SOW-_Secondary_Education_Development_Specialist_-_Georgia.doc

Secondary Education Development Specialist

Country - Georgia

MCC-15-RFQ-0131

A. Introduction

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a federal Corporation created under Title VI of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2004. MCC”s mission is to reduce poverty around the world through the promotion of sustainable economic growth based on the principle that aid is most effective when it strengthens good governance, economic freedom and investment in people. In July 2014, MCC and the Government of the Republic of Georgia entered a Compact to improve the quality and relevance of the general education with particular emphasis on rural schools, English, Math, and Science and Technology education. MCC is in need of a Secondary Education Specialist with broad experience to help monitor the implementation of this program.

B. Scope MCC is requesting technical assistance from a Secondary Education Specialist with broad experience in teacher and principal professional development, continuous professional development systems, assessment, and improving learning environments to monitor the quality of MCS’s Improving General Education Quality program implementation. Consultant support will primarily focus on the Training Educators for Excellence and Education Assistance Support activities, and efforts by MCA to tie these activities to broader policy reform efforts.

The Consultant will provide advisory support to MCC, reporting to the Human and Community Development (HCD) unit at MCA-DC Headquarters Office and liaising with MCC’s Georgia Resident Country Mission as necessary to set objectives, arrange for in country work and to provide mission brief. The Consultant shall not engage in implementation of MCA-Georgia’s programs but rather provide technical support to HAD’s oversight of the program.

C. Objective The objective is to conduct in-country and desk reviews to provide assurance that program activities are on track to meet agreed-upon specifications, schedules, milestones, and budgets of the Improving General Education Quality project in Georgia. Additionally, the Consultant shall assist in identifying potential unforeseen implementation problems and provide recommendations for solutions.

The Consultant may be requested to provide support on other MCC-eligible countries in Compact development or implementation stage with similar technical content.

.D. Country Georgia and any other MCC eligible country if needed.

E. Tasks

The Consultant shall carry out the following functional responsibilities, liaising as needed, with the MCA-Georgia Improving General Education Quality project team, Implementing Entities and MCA Contractors. Tasks will include:

1) Assess the revised Implementation Plan and milestones created by MCA-Georgia and proposed for the Training Educators for Excellence Activity, including the related gender integration strategy;

2) Review plans to support recurrent operational costs associated with MCC investments in the Training Educators for Excellence and Education Assessment Support activities;

3) Assess implementation of proposed certification schemes for teachers, and principals in terms of their integration with the MCA project;.

4) Assess quality of implementation of MCA’s private sector engagement strategy for the Improving General Education Quality project

5) Contribute to MCC research questions for impact evaluation of the Training Educator’s for Excellence activity, review evaluator’s design report and baseline study, and support adherence to impact evaluation requirements as needed during start-up.

6) Assess progress against approved work plans, distribute plans, and monitoring and evaluation plans;

7) Conduct project risk assessment to inform quarterly MCC portfolio reviews; and 8). Other due diligence tasks, as requested.

F. Deliverables

The consultant’s assignment will include the following:

· Work plans for each mission;

· External review of MCA’s implementation plan for Educators for Excellence sub-Activity, ensuring it includes key milestones, and noting any gaps related to project startup, counterpart contribution, coordination and technical assistance to implementing partners;

· Review and recommend clearance on select Contractor and Implementing Entity deliverables;

· Project risk assessments submitted on a quarterly schedule provided by MCC

· Presentations and ad hoc reports as required by the COR/PM related to the scope and more specific tasks.

All reports are to be submitted in English by electronic copy using WINDOWS based MS-Office 2010 products including WORD for text, data tables in EXCEL and appropriate MS-Office 2010 programs for exhibits. Digital photo files should be submitted in JPG format. Presentations should be prepared using PowerPoint. All work files shall be submitted to MCC as PDF files.

Acceptance Criteria

The deliverables will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

· Thoroughness and timeliness in complying with all of the elements in the tasks specified.

· Quality and clarity of analyses and work produced.

· Timeliness and efficacy of communications with relevant counterparts at MCC, MCA, and other relevant organizations.

· All reports are to be submitted in English in hard and electronic copy (in MS Word), with tables, data and calculations in MS Excel.

G. Period and Place of Performance

All work under this contract will be completed between effective date of the contract award for a one year period, after which it will be re-competed based on emerging needs and funding ability. The estimated level of effort for the first year is 700 hours to complete the tasks included in this scope of work. MCC does not guarantee this level of effort as it may increase or decrease

H. Conflict of Interest

The consultant would be precluded from bidding on work and services (design, assessment, construction and supervision) to be procured by the local MCA accountable entity or using funds advanced under a Compact in the relevant country, unless the consultant submits a mitigation plan sufficient to ameliorate any conflict of interest pursuant to the rules applicable to the procurement process.

I. Subcontracting

The consultant is authorized to subcontract data collection, data preparation, social and gender analysis, and related services as needed. The overall costs for subcontracting shall not exceed 25% of the consultant’s total negotiated unloaded direct labor cost.

J. Other requirements

International travel will be required. The Consultant may be requested to mobilize on a short notice and will be expected to deliver high quality finished products in a timely manner based on the instructions of the COR/PM.

K. Timing and Reporting

All formal communication with MCC, including reports, will be submitted to the COR/PM. The COR/PM for this requirement will be identified via separate correspondence.

The COR/PM will have technical responsibility for monitoring the contractor’s performance. The COR/PM will review and evaluate the contractor’s performance, and also will coordinate any communications with relevant counterparts and other donor agencies and organizations.

Any changes in the terms of the Call Order will be made in writing and approved by the Contracting Officer. No representation of the COR/PM shall serve as a basis for an alteration in the general scope of this Call Order or of the terms and conditions of the Call Order unless confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. The contractor must communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters that pertain to the Contract terms. Proceeding with the work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment for that work.

The designated Consultant would be expected to coordinate with local authorities responsible for MCC Compact implementation as well as other donors, where relevant. However, designated Consultant would report directly to the designated COR/PM.