Education Project Design Study Draft Version.pdf

Draft Statement of Work

Timor-Leste: Improving Secondary School Teacher and Leader Quality

Consultant Services for Education Project Design

1. INTRODUCTION

The Government of Timor-Leste, acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, requires professional services to design an Education Project which aims to improve the quality of teaching and school leadership at the upper-secondary1 school level in Timor-Leste. The proposed project will consist of four activities that include: (i) the development of a Center of Excellence for secondary school teacher and school leader pre-service training2; (ii) the development or enhancement of pre-service education for secondary school teachers and school leaders; (iii) improvement of in-service teacher and school leader training and professional development; and

(iv) improved upper-secondary school curriculum.

The purpose of this solicitation is to request the service of a Consultant (or consulting firm) to carry out studies to inform the design of three to four activities, including:

• Recommendations for an institutional home and organizational structure of a Center of

Excellence for secondary school teacher and school leader training

• Preliminary design of pre-service teacher and school leader training to improve skills that increase numeracy, literacy and soft skills development

• Preliminary design of in-service teacher and school leader training to improve skills that increase numeracy, literacy and soft skills development

• Recommendations for improvements to the current secondary school curriculum with a focus on numeracy, literacy and soft skills development.

The design developed by the partner should include cost estimates for implementation of each of the above activities as well as a high level work plan for implementation over a five year period of performance. Specifics regarding the detailed scope of work are provided in Section 3: Scope of

Services, following a description of the Education Project as it is currently envisioned and relevant background information. Note that this solicitation is not requesting the Contractor to carry out the implementation of the designed activities.

1 In the remainder of the document we will use the term “secondary school” in lieu of upper-secondary school for ease of reading.

2 Throughout this document we differentiate between two forms of pre-service preparation. First there is pre-service which takes the form of a minimum of a four-year university degree program for those individuals intending to become teachers and school leaders. The second form of pre-service preparation takes the form of an induction course following the completion of a four-year university degree and after being recruited for a teaching position.

Throughout the document the first type of pre-service preparation is referred to as pre-service education/training, whereas the second type of pre-service preparation is referred to as pre-service professional development. In-service occurs once an individual has already entered the teaching and/or school leadership field. This is referred to as in-service professional development throughout the document.

The outputs from this work is intended to inform MCC’s decision to invest in the development of secondary teachers and school leaders in Timor-Leste, and serve as a guide for implementation once a Compact Agreement has been signed and adopted. Execution of services will require working closely with MCC, the Compact Development Team in Timor-Leste, the Government of

Timor-Leste, and other relevant Timorese counterparts in order to carry out the assignment.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 MCC in Timor-Leste

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) began collaborating with the Government of

Timor-Leste (GoTL) in 2010 first in the implementation of a $10 million Threshold Program to reduce corruption by building a network of effective anti-corruption institutions and actors, and to improve access to immunization services by creating a more capable and effective community health system. Timor-Leste was selected for a second Threshold Program in December 2016.

During this time, MCC carried out a constraints analysis in collaboration with GoTL, to determine those factors that proved to be binding constraints to economic growth. One of the factors identified was low human capital, especially lack of skilled workers and high prevalence of stunting.

In September 2019, to address this constraint, the Timor-Leste Compact Development Team

(CDT), through the Minister of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs, submitted a project proposal to undertake a targeted reform of the secondary education system in Timor-Leste.

Specifically, GoTL proposed the creation of new education and training of secondary school teachers and school leaders. In the coming months, the work that is being requested as a part of this request for proposals will help inform the approach that will be taken to set up a training institution, improve existing in-service training for secondary teachers and school leaders and create new pre-service training for secondary teachers, with the objective of improving the numeracy, literacy and soft skills of secondary students and setting them up for success as they either continue their education or enter the workforce.

2.2 Country and Sector Context

When Timor-Leste voted for independence in the 1999 UN organized referendum, Indonesians who served as teachers in the schools left the country. As is the case in many post-conflict settings, the Government re-opened schools by employing volunteers who had taken over teaching tasks and who already resided in the communities. While this played an important role in stabilization and helped children continue their education, it meant that few teachers and school leaders had received professional training in their subject area and were forced to operate schools with significant damage and limited resources.

As of 2018 Timor-Leste has more than 390,080 students, seventeen percent (66,234) of whom are in secondary school (including technical and vocational secondary education programs).3 These

3 According to Decree Law No 30/2016 and the World Bank’s 2017 Sectoral Review, Recurrent education, “targets individuals over the age of basic education and secondary education, individuals who have completed basic students experience a system that tends towards teacher-centered teaching methods – traditional pedagogical methods that involve rote learning (memorization and passive reception of knowledge) that poorly prepare students for higher-level analysis and critical thinking or for independent learning. This approach to teaching, in addition to other challenging conditions, has led to poor levels of competency in writing, analytical and other skills, as well as overall low levels of general knowledge across all subject areas and an inability to apply information learned in their everyday and professional lives.

Currently teachers at the secondary level are admitted into the system by either graduating from a pre-service teacher training program, or by simply being in a community and willing to volunteer their services. Unfortunately, currently there are often severe gaps between what is learned through a university based teacher education program and what is necessary to successfully teach in schools. This gap also applies to those teachers who received their qualifications while already teaching.

In Timor-Leste, current secondary school teachers have a wide range of types and quality of preparation, including:

• Traditional graduates of four-year, university undergraduate or postgraduate programs;

• Those who receive teaching credentials based on a baccalaureate equivalency course, as opposed to specific academic coursework necessary for secondary level instruction;

• Those who entered the system at Independence prior to the implementation of the current qualification standards;

• Volunteers who teach in the school with a range of background qualifications.

Research on Effective Schools4 over the past decades has consistently shown that school leadership is critical to the success of a school. While Timor-Leste has begun to implement school leadership training at primary schools, they have not yet undertaken such an initiative for secondary school leaders. Currently, there is no specific university level education for school leaders aside from very limited in-service trainings provided by INFORDEPE (National Institute for Training of Teachers and Education Professionals). Typically, school leaders are promoted from being teachers to their leadership positions with little or no training in instructional leadership or in school management.

The Government of Timor-Leste has expressed a desire to develop specific training and mentoring support programs for current school leaders, as well as aspiring school leaders to improve the quality of school leadership at secondary schools.

The current measure to mitigate the teacher shortage has been to hire contract teachers or to rely on volunteers. While supplementing permanent teachers with contracted teachers may not appear education, individuals between the ages of 16 and 18 and who are working, as well as those who never had the opportunity to fit into the education system at the established normal age.

4 “Effective Schools” is a term that references a body of literature that examines the characteristics of effective schools. This body of literature set out to define the structural features of schools that resulted in positive student performance and led to major policy reforms in the United States including No Child Left Behind and has influenced education practices around the globe. The literature identifies seven key correlates of Effective Schools:

(1) frequent monitoring of student progress, (2) safe and orderly environment, (3) opportunities to learn and students time on task, (4) climate of high expectations, (5) clear and focused mission, (6) positive home/school relations, and

(7) strong leadership. (Creemers 2005; Creemers, Reynods, Stringfield, and Teddlie, 2003; Lezotte 1986; Purkey and Smith 1983; Edmonds 1979).

to be problematic, based on preliminary due diligence, contract teachers are not hired based on a demanding recruitment process, and as such are not forced to comply with a rigorous set of criteria and consequently are not earning the same level of wages as a permanent teacher. Additionally, their contracts typically need to be renewed annually. This instability often is cited as a reason for teachers’ lack of assiduity, leaving students without quality instruction. The system needs to ensure that teachers have appropriate opportunities for training and growth, and that they are held accountable for their performance.

Many international organizations have pledged and implemented support for the education sector, but the majority of support has been focused on improvements at the pre-primary and primary education levels. Other than one relatively small-scale intervention in pre-service teacher professional development,5 no donors have expressed interest in working on pre-service and in-service training specifically for general secondary education. Given the National Education

Strategy for 2011-2030 identifies improvements to secondary education as a high priority, the proposed MCC Compact activities are an important complementary investment to work being done at lower levels of schooling to ensure students in Timor-Leste benefit from quality education during their entire time in school.

2.3 Scope of the Potential MCC Investment in Secondary Education

To help address some of the remaining challenges Timor-Leste faces related to the quality of general secondary education, the GoTL and MCC are developing an Education Project consisting of three to four activities that will be supported through a Compact between the Governments of

Timor-Leste and the United States. The primary objective of the Education Project is to improve the quality of secondary education so that students are better equipped to succeed in jobs and/or in tertiary education. Short-term outcomes for the Education Project will include:

• the development of a Center of Excellence (CoE) for Pre-Service Training for School

Teachers and School Leaders either within an existing institution or embedded within existing institutions6;

• improved pre-service and in-service education/professional development for teachers and school leaders;

• an increased supply of highly qualified secondary teachers; and

• improved secondary school instruction, instructional leadership, school management and gender-sensitive pedagogy and management practices.

Long-term outcomes will include improved student learning outcomes and better-performing secondary schools across all demographics.

The four activities under consideration for potential implementation are summarized as follows:

5 In the Timorese context, this includes education, training, and support. Throughout the remainder of this document, it should be assumed that professional development is defined by the above.

6 Note, the institutional location of the Center of Excellence has yet to be determined and is one of the questions to be answered through this study and agreed upon by MCC and GoTL. As it currently stands, the Center of Excellence will be structured in one of three ways: as an independent institution, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher

Education and embedded within the current university system, or as a part of the current in-service teacher training institution, INFORDEPE. This is distinct from the physical location where the building for the Center of Excellence will be built.

Improving Secondary School Teachers and Leader Quality

Activity 1: Development of a Center of Excellence for Secondary School Teacher and

School Leader Pre-Service Professional Development

▪ Setting up a new organization/model (a Center of Excellence) for pre-service training, either an independent institution or a structure embedded within an existing institution or institutions

▪ Building or rehabilitating space to house this new organizational structure

▪ Certifying and licensing secondary teachers and school leaders

Activity 2: Pre-Service Secondary School Teacher and School Leader Professional

Development

▪ Creating a new teacher education curriculum framework and training materials for the

Center to train new for secondary teachers and school leaders

▪ Educating future secondary teachers in pedagogy, including gender-sensitive pedagogy, curriculum delivery, effective classroom management, and classroom-based assessment to improve numeracy, literacy and soft-skills development

▪ Educating prospective secondary school leaders on good practices for school management, inclusivity, and instructional leadership

▪ Providing targeted support for socially disadvantaged students and women, including inclusive approaches to teaching and consideration of barriers to these populations

Activity 3: In-Service Secondary School Teacher and School Leader Training and

Professional Development

▪ Developing a general secondary education teachers’ and school leaders’ training and professional development strategic plan and curriculum frameworks

▪ Developing in-service training materials for training teachers and school leaders

▪ Training trainers in teacher professional development in pedagogy, curriculum delivery, effective classroom management, classroom-based assessment, and inclusivity with a focus on numeracy, literacy and soft skills development

▪ Training trainers in school leader professional development in school management

(including disciplinary structures and community outreach), instructional leadership, and assessment

Activity 4. Reform of General Secondary Education Curriculum7

▪ Reviewing and revising the secondary education curriculum and learning materials to reflect current SDGs and 21st Century Schools approach to learning

2.4 Description of Activities Envisioned for the Education Project

This section provides an overview of the Education Project as it is currently envisioned. The work being requested under this scope is focused on refining the roadmap for aspects of these activities and advancing them to a design.

Activity One: Development of a Center of Excellence for Pre-Service Secondary School Teacher

7 Note that this is currently and “optional activity” that is under consideration for the Education Project, as there is currently on-going work within Timor-Leste to improve the secondary education curriculum.

and School Leader Professional Development

The primary focus of this activity will be the setting up and structuring of a teacher and school leader training center, herein referred to as the Center of Excellence. This work will include the setting up a new institution and the rehabilitation of an existing building or construction of a new building to house the Center of Excellence. MCC’s investment will include the development of an institutional/organizational framework, as well as staffing, management/leadership and financial plans, including the operations and maintenance of the physical space. The goal of this activity is to develop the Center of Excellence to carry out pre-service teacher and principal training either in an existing institution within Timor-Leste, such as INFORDEPE or the National

University of Timor-Leste (UNTL), or as an independent institution, depending on the findings that result from design studies assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of different approaches.

The institutional framework and organizational structure of the Center may have implications for how new secondary school teachers and school leaders are certified and licensed.

Regardless of where it is housed, the pre-service training will interface closely with in-service teacher and school leader professional development conducted by INFORDEPE, the primary institution responsible for delivering in-service teacher and school leader professional development (per Decree Law 4/2011 of 26 January which defines INFORDEPE’s competences).

Activity Two: Pre-Service Secondary School Teacher and School Leader Professional

Development

This activity is designed to meet the growing need for new high-quality secondary teachers and school leaders. This activity will consist of a series of sub-activities, including the development and delivery of a pre-service level teacher training curriculum framework and curriculum, specifically designed to provide adequate pedagogical training for those individuals with qualifying-level degrees who wish to teach. A curriculum framework and new curriculum will also be developed for a graduate-level certificate in school leadership/administration. Once these curricula are developed, university professors or professional trainers will be trained to deliver the content to prospective teachers, and school leaders. The course content needs to focus on best practices in pedagogy in Timor-Leste or similar settings with similar student populations. The content should also focus on inclusivity, instructional leadership and school management and fill a critical gaps in the current education system for teachers with a specific focus on numeracy, literacy and soft skills. Future teachers and school leaders will also be educated in the management and use of curricular materials.

Activity Three: In-Service Secondary School Teacher and School Leader Professional

Development

In an effort to reach the majority of current teachers and school leaders, this activity will develop and/or enhance a robust professional development and in-service training curriculum and programs. While the number of contact hours could be much less intensive than the pre-service program, the goal of the in-service professional development program will be to bring current secondary teachers and school leaders to a high-quality standard and reflect the training delivered through the pre-service program, again, with a focus on numeracy, literacy and soft skills development.

The activity will include the development of curriculum framework for training both teachers and school leaders. This may also include preparation of a robust training and coaching program with multiple touch-points for teachers and school leaders over one or several years to ensure that quality improvements are sustained, significant enough to impact student outcomes across demographic categories.

Activity Four: General Secondary Education Curriculum

Depending on the availability of resources and the progress made on curriculum reform under other initiatives, the Education Project may include an activity that will improve the current secondary general education curriculum. In order to improve quality of learning in secondary education, The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports intends to also reform the Secondary

Education national curriculum. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has requested the support of the compact to complete the general secondary curriculum reform by building on efforts currently under way to reform the curriculum.

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES

Under this contract, the Consultant will contribute to the design of each of the proposed activities within the Education Project. Note, the Consultant is not being asked to implement the Project.

Rather, the scope of service invites the Consultant to propose an overall design for the Education

Project based on their analysis of the current system. The proposed design will serve both as a source of information for investment decisions taken by MCC and GoTL and as a guidance document for MCC, CDT and GoTL as they procure and oversee the implementation of this

Project. All work completed under this contract will be closely coordinated with the CDT in Timor-

Leste, as the entity responsible for developing the Compact and should reflect a design that not only reflects best-practices generally, but more specifically what is appropriate for the context of

Timor-Leste.

Throughout the work, the Consultant will integrate cross-cutting objectives related to gender and social inclusion, monitoring and evaluation, and public financial management in project activities and outcomes.

This solicitation is anticipated to result in an award that includes a 12 month base period, followed by one 12 month option periods. The table below provides a summary of the tasks (services) to be provided in the base period as well as optional tasks.

3.1 Summary of the Description of Services for the Base and Optional Tasks

The table below provides an overview of both required services as well as optional tasks. Base

Tasks are those that are required to be completed within the Base Year of the Contract. Optional

Tasks may be requested by MCC and GoTL either in the base or option years. The Contractor will receive 60 days notification before they commence optional tasks. Optional tasks may begin as early as the base year and may continue into the option years of the contract.

Base Tasks: Required Tasks and Sub-Tasks Task 1: Develop the

Design for Setting up the

Institutional Framework for a Center of Excellence for Pre-Service

Professional Development

Sub-Task 1.1. Carry out an assessment of different options for setting up a new organization/model – including examinations of inclusion in existing institutions, such as but not limited to

INFORDEPE and UNTL, and creating a new institution – to determine the most viable and cost-effective approaches for setting up a new pre-service training organization/model

Sub-Task 1.2 Develop a design document, high level work plan and cost estimate for the activities to set up this organizational structure/model, and the ongoing expenses

Task 2: Develop the

Design for Pre-Service

Secondary School

Teacher and School

Leader Professional

Development and

Training Activity

Sub-Task 2.1 Assess and design framework for pre-service teacher training programs including suggested curriculum framework

Sub-Task 2.2 Develop design document, high level work plan and cost estimate for development and implementation of pre-service teacher and school leader professional development

Task 3: Develop the

Design for the In-Service

Secondary School

Teacher and Leader

Professional Development

Activity

Sub-Task 3.1 Review existing INFORDEPE framework for in-service teacher and school leader professional development and create a revised in-service professional development framework for secondary teachers and school leaders that aligns with pre-service training

Sub-Task 3.2 Develop design document, high level work plan and cost estimate for development and implementation of this activity

Task 4: Gender and

Social Inclusion Analysis and Integration

Sub-Task 4.1 Develop a plan to integrate gender and social inclusion into the revised secondary education curriculum and design and delivery of teacher and school leader professional development

Optional Sub-Tasks Task 1: Develop the

Design for Setting up the

Institutional Framework for a Center of Excellence for Pre-Service

Professional Development

Sub-Task 1.3 Assessment of options for credentialing, certifying, licensing, or issuing degrees

Task 2: Develop the

Design for Pre-Service

Secondary School

Teacher and School

Leader Professional

Development and

Training Activity

Sub-Task 2.3 Propose specific course modules for pre-service teacher and school leader professional development

Task 3: Develop the

Design for the In-Service

Secondary School

Teacher and Leader

Professional Development

Activity

Sub-Task 3.3: Propose Specific Course Modules for In-Service Teacher and School Leader Professional Development

Optional Task 5:

Supplemental analysis of current general secondary curriculum and propose design

Sub-Task 5.1 Review current analysis of general secondary curriculum and provide a guide for revision

Sub-Task 5.2 Estimate costs for revision of general secondary curriculum

3.2 Description of Services

Task 1: Develop the Design for Setting up the Institutional Framework for a Center of

Excellence for Pre-Service Professional Development

Required Sub-Tasks under Task 1-Center of Excellence

Sub-Task 1.1. Carry out an assessment of different options for the setting up a new organization/model – including examinations of inclusion in existing institutions, such as but not limited to INFORDEPE and UNTL, and creating a new institution – to determine the most viable and cost-effective approaches for setting up a new pre-service training organization/model

For this set of tasks the Consultant is requested to study and propose the optimal institutional location/structure of the Center of Excellence, either as an independent institution or as an organizational structure under existing institutions including INFORDEPE and UNTL (or another higher education institution). Using this information the Consultant will outline the legal and technical steps to set up a new institution or reform an existing one. Note, the Consultant is not being asked to conduct an infrastructure feasibility study to examine the optimal physical structure of the center. Instead the focus of this task is on recommending the institutional/organizational structure of the Center. However, the Consultant will be provided with information related to the overall design of the building for their input. It is expected that the Consultant will use information about the building to guide the overarching design of institution and the courses that will operate out of the Center.

Specifically, the Consultant will examine the current legal frameworks and reporting structures within GoTL and provide a recommended step by step plan to set up a new institution or revise an existing institution in a manner that aligns with the current system and complies with Timorese law. The Consultant will propose an institutional home and organizational structure for the training center taking into account existing legal frameworks, feasibility, sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness, and key stakeholder preferences. The Consultant will recommend both a governance and staffing structure for the Center. It should be noted that the GoTL and MCC anticipate that the start-up of the center will not be impeded by the construction of a new building.

GoTL has committed to securing a temporary location where trainings can begin until the building is constructed.

To meet the objectives of this task, the Consultant will undertake the activities below. Note that work can commence before travel is required. It is expected that the Consultant will carry out all work remotely to the degree possible, but will be expected to validate recommendations once travel is permitted. MCC, CDT and the GoTL will assist the Consultant in securing information and materials from relevant institutions to help the Consultant carry out the work.

• Review of existing Compact development documents as relevant to understand the intended scale and scope of the new facility;

• Assessment of current institutional organizations/models responsible for pre-service teacher education and school leader training including for options related to INFORDEPE and UNTL, and other institutions as appropriate;

• Study of the legal framework, regulations and how they are deployed in Timor-Leste and how that will play a role in the delivery and quality of pre-service training in Timor-Leste, including the establishment of a new institution as deemed necessary;

• Identification and proposed roles of stakeholders and human resource capacity as might be required for start-up of CoE;

• Estimate costs for the institutional and organizational set up of the Center and continuing operations and maintenance; and

• Any other analysis (i.e., examples of best practices, situationally appropriate design considerations, etc.) to inform the deliverable.

Based on these analyses and reviews, the Consultant will draft a set of recommendations on the following:

• A proposed organizational and governance structure including the rationale for the selection of the proposed option for the training center and a description of alternative institutional structures considered. The Consultant will outline the risks and assumptions associated with the proposed institutional set up;

• A description the governance structure of the Center including of the roles of all key stakeholders and mapping of roles and responsibilities for all the entities that will play a role in governance of the facility. The proposed governance structure should take into account the need for gender equality and social inclusion across the legal and organizational frameworks.

• A proposed staffing plan for the new CoE, including management, administrative, and support personnel as well as short-term and long-term faculty; and identify where to source human resources from with particular attention to ensuring operational compliance with national and MCC policies for gender equity;

• A discussion of the risks and assumptions associated with the proposed institutional set up, and consideration of alternatives, if warranted. Analysis of how educational, recruitment, selection placement, and retention policies are currently affecting women’s access to and retention in the profession, and recommendations for how to proactively reduce these barriers through policies for the CoE (for example, what are the policies related to pregnancy and maternity leave; how easy is it for female teachers to return to work?); and

The Consultant will be responsible for organizing and hosting one or multiple design workshops with key GoTL stakeholders as well as with the CDT and MCC in order to inform the drafting of the activity design, as well as to validate the design before submitting the final report. This task may be carried out remotely, if the ability to travel is limited due to travel restrictions. Once travel resumes, the Consultant will be expected to carry out additional design workshops as needed.

Sub-Task 1.2 Develop an investment decision memo, a complete design document, work plan and cost estimates for the activities to set up this organizational structure/model, and the ongoing maintenance

The Consultant is requested to develop two primary deliverables. The first deliverable is a ten to fifteen page investment decision memo that provides information for MCC and GoTL to make key decisions related to their investment in the Education project writ large. The investment design memo will provide high level recommendations on an overarching design as well as high level cost estimates for each of the first three activities (the development of the Center of Excellence, in-service teacher and school leader training, and pre-service teacher and school leader training).

The Consultant will only be expected to submit a single investment decision memo, but the memo will have three sections that relate to the Education Project Activities. Building on this investment decision memo and following additional data collection and research, the Consultant will develop a more comprehensive design document with an associated work plan that outlines a step by step process for setting up a new or revising a current Center for teacher and school leader training.

Additionally the consultant will refine preliminary cost estimates including explanation of how costs were calculated for each of the following:

• Legal framework and regulations for the approval and creation of a new or revised institution and eventual accreditation;

• Cost to enact the staffing plan proposed in Task 1.1, reflecting phasing of recruitment and staffing, long- and short-term personnel, and full and part time staffing needs;

• Cost to develop all the policies and practices proposed as necessary in Task 1.1;

• Cost to operate the CoE during the Compact term and annually following the Compact.

This category should include a full accounting of costs GoTL should expect to incur

(including estimate of salaries, etc.); and

• Propose establishment plan with clear timelines for the facility

Note, final cost estimates for the activity in the final design report should not exceed the initial anticipated costs proposed for the investment decision report.

Optional Sub-Tasks under Task 1-Center of Excellence

Optional Sub-Task 1.3 Assessment of options for credentialing, certifying, licensing, or issuing degrees

Based on the preferred organizational structure/modality, the Consultant may be requested to assess current processes for certifying, licensing, and issuing degrees to newly trained secondary school teachers and school leaders. Based on this recommendation the Consultant is asked to provide a recommendation for the approach to be taken for the new Center of Excellence.

Task 2: Develop the Design for Pre-Service Secondary School Teacher and School Leader

Training Activity

Required Sub-Tasks under Task 2-Pre-Service Secondary School Teacher and School

Leader Training

The purpose of this task group is for the Consultant to design the approach for the development and delivery of content for pre-service training for secondary teacher and school leaders.

Sub-Task 2.1 Assess and design framework for pre-service teacher and school leader education programs including suggested curriculum framework

Under this task the Consultant will analyze the training needs for new teachers and school leaders through an examination of existing training systems and programs in relationship to literature on best practices in teacher education and what is appropriate for the context of Timor-Leste. The analysis will inform a proposed framework that ensures teachers teach effectively and foster a learning environment conducive to developing soft skills as well as literacy and numeracy – areas identified during early compact development as key skills currently lacking in the workforce that should be taught during secondary education. The framework should also pay special attention to ensuring graduates of the facility are ready to apply pedagogical approaches that are inclusive of girls, and socially vulnerable groups. Special attention should also be paid to creating a safe learning space for all, with positive disciplinary practices, bullying- and violence-free schools, preventing gender-based violence, and a focus on basic hygiene and sanitation.

To inform their design, the Consultant will conduct a review of existing research and documents and, when necessary, will carry out direct assessments of the current system. We anticipate that this work will begin remotely while travel is limited, but it is expected that the Consultant will assess teacher and school leader performance in situ to further advance the design of per-service teacher and school leader training.

Existing research and information to be reviewed includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Revised National Education Strategic Plan for Timor-Leste

• Existing analyses of the strengths, weaknesses, gaps and opportunities of current bachelor degree level teaching degree programs in Timor-Leste;

• Current teacher and school leader training materials from degree programs and

INFORDEPE

• Assess performance gaps in current teaching and school leadership at secondary level;

• Review of international best practices in pre-service teacher training, with an eye towards programming in similar contexts; and

• Any other relevant data and research, including direct consultation with in-country specialists

Based on these analyses and additional inputs, the Consultant will propose a framework for the pre-service teacher and school leader education program, including the following key elements for both school leaders and for teachers:

• Recommendations for the structure of the program including length of the program, cohort size, staffing needs, class size, method of delivery, etc;

• Recommendations for admission criteria and targeted student population, taking into consideration a desire to increase the number of women in the field;

• Proposed teacher education curriculum topics based on analysis of gaps in current system and teacher training needs with a focus on improving student outcomes in numeracy, literacy and soft skills ;

The Consultant will be responsible for organizing and hosting design workshops with key GoTL counterparts, education stakeholders, and MCC in order to inform the drafting of the activity design, as well as to validate the design before submitting the final report. If travel is restricted, these workshops can be conducted remotely with the expectation that once travel resumes additional in person workshops will be held to carry out final validations.

As part of this task, the Consultant should also provide a program logic diagram, with narrative, that demonstrates how the framework proposed will address identified needs and result in improved school management and student learning outcomes. This should also include identification of key risks and assumptions.

Sub-Task 2.2 Develop an investment decision memo, a complete design document, work plan and cost estimates for the development and implementation of pre-service secondary teacher and school leader training

Similar to Sub-Task 1.2, based on the initial work carried out under Sub-Task 2.1, the Consultant will contribute to inputs into the investment decision memo described in Sub-Task 1.2 along with preliminary costs. The Consultant will then continue to build out preliminary information from the investment decision memo to develop a complete design document that includes both anticipated costs for the design and implementation of pre-service secondary school teacher and school leader training as well as a step by step work plan for implementation. Final cost estimates for the activity in the final design report should not exceed the initial anticipated costs proposed for the investment decision report. The Consultant is requested to provide estimates including explanation of how costs were calculated for each of the following:

• Estimated cost to develop new trainings

• Estimated cost to revise or develop and produce new curriculum for pre-service teacher education or training;

• Estimated cost to revise or develop and produce new curriculum for pre-service school leader training;

• Estimated cost for training of trainers or faculty.

Optional Sub-Task under Task 2-Pre-Service Secondary School Teacher and School

Leader Training

Optional Sub-Task 2.3 Propose specific course modules for pre-service teacher and school leader training

Following discussion and validation of the proposed framework in Sub-Task 2.1 with MCC and the GoTL, the Consultant may be requested to develop a proposal for course content (length of program per cohort, differentiation between teacher and school leader curricula, etc.), training framework, course content, identifying training system, content and materials, and modalities for instruction to address identified needs in terms of teacher and school leader learning objectives based on determination of key skill sets and specific competencies for each type of trainee. Should this option be exercised, it is expected that outputs from this work will be proposed in the complete design document including costs and steps in the work plan.

Task 3: Develop the Design for the In-Service Secondary School Teacher and Leader

Professional Development and Training Activity

Required Sub-Tasks under Task 3: In-Service Teacher and School Leader Professional

Development and Training

Currently, INFORDEPE is responsible for providing all in-service training for secondary school teachers and school leaders, but the content of training and time spent in training is quite limited.

INFORDEPE is developing an institutional plan to strengthen in-service training delivery. An institutional assessment of INFORDEPE was carried-out with the technical support from The

World Bank and in recent years focused exclusively on teachers not school leaders.

This task aims to build on the work previously carried out by INFORDEPE and The World Bank and result in a plan to improve on in-service training for secondary school teachers and school leaders. The inputs from a review of the existing INFORDEPE regional centers will be used to inform recommendations around the location of the training programs and whether additional infrastructure investments are merited that are a part of Activity 1.

Sub-Task 3.1 Review existing INFORDEPE framework for in-service teacher and school leader professional development and create a revised in-service professional development framework for secondary teachers and school leaders

Under this task, the Consultant will use the results of the INFORDEPE institutional assessment and, based on analyses of the specific needs identified for current teachers and school leaders, propose training framework and implementation plan for in-service training and professional development at INFORDEPE. The proposed framework should speak to current deficiencies and build on pre-service education and training that will be conducted through the Center of

Excellence.

The framework should also ensure that teacher and school leaders completing the training program are ready to apply pedagogical approaches that are inclusive of girls and socially vulnerable groups. Special attention should be paid to creating, a safe learning space for all, with a focus on positive disciplinary practices, bullying and violence free schools, prevention of gender-based violence and a focus on basic hygiene and sanitation.

Proposed capacity building activities for INFORDEPE should increase capacity during the life of the compact in a way that can be sustained after the five-year Compact term. To do so, the

Consultant will outline the key human and financial resources that will be needed during the life of the Compact. The Consultant will also need to the resources required to meet the continuing training needs beyond the life of the Compact.

To inform the design, the Consultant will conduct a review of existing research and documents and, when necessary, will carry out direct assessments of the current system. As is the case with the previous activities, if travel restrictions are in place, the Consultant is expected to carry out the work remotely to the degree possible. When travel restrictions are lifted, the Consultant is expected to ground truth findings and recommendations through direct assessments in Timor-Leste. Existing research and information to be reviewed includes, but is not limited to:

• Revised National Education Strategic Plan for Timor-Leste

• Census of Secondary Education System that is planned to be carried out in August or

September of 2020;

• Existing analyses of the strengths, weaknesses, gaps in in-service teacher and school leader training in Timor-Leste;

• Review of international best practices in in-service teacher and school leader training and professional development with an eye towards what works in contexts similar to Timor-

Leste;

• Current teacher training or school leader frameworks and training materials used by

INFORDEPE

• Analyses of existing teachers and school leader training needs, and

• Any other relevant data and research, including direct consultation with in-country specialists such as the 2016 UNICEF Study on Violence against Children in and around

Educational Setting in Timor-Leste and the 2019 4th Periodic State Report on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Based on these analyses and additional inputs, the Consultant will propose distinct framework structures for 1) the in-service teacher training program and 2) the in-service school leader training program, including the following key elements for both:

• Recommended delivery methods for programs, including (but not limited to): traditional classroom-based trainings, in-class mentoring, experiential learning (practice teaching and classroom-based observations), coaching and refresher training, and continuing PD events

(e.g., on-line conferences, workshops). The Consultant will identify any concerns around different delivery methods in terms of trainee-borne costs, risks of violence (GBV or other), equity in access, efficacy, etc.

• Recommended timeline and timeframe for teachers and school leaders to complete the proposed course of study, as well as key design considerations (e.g., which should occur during or outside of school hours and how will the trainees’ duties be covered during their absences?).

• Estimate costs that will be needed s to make initial changes as well as on-going recurring costs for the work to be sustained beyond the life of the five-year Compact..

As part of this task, the Consultant should also provide a program logic diagram, with narrative, that demonstrates how the framework proposed will address identified needs and result in improved school management and student learning outcomes. This should also include identification of key risks and assumptions.

The Consultant will be responsible for organizing and hosting design workshops with key GoTL counterparts, education stakeholders, and MCC in order to inform the drafting of the activity design, as well as to validate the design before submitting the final report. This should be carried out either remotely or in-person depending on travel restrictions.

Sub-Task 3.2 Develop an investment decision memo, complete, design document, work plan and cost estimate for development and implementation of this activity

Based on the outputs from work carried out under Sub-Tasks 3.1 and 3.2, the Consultant will be required to finalize inputs into the investment decision memo as well as the complete design document. The complete document will describe how the in-service professional development for school leaders and teachers will happen in partnership with INFORDEPE.

The Consultant is requested to provide an initial cost estimate for the implementation of the In-

Service Teacher and School Leader Education Activity in the investment decision memo and then refine that estimate as the complete design document is finalized. The estimate should include the cost of developing the curricula, creation of materials, training of faculty, and any supplemental supports determined to be necessary as well as an estimate for anticipated recurrent costs both during and beyond the life of the five-year Compact. Final cost estimates for the activity in the final design report should not exceed the initial anticipated costs proposed for the investment decision report.

Optional Sub-Task under Task 3: In-Service Teacher and School Leader Professional

Development and Training

Optional Sub-Task 3.3: Propose Specific Course Modules for In-Service Teacher and

School Leader Professional Development

Following discussion and validation of the proposed framework in Sub-Task 3.1 with MCC and the GoTL, the Consultant may be requested to develop a proposal for course modules or specific lessons and modalities for instruction. These modules should also reflect those that are developed as a part of the pre-service curriculum as form of supplemental support to those teachers who are trained through the Center of Excellence, as well as those who are already serving. The proposed modules should speak to the needs identified for current teachers and school leaders.

Task 4: Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) Analysis and Integration (sub-task required)

Sub-Task 4.1 Develop a plan to integrate gender and social inclusion into design and delivery of teacher and school leader professional development

Integrate GSI objectives across the design of all activities, as set out in the tasks noted above.

These aspects should facilitate equity in access to staffing, leadership, training and education opportunities; support for pedagogical approaches and training modalities that are inclusive of the needs, constraints, and realities of a diverse school body (sex, ethnic minorities, language minorities, and other vulnerable groups); and promotion of safe and respectful learning environments for all teachers, leaders and students including adoption of positive disciplinary…