RFI_72069622RFI00002_SPLD - fully executed.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Request For Information (RFI) No.: 72069622RFI00002

Issuance Date June 23, 2022

RFI Closing Date & Time July 06,2022 17:00 (CAT, i.e. Rwanda time)

Activity Title Strengthening Pathways to Language, Literacy, and Learning for Learners who are Deaf (SPLD)

Submission must be emailed to Sr Acquisition and Assistance Specialist Ms.

Galina Ponkratova, at gponkratova@usaid.gov not later than the date and time shown above.

Posting Websites www.beta.sam.gov and www.grants.gov.

Dear Interested Parties, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Rwanda hereby issues a Request for Information (RFI) to gather feedback to strengthen the design of the activity with the preliminary title:

Strengthening Pathways to Language, Literacy, and Learning for Learners who are Deaf (SPLD).

This activity aims to measurably improve commensurate learning outcomes for Rwandan deaf children by strengthening Rwandan Sign Language (RSL) acquisition and deaf education in the country. The activity will enhance teacher training, engage deaf youth, promote RSL among families of deaf children, and leverage digital technology to support RSL acquisition and use and ultimately learning for Rwandan deaf children.

This RFI is issued solely for information, research, and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal nor a Request for Application. The RFI does not commit the U.S. Government to issue a solicitation. If a solicitation is issued, it will be announced on https://www.grants.gov or https://sam.gov in the coming months. Interested parties will receive confirmation acknowledging receipt of their emailed responses. Please consider the following when preparing your responses and comments:

● Subject Line. RFI/ Strengthening Pathways to Language, Literacy, and Learning for Learners who are Deaf (SPLD)

● Attachment A. Background and purpose of the proposed activity.

● Attachment B. Questions are applicable to all organizations regardless of whether or not they currently work with USAID in any capacity.

Interested parties must respond via email on the closing date shown at the top of this cover letter to Isaac Sebaggala Acquisition and Assistance Specialist at isebaggala@usaid.gov with copy to the Sr Acquisition and Assistance Specialists Ms. Galina Ponkratova, at gponkratova@usaid.gov

Thank you for your interest in USAID programming efforts.

Best Regards, Benjamin Lawrence Regional Contracting/Agreement Officer Deputy Director of the Office of Acquisition and Assistance USAID Rwanda and USAID Burundi

Attachment A: Background and Purpose

I. Introduction The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to collect written information about an activity with the preliminary title: Strengthening Pathways to Language, Literacy, and Learning for Learners who are Deaf (SPL3), in which USAID seeks feedback from potential implementing organizations, local, international, and other development partners.

II. Purpose This RFI intends to gather market insights for a potential deaf education activity. This activity aims to improve the functionality and performance of the Government of Rwanda’s (GOR) education systems.

Specifically, it hopes to measurably improve RSL acquisition, literacy development, and learning outcomes for learners who are deaf 1 . This RFI also seeks strategic inputs regarding community-level promotion of optimal key education behaviors to change the perception of persons with disabilities and

RSL.

USAID is seeking:

● Information on the technical capacity organizations have to help USAID help the GOR to improve education outcomes for Rwandan learners who are deaf.

● Recommendations on how best to measurably improve RSL acquisition, literacy development, and learning outcomes for learners who are deaf.

● Suggestions on how best to improve the perception of persons with disabilities, particularly the value of RSL, through social and behavioral change at household and community levels.

● Ideas on ways to: 1) strengthen pre and in-service teacher training programs; 2) help deaf youth become teachers; 3) create opportunities for hearing individuals to learn RSL; and 4) assess RSL proficiency levels.

● Insight on other identified systematic gaps that are often overlooked, but are essential to improving learning outcomes for Rwandan children and youth that are deaf.

USAID may use the feedback from this RFI to develop the future anticipated programs.

1 The term deaf is meant to be an umbrella term including people who may identify as deaf, deafblind (a person who is deaf and blind), deafdisabled (a person who is deaf and has an additional disability such as Autism, intellectual disability, wheelchair user, etc), hard of hearing, late-deafened and other terms used in the local context. The intent is to recognize the shared experiences within the deaf community while also honoring differences.

Attachment B: Questions to Interested Parties

Interested parties are invited to provide feedback on the items listed below. The total number of responses should not exceed ten (10) pages , including a one (1) page limit for summarizing your organization’s capacity to support USAID/Rwanda’s deaf education objectives. The remaining four (4) pages should respond to the below questions and also provide any other insights or previous experience in strengthening and integrating services and proven behavioral-change approaches to ensure RSL acquisition, literacy development, and learning outcomes are high-impact, high-quality and are available to Rwandan deaf learners. Please include specific experiences relevant to the Rwandan or regional context.

Organizational Capacity Statement Provide a summary of organizational core technical and structural capabilities with examples of experience and achievement, geographic locations, models of service delivery, educational system strengthening approaches resulting in increased demand for services and adoption of optimal educational practices, models of strengthening community engagement, models resulting in increased private sector engagement, financial management, organizational capacity as well as experience with donor funding including USG compliance standards.

Specifically related to deaf education, deafness, deaf culture, and/or other disabilities at the intersection of deaf people, what is your organization's expertise and/or experience with improving education outcomes for children, youth, and adults who are deaf in Rwanda? And if your organization has experience/expertise from other countries, kindly share those too. Lastly, kindly indicate your organization's primary point of contact (i.e., name, title, phone number, and email address).

Questions to Interested Parties

1. What challenges and opportunities exist in the delivery of Rwanda Sign Language-based education in Rwanda?

2. What challenges exist at the national, district, community and home levels that affect language and literacy outcomes for this population and would require context-specific approaches (geography, remoteness of some districts, limited focus on some districts, segments of population, socio-cultural norms, gender norms and practices, financial capacity for school fees, health sector, private sector, etc.)?

3. What challenges and opportunities might be associated with offering a home-based program to teach families of children who are deaf RSL?

4. Regarding the early screening, referral, and intervention systems, (i.e., case management, social behavior change, cross-sector linkages) what opportunities, challenges, bottlenecks, resources, and new tools exist to accelerate progress and strengthen quality programs and services to ensure children who are deaf arrive at schools ‘language-ready?’

5. The activity seeks to demonstrate innovative models to catalyze private sector engagement. In your experience, what interventions are currently being implemented to encourage the private sector to promote the education and/or economic improvement of Rwandan children and youth who are deaf?

6. Reaching youth (deaf or otherwise) who use RSL is one of the objectives of the activity. What evidence-based interventions, both specific to education and cross-sectoral, have been demonstrated in Rwanda or in the region to effectively meet the educational needs of deaf children and youth and their families?

7. The planned activity seeks to promote adoption of selected key behaviors that could improve the perception of people with disabilities. In your experience, what would be some of the barriers, including gender and socio-cultural norms, that hinder adoption of optimal behaviors?

8. With the current emphasis on inclusive education (e.g. mainstreaming deaf learners into hearing classrooms), what are challenges, needs, and opportunities for this specific context?

9. Would your organization be interested in being part of the co-design process, if the opportunity arises?