72038819RFI00001_Attachment_1.pdf

DRAFT STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

USAID/Bangladesh Esho Shikhi (“Come and Learn”) Activity

1. Purpose

The objective of the Esho Shikhi (“Come and Learn”) Activity is to improve the learning outcomes of marginalized Bangladeshi children and youth in the crisis-affected district of Cox’s Bazar. The Activity will accomplish this goal by increasing learning opportunities, improving the quality of education, building the capacity of district officials and communities to support education, and building communities’ capacity to respond to disasters. The Activity addresses the USAID Education Policy priority of “children and youth, particularly the most marginalized and vulnerable, have increased access to quality education that is safe, relevant, and promotes social well-being.”

USAID/Bangladesh posits that: If students have more opportunities to access learning, if learning opportunities are high-quality, if district and local actors ensure quality education, and if school communities are prepared for natural hazards, then students’ learning outcomes in Cox’s Bazar will improve.

2. Scope

Esho Shikhi will target Bangladeshi children and youth in Cox’s Bazar by providing tailored approaches to the unique needs of schools in order to improve their learning outcomes in selected subject areas. At the start of the Activity, a community needs assessment will drive the final selection of beneficiary schools and communities, and identified needs will determine the corresponding mix of interventions.

The beneficiaries may be children and/or youth in government primary schools, low-fee private schools, secondary schools, non-governmental organization (NGO) schools, alia madrasahs, non-formal schools, and/or other alternative education for out-of-school children and youth. The Contractor is not expected to reach children and youth across all of these types of schools.

Instead, USAID prioritizes concentrating interventions on measurably and sustainably improving learning outcomes in targeted subject areas in one or a limited number of different school types.

3. Period and Place of Performance

Esho Shikhi is a five-year activity that will be implemented in Cox’s Bazar district. Esho Shikhi will support “host communities,” defined as the upazilas (sub-districts) of Ukihya and Teknaf closest to the Rohingya camps, and/or support “impacted communities,” meaning the other six upazilas of Cox’s Bazar that are also experiencing the socio-economic stressors of the Rohingya influx. The Activity will not target services to the Rohingya people living in the refugee camps because other U.S. government resources are specifically designed to support refugees.

4. Background

Education in Cox’s Bazar

Prior to the Rohingya influx, primary education outcomes in Cox’s Bazar were among the lowest nationwide. School access and retention are low. The district has the lowest percentage of children of primary school age enrolling in first grade (71%), and it has the second-highest dropout rate (31%) in the country.1

The quality of education in Cox’s Bazar is also poor, and students fail to master foundational skills. Out of 64 districts, Cox’s Bazar ranks second-to-last in reading and math achievement in the primary level National Student Assessment.2 Similarly, the endline assessment of USAID’s Reading Enhancement for Advancing Development (READ) activity found that in government primary schools that did not receive the intervention, only 32% of third grade students could read in Bangla with fluency and comprehension.3 Learning outcomes are also weak at the secondary level. The 2015 Learning Assessment of Secondary Institutions found that in Chittagong division 33% of sixth graders perform at the lowest achievement level in math, meaning they can perform basic arithmetic operations but cannot perform multiple-step problem solving. Furthermore, 35% of students perform at the lowest level in English, meaning they can only retrieve explicitly stated information from a text and cannot interpret or draw inferences.4

In a region where many people speak the Chittagonian dialect, the Bangla language barrier contributes to poor learning outcomes. The endline assessment of USAID’s Innovation for Improving Early Grade Reading Activity found that in Cox’s Bazar 31% of children in non-intervention schools finish first grade unable to read in Bangla.5 Among these non-readers, on average children could only answer 32% of the Bangla-language listening comprehension questions, which indicates that they may not understand Bangla.

Rohingya Influx

Since August 2017, more than 740,000 Rohingya people have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Burma’s Rakhine State.6 The speed and scale of the refugee flows has resulted in a critical emergency affecting Bangladeshi communities throughout the district, although not all upazilas of Cox’s Bazar have been impacted uniformly. Some Bangladeshis are benefitting from employment opportunities created by the humanitarian influx, but for many poverty is increasing as wages decline and prices for transportation and certain foods increase.

1 Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. (2016). Annual Primary School Census 2016. Accessed at <http://dpe.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/dpe.portal.gov.bd/publications/b490814d_522e_4f81_b0a0_8f872 7feab27/Final%20APSC%202016,%2029%20December%202016.pdf>

2 Directorate of Primary Education. (2018). The National Student Assessment 2017: Grades 3 and 5. Forthcoming.

3 Save the Children. (2018). Reading Enhancement for Advancing Development Government Primary Schools Endline Evaluation. Accessed at < https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00T9P2.pdf>

4 Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education. (2015). 2015 Learning Assessment of Secondary Institutions.

Accessed at < http://dshe.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/dshe.portal.gov.bd/page/90422170_577f_4310_a663_b48825efbd6 e/LASI%202015%20Public%20Report-%20final_280816.pdf>

5 BRAC University Institute of Educational Development. (2018). Endline Evaluation of the Innovation for Improving Early Grade Reading Activity in Government Primary Schools. Note that students in the assessment sample were from Chokoria, Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Ukhiya, and Teknaf.

<http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TGWC.pdf>.

6 UNHCR. “Refugee Response in Bangladesh” Operational Portal. Accessed 24 Feb 2019. Source:

<https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/myanmar_refugees>

The Rohingya influx has deepened the plight of already struggling schools throughout Cox’s Bazar. In October 2018, USAID commissioned a Rapid Education and Risk Analysis to understand the impacts of the influx on school communities in six upazilas in Cox’s Bazar.7The following section summarizes the findings.

School Attendance and Dropout

School attendance and access are declining for children and youth of all ages in Cox’s Bazar. In focus groups, 65% of teachers cited student attendance as their primary challenge. Increases in transportation costs and traffic affect access to schools for teachers and students, especially for girls who feel unsafe or who are harassed while commuting. Poor infrastructure also deters students from attending school. Student focus groups frequently commented on their school’s inadequate sanitary facilities (such as washrooms), which are especially important for adolescent girls. In addition, many schools are inaccessible for children and youth with disabilities. After attendance, the second greatest challenge that students in the Rapid Education and Risk Analysis focus groups cited was social-emotional issues (49%).

Under financial strain from increased prices and decreased wages, families are withdrawing their children and youth from school because they are unable to afford education-related expenses, such as transportation, food, and school fees.8 A household study in Ukhiya and Teknaf found that the cost of secondary education was a barrier for 10% of secondary-aged youth.9 In addition, primary and secondary students are dropping out of school to work in the Rohingya camps. For secondary school girls, child marriage, once in decline, is increasing again as families marry their daughters because they cannot afford their education.

School Quality

In a region where education quality was already poor, the Rohingya influx has further impacted the quality of education service delivery by exacerbating the district’s teacher shortage. Prior to the influx, government schools received a limited allocation of government-salaried teachers, and communities supplemented this shortfall by hiring “para-teachers.” Many of these para-teachers, non-governmental organization (NGO) teachers, and madrasah teachers have left schools to take higher paying jobs working for humanitarian organizations in the camps. Class sizes are expanding as schools cope with the teacher shortage, and students struggle to learn in overcrowded classrooms. The teachers that remain lack the training and materials to deliver quality instruction.

Food Insecurity

The price and income disruptions caused by the Rohingya influx have increased the food insecurity of communities in Cox’s Bazar, and children come to school hungry. Prior to the

7 Dexis. (2019). Rapid Education and Risk Analysis of Host Communities in Cox’s Bazar. (See Annex 1 of this

SOO)

8 Save the Children. (2018). Self-reliance Situation of Host Communities in Cox’s Bazar. Accessed at <http://fscluster.org/sites/default/files/documents/self_reliance_assessment_report-final.pdf>

9 Inter Sector Coordination Group. (2019). Cox's Bazar Host Community Multi-Sector Needs Assessment I Preliminary Findings. Accessed at <www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh/infographic/coxs-bazar-host-community-multi-sector-needs-assessmentpreliminary> influx, 27% of families in the district suffered from severe or moderate chronic food insecurity.10 Since the influx, half of all host community households report eating “less preferred foods,” and 25% of households report reducing the number of meals or portion size.11 Reductions in food quality and quantity impact children’s nutrition, and 72% of host community children are not consuming the diverse diet necessary for healthy cognitive and physical growth.12

Contextual Risks

Cox’s Bazar faces multiple contextual risks. Flooding, deforestation, and tropical cyclones make Cox’s Bazar highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Although school communities are aware of disaster risks, school-level action to prepare for or reduce the risk of natural hazard impacts is limited. Many government primary schools double as multi-purpose cyclone shelters, but they lack plans for ensuring the continuity of education in the event of a natural disaster.

Communities report increases in crime and drug use, which contribute to families’ reluctance to send their children and youth to school.

Bangladeshis express humanitarian solidarity with the Rohingya people, but tensions between the two groups are increasing. Communities express frustration over their perception that the Rohingya receive more humanitarian aid than the Bangladeshis.

Previous USAID Education Activities

Previous USAID activities implemented early grade reading programs in the Cox’s Bazar district. The READ activity implemented by Save the Children provided support to government primary schools in Cox’s Bazar to improve early grade reading outcomes (2013-2018). The Innovations for Improving Early Grade Reading Activity implemented by BRAC also provided support to government primary schools for early grade reading in Cox’s Bazar (2015-2018). A lesson learned from these activities is the need to strengthen education systems and develop capacity at the national and local levels in order to sustain education reforms.13

5. Performance Objectives

Esho Shikhi will improve student learning outcomes in select subject areas in target schools and/or communities in Cox’s Bazar district. The Contractor will provide services to achieve the following four results:

1. Learning opportunities increased

2. Quality of education in selected subjects improved

3. District, upazila, and community capacity to plan, manage, and oversee quality education

10 Bangladesh Ministry of Food. (2016). Integrated Food Security Phase Classification: Chronic Food Insecurity Situation in 10 districts of Bangladesh. Accessed at < http://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Bangladesh_ChronicFI_Situation_20152020_2rou nd-10%20districts.pdf

11 World Food Program. (August 2018). Refugee influx Emergency Vulnerability Assessment. Accessed at < www.wfp.org/content/rohingya-emergency-vulnerability-assessment>

12 World Food Program. (August 2018). Refugee influx Emergency Vulnerability Assessment. Accessed at < www.wfp.org/content/rohingya-emergency-vulnerability-assessment>

13 Save the Children. (2019). READ Final Report. (forthcoming) increased

4. School community capacity to prepare for and respond to the impacts of natural disasters increased

A guiding principle of the USAID Education Policy is the use of evidence and data to drive decision-making and investments. In line with this principle, the Contractor must conduct a needs assessment of each targeted school and community at the start of the activity to inform the mixture of interventions most appropriate to achieve the four activity results in that locality.

Result 1: Learning opportunities increased

The objective of this result area is to increase opportunities for learning for children and/or youth in Cox’s Bazar. Esho Shikhi will address the barriers, incentives, and opportunity costs that children and/or youth face to access formal and/or non-formal education. By overcoming these barriers to education, children and/or youth will have increased opportunities for learning. In light of the protection concerns for learners and education personnel in and around schools, Esho Shikhi will also ensure that education opportunities are safe. Safe education opportunities should protect learners and education personnel from internal, external, and environmental threats to their safety, while also promoting their psychosocial well-being.

Result 2: Quality of education in selected subjects improved

The objective of this result area is to improve the quality of education in targeted subjects and grades. At the start of the Activity, the Contractor will assess student learning to inform the selection of high-need subject(s) and grades where the Contactor will focus. USAID prioritizes selectivity and depth to generate significant learning outcomes in one or a limited number of high-need subject areas. In selecting the subject area(s), the Contractor must take into account the absorptive capacity of school communities and the district system to sustain reform. At the primary level, USAID/Bangladesh prioritizes early grade reading. Note that USAID’s Education Policy highlights social and emotional learning for all students.14

If the Contractor chooses to work in schools that follow the national curriculum, the teaching and learning materials must align with and be approved by the appropriate ministry. In government primary schools, all Esho Shikhi interventions must align with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education’s Fourth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP4). If the Contractor chooses to target non-formal or alternative education opportunities, the approach must facilitate a transition to formal education, certified equivalent competencies, training, or work opportunities.

Result 3: District, upazila, and community capacity to plan, manage, and oversee quality education increased

A key principle of the USAID Education Policy is to “Strengthen systems and develop capacity in local institutions.” The ability of the people of Cox’s Bazar to sustainably meet their own education needs depends on stakeholders and local institutions having the capacity to ensure quality education. Under this result, Esho Shikhi will build the capacity of government

14 USAID. (2018). “USAID Education Policy.” Accessed at <www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/2018_Education_Policy_FINAL_WEB.pdf> counterparts at the district and upazila levels to plan, manage, and oversee quality education.

This Activity is regionally focused, but the Contractor may build government capacity at the central level if it advances the achievement of results at the local level.

In addition to building the capacity of government stakeholders, Esho Shikhi will work with parents and communities, including School Management Committees, to support their engagement in their children’s learning and their ability to oversee school management and ensure quality education.

Result 4: School community capacity to prepare for and respond to the impacts of natural disasters increased

School communities must have the knowledge and capacity to prepare for and recover from the shocks resulting from manmade and natural disasters in order to protect students’ opportunities for learning. Under this component, the Contractor will strengthen school community capacity for collective action in the areas of disaster risk reduction. The Contractor will also strengthen school communities’ ability to develop disaster management plans and continuity of education plans.

Education in emergencies is a sub-component of the PEDP4. If the Contractor chooses to work in government primary schools, under this result the Contractor must also support implementation of the following education in emergencies components of the PEDP4:

● Regular school-wide and community-linked simulation drills are undertaken to practice, critically evaluate, and improve on response preparedness.

● School level disaster management plans are developed and include all hazards of the schools and local community, as well as risk reduction and preparedness activities.

● Teacher professional development includes awareness building of Education in Emergencies and Disaster Risk Response.

6. Operating Constraints

Applicable Policies

The Contractor must operate in line with the following U.S. government policies, frameworks and strategies, as applicable:

● U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education15

● USAID Education Policy16

● USAID Education Policy: Program Cycle Implementation and Operational Guidance17

● Youth in Development Policy18

15 Accessed at <www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/USG-Education-Strategy_FY2019- 2023_Final_Web.pdf>

16 Accessed at <www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/2018_Education_Policy_FINAL_WEB.pdf> 17 Accessed at <www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/USAID_Education_Policy_Program_Cycle_Implementation_a nd_Operational_Guidance_FINAL.pdf>

18 Accessed at <www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1870/Youth_in_Development_Policy.pdf>

● Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy19

● USAID Disability Policy Paper20

Capital Improvements

To achieve the outcomes of Esho Shikhi, the Contractor may be required to undertake needs-based improvements, renovation, refurbishment, and may be required to work in collaboration with other implementing partners who are executing infrastructure activities. Improvements, renovation or refurbishment may include: school kitchen/canteen facilities, installing ramps for accessibility, enhancing lighting and ventilation, small building repairs, gender-segregated and disability-friendly water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, and boundary walls. It is not within the scope of this Activity to undertake large-scale infrastructure construction, such as additional classrooms or wells.

Coordination

Implementation of Esho Shikhi must ensure coordination of interventions between the Contractor, the Government of Bangladesh, USAID/Bangladesh, other donors, international and local NGOs working in Cox’s Bazar, and project beneficiaries. USAID recognizes that significant donor resources are already reaching Ukhiya and Teknaf, and the Contractor must identify gaps throughout the district that development partners are not meeting and seek to fill those gaps. The U.S. government is providing significant support to Bangladeshi communities in Cox’s Bazar, and the Contractor must coordinate and--to the extent possible--collaborate with these complementary activities in order to leverage complementary investments. These activities include:

● USAID Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities Activity (2020-2025):

USAID is partnering with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education to implement an inclusive education activity for children with disabilities in support of the PEDP4. The activity will provide support at the central level and in targeted regions, potentially including Cox’s Bazar.

● Multi-Purpose Cyclone Shelter Refurbishment/Repair and Construction in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban (2019-2024): USAID is providing $7-10 million to repair multi-purpose cyclone shelters, many of which also serve as primary schools. USAID is also providing $12-15 million to construct new multi-purpose cyclone shelters.

● U.S. Department of Agriculture, McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program (2017-2021): The World Food Program implements a school feeding activity in 146 government primary schools and madrasahs in the Cox’s Bazar upazilas of Ukihya and Kutubdia, and Room to Read provides a literacy intervention to grades 1 to 5.

● USAID Feed the Future Zone of Influence: As part of USAID’s support to host and impacted communities in Cox’s Bazar, Feed the Future “Zone of Influence” programing has expanded to include Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban as a “Resilience-Focused Area” as

19 Accessed at <www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/GenderEqualityPolicy_0.pdf> 20 Accessed at <http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDABQ631.pdf> part of the Zone of Influence. To the extent possible, Esho Shikhi food insecurity components should link with the agriculture value chain initiatives of Feed the Future programming.

The Contractor must complement other donors’ education efforts in Cox’s Bazar as they evolve over the life of the contract. Currently, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Global Partnership for Education, and Education Cannot Wait provide support to host communities in the upazilas of Ukhiya and Teknaf. Support includes system strengthening for local education authorities, school water and sanitary hygiene block construction, and school effectiveness and improvement grants. The World Food Program implements the Government of Bangladesh’s school feeding program, which consists of high-energy biscuits, in the upazilas of Teknaf, Pekua, and Moheshkhali. The World Food Program and the Government of Bangladesh are piloting hot meal school feeding programs in select upazilas in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

In addition, the Contractor is expected to participate in relevant education sector meetings, such as the Cox’s Bazar Education Cluster.

Cost-effectiveness

To ensure evidence-based programming and effective public resource investment management, USAID needs better data on the effects of, and costs associated with, education interventions.

Esho Shikhi must collect cost data to help USAID accomplish the following: (1) estimate levels of investment needed to produce desired outputs; (2) understand differences in costs of producing the same outputs across different models; (3) measure inputs into cost categories; and

(4) when sufficient evaluation data are available, calculate cost per attributable outcomes and cost-effectiveness of comparable models. In addition, cost tracking must align with the Cost Reporting Guidance for USAID-Funded Education Activities.21

Creative Commons

In accordance with the 2013 White House directives on making education materials open source, the materials developed by Esho Shikhi must be licensed with the Creative Commons Attribution (Creative Commons-By) license. Creative Commons is a non-profit that provides copyright licenses that allow material developers to retain copyright and credit for the original work, while allowing others to copy, distribute, and build upon the work. This licensing arrangement is essential for local partners to scale and sustain the interventions of Esho Shikhi.

Additionally, for all data first produced or specifically used by the Contractor in the overseas performance of this contract, the Contractor shall not release, reproduce, distribute, or publish such data without the written permission of the Contracting Officer. The Government also may require the Contractor to assign copyright to the Government or another party as circumstances warrant or as specifically stated elsewhere in the contract.

Do No Harm

21 USAID. (2018). “Cost Reporting Guidance for USAID-Funded Education Activities.” Accessed at < www.edu-links.org/sites/default/files/media/file/USAID%20Cost%20Reporting%20Guidance%202018%20FINAL%20%281 %29.pdf>

It is critical that interventions under Esho Shikhi be conflict-sensitive and risk-informed.

Education that is conflict-sensitive encompasses policies, activities, and approaches that promote equitable access to educational opportunity and curricula based on skills and values that support peace and social cohesion. The principle of “do no harm” must be incorporated into programming by keeping in mind the impact of education assistance on potential conflict. This principle requires making all decisions with an awareness of how they could affect power relations and inter-group relations that may contribute to conflict. In an effort to ensure that interventions are conflict-sensitive, the Contractor is required to conduct conflict sensitivity analyses at three points in time.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

The Contractor will apply geospatial methods using GIS technology to support USAID’s effort to incorporate geographic data and analysis into USAID’s overall development planning, design, and monitoring and evaluation. Geographic data collection, analysis, and submission methods should be included in the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan and the Work Plan.

Government of Bangladesh

To support self-reliance in the education sector, Esho Shikhi must work through the governance structures of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, and their implementing agencies at the local and, when necessary, central levels to implement its initiatives. Esho Shikhi must work closely with these government counterparts and build their capacity to sustain these activities after the life of the activity, and all materials and training must align with its national curriculum and sector plans.

Grants under Contract

The operating unit intends to secure permission to issue Grants under Contract under this award.

Grants under contract will support the capacity-building of local organizations and communities so that these actors can respond to future needs. Support to local communities and organizations is also critical to mitigate potential conflict drivers; the perception that donors provide more funding to Dhaka-based NGOs rather than NGOs based in Cox’s Bazar is creating an additional source of grievance and tension in the region.

Grants under Esho Shikhi will support the transition to localization by building the capacity of local communities and/or organizations to receive, plan, and manage USAID assistance.

USAID’s order of preference for grants under contract is: 1) local communities or organizations from Cox’s Bazar; 2) organizations from other parts of Bangladesh, and 3) international or U.S.-based organizations. The objectives of the grants under contract are to (a) support local communities to meet their own education needs, (b) build the capacity of local organizations; (c) lower the barriers to entry for a broad range of non-traditional partners, thereby leveraging innovative solutions; and (d) address challenges to funding for local organizations in Cox’s Bazar.

Inclusive Approach to Development

The promotion of equity and inclusion are key guiding principles of the USAID Education

Policy. In this vein, Esho Shikhi must ensure an inclusive, equitable approach to education. All newly developed content, materials, and media should be designed to be inclusive, gender-sensitive, conflict-sensitive, engaging, and relevant to the Bangladeshi context. To support inclusive education for children with disabilities, Esho Shikhi must ensure inclusiveness in all activities, including classroom management, classroom instruction, and teaching and learning materials. The activity must also be consistent with the goal of USAID’s Youth in Development Policy (2012): to improve the capacities and enable the aspirations of youth so that they can contribute to and benefit from more stable, democratic and prosperous communities and nations.22

Local Development

Sustainability in Cox’s Bazar and Bangladesh depends on local organizations having the capacity to lead their own development. To achieve this goal, it is essential that the Contractor develop the capacity of the Bangladeshi organizations with which it chooses to partner. The Contractor will conduct an Organizational Capacity Assessment of its Bangladesh-based partner organizations.23 Based on those needs, the Contractor will develop a plan for strengthening key organizational areas, including appropriate training and technical assistance. The Contractor may provide assistance in the following key organizational areas: 1) governance, 2) administration, 3) human resources management, 4) financial and procurement management, 5) organizational management, 6) project management, 7) project performance management, and 8) leadership and team dynamics.

School Feeding

According to the USAID Education Policy Program Cycle Implementation and Operational Guidance, the Contractor may implement school feeding “if there is a strong theory of change that explains how a school feeding program contributes to education and learning outcomes.”24 School feeding programs can be classified into two main groups based on their modalities: 1) in-school feeding, where children are fed in school; and 2) take-home rations, where families are given food if their children attend school.25

If Esho Shikhi chooses to implement a school feeding intervention, for equity the Activity may provide feeding to all students in a school, even if those students are not in the target grades under Result 2: “Quality of education improved in selected subjects.” School feeding must be coordinated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture McGovern Dole Food for Education Program and USAID/Bangladesh Feed the Future programming.

22 USAID Youth in Development Policy. (2012). Accessed at <http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1870/Youth_in_Development_Policy.pdf>.

23 USAID’s Organizational Capacity Assessment may be found at <http://usaidlearninglab.org/library/organizational-capacity-assessment>

24 USAID. (2018). “Education Policy Program Cycle Implementation and Operational Guidance.” Accessed at <www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/USAID_Education_Policy_Program_Cycle_Implementation_a nd_Operational_Guidance_FINAL.pdf>

25 World Food Program. (2013). “The State of School Feeding Worldwide: 2013.” Accessed at <https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/13536/WFP_StateofSchoolFeeding2013_web.pdf?

sequence=1&isAllowed=y>

Dietary diversity is a key priority for the Government of Bangladesh and USAID/Bangladesh, and the modality of a school feeding program can support nutrition behavior change. If the Contractor chooses to implement in-school feeding, USAID prefers a model that transitions to nutritionally balanced hot meals rather than relying solely on the distribution of fortified biscuits in order to model dietary diversity for students. USAID also prefers a model that includes nutrition education in order to promote dietary diversity. School feeding interventions will align with the National School Feeding Policy (currently under development), the Second National Plan of Action for Nutrition, and child protection under the Ministry of Social Welfare.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan

Monitoring and evaluation are essential to improve performance and effectiveness, as well as to provide feedback loops to inform adaptive planning and management decisions in a fluid context.

The Contractor will design and implement a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (MEL Plan) that permits the efficient and timely measurement of progress toward activity results, aids in the management of Esho Shikhi activities, and provides other data as agreed between USAID/Bangladesh and the Contractor. The Contractor will regularly monitor: fidelity of implementation, key intermediate and final outcomes, context, dosage of implementation, and costs. To the extent feasible, monitoring and evaluation should be conducted through or with the participation of local education officials in order to build capacity, and student assessments must be approved by the relevant government ministry and include ministry participation to the extent possible.

The Contractor must conduct baseline, midline, and endline data collection for each cohort of beneficiary schools and/or communities. If the Contractor’s intervention includes a focus on improving reading, math, and/or social and emotional learning outcomes, the Contractor must conduct an assessment of these skills at baseline, midline, and endline. Further, if the Contractor’s intervention assesses early-grade reading or early-grade math, the Contractor must conform to the guidance in the Early Grade Reading Assessment toolkit or the Early Grade Math Assessment toolkit.

The Contractor must collect data on all relevant Foreign Assistance Standard Indicators. All indicators must be sex-disaggregated. Student-level indicators must also be disaggregated by grade, age, disability status,26 and by the number of learners affected by conflict or crisis.

Collaborating, Learning, and Adaptation

With shifting USAID requirements, Government of Bangladesh and donor policies and programs, a high natural disaster risk, and uncertainty over medium-term solutions for the refugee crisis, Cox’s Bazar is a fluid context that requires close collaboration and adaptive management. The Contractor must be able to rapidly incorporate changes in policy, adapt to the changing environment resulting from changes in context and donor involvement, and address

26 Measurement of disability status must follow USAID’s “How-To Note Collecting Data on Disability in Education Programming,” available at <www.edu-links.org/sites/default/files/media/file/How- To_Note_on_Collecting_Data_on_Disability_FINALv3.pdf> emerging needs and evidence to ensure that activities are responsive to new realities. Given this changing operational environment and the need for a flexible and adaptable program approach, USAID expects the Contractor to periodically review activity assumptions and adapt approaches and the theory of change as new evidence emerges. Collaborating, Learning, and Adaptation (CLA) principles can support this responsiveness to changing environments and opportunities.

Esho Shikhi should plan time to reflect, identify, and adapt to windows of opportunity, challenges, or emergent evidence.

Quality Assurance

The Contractor will be required to submit a Quality Assurance Plan tied to the performance requirements, and a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan for USAID’s use that describes how the Contractor’s performance will be measured.

72038819RFI00001 unsigned