SOL_72052019R00001_-_Education_and_Youth_Policy_Project_-_final_2.6.2019.pdf

SOL 72052018R00001

SECTION B

Table of Contents

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS 6

B.1 PURPOSE 6

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE 6

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT 6

B.4 CANCELLATION CEILING 6

B.5 PAYMENT 7

B.6 INDIRECT COSTS (DEC 1997) 7

B.7 COST REIMBURSABLE 8

B.8 FIXED FEE - FAR 52.216-8 (JUN 2011) 8

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK 9

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING 28

D.1 AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993) 28

D.2 BRANDING AND MARKING 28

D.3 BRANDING STRATEGY 28

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 30

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 30

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 30

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE 31

F.1 NOTICE LISTING FAR SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 31

F.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE 31

F.3 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE 31

F.4 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS 31

F.5 DELIVERABLES 31

F.6 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE 37

F.7 752.7005 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE DOCUMENTS

(SEPTEMBER 2013) 38

F.8 752.242-70 PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORTS (OCTOBER 2007) 39

F.9 752.7034 ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND DISCLAIMER. (DEC 1991) 39

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA 40

G.1 CONTRACTING OFFICER'S AUTHORITY 40

G.2 TECHNICAL DIRECTION 40

G.3 TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID 40

G.4 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 41

G.5 CONTRACTING OFFICER 41

G.6 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE 41

G.7 CONTRACTOR’S PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT 42

G.8 CONTRACTOR’S PAYMENT ADDRESS 42

G.9 752.7003 DOCUMENTATION FOR PAYMENT (NOV 1998) 42

SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 44

H.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 44

H.2 FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES (JUNE 2012)

H.3 INSURANCE AND SERVICES 44

H.4 AIDAR 752.228-70 MEDICAL EVACUATION (MEDEVAC) SERVICES (July 2007) 44

H.5 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE 45

H.6 NONEXPENDABLE PROPERTY PURCHASES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

RESOURCES 45

H.7 LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS 45

H.8 KEY PERSONNEL 45

H.9 SUBCONTRACTING PLAN AND THE SF 294 – SUBCONTRACTING REPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL

CONTRACTS AND SF 295 – SUMMARY CONTRACTING REPORT 46

H.10 EXECUTIVE ORDER ON TERRORISM FINANCING 46

H.11 752.229-71 REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES (July 2007) 46

H.12 PROHIBITION AND ASSISTANCE TO DRUG TRAFFICKING 47

H.13 GRANTS UNDER USAID CONTRACTS 47

H.14 AIDAR 752.7007 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (July 2007) 48

H.17 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL COMPENSATION 48

H.15 CONFIDENTIALITY AND OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 50

H.16 USAID DISABILITY POLICY - ACQUISITION (DECEMBER 2004) 50

H.18 TRAVEL TO GUATEMALA 51

H.19 USAID IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 508 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 AND

FEDERAL ACQUISITION CIRCULAR (FAC) 97-27 ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

ACCESSIBILITY 51

H.20 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND MANAGEMENT 51

H.21 CONTRACTOR’S STAFF SUPPORT, ADMINISTRATIVE AND LOGISTICS ARRANGEMENTS

AND LEGAL REGISTRATION IN THE COOPERATING COUNTRY 52

H.22 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED FACILITIES OR PROPERTY 52

H.23 CONFIDENTIALITY AND OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 52

H.24 ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS 52

H.25 PURCHASE OF RESTRICTED GOODS 53

H.26 CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACT 53

H.27 PRESS RELATIONS 54

H.28 302.3.5.21 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA LIBRARY (DDL)

(OCTOBER 2014) 54

H.29 USAID-FINANCED THIRD PARTY WEB SITES (NOVEMBER 2017) 55

H.30 RESTRICTIONS AGAINST DISCLOSURE (MAY 2016) 56

H.32 SECURITY CONDITIONS 56

H.33 SECURITY REPORTING 57

H.34 AIDAR 752.7032 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL APPROVAL AND NOTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS AND AIDAR 752.7027 PERSONNEL 57

H.35 LIMITATION ON ACQUISITION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DEVIATION NOs.

M/OAA-DEV-FAR-18-2c AND M/OAA-DEV-AIDAR-18-2c) (APRIL 2018) 57

H.36 SOFTWARE LICENSE ADDENDUM (MAY 2016) 58

H.37 CLOUD COMPUTING (APRIL 2018) 59

H.38 ADS 203.3.12 - COVERED PARTICIPANTS 64

SECTION I – CONTRACT CLAUSES 65

I.1 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. (FEB 1998) 65

I.2 752.252-1 AIDAR SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (MAR 2015)

I.3 CLAUSES INCORPORATED IN FULL TEXT 69

SECTION J – LIST OF DOCUMENTS EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS 85

SECTION K – REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS 86

K.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 86

K.2 52.204-8 ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS. (JAN 2018) 86

K.3 52.204-17 OWNERSHIP OR CONTROL OF OFFEROR. (JUL 2016) 90

K.4 52.204-20 PREDECESSOR OF OFFEROR. (JUL 2016) 91

K.5 52.209-5 CERTIFICATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS. (OCT 2015) 92

K.6 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS. (JUL 2013) 93

K.7 52.209-11 REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATIONS REGARDING DELINQUENT TAX

LIABILITY OR A FELONY CONVICTION UNDER ANY FEDERAL LAW. (FEB 2016) 95

K.8 52.215-6 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE. (OCT 1997) 95

K.9 52.222-22 PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE REPORTS. (FEB 1999) 96

K.10 52.230-1 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND CERTIFICATION. (OCT 2015) 96

K.11 52.222-25 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMPLIANCE (APR 1984) 98

K.12 52.230-7 PROPOSAL DISCLOSURE--COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICE CHANGES (APR 2005) 98

K.13 INSURANCE - IMMUNITY FROM TORT LIABILITY 99

K.14 AGREEMENT ON, OR EXCEPTIONS TO, TERMS AND CONDITIONS 99

K.15 AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATORS 99

K.16 SIGNATURE 99

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO CONTRACTORS 100

L.1 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. (FEB 1998) 100

L.2 52.215-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS - COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION. (JAN 2017) 100

L.3 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT. (APR 1984) 104

L.4 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST. (SEP 2006) 104

L.5 52.252-5 AUTHORIZED DEVIATIONS IN PROVISIONS. (APR 1984) 105

L.6 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS 105

L.7 DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS 105

L.8 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF TECHNICAL PROPOSAL 107

L.9 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST PROPOSAL 111

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD 118

M.1 GENERAL INFORMATION 118

M.2 TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA 118

M.3 EVALUATION OF COST PROPOSAL 120

M.4 SOURCE SELECTION 121

M.5 DETERMINATION OF THE COMPETITIVE RANGE 121

M.6 CONTRACTING WITH SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND DISADVANTAGED ENTERPRISES

M.7 BEST VALUE 121

ATTACHMENTS 122

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this Contract is to support the Government of Guatemala (GOG) to improve implementation of key policies to elevate the quality of early grade education and youth workforce development. Specifically, the objectives to be achieved by the contract are: 1) to improve the enabling environment for development of emergent literacy skills among girls and boys, and 2) to improve the ecosystem for provision of youth education and training opportunities for young women and young men.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Cost plus Fixed Fee-Completion form Contract. For the consideration set forth in the Contract, the Contractor will provide the deliverables or outputs described in Sections C and F and comply with all Contract requirements. The Contractor must perform the services set forth in Contract at prices consistent with Section B of this contract.

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

(a) The summary budget for the five year period is as follows:

SUMMARY BUDGET AMOUNT

Direct labor (including fringe): $ Other direct costs* $ Grants under contract: $ 1,450,000 Indirect Costs: $ Total Estimated Cost: $ Fixed Fee: $ Total Estimated Cost Plus Fixed Fee: $

*includes: allowances, travel, equipment, and subcontracts.

(b) Within the estimated cost plus fixed fee specified in paragraph (a) above, the amount currently obligated and available for reimbursement of allowable costs incurred by the Contractor for performance hereunder is $[to be inserted by CO at time of award]. The Contractor will not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount unless authorized by the Contracting Officer pursuant to the clause of the contract entitled Limitation of Funds- FAR 52.232-22.

(c) Funds obligated are anticipated to be sufficient through [date to be inserted by CO at time of award].

NOTE: The Contractor will not be paid any sum in excess of the ceiling price. The only person authorized to commit or obligate additional funds is the Contracting Officer. Incurrence of costs in excess of the total amount obligated based on directions received from any individual other than the Contracting Officer and without prior Contracting Officer’s approval, will not be reimbursed to the Contractor.

B.4 CANCELLATION CEILING

This is a multi-year contract as defined in FAR 17.103. Therefore, this contract is subject to the requirements of FAR 17.106. In the event that the Government cancels requirements for services in subsequent program years under this contract, the following conditions will apply: [Amount and dates to be filled in at time of award]

Cancellation Dates:

Contract Year 2: DATE TBD, [Award year + 1 year] Cancellation Ceiling: TBD Contract Year 3: DATE TBD, [Award year + 2 years] Cancellation Ceiling: TBD Contract Year 4: DATE TBD, [Award year + 3 years] Cancellation Ceiling: TBD Contract Year 5: DATE TBD, [Award year + 4 years] Cancellation Ceiling: TBD

The cancellation dates and ceiling amounts will be established at the time of award. The amounts will be based on the nonrecurring costs to be incurred by the awardee, which would be applicable to, and which normally would be amortized over the life of the contract, and the items or services to be furnished under the multi-year requirement. This is a CPFF type contract, pursuant to which all costs for which the contractor seeks reimbursement must be allowable in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, “Allowable Costs and Payment.”

B.5 PAYMENT

The Contractor must submit invoices to the payment office indicated on the cover page of the Contract.

Each invoice must be emailed and submitted on an SF-1034 Public Voucher for Purchases and Services Other Than Personal to the Financial Management Office/USAID/Guatemala. One copy of the voucher and the invoice must also be submitted to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

Electronic submission of invoices is strongly encouraged. The SF-1034 must be signed, and it must be submitted along with the invoice and any other documentation in Adobe.

The paying office is:

USAID/El Salvador 3450 San Salvador Place Washington, DC 20521-3450 guatevouchers@usaid.gov and guatemalacashmgmt@usaid.gov

B.6 INDIRECT COSTS (DEC 1997)

For the Prime Contractor:

Pending establishment of revised provisional or final indirect cost rates, allowable indirect costs will be reimbursed on the basis of the following negotiated provisional or predetermined rates and the appropriate bases:

Description Rate Base Type Period

TBD 1/ 1/ 1/

1/Base of Application:

Type of Rate: Predetermined Period:

For Major Subcontractor(s):

Pending establishment of revised provisional or final indirect cost rates, allowable indirect costs will be reimbursed on the basis of the following negotiated provisional or predetermined rates and the appropriate bases:

Description Rate Base Type Period

TBD 1/ 1/ 1/

1/Base of Application:

Type of Rate: Predetermined Period:

A “Major Subcontractor” is a subcontractor that is performing 20% or more of the contract, or is deemed critical by the offeror in achieving the objectives and tasks in the contract.

B.7 COST REIMBURSABLE

The U.S. dollar costs allowable will be limited to reasonable, allocable and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment, FAR 52.216-8, Fixed Fee, if applicable, and AIDAR 752.7003, Documentation for Payment.

B.8 FIXED FEE - FAR 52.216-8 (JUN 2011)

USAID paying office ordinarily pays the Contractor a percentage of a fixed fee that directly corresponds to the percentage of allowable costs being paid. Two exceptions to paying fixed fee in this manner apply:

(a) If the CO determines that this method results in paying a disproportionately higher ratio of fixed fee than the percentage of work that the Contractor has completed, then the CO may suspend further payment of any fixed fee until the Contractor has made sufficient progress to justify further payment, up to the agreed percentage.

(b) The clauses entitled "Allowable Cost and Payment" (FAR 52.216-7) and "Fixed Fee" (FAR 52.216-8) are incorporated into this contract. The terms and conditions of these clauses apply after total payments of fixed fee reach eighty-five percent (85%) of the total fixed fee.

[END OF SECTION B]

SOL 72052019R00001

SECTION C

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

Education and Youth Policy Project

C.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of the Education and Youth Policy Project is to support the Government of Guatemala (GOG) to improve implementation of key policies with the goal to elevate the quality of early grade education and youth workforce development. The project reflects the vision of the USAID Guatemala Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) where support for the GOG to prepare all young people - especially rural and indigenous children and youth from disadvantaged areas, and children and youth with special needs - for success in the labor market is central to fostering greater socio-economic development in the Western Highlands (WH).

Young people will be prepared for future success through improved reading acquisition at an early age that provides a foundation for successful transition in school and workforce training outcomes that link to labor market demands.

Specifically, the project objectives to be achieved are:

1) to improve the enabling environment for development of emergent literacy skills (example: print motivation, print awareness, vocabulary, narrative skills, letter knowledge, phonological awareness) among girls and boys, and

2) to improve the ecosystem for provision of youth education and training opportunities for young women and young men.

The underlying theory of change as it relates to this project is:

If Guatemala implements key policies in early grade teacher training, pre-primary education, youth education and training, and;

If children and youth, especially rural and indigenous children and youth from disadvantaged areas, have access to pre-primary education and demand-driven training opportunities, then:

1) the enabling environment for the development of emergent literacy skills will improve;

2) youth, especially rural and indigenous young women and young men from disadvantaged areas, will have opportunities to expand their competencies, improve their livelihoods, and build a life in Guatemala; and

3) Guatemala will benefit from the demographic dividend.

This is because improved implementation of key policies will increase their effectiveness, specifically- increased access to foundational early grade education, and workforce training will lead to improved skills among Guatemalan girls, boys, young women, and young men, especially rural and indigenous children and youth from disadvantaged areas, which may help reduce the likelihood of external migration.

C.2 BACKGROUND

The Education and Youth Policy Project directly supports the USAID Guatemala CDCS 2012- 2016 (extended through March 2020)1 and reflects principles and priorities of the U.S.

1 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1862/GuatemalaCDCS_0.pdf

Government Strategy on International Basic Education (2019-2023)2 and the USAID Education Policy.3

USAID support for education in Guatemala: The USAID Guatemala CDCS provides the framework for USAID’s work in support of education. This project will directly contribute to Development Objective 2 (DO2): Improved Levels of Economic Growth and Social Development in the WH, specifically Intermediate Result (IR) 2.3: Education Quality and Access Improved. See Attachment J.1 for more information about current USG-funded activities that are relevant to the work of DO2. In addition, the Central American and Mexico Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS)4 advances DO 3: Regional human rights and citizen security improved. Specifically, Sub-IR 3.2.3 (Sustainable early warning and protection systems for key vulnerable groups developed) places particular attention to respecting the rights and assistance needs of migrants and youth.

The USAID Guatemala CDCS places priority on assisting targeted disadvantaged population groups in the WH, including rural and indigenous children and youth. It also recognizes that gender inequality is a cross-cutting issue that affects the long-term development of Guatemala, stating that all of the DOs’ strategies, whenever possible, will leverage networks of women’s groups, focus on issues specific to women and their roles in the family, ensure development of their skills and talents, and promote greater participation in all political and economic activities.

See Attachment J.2 for the gender analysis completed for the 2013 USAID Education Project Appraisal Document which provides further guidance on gender gaps.

Early Grade Education: Guatemala has a learning crisis in primary education. In 2014, only 50% of third graders and 40% of sixth graders reached performance standards in reading.5 According to a gender analysis completed for the 2013 USAID Education Project Appraisal Document,6 there is a small gender gap (in favor of girls for primary grade reading and boys for primary grade mathematics), but students are underperforming regardless of their sex. In 2016, nearly 50 percentage points separated gross and net enrollment rates in first grade (111% vs 62%, respectively), which illustrates severe overage enrollment caused in part by low quality.7 There is a strong pattern of social inequality by sex and ethnicity in Guatemala, where females average 5.3 years of schooling (compared to six years for males) and indigenous females 15 years of age and older average 3.4 years (compared to 6.9 years for non-indigenous males).

Additionally, the gender analysis found boys dropout at a higher rate than girls in third and fourth grades, but in general there is not a significant gender gap at the primary level. Inequality is also a major challenge among minority language and indigenous groups due in part to limited availability of pre-primary education, low parental support for education (especially for girls), https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/USG-Education-Strategy_FY2019-2023_Final_Web.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/education/policy https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1862/central-america-and-mexico-rdcs-english

5 http://www.mineduc.gob.gt/digeduca/documents/resultados/Bifoliar_digeduca_general_2017.pdf. At the primary level, Guatemalan females tend to score better than their male peers on reading assessments, which conforms to international evidence (Educación de la Niña de 1992 al 2013: 20 años de política [Rubio and Nuñez, 2014]).

6 See attachment J.2.

7 http://estadistica.MOE.gob.gt/SNIE/eficiencia.html and the challenge of delivering effective intercultural and bilingual education. Key GOG policies addressing these challenges include:8

● Elevating primary school pre-service teacher education to the university level (FID, Spanish acronym);

● Providing in-service training for primary school teachers (PADEP-D, Spanish acronym);

● Employing instructional coaches to mentor primary school teachers (SINAE, Spanish acronym);

● Building a professional development and career ladder system for the education sector

(SINAFORHE, Spanish acronym); and

● Enforcing mandatory pre-primary enrolment.

Moreover, the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Comprometidos con Primero program directs departmental education offices (DIDEDUCs, Spanish acronym) to prioritize resources and support to first grade students, the Secretariat of the Presidency for Executive Coordination (SCEP, Spanish acronym) supports increased social service delivery through municipal governments, including early childhood education, and a small ministerial directorate in charge of special education (DIGEESP, Spanish acronym) is working to support students with auditory and visual disabilities by providing teachers access to more resources.

Youth Workforce Development: Guatemala has a large and unprepared youth population. While two in every three Guatemalans are under the age of 30, more than 1.6 million out-of-school youth 15-24 years old do not have sufficient life and vocational skills to enter the workforce.

USAID’s 2016 Audience Research for Development Communications study found that opportunities for youth remain an important development priority despite a strong perception of improvement over the past five years.9 Uneven levels of private sector investment throughout the country, a mismatch of jobs and skills, and insecurity make it difficult for youth to find work, which contributes to both internal and external migration. It is even more challenging for indigenous youth from rural areas where jobs are scarce. Young women experience additional gender-based constraints that limit their access to labor markets, including language barriers, illiteracy, lack of female role models, and lack of parental support for education. Current efforts of the GOG to address these challenges focus on improved youth engagement, better linkages between education and the labor market, and enhanced inter-institutional coordination. Key GOG policies include the following:

● National Youth Policy 2012–2020 (NYP)10

● National Policy for Decent Work 2017-2032 (PNED, Spanish acronym)

● National Policy of Competitiveness (PNC, Spanish acronym)

● Política Nacional de Promoción y Desarrollo Integral de las Mujeres y Plan de Equidad de Oportunidades 2008-202311

8 USAID and other USG projects provide support for implementation of a number of these policies. See Annex 1 for more information about USG-funded education and youth activities.

9 Report in English: https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1862/final-report-audience-research-development-communication; Report in Spanish:

https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1862/informe-final-estudio-de-audiencias-comunicaci%C3%B3n-para-el-desarrollo 10 http://conjuve.gob.gt/descargas/pnj.pdf; The NYP focuses on ten priority areas: Education; Work and Productivity; Health; Recreation, Culture & Sport; Violence Prevention; Housing; Environment; Gender Equality; Multiculturalism; and Participation & Citizenship.

11 http://unfpa.org.gt/sites/default/files/PNPDIM%20y%20PEO1.pdf

In addition, the GOG is implementing a National System for Workforce Training (SINAFOL, Spanish acronym) and to create an official National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The MOE recently launched the National Alternative Education Program (PRONEA, Spanish acronym), which includes a workforce development component. There are many relevant Guatemalan institutions working in this emergent policy environment, including the MOE, the National Youth Council (CONJUVE, Spanish acronym), the Ministry of Labor (MOL), the Ministry of the Economy (MINECO), the National Competitiveness Program (PRONACOM, Spanish acronym), the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES), the Secretariat for Social Welfare (SBS), the Secretaria Presidencial de la Mujer (SEPREM) and the Secretary of the Presidency for Planning and Programming (SEGEPLAN, Spanish acronym).

C.3 SCOPE

The overall purpose of the project is to support the GOG to improve implementation of key policies to elevate the quality of early grade education and youth workforce development. The Contractor must provide technical assistance (TA) services and small grants (GOG entities including but not limited to public universities, departmental and municipal offices, and national ministries are not eligible for small grants) that include support for the following:

● Assist the GOG, Guatemalan training institutions, universities and/or civil society organizations to strengthen implementation of key policies supporting the contract’s two Objectives (described in Section C.3.1 below) at national, departmental, and/or municipal levels.

● Assist Guatemalan civil society organizations to design and conduct advocacy activities aimed at building support for critical policies among key GOG stakeholders and decision-makers at national, departmental and/or municipal levels.

● Assist the GOG and Guatemalan civil society organizations to design and conduct Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) activities to raise awareness of the importance and value of education for children and youth. USAID views SBCC as going beyond the delivery of a simple message or slogan, to encompass the full range of ways in which people individually and collectively convey meaning. Among the powerful tools employed by SBCC programs are mass media, community-level activities, interpersonal communication, information and communication technologies and new media.12 The target groups for this SBCC will be families, young people, civil society organizations, and private sector entities at national, departmental, and/or municipal levels in areas most in need of assistance. Two inputs that will be useful to support these efforts include USAID’s 2016 Audience Research for Development Communications study and the work completed in Guatemala by the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative.13

The project reflects principles of the U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education (2019-2023) and the USAID Education Policy. In particular, the project will prioritize ownership

12 SBCC is defined as “the use of communication to change behaviors – including service utilization – and promote social change by positively influencing knowledge, attitudes and social norms”. See https://sbccimplementationkits.org/service-communication/introduction-to-service-communication/#sbcc 13 https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1862/hc3-guatemala-final-report-september-2014-%E2%80%93-2017 by Guatemalan institutions, strengthen the capacity and performance of the Guatemalan education system, partner to leverage resources, and promote equity and inclusion. In addition, the project addresses the four priorities of USAID Education Policy that are critical to supporting countries on their journey to self-reliance.

The project will support USAID Guatemala’s education and youth portfolios by building on the gains of current and past interventions to strengthen, extend, and sustain education, training and youth engagement in the WH and beyond. The project will focus on policy support with a national scope, but emphasis will be on policies important to target regions with rural and indigenous populations and high-migration areas.14 It will also support ongoing USAID efforts to map its youth development programming in Guatemala in order to examine the footprint of USAID in Guatemala, better advocate for youth priorities with local stakeholders, and help partners from different sectors to collaborate more effectively and efficiently.

USAID Guatemala strongly supports local sustainability and innovations that will contribute to expected results of this award while providing more flexibility and building local ownership, as such, the project includes Grants-under-Contracts (GUC) authority. This authority will engage local organizations (indigenous and non-indigenous), including new, non-traditional partners and private sector entities, as well as key education sector civil society organizations not ready to manage large awards, to support achievement of expected results while also building the institutional capacity of local organizations and planning for sustainability. The Contractor must institute due diligence requirements regarding engagement with private sector entities.

In addition, the project will align with USG-supported commitments and strategies of the GOG.

Principally, the project will align with the Alliance for Prosperity by supporting the human capital pillar15 and contribute to Condition 11 of the Central American Strategy: “Support programs to reduce poverty, create jobs, and promote equitable economic growth in areas contributing to large numbers of migrants.” The project will support GOG efforts derived from the implementation of the latest Migration Code, including educational policies related to the reintegration of returned minors and the prevention of youth migration. The project will also support Guatemala’s National Strategic Plan (K’atun 2032) and Education Strategic Plan 2016- 2020, which call for an ambitious increase in pre-primary and secondary coverage, increased access to relevant education and training for out of school youth (OSY), as well as advancements in both inclusive education services and primary school completion.16 The project will align with the Open Government Alliance (OGA), a presidential and global initiative that contains elements related to improving reading outcomes in early grades.17 Development of reading skills at a young age is a prerequisite for continued education and eventual integration into the formal workforce. Guatemalan youth who are more prepared for economic opportunities through improved education and training will have a reason to stay in Guatemala.

14 The geographic focus may change with the development of a new CDCS, but the overall purpose and objectives of the project will remain constant.

15 El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Alliance for Prosperity, Regional Plan, March 2015.

16 http://www.katunguatemala2032.com/ and https://www.mineduc.gob.gt/portal/contenido/menu_lateral/quienes_somos/politicas_educativas/pdf/PLAN-EDUCACION.pdf 17 http://www.MOE.gob.gt/compromisos/

Moreover, the project will support GOG’s commitment to fulfilling the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, specifically goal number four, by supporting stronger multilingual education at the pre-primary and primary levels that will help reduce dropout rates, narrow literacy gaps, and decrease gender disparities, and by supporting improved opportunities for youth workforce development. Gender inequality, in particular, is a cross-cutting issue that affects the long-term development of Guatemala. The project will seek to support networks of women’s groups (indigenous and non-indigenous), promoting greater participation of women in community and civic activities, and consider gender differences related to developing appropriate strategies for literacy development and youth workforce development among males and females. For example, adaptations such as childcare for young mothers, flexible education alternatives, scholarships for young women can help reduce gender-based barriers that restrict access to workforce development opportunities for young women.

C.3.1 OBJECTIVES

Toward a future Guatemala with a more literate cohort of primary students who transition to secondary education and a work-ready youth population, the project will support the GOG to improve implementation of key policies to elevate the quality of early grade education and youth workforce development. In order to reach this goal, the project will achieve two objectives through four components as depicted in the graphic below:

To achieve its objectives, the project will strengthen and/or improve capacity of and coordination among target GOG and other Guatemalan institutions, civil society organizations (indigenous and non-indigenous), and private sector entities; it will not duplicate efforts focused on service delivery, but rather focus on the policy level. USAID expects these activities will be accomplished with external partners. See Attachment J.3 for a list of key stakeholders with

Goal: Improved implementation of key policies to elevate the quality of early grade education and youth workforce development

Objective 1: Improve the enabling environment for development of emergent literacy skills

Objective 2: Improve the ecosystem for provision of youth education and training opportunities

Component 1.1:

Increased capacity of target institutions to implement early grade teacher training and instructional policies

Component 1.2:

Strengthened target institutions to expand quality pre-primary education

Component 2.1:

Increased capacity of target institutions to implement youth education and training policies

Component 2.2:

Improved coordination among government, private sector and civil society, including youth organizations whom the Contractor must work to achieve expected results as well as others the Contractor deems necessary.

C.3.2 OBJECTIVE 1: Improve the Enabling Environment for Development of

Emergent Literacy Skills

USAID has a long history of supporting improved literacy skills in Guatemala. The two results under Objective 1 represent both a continuation of longstanding USAID support for work in Early Grade Reading (EGR), and a newer movement toward supporting expansion of education at the pre-primary level in recognition of the many benefits that both focus areas offer in setting the stage for academic success as a child moves into primary school and beyond. Work under Objective 1 is underpinned by a number of core EGR concepts that USAID promotes globally in all of its country programs. There is broad evidence which underscores critical elements that characterize successful programs in early reading:

● Students first learn to read in a language that they already speak and understand.

● Reading instruction in additional languages starts when students have sufficient oral knowledge of the first language, though an evidence-based transition approach.

● Reading instruction includes evidence-based approaches that employ explicit phonics

(adapted to language structures) as part of the strategy for teaching children how to read.

● Children receive explicit, research-based instruction in oral language and reading comprehension, which teachers are trained to deliver through evidence-based teacher training approaches.

● The availability of reading materials which are interesting and meaningful for children.

The USAID Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and the Environment’s Education Office (E3/ED) describes USAID’s work to support pre-primary literacy in the following way: “In countries where the formal educational systems includes at least one year of pre-primary education, USAID’s reading programming can and should emphasize age and level-appropriate reading, readiness, a love of language, and early literacy skills. Programming should focus on oral language development including an awareness of the sounds in words, an understanding of concepts of print including how to hold a book and in which direction print moves across a page, and alphabetic awareness.” USAID Guatemala’s work in early grade education will be supportive of these Agency-wide priorities and approaches.

PROMOTING PARTNERSHIP UNDER OBJECTIVE 1

USAID Guatemala places a priority on the creation of partnerships with the private sector and other donor organizations, including ongoing coordination among USAID staff and partners in the form of the interagency education donors network and USAID Guatemala’s Partnerships Team. In Guatemala, UNICEF plays an important role in promoting the importance of primera infancia (the first stage of life, between 0-6 years old) as an essential foundation from which to grow, and in supporting DIDEDUCs to create education plans and use education data more effectively, which includes actions related to quality and access at the pre-primary and primary levels. The Contractor must coordinate and collaborate with UNICEF at all stages of implementation in support of Objective 1 in order to build on successes and lessons learned, maximize resources, and avoid duplication of effort. The Contractor will be required to include a section in its quarterly reports to USAID reporting on its ongoing actions to collaborate with UNICEF, as well as other donor organizations and private sector entities, in achieving the expected results of Objective 1. See Attachment J.3 for information about partner agencies working in education and youth in Guatemala. This requirement will be included under the Quarterly Reports description in the “Deliverables” Section F of this RFP.

COMPONENT 1.1: Increased capacity of target institutions to implement early grade teacher training and instructional policies

Under Component 1.1, the project will support policy efforts to ensure that prospective pre-primary and primary school teachers complete a rigorous pre-service teacher education program that includes a strong focus on emergent literacy, reading, inclusive education, and guided teaching practice. USAID expects these activities will be accomplished with external partners.

Preparation to teach in intercultural and bilingual environments is of particular interest, including practical tools for teaching in marginalized rural communities. The project will support implementation of FID, the MOE’s policy to elevate primary school teacher education to the university level. The project will support efforts to strengthen and sustain policy efforts promoting both public and private university involvement in pre-service teacher education.

The 2012 reform that created FID left pre-primary school teacher education with public and private high school-level teacher training institutions called “normal schools,” many of which are in need of drastic pedagogical improvement and oversight.18 The project will provide TA support to normal schools to review their teacher training policies and curriculum in order to improve their capacity to prepare future classroom teachers in the area of emergent literacy in the short to medium term. Priority will be placed on supporting institutions that provide services to more excluded geographies and offer bilingual certification. The project will create linkages among universities and normal schools to improve instruction, which may include development of a pre-primary education leadership track at the university level. The project will also provide TA support to the MOE to improve their capacity to oversee and regulate preparation of pre-primary school teachers, in public and private institutions.19

The project will support policy efforts to improve in-service professional development of pre-primary and primary school teachers through improved training, instructional coaching, and career development. It will support implementation of the MOE’s in-service teacher training program (PADEP-D) and teacher coaching system (SINAE). During phase one, the MOE hired 400 total personnel to implement SINAE in targeted municipalities, including throughout the WH. Effectively trained, deployed, and supported coaches will improve teacher capacity to facilitate development of emergent literacy skills and acquisition of readings skills among students. In addition, the project will seek to increase public awareness of efforts and policies that aim to improve teacher quality; this is an important way to engage the public in contemplating critical issues affecting the education system and the need to take action on various fronts to improve overall education quality.

18 http://www.redalyc.org/html/869/86945261004/ 19 Compared to other countries in the region, Guatemala has a very large number of teacher training institutions, many of which are private high school level-institutions. See Table 2 on page 10: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/FIELD/Santiago/pdf/Politicas- Docentes-Centroamerica-Guatemala.pdf.

The project will support efforts to strengthen departmental and municipal engagement and oversight in improving reading instruction and prioritizing first grade as a critical moment for girls and boys to develop a strong foundation in reading. This will include supporting implementation of Comprometidos con Primero and/or future MOE initiatives that focus support to first grade.20 For example, the departmental education office in Quiché has instructed schools to prioritize first grade by assigning teachers with more experience who speak the students’ mother language, and ensuring first graders are not taught in multi-grade classrooms. Assisting departments and municipalities to understand and implement these types of literacy-friendly actions is a way to increase their commitment to them, as well as the possibility for success in carrying them out.

COMPONENT 1.1 REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor must provide TA services and small grants that target the following:

1. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of the MOE to:

a. Implement policies promoting pre-service teacher training for primary school teachers (at the university level, in particular FID), and for pre-primary school teachers (in normal schools for the short- to medium-term with a vision and plan for university-level training in the future).

b. Implement policies for in-service teacher professional development (PADEP-D) and for teacher coaching (SINAE).

2. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of universities and normal schools to design and/or implement policies regarding pre-service teacher preparation, and to collaborate with one another in doing so, including dialogue about gender, ethnicity and disability inclusion to explore solutions on inequality related to higher education access.

3. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of departmental and municipal entities such as DIDEDUCs (including SINAE personnel and supervisors [CTA, Spanish acronym]) and municipal education commissions to implement and better support policies that improve early grade literacy for targeted youth so they are prepared for first grade, such as the Comprometidos con Primero program.

4. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of the MOE and civil society organizations to use SBCC approaches to generate public support for activities and policies that aim to better train and support teachers, ensuring integration of relevant categories of equity, including gender, ethnicity, and disability inclusion into all policy and SBCC work conducted under this Component.

Expected Results:

● Establish a technical working group led by the MOE and San Carlos University (by law responsible for higher education), including San Carlos University’s teacher training department (USAC/EFPEM, in Spanish), private universities, as well as public and private normal schools, to improve pre-primary and primary teacher training, including development or review of teaching standards and corresponding curriculum.

20 A future GOG administration may change the name but will likely focus on similar priorities. For example, here is information about a past program, Salvemos Primer Grado: http://estadistica.mineduc.gob.gt/anuario/2003/Datos/anexos/Salvemos_primer_grado.pdf

● Expand the Consejo Consultivo Regional de Educación Bilingüe Intercultural (CCR-EBI) to address specific Mayan languages.

● Develop and implement a strategy to support improved pre-service education for future pre-primary and primary school teachers in selected universities and normal schools, placing priority on supporting institutions that provide services to more excluded geographies and offer bilingual certification.

● Selected department education offices create or improve education plans that prioritize early grades and implementation of SINAE.

COMPONENT 1.2: Strengthened target institutions to expand quality pre-primary education

Under Component 1.2, the project will support MOE policy efforts to expand quality pre-primary education. USAID expects these activities will be accomplished with external partners.

On the demand side, this will include supporting the MOE and Guatemalan civil society organizations (indigenous and non-indigenous) to increase awareness among parents and families in disadvantaged areas of the importance of developing emergent literacy skills before primary school starts. This is an issue of particular importance in an era of obligatory pre-primary school attendance given Guatemala’s under 50% attendance rate.21 Forgoing pre-primary school is a tremendous limiting factor to success in early primary grades.22 In Guatemala, pre-primary school begins at age four and lasts through primary school enrollment at age seven; however, a new MOE initiative will allow students to enroll in primary school at age six. In 2014, USAID conducted an analysis on the implications of this policy measure that also outlines recommendations for policy makers to improve internal efficiency outcomes.23

The project will support efforts by the MOE and Guatemalan civil society organizations to develop a robust SBCC campaign that builds on evidence-based messaging and lessons learned from past experience to expand the demand for pre-primary education in target areas. As stated earlier in this document, USAID views SBCC as going beyond the delivery of simple messages or slogans to encompass the full range of ways in which people individually and collectively convey meaning. SBCC programs may include a combination of mass media, community-level activities, interpersonal communication, information and communication technologies, and new media. They must demonstrate integration of relevant issues pertaining to equity, including gender, ethnicity, and disability inclusion related to the expansion of pre-primary education.

On the supply side, the project will support the MOE’s efforts to increase pre-primary school coverage in a cost-effective manner, including proposing alternative models that are culturally and contextually relevant. Priority will be placed on expanding services in more excluded and marginalized geographies. There are many models to consider for sustainable system growth.

Examples of models that have been implemented in Guatemala include but are not limited to:

National Educational Self-Management Program (PRONADE, Spanish acronym), Association for Integral and Multidisciplinary Development (APPEDIBIMI, Spanish acronym), Centros de

21 http://estadistica.MOE.gob.gt/anuario/2016/main.html 22 https://www.scribd.com/document/343662491/A-Policy-Report-The-Case-for-Investing-in-Early-Grade-Reading-Interventions 23 https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00T6Q2.pdf

Aprestamiento Comunitario de Educación Preescolar (CENACEP),24 Modelo de Educación Caminemos Juntos,25 and the Mi Familia Progresa initiative. The project will align with guidance from the U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education (2019-2023) and the USAID Education Policy which discuss the potential for non-state education institutions to support expanded access to quality education, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized populations.

COMPONENT 1.2 REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor must provide TA services and small

1. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of the MOE to:

a. Analyze costs and benefits of various potential models for expanding pre-primary education, including both state and non-state actors.

b. Leverage alternative models for expanding the supply of pre-primary education, especially in areas most in need of assistance.

c. Oversee quality pre-primary education programs, including both state and non-state providers, ensuring accountability and enforcement of standards.

d. Develop mechanisms for interaction among state and non-state providers of pre-primary education to discuss best practices in critical areas.

2. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of selected DIDEDUCs to incorporate non-state schools into discussions on more localized education issues that strengthen both state and non-state education institutions, and support the MOE’s efforts to ensure accountability and enforce standards.

3. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of the MOE and civil society organizations to use SBCC approaches to increase parents’ awareness of the importance and benefits of pre-primary attendance and early literacy in order to expand the demand for pre-primary education in target areas, ensuring integration of relevant categories of equity, including gender, ethnicity, and disability inclusion into all policy and SBCC work conducted under this Component.

● Develop and implement a strategy to support the MOE to expand and oversee quality pre-primary education programs that includes both state and non-state providers and prioritizes the most vulnerable and marginalized populations.

● Conduct cost and feasibility analyses on models for delivering expanded pre-primary education, including community-based approaches, as required by the MOE.

● Present evidence about options for expansion of pre-primary education to key stakeholders and decision makers.

24 http://www.MOE.gob.gt/portal/contenido/menu_lateral/programas/cenacep/ 25 https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00JDMJ.pdf

C.3.2.2 OBJECTIVE 2: Improve the Ecosystem for Provision of Youth Education and Training Opportunities

Work under Objective 2 is guided by USAID’s Youth in Development Policy (October 2012),26 which serves as the foundation of the Agency’s approach to youth. It provides overarching guidance for development of youth-supportive programs, targeting ages 10-29 and has as its goal “to improve the capacities of youth so that they can contribute to and benefit from more stable, democratic, and prosperous communities and nations.” The core thematic element of this policy is Positive Youth Development (PYD), which is both a philosophy and an approach to adolescent development: PYD engages youth along with their families, communities and/or governments so that youth are empowered to reach their full potential. PYD approaches build skills, assets and competencies; foster healthy relationships; strengthen the environment; and transform systems.27 Due to enhanced brain development during adolescence, it is a key period for developing the kinds of essential skills which are valued by the private sector.

USAID’s 2017 Guatemala labor market assessment28 urges that, “educational offerings consider the needs of the labor market to improve employment opportunities for young people, particularly those living in disadvantaged conditions.” These envisioned improvements complement efforts to enhance the demand for workers among employers and thereby contribute to the countries’ development where young women and young men see a future for themselves and their families. For example, the USAID Creating Economic Opportunities project aims to generate formal employment in the WH through a focus on investment and competitiveness.

Thoughtfully aligned, efforts to prepare youth for future employment and entrepreneurship…