAXIMUM 30 POINTS

Organization’s Background:

. Experience, Expertise and Other Attributes Institution’s or Company’s Background

· Full address and location of registered offices

· Details of registrations (certificate of incorporation/ documentation as a registered company or institution).

· Evidence of ability to mobilize qualified personnel and experts

· Summary of corporate structure and business area

· Organigram

· Details of infrastructure in office

· Number and type of employees or available experts

· Audited financial statements for previous 2 years

· Incorporation documents

· Financial status/yearly turn over for the last two years → supported with appropriate proof/certificates - 5 points

Experience:

· The company should have extensive experience (minimum 10 years) in the relevant field of work as per the TOR

· Proven record and experience in carrying out similar work

· Experience in high quality data collection, analysis and research

· Familiarity with Somalia and specific contexts of Somaliland; Experience and good knowledge of local Somali social, cultural, political, economic context

· Experience in complex emergencies or conflict-affected contexts preferred - 10 points

Expertise:

· The company should provide CVs of leading technical and managerial staff required

· Sufficient human resource capacity, competent staff or experts with suitable experience and expertise as per the assignment and TOR

· Demonstrated managerial capacity to undertake the assignment 10 - points

Other Skills and Attributes Required as per the TOR:

· Able to work in multicultural settings

· Strong analytical and leadership skills

· Excellent interpersonal and team work skills including good judgment and capacity to deal with counterparts of different levels and background

· Setting of high standards for work

· Strong communication, writing and presentation skills

· Necessary language skills in English and Somali

· Proficiency in ICT (MS Word, Excel, Power point, etc.)- 5 points

1. DETAILED FINANCIAL OFFER AND PRICE: MAXIMUM 30 POINTS

Overall Price and detailed/broken-down budget covering the entire assignment (for both technical and logistical aspects of the assignment) as per the TOR. The budget to include unit costs like fee rates, expenses, etc. (NOTE: winning bidder will be responsible for all project costs)

· Level of detail of the financial offer and budget Overall price- 10 points

. Completeness and detail of budget and offer - 10 points

. Unit costs, rates, etc. 10 points

TOTAL SCORE FOR THE RFP (TECHICAL AND FINANCIAL PROPOSAL) - 100 POINTS

3.0 TERMS OF REEFERENCE

Objective:

• Undertake an education sector analysis in Somaliland encompassing the entire education spectrum from early childhood development to higher education.

• Provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Education and Higher Studies (MOEHS) and the Education Sector Committee (ESC) in developing the new Education Sector Strategic Plan 2017-2021 (ESSP) based on the sector analysis

This work will be developed in partnership with the MOEHS and the ESC, possibly by setting-up a technical working group.

Background

Somaliland is situated in the north-west of Somalia. Due to the civil war, there was no national government for nearly two decades. Nevertheless, since its unilateral declaration of independence in 1991, Somaliland has remained stable with functioning institutions and a peaceful transfer of power through democratic elections in 2010. Apart from evidence of improved governance, the government of Somaliland has shown a willingness to strengthen its internal financial systems through introducing robust and transparent Public Financial Management systems. In spite of the long civil upheaval to the education and social system, significant positive steps have been taken in Somaliland to restore stability and to revitalise education. Local and international NGOs have had significant involvement in the rehabilitation and development of Somaliland’s education sector.

In 2011, Somaliland made a big step forward by endorsing the Free Primary Education (FPE) Policy. The introduction of Fee Free Primary Education for all may have changed the Somaliland education landscape forever, at least at the policy level. Following year in 2012, with the financial support from European Union, the Somaliland MOEHS embarked on a participative, consultative process in order to develop the five-year ESSP (2012-2016). This ESSP is anchored in the National Constitution of Somaliland. It is informed by National Development Plan, past relevant policy and strategy papers, and he Somaliland Education Act (2007). The Plan is fully consistent with and strives to embody the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (1948) as well as the Jomtien and Dakar Declarations of Education for All (1990 and 2000). Also in 2012, Somaliland joined the GPE partnership that emphasizes the coordination and partnership with the ESC. UNICEF is the Managing Entity and EU/USAID is the Coordinating Agency for the on-going GPE Programme. Under improved partner coordination, Somaliland conducted its very first Joint Review of the Education Sector (JRES) in 2014.

While in many ways the FPE was seen as an auspicious development as school fees constituted a major barrier to educational access for many children, particularly for girls, in reality the Somaliland education system was ill-prepared in terms of human and financial resources for such a leap. In spite of the significant progress made in expanding access to primary education over the last five years, the goal of achieving universal primary education for all children has remained modest.

The challenges that Somaliland faces are complex, multifaceted and differ according to various political, social and regional contexts. One of the challenge is the scarcity of education data.

Based on the lessons learned from the current ESSP, expiring in 2016, a quality new sector plan is needed in order to boost both access and quality of education for the next five years. The MOEHS and the ESC has agreed to partner with UNICEF for leading the process of the sector analysis and the ESSP development.

SCOPE OF WORK

The bulk of the work will be done in Hargeisa, the capital city of Somaliland. In this regard the consultancy will involve extensive visits to the said location during the assignment.

3.1 SPECIFIC TASKS

The institution will (but not limited to)undertake the below tasks:-

a) For Sector Analysis:

Based on the “Education Sector Analysis Methodological Guidelines Vol 1 & 2” jointly developed by UNICEF, UNESCO, The World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Secretariat, the following analyses will be undertaken in concertation with the MOEHS:

• Assist the MOEHS for assessing the current ESSP, including weaknesses and strengths as well as accomplishments and inadequacy as an input to the Sector Analysis as well as guidance for the new ESSP;

• Identify sources of existing data/information and collect missing data (where attainable);

• Analyse the context of the Education Sector in terms of 1) demographic, social, humanitarian context, and 2) macroeconomic and financial context;

• Analyse the enrolments (evolution of indicators, schooling profiles, etc.), internal efficiency (repetition, retention, etc.) and out-of-school children population (supply and demand of education, etc.);

• Analyse cost and financing: analyses of the evolution of public expenditures for education, distribution by sub-sector, contribution from households, detailed analysis on the public recurrent expenditure, analysis of unit costs by sub-sector, and financing at school level (if data are available);

• Analyse quality, system capacity and management: analysis of learning assessments, conversion of resources into results, management of teachers, etc.

• Analyse external efficiency: structure of labour market, social impacts;

• Analyse equity in 1) enrolments and learning achievements (including gender disparities and pastoralist education), 2) the distribution of public resources;

• Determine key areas of MOEHS’s investment for the next five years;

Resources to be utilized include (but not limited to):

• Government Financial Operations Table and other available macroeconomic data;

• School Census Report/Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) database (2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14, and 2014/15);

• Joint Review of the Education Sector (JRES) Synthesis Report (2015);

• Joint Programme on Local Governance and Decentralised Service Delivery (JPLG) Report;

• Population Estimation Survey (PESS) 2014;

• Household surveys: Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2011;

• Finance Law, Executed Budget Reports;

• Teacher Profile Database and Payroll files;

• Legal framework and related policy documents (e.g., National Education Act, National Education Policy, Higher Education Policy, Teacher Education Policy

• Ministry of Education Human Resources materials;

• Measuring Learning Achievements in Grade Seven (MLA 4&7) 2013 Reports;

• A Conflict and Education Analysis of the Somali Context 2014;

• UNDP Somalia Human Development Report 2012;

• Ministry of Environment & Rural Development materials

b) For developing the ESSP:

• Develop an Education Simulation Model – to be used as a costing tool and to help analyse the dynamics of education systems and ensure coherence in the development of the education sector;

• Facilitate the development by the Ministry of Education of a five-year ESSP (2017-2021) in light of the sector analysis;

• Develop a realistic three-year Action Plan for the ESSP;

• Conduct stakeholder consultations (MOEHS and ESC members) on the ESSP to gather information and identify priorities and plans (consider discussions and linkages with the annual action plan of JRES 2016);

• Propose strategy and options for Somaliland (especially utilizing feedback from the Education Sector Analysis) in ways to overcome the challenge of data gaps;

• Follow the “Guidelines for Education Sector Plan Preparation” developed by the GPE Secretariat;

4.0 DELIVERABLES

• Inception Report/Work Programme;

• Monthly activity memo;

• Draft Sector Analysis Report;

• Final Sector Analysis Report;

• Education simulation model for the costing of the ESSP;

• Draft ESSP including the multi-year implementation/action plan;

• Final ESSP including the multi-year implementation/action plan; and

• Power Point Presentation of the ESSP development process.

4.1 Responsibilities

• Consulting firm – Guide the entire process and take responsibility for producing the requested deliverables;

• MOEHS – Take the lead for the entire process and provide any information/support that are required to the Consultant(s) that would help in completing the work successfully;

• Local Stakeholders – to provide feedback/information as required by the Consultant;

• UNICEF– Management of contract, Monitoring and technical quality assurance

5.0 Timing

The contract is expected to run for a period of 8 months exact dates to be determined.

6.0 Reporting, Supervision, and other Arrangements:

An institutional contract will be made between the winning bidder and UNICEF Somalia. The winning bidder will work closely with the MOEHS and the ESC. While in Hargeisa, the Director General of the MOEHS will be directly responsible for working with and supporting the consultancy to ensure that all necessary staff participation arrangements are made for the expected works. The overall management of this consultancy is UNICEF Somalia whereby the institution is expected to report to UNICEF Somalia. Communication among the related parties (i.e. MOEHS, ESC, and UNICEF) are to be conducted in a transparent and consultative manner.

7.0 PAYMENT TERMS

Payments will be tied to deliverables and will be scheduled as follows:-

20% upon submission of the Inception Report/Work Programme

20% upon submission of the Draft Sector Analysis Report

20% upon submission of the Final Sector Analysis Report

20% upon submission of the Draft ESSP including the multi-year implementation/action plan

20% upon submission of the Final ESSP including the multi-year implementation/action plan and Power Point Presentation of the ESSP development process

8.0 Qualifications and Experience:

The proposed team should include staff members with below competencies

• At least Master’s Degree in Education, Education Policy & Planning, Education Economics or any relevant field with at least ten (10) years’ professional experience, as appropriate to the role they are assigned within the team

• Specific experience and knowledge in the area of education research and data analysis;

• Has prior experience in undertaking education sector plan, particularly in fragile contexts;

• Knowledge of the education sector in post-conflict contexts;

• Ability to work effectively with government and donor counterparts;

• Proven ability in preparing reports in English;

• Deliver assignments timely and ensure good quality of work.

• Inclusion of both international and national team members is an advantage

How to apply:

Sealed Hard copy proposals should be hand-delivered or sent by Courier to reach UNICEF at the below address on 17/12/2015 by 10.00 a.m. Nairobi Time. Bids received later than this date will be disqualified:

Supply & Logistics Section

UNICEF Somalia Support Centre

UN Gigiri Complex, Block Q, Ground Floor

P.O. Box 44145-00100

Nairobi

NOTE:

1.Prospective bidders are required to request for a full set of this RFP.

2.Bidders are requested to provide details i.e. Name/ID No. of person delivering the bids a day before the deadline to facilitate entry into the complex to:somsupply@unicef.org

3.A printed set of the completed technical and cost proposals should be submitted in three separate sealed envelopes. (Individual envelopes for technical and price proposals) clearly marked with RFP No., Name of Company, Technical Proposal and Financial Proposal