TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY TO CONDUCT A RESEARCH ON THE COST OF EDUCATING AN ECD CHILD
Type: Consultancy
Duration: estimated 20 days
Duty station: Virtual
Many children in the developing countries, are confronted with a difficult road ahead of their growth from infancy to adulthood. Accordingly, their transition from early childhood education to primary school is a difficult one because of the complexities in the availability of resources, both the personal resources that children bring to school and the conditions of the schools themselves which present obstacles to their successful adjustment. Realizing the need to harness the human resource for the future of the country and SADC region, there is need to make sure that children receive a conducive environment that enables them to be prepared to learn right from birth.
However, information which cuts across the region provides little information on the actual cost of educating an ECD child so as to determine the gaps and achievements in budget provisions. To move from policy to budget commitment, further steps are needed to cost and resource them through the public budget. ECDE financing is not simply about allocating more resources but also about using available funds more efficiently, effectively, and equitably as an important step towards budget commitment. There is little in the way of research data that unpacks ECDE budget requirements per child in Southern Africa (TRANAC Budget Analysis report, 2021). The current studies that attempt to respond to this challenge have been conducted by the World Bank although they have not focused on the countries in question and the region at large.
Therefore, this research study seeks to close this gap. To this end, Zimbabwe Network of Early Childhood Development Actors (ZINECDA) in partnership with Network of Early Childhood Development Coalition of Lesotho (NECDOL), and the Early Childhood Development Coalition of Malawi are seeking the services of a consultant to conduct a research study on the cost of educating a child through quality public ECD education, covering 6 countries (Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zambia and Mozambique.
- Objectives and purpose of the research
I. Benchmark the major cost centres of accessing a child to quality public ECD education from age 4-6 years.
II. Provide a robust way of determining the cost accessing a child to quality public ECD education (4-6 years) in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zambia and Mozambique.
III. Make recommendations on best ways to fund ECD education - Expected deliverables
I. Inception report and work plan, including a research methodology and assumptions, indicators or cost centres for ECD, sampling strategy, a data collection tools and analysis plan and way of determining the cost of educating an ECD child. The inception report will demonstrate clearly how the major cost centres will be identified and calculated, data collection plan and tools, data determinants for costing, etc
II. Current national ECDE cost per learner and gaps by country
III. Well-presented research findings by country and integrated SADC region through a validation programme and report.
IV. National and an integrated regional dataset for the study.
V. Recommendations for ECD financing policy improvement in the context of the findings - Scope of Work
Under the direct supervision of the ZINECDA management team, the consultant will design, conduct the research, and produce an inter-country and 6 national reports targeting 6 countries in the consortium. The study I expected to focus on ECD ins the context of public ECD/ financing aspects with a specific focus on the ages of 4-8 years. - Methodology
The consultant will propose specific methodology which will be used as criteria for selection. The methodology should also ensure that data collected can be communicated, explained and contextualized. The methodology must include participation of the national TRANAC monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning staff as part of capacity building. - Management and supervision of the assignment
The assignment will be constantly monitored by the TRANAC Lead through the Regional Management Unit team and MEAL Lead basing on milestones derived from the stated deliverables and the objectives. The regional management team will be in constant communication with the consultant to track progress made on each stage, until the completion of the task. Furthermore, the methods and tools for collecting data will be constantly reviewed in order to give room to refinement and adjustment if necessary. - Equipment/ Support
The consultant should state the equipment and support needed from the organization in the application. Limitations in the procurement and use of equipment and services will be discussed with the winning team. - Timelines
The research is expected to take a maximum of 20 days. - Application Process
We invite interested researchers or companies to submit the following application documents:
I. An expression of interest of no more than 10 pages, briefly addressing track record relevant to the assessment and the degree to which the consultant(s) meet(s) the selection criteria. If a team of consultants is proposed, outline the anticipated roles of each team member.
II. Technical proposal for the evaluation study including proposed methodology and activities schedule/work plan, with timeframe. The proposal must also clearly outline how the TRANAC project partners will be involved in the process.
III. CV(s) of applicant(s)
IV. Financial proposal (separating consultant day rates and anticipated data collection costs)
V. Example(s) of previous similar works
VI. Reference from previous employer and/or client - Qualifications
The desired candidate(s) should have at least a postgraduate qualification in M&E or Statistics, Education Financing or Economics and Social Sciences or Education with ECD an added advantage. S/He should also have at least 10 years of working experience in Education Planning and Financing, M&E for ECDE or education projects including research and data management responsibilities. Experience of working in SADC countries will an added advantage.
Application submission address and deadline
All applications should be sent to the Procurement team by the 21st of July 2022 on the following email address: [email protected]