United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund Tender

For Carrying Out A Study On The Effectiveness Of Cpd Programme For The Primary Education Teachers In Bangladesh. & Terms Of Reference For Institutional Contract       Summary: Unicef Is Planning To Engage A Consulting Firm To Support The Directorate Of Primary Education (dpe) In Conducting An Effectiveness Study On The Continuous Professional Development (cpd) Programme And Training. Dpe Has Been Implementing A Number Of Training Programmes Under Cpd Provisions. As Per The Decision Of The 8th Joint Consultative Meeting (jcm) Of Pedp4, A Study Is To Be Conducted To Understand The Process Of Planning, Designing And Implementing As Well As To Analyse The Appropriateness Of Institutional Arrangements, Quality Assurance Mechanisms And Resources Invested For These Training Programmes. The Agency Will Serve As An Additional Hand To The Unicef Education Team For Effectively And Timely Completing The Assignment. Estimated Duration For The Study Is Ten Months.   Purpose The Purpose Of The Assignment Is To Support The Directorate Of Primary Education (dpe) In Planning, Designing And Carrying Out A Study On The Effectiveness Of Cpd Programme For The Primary Education Teachers In Bangladesh. The Findings Of The Study Are Expected To Inform The Next Sector Programme, Especially To Identify Areas For Further Strengthening The Overall Teacher Development Activities In Primary Education. Location The Assignment Will Be Based In Dhaka, But Field Travel Will Be Required For Data Collection. Estimated Duration Around 10 Months Technical Supervisor Of The Assignment Education Officer, Education Section             Background And Context Teachers, In Sufficient Number And With Required Qualification, Competency And Professional Readiness, Are The Most Crucial Input To Any Education System. If Teachers Are Not Trained, Nurtured And Supported Enough Throughout Their Career, There Will Always Be Capacity Gaps To Meet The Learning Demands Of Children Adequately And Effectively. No Education System Can Perform At The Optimum Expected Level And Ensure Student Learning, If Teachers Remain Weakly Prepared. Therefore, A Coherent And Well-planned Cpd System Should Be In Place That Is Appropriately Resourced And Responsive To The Existing And Emerging Capacity Development Needs Of Teachers, Their Educators And Supervisors. The Fourth Primary Education Development Programme (pedp4) (2018-2025) Is A Comprehensive Initiative Encompassing The Primary Education Sub-sector, Comprising All Essential Developmental Endeavours Within The Sector. Pedp4 Activities Are Categorized Into Three Components And 21 Sub-components. The Pedp4 Puts Emphasize On Developing Teachers’ Professional And Technical Capacity. The Sub-component 1.5 Is On Continuous Professional Development (cpd), Which Aims To “ensure That All Teachers And Teacher Educators Acquire The Requisite Professional Standards Through A Continuous Engagement In Professional Development Activities.” Achieving This Goal Is Possible With A Coherently Articulated System That Makes Professional Development The Norm. In Order To Realize This Vision, A Cpd Framework Was Developed In Year 1 (2018 – 2019) Of Pedp4. The Framework Encompasses All Types Of Teacher Professional Development Interventions With Review Of Current Training Curricula, Delivery Methods, Training Assessment And Monitoring Mechanisms And Implementation Of The Training Knowledge/skills At The Classroom Level. Guided By The Cpd Framework As Well As Based On The Needs, Dpe Provides Following Training Under Cpd Programme In Primary Education Sub-sector: Type Of Cpd Training[1] Target Group Academic Supervision Training Assistant Upazila/thana Education Officer (aueos/ateos) Induction Training For Newly Recruited Teachers Assistant Teachers (teaching At G1-g5) Induction Training For Newly Recruited Ppe Teachers Assistant Teachers For Pre-primary Education Leadership Training Headteachers Ict In Education Training All Teachers Need-based Sub-cluster Training All Teachers Curriculum Dissemination Training All Teachers Competency Based Item Development And Test Administration Training All Teachers Training Of Master Trainer In English (tmte) Selected Teachers/ Aueos/ateos As Master Trainers A 7-day Foreign Training Selected Teachers And Educators Send Training Two Teachers Per School Subject-based Training Core Subjects Bangla Assistant Teachers English Assistant Teachers Math Assistant Teachers Science Assistant Teachers Bangladesh And Global Studies Assistant Teachers Non-core Subjects Physical Education Assistant Teachers Arts And Crafts Assistant Teachers Music Assistant Teachers These Training Programmes Are Expected To Help Teachers To Continuously Develop Their Skills And Professional Capacities In Facilitating Effective Teaching-learning Process In Classroom. Dpe Develops/updates Manuals, Materials And Resource Books For Each The Above-mentioned Training Activity. Different Training Programmes Are Facilitated By Different Educators. Instructors At Primary Teachers’ Training Institutes And Upazila Resource Center (urc) Instructors Have The Main Responsibility Of Delivering These Training. The Need-based Sub-cluster Training Is Usually Conducted By The Assistant Upazila Education Officers. There Is A Yearly Training Calendar Prepared By Dpe With A Plan To Organize Different Types Of Cpd Programmes. The Current Study Has Been Planned To Look Into These Aspects, Especially Understand The Current Situation Of How The Cpd Training Programmes Are Planned And Implemented As Well As To Get An Insight Into The Extent To Which The Teachers Translate Their Learning In The Lesson Delivery In Schools.   Rationale / Purpose Of The Evidence Activity Data From The National Student Assessment (nsa) 2022[2] Indicates That Students Are Struggling To Meet The Expected Learning Levels, With Only About Half Of The Students Achieving Expected Competencies In Bangla And Just A Third In Mathematics In Grades 3 And 5. The Nsa Also Highlights The Significant Impact Of Teachers' Pedagogical Practices On Children's Learning. The Cpd Training Programs Aim To Help Teachers Continuously Enhance Their Skills And Professional Capacities, Thereby Facilitating An Effective Teaching-learning Process In The Classroom And Helping Students Achieve The Expected Learning Outcomes. However, There Is No Recent Studies Conducted To Understand How Effective The Cpd Programme Is In Imparting The Required Skills For Teachers. A Cpd Study Was Done During The First Year Of Pedp4 As A Part Of Developing The Cpd Farmwork.  The Development Of The Cpd Framework Based On The Cpd Study Was A Disbursement Linked Indicator (dli) (dli Target 3.2) Of Pedp4 In Year 1. As A Part Of The Process, All Dlis Are Verified To See Whether All Activities Are Completed As Per The Verification Protocol. The Verification Findings Are Documented In A Result Verification Report (rvr). The Rvr Of The Dli Target 3.2 Reported That The Cpd Study Mainly Looked Into The Current Situation And Cpd Needs. However, As Documented In The Rvr, The Study Had A Number Of Issues In Terms Of Internal Consistency, Relevance And Feasibility. The Rvr Recommended To Undertake A Comprehensive Cpd Effectiveness Study Taking The Global Experiences And Lesson Learnt Into Consideration. In Year 4 Of Pedp4, There Was Another Dli (dli Target 3.3) On The Implementation Of The Cpd Plan. Following The Verification Process, A Joint Consultative Meeting (jcm, 8th) Was Held On 27 March 2023 To Convey The Development Partners’ (dps) Assessment On The Verified Dli Targets. The Jcm Also Emphasized Conducting A Cpd Effectiveness Study, Which Was Agreed As One Of The Priority Actions In The Jcm Record Of Discussion (rod). Moreover, The Pedp4 Is Going To Be Completed In June 2025; And The Ministry Of Primary And Mass Education (mopme) Has Already Started The Discussion On The Next Sector Programme. This Design Of The Next Sector Programme Typically Includes Several Studies To Stocktake Overall Situation And Performance Of The Sector. The Findings Of The Studies Will Inform The Decisions On Different Aspects Of The Sector. The Cpd Effectiveness Study Can Be Considered As One Of The Design Studies That Will Contribute To How Teacher Development Interventions Will Be Strengthened In The Following Programme.   Objectives The Objective Of This Assignment Is To Support Dpe In Carrying Out A Study To Understand The Process Of Planning, Designing And Delivering The Cpd Training Programmes As Well As To Gather Evidence On The Extent To Which Teachers Are Able To Reflect Their Learning In Pedagogical Practices In Classroom. The Specific Objectives Of The Study Are To: Analyse The Relevance And Alignment Of Cpd Manuals And Materials With The National Priorities Around Teacher Development In Bangladesh; Understand The Process And Quality Of Training Delivery, Including The Training Strategies, Quality Assurance Mechanism And Adequacy Of Resources; Explore The Extent To Which The Teachers Are Able To Use Their Cpd Learning In Classroom Teaching Learning Process.   Scope The Agency Will Directly Work With Training Division And Other Respective Line Divisions Of Dpe And Unicef Team Throughout The Study Process. Collaboration With And Guidance From All Dps Will Also Be Critical In Conducting A Technically Sound Study And Producing A Comprehensive Study Report.  The Intension Is Not To Evaluate/assess The Impact Of Each Individual Training Programme Under Cpd, Rather To Analyse And Understand How The Cpd Interventions Are Planned, Designed And Delivered As Well As To See Whether The Cpd Programmes Are Aligned With The National Policies And Priorities And Responsive To The Teachers’ Capacity Needs. The Study Also Aims To Understand What Monitoring, And Quality Assurance Mechanisms Are In Place To Ensure Quality Delivery Of The Cpd Programmes. The Assignment Will Cover Three Main Aspects Of The Cpd Programmes. Following Is The Scope, Description Of Tasks, Expectations And Required Process Under The Assignment.   4.1. Alignment And Relevance Of Cpd Programme Reviewing The Policy Documents, Guidelines And Framework To Identify National Priorities And The Goals Around Teacher Development: Though Bangladesh Is Yet To Formulate A Teacher Policy Or Teacher Development Policy/framework, Different Other Policies, Plan And Documents Outline The Goals Of Teacher Development. The Agency Will Locate, Collect And Review All The Documents That Include Directions And Guidelines For Teacher Development. The Main Objective Of Reviewing The Documents Would Be To Generate National Priorities And Policy Directions For Teacher Development In Bangladesh. Followings Are The Indicative List Of Documents (these Are Not Limited) That Can Be Reviewed: Education Policy 2020 8th Five-year Plan Pedp4 Programme Document – Cpd Sub-component Revised National Curriculum Cpd Framework Result Verification Reports (rvrs) Of All Cpd Dli Targets Annual Sector Performance Report (aspr) Studies On Cpd Programmes In Bangladesh Major Relevant Policy Documents Reviewing The Cpd Curriculum, Manuals And Materials To Understand Their Alignment With National Priorities: The Next Step Would Be Reviewing The Manuals And Materials Of All Current Cpd Programmes Mainly To Do A Mapping Of The Competencies, Contents And Information Covered Wholistically By The Cpd Programmes In Primary Education. The Agency Will Also Identify The Training Strategies And Approaches Outlined The Cpd Manuals, Which Are Suggested To Be Used During Training Delivery. The Agency Will Use This Mapping To Analyse The Followings: I) Alignment Of The Cpd Programmes With National Priorities; Ii) Relevance With National Curriculum; Iii) Responsiveness To The Contemporary National And Global Needs For And Practices Of Teacher Development; Iv) Provisions For Capacity Building Of Supervisors And Educators; V) Adequacy And Completeness Of The Contents For Achieving The Expected Outcomes Of Each Cpd Training Programme; And Vi) Technical Soundness Of The Training Strategies And Approaches.   Mapping The Cpd Packages With Teachers’ Professional Standards (tps): As A Part Of Basic Training For Primary Teachers (btpt) [revised Dped], Dpe Has Developed And Approved The ‘teachers’ Professional Standards (tps)’ For Primary Teachers. The Tps Are A Set Of Competencies That A Primary School Teacher In Bangladesh Is Expected To Have. The Agency Will Conduct A Comparative Analysis Between The Competencies Of The Tps And Expected Outcomes Of Each Cpd Training. This Will Also Include An Analysis On Which Cpd Training Contributes To The Achievement Of Which Competencies Of Tps.   4.2. Quality Of Cpd Training Delivery Observing The Training Sessions: The Agency Will Collect The Annual Training Calendar From The Training Division Of Dpe As Well As Gather Information On Which Training Programmes Will Be Delivered During The Period When The Agency Will Plan For Data Collection. At The Same Time, The Agency Will Develop A Checklist Based On The National And Global Best Practices That Can Be Used During The Session Observation. The Checklist Might Include Indicators On: I) Quality Of Facilitation; Ii) Use Of Materials And Resources; Iii) Use Of Training Approaches And Strategies; Iv) Engagement Of Trainees; And V) Time Management. Analysing The Training Planning And Management Processes: The Agency Will Review And Analyse The Overall Process That Is Followed During The Planning And Management Of Cpd Training Programmes. This Will Include: I) Distribution Of Different Cpd Training Throughout The Year; Ii) Process Of Selection And Deployment Of Trainees; Iii) Frequency Of The Different Cpd Training; And Iv) Distribution Of Participation Of Teachers/trainees In Different Training Programmes. Understanding The Quality Assurance Mechanisms: It Is Also Important To Analyse And Understand The Mechanisms In Place For Ensuring The Quality Of Cpd Training Programmes. The Agency Will Discuss With Trainers, Related Sub-national Officials And Dpe Officials To Gather Information On All Quality Assurance Mechanism They Use During The Training Delivery. The Quality Assurance Mechanism Might Include Session Observation By Respective Officials, Feedback Gathering From The Trainers And Pre-test/post-test. The Agency Will Also Collect The Checklist Or Any Other Documents That Are Used For This Purpose. Understanding The Trainees’ Perception: The Agency Will Analyse And Understand The Perception Of The Trainees Mainly To Have An Insight Into: I) Quality Of The Contents And Delivery; Ii) Effectiveness Of The Cpd Training In Building The Expected Capacity; Iii) Overall Experience Of The Cpd Training; Iv) Additional Need For Capacity Development; And V) Challenges They Face During Participation In The Training Programmes. Analysing The Process And Adequacy Of Resources Allocation And Facilities: This Step Includes Mainly Two Aspects. Firstly, The Agency Will Look Into The Fund Allocation And Disbursement Process For Cpd Training. This Will Also Include Fund Disbursement Channel, Sufficiency Of Funds For Different Training Programmes, Timeliness Of The Fund Disbursement To The Field And Effectiveness Of Fund Utilization. Secondly, It Is Also Important To Analyse Adequacy And Suitability Of The Resources In Venue Where The Cpd Training Typically Takes Place. Most Of The Cpd Training Usually Takes Place Either In Pti Or Urc. For This, The Agency Will Use A Checklist That Identifies Resources And Facilities Necessary In A Training Venue To Ensure Effective Training Delivery.    4.3. Reflection Of Cpd In Classroom Observing The Classroom Lessons: The Agency Will Observe A Selected Number Of Lessons At The Government Primary Schools, Mainly To Understand The Reflections Of Cpd Training In The Teaching Learning Process. For Effectively Observing The Lessons, The Agency Will Develop A Checklist Covering The Important Aspects Of Effective Pedagogical Practices In Classroom. This Might Include, But Not Limited To: I) Lesson Plan; Ii) Use Of Materials; Iii) Engagement Of The Learners; Iv) Use Of Teaching-learning Strategies (e.g. Q/a, Group Work, Pair Work Etc.); V) Assessment. Understanding The Academic Support System: A Review And Analysis Of The Existing Academic Support To The Teachers Will Also Be Conducted. The Agency Will Have Discussions With Teachers, Headteachers And Supervisors To Have A Comprehensive Understanding The Academic Support System, Including: I) Who Are The Supervisors; Ii) Frequencies Of Academic Support Activities (lesson Observation, Supervision And Mentoring); Iii) How Supervisors Record The Findings From Supervision; And Iv) What Are The Strategies/approaches They Follow To Support Teachers. Analysing The Challenges Teachers Face In Applying The Cpd Learnings: The Agency Will Also Gain An Insight Into The Challenges Teachers Face In Applying The Cpd Learnings In Their Lessons, Especially In Terms Of The Availability Of Materials, Learning Environment And Facilities In Classroom, Support Form Headteachers And Colleagues, Workload And So On. It Might Also Include How Teachers’ Participation In Different Training Programmes Affect The Student Contact Hours In School.  In Addition To Above-mentioned Tasks, The Agency Is Expected To Maintain Effective Communication And Coordination With All Involved In The Process. All The Activities Under This Assignment Will Be Accomplished In Collaboration With The Training Division Of Dpe, With Technical Support From Unicef And Other Development Partners. Frequent Communication With Responsible Dpe Officials Will Have To Be Maintained Throughout The Process Of Accomplishing This Assignment. All The Documents And Materials Submitted By The Expert Will Be Reviewed Both By Dpe, Unicef And Other Dps. The Agency Is Expected To Attend Review And Coordination Meetings Related To This Assignment And Make Presentations If And When Required. It Is Also Expected That The Agency Will Prepare Meeting Minutes Within 2 Days After Each Meeting And Share With Dpe And Unicef.   Study Questions As Mentioned, The Study Relates To Three Major Aspects Of Cpd. Followings Are The Specific Questions Under Each Of The Aspects. Firstly, Analysing The Relevance And Alignment Of The Cpd Programmes With National Policies, Priorities, Framework And Standards Pertaining To Teacher Development, Through Following Guiding Questions: A.1. What Are The Available Policy Documents, Framework And Guidelines That Outline The Goals, Priorities And Strategies For Teacher Development In Bangladesh? A.2. How Well Are The Current Cpd Programme Objectives Aligned With And Responsive To The Goals Of Teacher Development And Overall Priorities In The Sector? A.3. To What Extent Are The Current Cpd Programmes Relevant To The Revised Curriculum And Contemporary National And Global Needs For And Practices Of Teacher Development? A.4. How Comprehensive Are The Cpd Programmes In Terms Of Developing Capacity Not Only Of Teachers But Also Of The Educators And Supervisors? A.5. To What Extent Do The Current Cpd Programmes Cover The Contents And Skills Necessary For Achieving The Teachers’ Professional Standards? A.6. To What Extent Are The Contents, Texts And Information Set Out In The Manual And Resource Book Of Each Cpd Training Programme Adequate And Complete For Achieving The Expected Outcomes Of Each Cpd Training Programme? A.7. How Well Are The Training Strategies And Approaches Outlined In The Cpd Manuals Technically Sound And Appropriate?   Secondly, Understanding The Quality Of Training Delivery, Including The Quality Assurance Mechanism, Resources And Perception Of The Trainees, Through Following Guiding Questions: B.1. To What Extent Are The Cpd Training Sessions Useful In Terms Of The Delivery Of The Contents, Use Of Materials And Resources, Use Of Training Approaches And Strategies, Engagement Of Trainees And Time Management? B.2. What Quality Assurance Mechanism (monitoring, Session Observation, Feedback Etc.) Are In Place To Ensure That The Training Sessions Are Of The Expected Quality? B.3. How Do The Trainees Perceive The Usefulness And Relevance Of The Content, Delivery, And Overall Experience Of The Cpd Training? B.4. How Adequate Are The Resources And Facilities Available In The Training Venues (pti, Urc And Others) For Conducting Effective Training Sessions? B.5. What Is The Trainee Selection Mechanism And How Rational Is The Distribution Of Participation Of Trainee In Different Training Programmes? B.6. How Evenly Are The Cpd Trainings Distributed Throughout The Financial Year As Per Dpe’ Yearly Training Calendar? B.7. How Rational And Adequate Is The Current Frequency Of Different Cpd Training? B.8. How Adequate And Enabling Is The Fund Allocation And Disbursement Mechanism In Terms Of The Sufficiency Of Funds For Different Training Programmes, Timeliness Of The Fund Disbursement To The Field And Efficiency Of Fund Utilization?   Thirdly, Exploring The Reflection Of Cpd In Classroom Teaching Learning Process, Including Academic Support System And Enabling Environment At School, Through Following Guiding Questions: C.1. To What Extent Are The Learnings From Different Cpd Programme Contributing To Improved Pedagogical Practices Of Teachers In The Classroom? C.2. How Responsive Is The Academic Support System (lesson Observation, Supervision And Mentoring Etc.) To The Teachers’ Needs For Ensuring Improved Teaching-learning Practices? C.3. How Do The Supervisors Record The Findings From Lesson Observation And School Monitoring And How Are The Findings Communicated/shared With Teachers? C.4. What Challenges Do The Teachers Face In Applying The Cpd Learnings In Their Lessons In Terms Of Facilities Inside The Classroom, Support From Co-workers And Headteachers And Enabling Environment At School? C.5. How Does The Teachers’ Participation In Different Training Programmes Affect The Student Contact Hours In School?   Methodology Based On The Above Descriptions In Section 4 As Well As To Respond To The Guiding Questions Outlined Under Section 5, The Agency Is Expected To Propose Technically Sound Methodology That Will Include: I) Study Approach; Ii) Sampling Method; Iii) Data Collection Methods; Iv) Respondents; V) Data Entry And Analysis Process; Vi) Reporting Approach; And Vii) Quality Assurance Mechanism. The Study Methodology And Other Details Are To Be Included In The Inception Report. The Proposed Methodology Will Be Agreed And Finalized Based On The Discussion With Dpe, Unicef And Other Development Partners. Followings Are The Indicative/suggestive Methodology For This Study: Study Approach: The Study Will Employ A Mixed Method Of Data Collection And Analysis, Combining Both Quantitative And Qualitative Approaches. The Mixed Method Will Allow A Deeper Exploration Of The Issues Around Cpd By Utilizing A Blend Of Qualitative And Quantitative Data. Following Is A Summary Of Proposed Methods For Data Collection, Including The Respondents And Questions To Be Responded Through Each Method.   Proposed Methods Suggested Respondents/ Documents/ Locations Questions To Be Responded Qualitative Desk Review All Documents Listed Under Sub-section 4.1 A.1, A.2, A.3, A.4, A.5, A.6, A.7, B.2, B.5, B.6 And B.8 Kii Central, Division And District Level Officials A.3, A.4, A.5, B.6, B.8 And C.2 Fgd/in-depth Interview Trainers And Educators (pti And Urc) And Upazila Level Supervisors A.3, A.4, A.5, A.6, A.7, B.2, B.4, B.5, B.6, B.7, B.8, C.2, C.3 And C.5 Quantitative Questionnaire/ Opinionnaire School Teachers A.3, B.3, B.7, C.1, C.4 And C.5 Observation Cpd Training Sessions, Classroom Lessons B.1, B.2 And C.1 Resource Adequacy Analysis Pti And Urc And Other Training Venues B.4 The Agency Is Expected To Prepare The Data Collection Tools For Each Method Considering The Data Required For Responding To The Questions. It Is Recommended That The Agency Will Include Drafts Of The Tools In The Inception Report. The Tools Will Be Finalized Based On The Thorough Discussion With Dpe, Unicef And Other Development Partners. Sampling: The Sampling Will Follow A Blend Of Stratified - To Ensure That Respondents Of All Levels Are Included - And Purposive – To Ensure That The Intended Purpose Of Data Collection Is Achieved. The Sample Size Will Not Have To Be Nationally Representative But Adequate To Present The Findings Reliably And Confidently. At The Same Time, It Is Important To Ensure That Respondents/schools Are Selected From All Eight Administrative Divisions. For Observing The Training Sessions, Dpe’s Training Calendar Will Be The Guiding Document. Training Programmes That Would Be Delivered During The Time Of Data Collection Will Be Included In The Sample. The Agency Is Expected To Propose The Appropriate Sampling Method And Number Of Respondents And Lessons To Be Observed. These Will Be Finalised Based On The Discussion With Dpe And Unicef. Risks And Limitations: Following Are The Risks And Limitations Anticipated: The Study Is Not Planned To Be Nationally Representative. Therefore, It Might Be Challenging To Draw The Conclusion From The Findings With Full Confidence. Dpe Has A Yearly Training Calendar For Delivering Training Throughout The Year. Also, Some Training Happens Only Once In 3-4 Year Period. It Means The Study Cannot Observe The Sessions Of All The Training Programmes, It Can Cover The Programmes That Are Conducted During The Time Of Data Collection. The Study Does Not Intend To Assess Or Evaluate The Cpd Training Programmes, Rather It Aims To Analyse, Understand And Document The Current Processes, Mechanisms And Institutional Practices. For This Reason, The Findings Will Not Infer To The Effectiveness Of Each Training.   Ethical Considerations Agency Contracted For The Study Is Expected To Follow The Ethical Principles And Considerations Outlined In The United Nations Evaluation Group (uneg) Ethical Guidelines For Evaluation And The Unicef Procedure For Ethical Standards In Research, Evaluation And Data Collection And Analysis. In Addition, The Uneg Norms And Standards Will Be Observed. As Per Unicef Standards For Ethical Research, The Agency Must Give Special Attention To Ethical Considerations And Should Put In Place Adequate Measures For Ethical Oversight Throughout The Study/evaluation Period. All Researchers And Field Investigators Involved In Primary Data Collection Should Have Undergone Basic Ethics Training, Which At A Minimum Includes Completing Unicef’s Agora Course On Ethics In Evidence Generation Or Its Equivalent. In Conducting The Study, The Agency Must Ensure Informed Consent, Respecting People’s Right To Provide Information In Confidence And Making Study Participants Aware Of The Scope And Limits Of Confidentiality. Furthermore, The Agency Is Responsible For Ensuring That Sensitive Information Cannot Be Traced To Its Source So That The Relevant Individuals Are Protected From Reprisals.  Data Storage And Security Must Be Ensured At All Stages Of The Study. Only Selected Personnel From The Research Agency Should Have Access To De-identified Data, And Only Anonymised Data Should Be Shared Externally, And With Unicef (unless Stated Otherwise).   Use Of Findings As Mentioned, Though Cpd Training Has Been Implemented For Long, There Is No Solid Study Or Evidence That Analyses And Documents The Cpd Planning, Design, Implementation And Institutional Arrangement. One The Other Hand, Mopme Has Started Designing The Next Sector Programme In Primary, And Needless To Say, Teacher Capacity Development Is Envisaged As One Of The Important Components Of The Programme. For These Perspectives, The Findings Of The Study Will Be Used In Following Two Processes: Updating The Cpd Programmes: Based On The Findings, Dpe Will Update, Revise And Further Strengthen The Cpd Training Manuals, Materials, Quality Assurance Mechanisms, Alignment And Relevance Of The Training. Strengthening Cpd Provisions In The Next Sector Programme: The Study Will Also Inform The Critical Decisions About The Cpd Provisions For The Next Sector Programme, Institutional Arrangements, Capacity Building Of Educators And Supervisors, Fund Disbursement And Utilization And Training Management.   Publication Plan The Study Report Will Be Shared With Dpe And All Development Partners In The Sector. Dpe Will Disseminate The Findings Through Workshops, As Well As Circulate The Report By Uploading It Onto Its’ Website. However, At His Point, There Is No Plan To Publish The Report Through Any National Or International Journals.   Schedule Of Deliverables, Timeline And Payment   Sl# Deliverables Timeline (total 8 Months) Payment 01 An Inception Report/work Programme Detailing Methodologies And Data Collection Approaches To Be Used, Implementation Timeline And Approaches For Consultation And Reporting. August 2024 10% Of The Contract Value 02 A Document Review Report (to Be Part Of The Study Report) With A Complete Overview Of National Teacher Development Priorities, Current Cpd Provisions In Bangladesh Including A Mapping Of Cpd With Tps. September 2024 15% Of The Contract Value 03 Finalized Data Collection Tools Including Data Collection Plan, Timeline And Type Of Respondent To Be Engaged. October 2024 20% Of The Contract Value 04 Draft Cpd Effectiveness Study Report, With A Presentation, A Briefing Note (not More Than 5 Pages) Highlighting The Key Findings From The Study For Sharing And Facilitating Reviews With The Stakeholders January 2025 25% Of The Contract Value 05 Final Cpd Effectiveness Study Report That Incorporates Feedback And Suggestions From Dpe, Development Partners And Other Stakeholders. March 2025 30% Of The Contract Value   Team Composition, Qualifications & Experience Required General Requirement Of The Agency:   A National Agency With Minimum Of 10 (ten) Years Of Experience Around Educational Research And/or Teacher Development.  The Agency Should Have Implemented Or Ongoing 3 (three) Contracts Of Similar Nature With Organizations/ Companies Of Similar Magnitude And Complexity. Experience Of Working With Government Counterparts And Understanding Of Government System And Process. Previous Experience Of Working With Education Directorates, And National And Sub-national Education Stakeholders, Especially With Educators, Supervisors And Teachers. Proven Experience Of Planning, Delivering, Managing And Organizing Capacity Development Programmes, Preferably For Teachers. Proven Experience In Quantitative And Qualitative Study And Research. Demonstrated Prior Experience In Preparing Interactive Study Reports With Visualization And Infographics. Strong Analytical Written Skills, Including The Ability To Write In An Engaging And Informative Manner And Clearly Synthesize Information. Previous Collaboration Experience With Unicef Preferred, But Not Mandatory.    Team Composition And Expertise: The Agency Will Assemble A Team With Adequate Experts Who Have All Necessary Skills For Effectively Conducting The Study. It Is Expected That The Team Will Include At Least One International Expert Who Will Bring Global Cpd Perspectives As Well As Ensure The Technical Soundness Of The Study Design And Support In Producing High Quality Study Report. The Key Considerations In Assembling The Team Should Include A Right Balance Of Technical And Operational Skills; Drawing The Right Technical Expertise As Per The Requirements Of The Assignment; Assembling The Most Suitable National Expertise With Deeper Contextual Understanding And Tacit Knowledge Of Ground Realities In Bangladesh And A High Concern For Ensuring Value For Money. The Agency Is Expected To Propose The Adequate Number Of Experts In The Team. However, The Team Should Possess Following Expertise: Team Leader/research Manager: The Team Should Include One Team Leader Or Research Manager Who Will Oversee The Whole Study Process. S/he Should Have Minimum Master’s Degree In Relevant Field And Minimum 15 Years Of Experience In Managing Large-scale Study, Preferably With Experience In Teacher Development In Bangladesh. The Team Leader Can Be National Or International. Qualitative And Quantitative Research Expert(s): The Team Should Have Expert(s) Who Have Proven Track Records In Both Research Paradigms: Qualitative And Quantitative. The Expert(s) Should Have Minimum Master’s In Research, Statistics Or Relevant Field, And Minimum Of 10 Years Of Experience In Education/research. Data Analyst(s): The Team Should Comprise Experts Who Have Deep Technical Knowledge And Understanding Of Data Analysis For Both Qualitative And Quantitative Research Paradigms. The Data Analyst(s) Should Have Minimum Of Masters In Psychometrics, Statistics Or Relevant Field And Minimum 8 Years Of Experience In Data Analysis. Report Writing Expert(s): The Team Should Also Include Experts Who Have Proven Experience Of Writing Interactive Reports With Adequate Technical Details And Visualization. The Report Writing Expert(s) Should Have Minimum Of Masters In Experience In Teacher Development, Education And Research And Minimum 10 Years Of Experience In Educational Study Design And Report Writing, Preferably In The Area Of Teacher Development. The Report Writing Expert(s) Can Be National Or International. Enumerators: The Agency Will Assemble A Team Of Enumerators Who Have Previous Experience Of Data Collection, Especially In The Education Context. The Enumerators Should Have Solid Expertise In Facilitating Discussions, Interviews And Consultations With The Research Respondents. Experience Of Consultation With Government Officials Will Be Expected. The Agency Will Propose Adequate Number Of Enumerators Based On The Sample Size And Scope Of Data Collection.   Duty Station The Agency Will Work Mainly Based In Dhaka, With Frequent Communication With Dpe And Unicef. Data Collection Will Require Travelling To Division And District-level Offices, Training Venues At District And Upazila Level, And Schools. For Meetings, Workshop And Consultation With Government Counterpart, The Designated Agency Officials Will Have To Travel To Mopme And Dpe.   Management And Supervision Dpe: As Mentioned, Unicef Will Be Supporting Dpe In Carrying Out The Study. Therefore, Dpe Will Provide Overall Guidance And Directions To Conduct The Study. All The Documents, Including The Inception Report, Data Collection Tools And Study Report Will Be Endorsed By Dpe. Besides, Dpe Will Support The Agency In Accessing All The Documents, List Of Schools And Training Centres, And Officials For Sampling Purposes. Once Sampled, Dpe Will Also Support In Reaching Out The Respective Officials To Facilitate Data Collection Process. Unicef: Unicef Will Serve As The Technical Lead Of The Study. All Deliverables Will Be Reviewed By Designated Officials Of The Education Section Before Sharing With Dpe. Unicef Will Also Facilitate The Discussions, Correspondences And Consultations Between Dpe And The Agency. Unicef Supply Section Will Remain The Focal Point For All Administrative, Financial And Commercial Queries And Correspondence, Including Contract Amendment.   Technical Evaluation Criteria   Category Points Relevance And Alignment Of The Proposal (05) Understanding Of, And Responsiveness To, Unicef Bangladesh Office Requirements. 02 Understanding Of Scope And Objectives Of The Tor And Completeness Of Response. 02 Overall Concord Between Study Requirements And The Proposal. 01 Appropriateness Of Methodology And Timeline (35) Quality And Technical Soundness Of The Proposed Approach And Methodology. 10 Appropriateness Of The Approach: To What Extent The Methodology Is Designed In Response To The Requirements Of The Tor. 10 Quality Of Proposed Implementation Plan, I.e., How The Agency Will Undertake Each Task, And Process Of Completing The Tasks. 05 Risk Assessment - Recognition Of The Risks/peripheral Problems And Methods To Prevent And Manage Risks/peripheral Problems. 05 Feasibility Of Timelines Proposed. 05 Organisational Capacity And Proposed Team (30) Professional Expertise Of The Firm/company/organization, Knowledge And Experience With Similar Projects, Contracts, Clients And Consulting Assignments. 10 Team Leader: Relevant Experience, Qualifications, And Position With The Agency. 10 Team Members: Relevant Experience, Skills & Competencies. 05 Adequacy And Organization Of The Team, I.e., How Sufficient The Number Of Team Members And Composition To Fulfil The Roles & Responsibilities. 05 Total Points 70 For This Rfp, The Technical Proposal Has A Total Score Of 70 Points. Bidders Must Score A Minimum Of 49 Points To Be Considered Technically Compliant And In Order For The Financial Proposals To Be Opened. Financial Proposal Has A Total Score Of 30 Points. The Technical Proposal Must Comprehensively Address Each Deliverable, Outlining A Detailed Plan To Achieve Them Within The Specified Timeframe. Each Deliverable Should Be Clearly Defined, With Corresponding Strategies, Methodologies, And Timelines For Implementation. The Proposal Should Demonstrate A Thorough Understanding Of The Project Objectives And How The Proposed Approach Will Effectively Meet Them. Also, The Proposal Should Highlight Any Innovative Or Unique Aspects Of The Proposed Methodology That Will Contribute To The Project's Success. In Addition To The Technical Proposal, A One-page Curriculum Vitae (cv) Of All Team Members Must Be Submitted Along With A Recent Photo. The Cv Should Provide A Concise Overview Of Each Team Member's Qualifications, Expertise, And Relevant Experience. Furthermore, It Should Include Contact Information For Two Referees - One Professional And One Academic - Who Can Attest To The Applicant's Capabilities And Suitability For The Project. The Final Selection Of The Bidder Will Be Based On A Quality And Cost Basis As Specified In The Rfp.     [1] These Trainings Are Provided In Different Frequencies Based On The Needs. [2] Directorate Of Primary Education [dpe]. (2023). The National Student Assessment 2022: Grades 3 And 5. Https://www.dpe.gov.bd/site/publications/8fedb608-0b49-4935-bf2d-9e15a3b66525/nsa-2022-final-report