SOW.docx

Scope of Work Adult Education Specialist (Literacy)

A. Background

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 investments in people. MCC’s Human and Community Development Practice Group is in need of an Adult Education Specialist (Literacy) to provide short-term support on due diligence of one or more Compact projects proposal focused on incorporating functional literacy and numeracy into agricultural productivity and/or integrated water resources management project, and other non-formal education/training programs.

B. Overview

MCC is currently working with the Government of Republic of Niger to articulate a methodology, necessary partnerships, entry points, other project design requirements and costs for functional literacy/non-formal education programming integrated with a proposed agricultural productivity and integrated water resources management project. Within two watershed areas, the proposal is to integrate literacy/non-formal education programming with a comprehensive package of services that address the entire production chain from the supply of inputs to the marketing of produce, while also ensuring women and youth benefit, household food security and health/nutrition practices improve, and applied innovations and practices sustain natural resources and the broader environment. The functional literacy and numeracy sub-activity is thus expected to incorporate basic skills, link skill-building to financial services, savings groups and enterprise development efforts, and to reinforce critical messages about dietary diversity, nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, family health, conservation, and gender equity.

MCC has funded literacy programming tied to economic sectors (see Morocco Compact), and has provisioned minor grant opportunities to NGO partners to implement functional literacy in connection with programs in other MCC countries, but to date has not purposefully integrated such programming into larger development projects. The purpose of this consultancy is to elaborate this approach in the context of the proposed Niger Compact, to strengthen institutional knowledge within MCC of this approach, and to provide advisory support as needed to assess need or review proposals from other MCC-eligible countries.

C. Country

Niger, and other Compact-eligible and Compact implementation countries as requested by MCC.

D. Scope and Objective

MCC is requesting technical assistance from an Adult Education (Literacy) Specialist who is knowledgeable of strategies/approaches for basic skills development in the context of income-generation or livelihoods activities and other non-formal education programming intended to strengthen basic skills. The consultant shall report to the Human and Community Development (HCD) unit at MCA-DC Headquarters Office and liaise with MCC’s project lead as necessary to set objectives, arrange for in-country work and to provide mission briefs. The Consultant’s immediate objective shall be to support MCC’s Niger team and Niger government counterparts to determine how the proposed program can integrate literacy into a larger complex development operation efficiently, cost-effectively and in a sustainable manner. The consultant may be asked to provide advisory support on other Compact Development, Implementation and MCC HCD division efforts to strengthen MCC’s assessment and oversight work in this area.

E. Tasks

The Consultant shall assist MCC in reviewing design and implementation planning and oversight related to literacy/non-formal education in MCC eligible countries, starting with Niger. To support MCC in the flexible and timely manner needed to meet the evolving needs of Compact development and negotiation, technical directives under this statement of work will be issued and the Consultant deployed each time the Consultant’s services are needed over the course of this contract. No additional tasks shall imply any additional costs to the Government beyond the amount allowed for in this initial call order; however, this call order may be amended to reflect additional costs associated with planning and oversight requirements in additional countries.

Project Assessment and Development

· Conduct a literature review of best practices in literacy and non-formal education programming, focusing on trends in the assigned country and similar resource contexts, as requested.

· Assess the need for and/or feasibility of proposed literacy/non-formal education programming.

· Advise on cost-effective, efficient and sustainable approaches to integrate literacy and/or non-formal education programming into broader development programs, where appropriate;

· Assess barriers which might present a risk to launching and sustaining proposed programs, including policy and regulatory environment, and resource allocation.

· Ensure a strong program logic underlies the proposed activity, outline desired results and associated indicators.

· Identify and contribute data for cost-benefit analyses, as requested.

· Identify opportunities to leverage activities of foreign donors and other sponsors in related areas.

· Draft project or project activity descriptions, and financial plans, for inclusion in the Investment Memorandum, Board or Compact documents.

· Collaborate with government counterparts to develop Terms of Reference for in-depth baseline and project design studies, program services, and review subsequent deliverables.

· Conduct institutional capacity assessment, as requested, to contribute to Implementing Partner Agreement development and other government capacity building efforts.

· Evaluate the proposed project design to ensure it facilitates access to productive opportunities for women and other marginalized groups.

· Review and comment on proposed project evaluation design and M&E plans.

· Work with MCC counterparts and other consultants to prepare the Program Implementation Plan.

· Provide detailed written reports of findings and compilation of documents to MCC.

· Make public presentations on literacy and non-formal education issues as requested.

Project Oversight

· Become intimately familiar with the Project, Project Activities, and Sub-Activities including budgets, schedules, implementers, beneficiaries and related parties.

· Coordinate with the relevant government agency, civil society, private sector, donor, and Project Management Unit staffs to facilitate Activity Oversight operations.

· Review MCA contractor deliverables.

· Conduct risk assessments, as requested, on specific Project Activities or Sub-Activities.

· Evaluate progress of a Project, Project Activities, and Sub-Activities.

· Provide detailed and comprehensive written reports on progress of a Project, Project Activities, and Sub-Activities to the Managing Director or Director of a Country Project.

· Make verbal presentations to local MCC office, Embassy and MCC Washington on project progress as requested.

· Assist an eligible country in developing appropriate modifications or alternatives to the proposed program should an assessment determine that is required.

F. Deliverables

The consultant’s assignments shall include the following:

· A work plan that includes specific activities, methodologies, site visits, time frame, and estimated duration of each activity, prior to commencing work

· Periodic written and verbal reports on findings and recommendations resulting from meetings, discussions, and field research in the assigned country.

· Presentations on key findings, issues for further examination, and recommendations for Compact activities to MCC and government/MCA counterparts.

· Inputs to Concept Assessment reviews, Investment Memos, Terms of Reference Program Implementation Plans and other formal project documents, as relevant to the assigned country program, as requested.

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. MCC may request a summary of the report be provided in French, for government counterparts. Digital photo files should be submitted in JPG format. Presentations should be prepared with PowerPoint. All work files shall be submitted to MCC along with PDF files.

G. Period and Place of Performance

This contract shall have a base period of two years with an estimated level of effort of 1,200 hours (600 hours per year). MCC anticipates this level of effort but does not guarantee this level of effort as it may increase or decrease.

Travel to various countries as required, not more than one trip per year, for not more than two weeks at a time, unless agreed otherwise by the COR.

The consultant shall work from a home office and/or MCC headquarters, in Niger and other countries as assigned.

H. Qualifications of Consultant

The Consultant should possess the following qualifications:

Mandatory Qualifications

1. M.A in education or economics (emphasis on education) required, PhD preferred;

2. Minimum 10 years’ experience required conducting appraisal, program design or program evaluation work for non-formal/literacy programs for bi-lateral or multi-lateral donor or other funding bodies;

3. Demonstrated knowledge of education and training issues in the Sahel region or similar resource contexts;

4. Demonstrated experience required in program design for economic-activity-based literacy/non-formal education programming.

5. Proficiency in French and English;

Preferred Qualifications

1. Demonstrated experience conducting competency needs assessment, including task/function analysis desirable;

2. Experience evaluating proposals according to MCC’s investment criteria desirable;

3. Experience designing or overseeing projects with an impact evaluation component is desirable.

Other requirements:

International travel shall be required. The Consultant shall be expected to be available for one (1) mission to Niger potentially to take place in May 2016, and a separate mission within the following 6-8 months as requested. If located in the United States, the consultant may be requested to meet initially with MCC staff in Washington, DC. A mission may be up to 3 weeks in length. The Consultant shall be mobilizing quickly after contracting and shall be expected to deliver high quality finished products in a timely manner.