Early_Grade_Learning_(EGL)_Request_for_Information_(RFI).pdf

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

G.P.O. Box 295

U.S. Embassy, Maharajgunj

Kathmandu, Nepal

Telephone: +977.1.423.4000

Email: usaidnepal@usaid.gov

Website: https://www.usaid.gov/nepal

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

ISSUANCE DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 2019

RFI CLOSING DATE & TIME:

Friday, September 27, 2019, 17:00 PM Nepal Standard Time (NPT; 5:45 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC))

SUBJECT: USAID/Nepal Early Grade Learning (EGL) Project

REFERENCE: RFI No. 72036719R00008

Dear Prospective Respondents, The United States Government (USG), represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Nepal mission (USAID/Nepal) issues this RFI per Title 48 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1 (i.e., Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)) §§ 15.201(c)(7) and 15.201(e), respectively, to provide stakeholders an opportunity to review, comment, suggest, and enhance areas for a forthcoming USAID/Nepal activity: USAID/Nepal Early Grade Learning (EGL) Project.

USAID/Nepal intends to award a cost-reimbursement, cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) completion type contract per FAR 16.306(d)(1) for a period of five years.

USAID issues this RFI solely for information and planning purposes as well as to collect and analyze information about capabilities within the market to satisfy agency needs. However, this RFI does not constitute a request for proposals (RFP). Moreover, responses to this RFI neither constitute offers nor will USAID accept any responses to form a binding contract. Furthermore, any commentary provided in response to this RFI will not advantage any organization with respect to any subsequent procurement. Nevertheless, USAID/Nepal will not provide answers to any questions posed in response to this RFI. USAID/Nepal will issue and post the subsequent RFP or any corresponding amendments on the Governmentwide point of entry (GPE), the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website, located at http://www.fedbizopps.gov. However, it remains the potential offeror’s responsibility to monitor these sites for announcements of new opportunities.

I. BACKGROUND

Nepal has made remarkable progress over the last decade in expanding learning opportunities for children. Since 1990, net primary school enrollment rates have increased from 64 to 97 percent, with gender parity at basic, secondary and tertiary levels of education. While these high-level measures of ‘access’ to basic education services have trended positively, data suggest that the quality of basic education service delivery remains low. A fundamental measure of the quality of a basic education system is the extent to which children in the early grades are attaining basic literacy and numeracy skills. The 2014 nationally representative Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) for Nepal showed that 19 percent of Grade 3 students could not read a single word of Nepali while only 12.8 percent of students were able to read with fluency and comprehension. The 2014 assessment also mailto:usaidnepal@usaid.gov https://www.usaid.gov/nepal http://www.fedbizopps.gov/

Request for Information USAID/Nepal Early Grade Learning (EGL) Project

Solicitation No.: 72036719R00008 revealed that 55 percent of Grade 2 students whose mother tongue was not Nepali scored zero on reading assessments.

Under the School Sector Reform Program (2009 – 2015), the Government of Nepal (GON) identified and developed a $71 million National Early Grade Reading Program (NEGRP) to improve reading outcomes in Nepali for children enrolled in Grades 1 – 3 of all community schools across all 75 of Nepal’s districts. This priority continued with the development of the next generation School Sector Development Plan. USAID and other donors have invested heavily in improving early grade reading outcomes in Nepal. USAID/Nepal Early Grade Reading Program (EGRP) has been providing technical assistance to the GON to develop evidence-based teaching and learning materials, conduct teacher training and professional support, institutionalize student assessment, engage parents and communities, and develop national standards and policies and roll them out to 16 districts in over 4,800 schools. In the 2019/2020 school year, the GON rolled out NEGRP to four additional districts, and has a plan to reach 38 districts in the following two years.

Recent findings from EGRP’S 2018 midline evaluation (i.e., EGRA) showed promising improvements in many areas, but overall progress toward achieving government targets continues to lag. For example, 26.3 percent of Grade 3 students in the targeted districts that speak Nepali as their first language could read with fluency and comprehension, compared to only 2.9 percent of Grade 3 students that speak Nepali as their second language. While the 2018 EGRA midline data demonstrated improved reading skills across Grade 1 – 3 learners, more than 70 percent of Grade 3 learners are still not reading at grade level1 indicating a need for continued investment in early grade reading and other areas to improve learning outcomes.

While the 2015 Constitution and the resultant transition to federalism have empowered, and made responsible, municipal governments for delivering basic and secondary education services, these local governments have not had the opportunity to develop the capacity, management and technical expertise required to achieve the task. A fundamental challenge therefore is to reorient the education management system, including its policy and regulatory frameworks, under the new federal structure.

This will also entail building capacity at the provincial, municipal, and school levels. The lack of capacity and limited human and financial resources of provincial and municipal governments present an unprecedented series of challenges to improve quality basic education service delivery.

II. PURPOSE

Given the foregoing context, USAID/Nepal Early Grade Learning (EGL) project seeks to provide technical assistance in the education sector to strengthen the capacity of national, provincial, and municipal government entities to improve learning outcomes for early grade students.

III. RFI SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

USAID strongly encourages all types of organizations and firms (e.g., large, small, for-profit, nonprofit, private company, non-governmental organization (NGO), local NGO, university, foundation, foreign governmental organization, etc.) to provide information or comments via email no later than Friday, September 27, 2019 by 17:00 PM NPT.

1 The national Early Grade Reading (EGR) benchmark is 45 correct words per minute with 80 percent comprehension.

Request for Information USAID/Nepal Early Grade Learning (EGL) Project

Solicitation No.: 72036719R00008

Please submit all responses to the following email address:

kathmanduoaaexchange@usaid.gov

Respondents must format the response subject line as follows:

72036719R00008 USAID/Nepal Early Grade Learning (EGL) Project Response

Responses to this RFI neither constitute offers nor will USAID accept any responses to form a binding contract. USAID again reiterates that any commentary provided in response to this RFI will not advantage any organization with respect to any subsequent procurement. Lastly, USAID/Nepal may use submitted responses without restriction or limitation.

IV. QUESTIONS

USAID seeks feedback on the following matters. Further, USAID requests for respondents to provide concise and issue-specific comments. The total page limit for the feedback is 6 pages.

USAID/Nepal also aims to consult with a broad community of public and private sector actors concerned with improving early grade learning in Nepal. Thus, USAID/Nepal may revise this proposed new activity and planned solicitation based on comments received and further stakeholder consultations.

(a) What currently employed strategies or approaches work well to improve learning outcomes in early childhood education and development and early grades (ECED – Grade 5) in community schools in Nepal? At what scale have the aforementioned strategies or approaches been or being implemented? Is there evidence to demonstrate or support that the strategies or approaches improve learning outcomes?

(b) What three most effective interventions – currently ongoing or proposed – should be prioritized to improve learning outcomes in early grades (ECED – Grade 5) in community schools in Nepal?

(c) Given the new governance structure in the education sector, what support is needed at the provincial, municipal, and school levels to improve learning outcomes in early grades (ECED

– Grade 5) in community schools? USAID requests for respondents to please specify what support is needed at each level and what issue the support addresses.

(d) What effective practices has your organization observed at the municipal level to improve learning outcomes in early grades (ECED – Grade 5) in community schools?

(e) What changes does your organization believe needs to occur to ensure sustainable and quality implementation of NEGRP at the national scale?

(f) What activities should civil society actors (i.e., NGOs or community-based organizations (CBOs)) prioritize to support the GON to improve learning outcomes in early grades (ECED – Grade 5) in community schools?

mailto:kathmanduoaaexchange@usaid.gov