RFI_Draft SOW and Pre-Solicitation Conference_USAID-Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program Activity.pdf

Subject: RFI/Draft SOW and Virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference, USAID/Burma-DISP

Request for Information (RFI)/Comments on Draft Scope of Work (SOW) and

Virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference on

USAID/Burma Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program Activity (DISP)

Issuance Date: November 22, 2022

RSVP for Virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference: December 5, 2022, at 17:00 Burma Local Time

Initial Draft SOW Comments Due Date and Time: December 5, 2022, at 17:00 Burma Local Time

Virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference: December 12, 2022, at 08:30 Burma Local Time

Draft SOW Comments Due Date and Time: December 15, 2022, at 17:00 Burma Local Time

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Burma is seeking comments on a draft Statement of Work (SOW) and inviting interested parties to participate for the Virtual Pre-Solicitation

Conference for USAID/Burma Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program Activity.

This is the third higher education RFI that USAID/Burma has issued in recent months. The first RFI, issued on May 9, 2022, was of a general nature, requesting ideas to inform the design of USAID’s overall higher education program. The second RFI, issued on September 9, 2022, explored the possibility of placing Burmese youth in regional higher education institutions, and on possibilities for virtual learning opportunities for students that stay in Burma to study at the HE level.

Purpose and Instructions: The purpose of this RFI is to invite interested parties to a virtual Pre-

Solicitation Conference and to solicit and obtain input, feedback, questions, and suggestions from interested parties on the draft Statement of Work.

1) Virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference: Interested parties are invited to RSVP with participant information, including name, title, organization, and email for joining a virtual Pre-Solicitation

Conference via email to burmaoaa@usaid.gov with subject line “RFI Virtual Pre-Solicitation

Conference, USAID/Burma-DISP.” A google meet link will be sent later to RSVPs.

2) Draft SOW Comments: Interested parties are invited to submit comments and questions on the draft Statement of Work to USAID/Burma via email to burmaoaa@usaid.gov with subject line

“RFI/Draft SOW and Virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference, USAID/Burma-DISP”. USAID welcomes concise and direct responses, to help inform USAID’s planning and activity design.

Issuance of this RFI and posting the draft SOW for comments do not constitute any obligation on the part of the Government to procure supplies or services or to issue a solicitation. The RFI does not represent any award commitment on the part of the Government, nor does it obligate the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of any comments or questions.

USAID will use information provided by respondents to inform planning, discussions with stakeholders, and planned activity designs. Any information submitted in response to this notice is voluntary. Not responding to this request does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if any is issued.

mailto:burmaoaa@usaid.gov mailto:burmaoaa@usaid.gov

Thank you for your interest and engagement in USAID activities.

/s/

Gregory Wang

Contracting Officer

USAID/Burma

RFI/Draft SOW and Virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference, USAID/Burma-DISP

ATTACHMENT 1: DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 INTRODUCTION

USAID/Burma’s higher education (HE) programming advances United States Government (USG) strategic objectives to promote inclusive democracy and economic growth by educating, equipping, and preparing Burma’s next generation of leaders. The new Diversity and Inclusion

Scholarship Program (referred to in this document as “DISP” or “the Activity'') will expand the reach of USAID’s current higher education portfolio in Burma. The purpose of the Activity is to support current and future community leaders of Burma, particularly those from vulnerable groups, to gain access to quality HE learning opportunities by offering regional and local scholarships and a variety of higher education opportunities via multi-modalities that strengthen the HE landscape.

The Activity is open to all people, regardless of ethnicity or cultural identity. Participants will earn higher education degrees, receive professional certifications, and/or gain access to contextualized

HE curricula through short- and long-term training in Burma or in USAID-presence countries in the Southeast Asia region (Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand). The Activity will also support students, in Burma or regional countries, to access HE opportunities via in-person, online, or other formats. USAID strongly believes in providing scholarships throughout the region as a tool to strengthen USG’s presence and collaboration with regional HEIs. Service learning – defined as a teaching and learning strategy that connects academic curriculum to community problem-solving – will be a key cross-cutting Activity intervention.

C.2 BACKGROUND

Higher education context in Burma. In the 2017/2018 academic year, Burma’s higher education system was serving approximately 853,000 students1. HE has historically been highly centralized in

Burma, with little autonomy of higher education institutions (HEIs) in decision-making in the areas of management, curriculum, partnerships, and research. Burma’s 174 HEIs are spread across eight ministries, with the Ministry of Education overseeing 134 of them. In terms of equity, HE has been an eminently urban phenomenon, with most major HEIs in the Yangon and Mandalay regions. While women’s participation in higher education has grown faster than that of men in recent years, great inequities remain between rural and urban populations, and in ethnic areas. Higher education quality has also been a major issue.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the education sector in Burma. With the exception of a brief reopening of high schools between July and August 2020, public and private schools and HEIs at all levels were closed for the entire 2020/2021 academic year due to COVID-

19. The situation for students worsened following the military coup in February 2021. In May 2021, a reported 19,500 higher education staff and 125,900 basic education teachers were suspended from their duties (estimated to be 55 percent and 31 percent of all staff respectively)2. These conditions have raised serious concerns regarding the structural viability of Burma’s state-run education system and the impact on the rights of children and youth to education in Burma. In the absence of functioning HE services, Burma is at risk of losing the ability to prepare its young people to guide the country’s current and future development. Current major challenges for HE include:

1 CHINLONE. Myanmar’s Higher Education Reform: Which Way Forward? 2018.

2 https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/more-than-125000-myanmar-teachers-suspended-opposing-coup-2021-05-23/ https://site.unibo.it/chinlone/it/results/wp1/chinlone_report_web.pdf https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/more-than-125000-myanmar-teachers-suspended-opposing-coup-2021-05-23/

● Access, retention, and completion: HEIs have experienced low enrollment and attendance rates since the military coup and the regime’s takeover of the country’s 174 HEIs, especially in the most conflict-affected communities. Large numbers of students have discontinued their HE studies. There have also been major disruptions to the labor market due to the compounding factors of COVID and the coup.3 These factors further aggravate the inequitable and low level of participation in higher education due to pre-existing challenges such as limited HE access outside large urban areas, the lack of flexible learning modalities, the cost of HE in both urban and non-urban areas, and the low perceived relevance of degrees offered vis-à-vis the costs and employment opportunities of graduates.

● Quality: The mismatch between socio-economic needs and skills acquired in HEIs is a longstanding challenge. In the past year, new HE services have proliferated in Burma, offering limited online HE and vocational education for youth. However, lack of course accreditation and quality assurance remain challenges for these emerging alternatives.

● Equity: Vulnerable groups -- including learners with disabilities, internally displaced learners, learners from rural or conflictive areas, ethnic and linguistic minorities, and women -- face additional barriers and increased security risks when accessing higher education.

● Additional constraints: HE students in Burma face barriers such as lack of access to documents

(e.g., passports and educational transcripts); misplacement or loss of educational documents in transit or on the run; lack of financial resources; devaluation of Burmese local currency;

increasing tuition, internet, and data fees; poor electricity service; and limited internet connection.

DISP will exclusively support activities with non-governmental, civil society, private HEIs, and/or other private educational entities, outside of Burma this could include both public and private institutions. The Activity will not support or work through state-controlled entities inside Burma.

While it is widely recognized that there are increasing needs to support the continuity of learning, the complex political and operational environment characterized by an increased politicization of education and a deteriorated security situation makes education partners’ interventions extremely challenging. Creative implementation approaches and operational flexibility will be critical for the success of this activity.

Alignment with USAID/Burma priorities and the USAID Education Policy. USAID intends to target politically-disempowered, socially-excluded, geographically-isolated, and economically-marginalized populations in all of its programming in Burma. The new DISP Activity will align with the USAID Education Policy, particularly the following priorities: “Children and youth, particularly the most marginalized and vulnerable, have increased access to education that is safe, relevant, and promotes social well-being” and “Youth gain the skills they need to lead productive lives, gain employment, and positively contribute to society”. The Activity will also align with USAID’s sector-inclusive understanding of a higher education system, commitment to key higher education outcomes, and ways of engaging with higher education to achieve these outcomes as identified in the Higher Education Program Framework. The definitions below are provided to ensure clarity and a common understanding of USAID’s use of higher education terminology:

Higher Education: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the

World Bank have adopted “tertiary education” to emphasize the inclusion of a range of both university and non-university institutions (teacher training colleges, community colleges, technical institutes, polytechnics, distance learning programs, and academically-linked research centers) within a diversified post-secondary education system. Higher education does not include youth workforce development activities at the pre-tertiary level.

3 https://www.ilo.org/yangon/press/WCMS_835953/lang--en/index.htm https://www.usaid.gov/education/policy https://www.edu-links.org/resources/higher-education-program-framework https://www.ilo.org/yangon/press/WCMS_835953/lang--en/index.htm

Higher Education Institutions: A higher education institution is an organization that provides educational opportunities that build on secondary education, providing learning activities in specialized fields. It aims at learning at a high level of complexity and specialization.

Higher/tertiary education includes what is commonly understood as academic education but also includes advanced vocational or professional education. This may include public or private universities, colleges, community colleges, academically affiliated research institutes, and training institutes, including teacher training institutes.

Relevant USAID/Burma HE programming. Currently, the Lincoln Scholarship Program (LSP) is the Mission’s largest HE activity. USAID/Burma launched the LSP in 2019 to support approximately

130 young leaders from Burma to pursue master’s degrees in the United States. The scholars are split into five cohorts to begin their U.S. studies in fall 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The LSP is designed to equip future leaders of Burma with high-quality degrees in areas such as food and nutrition science, agricultural science, natural resources management and environmental studies, business, economics, public health and finance.

USAID/Burma’s Transparency and Inclusive Growth Activity (TIGA, 2019-2023) is an economic governance reform activity that aims to mitigate the economic causes of conflict and inequality in

Burma. TIGA’s work plan was restructured in 2021 to include limited support to the education sector.

Planned activities in the coming year that are directly relevant to the new DISP Activity include support to private Burmese HEI’s for online education; support to local Burmese universities to conduct HE research; support for education policy development; and education public administration training4. TIGA also provides grants to local organizations.

C.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND THEORY OF CHANGE

Problem Statement

Burma’s long-term prospects for inclusive social, economic, health and political reform and realization of a peaceful society are constrained by a shortage of qualified leaders and qualified HEIs.

Access to quality higher education is critical for increasing the supply of leaders who will be capable of facing the challenges of their communities with an inclusive, democratic approach, and leading their communities and country in the larger global landscape. At present, youth face disruptions to the HE system that have arisen as a result of the coup, COVID-19, and ongoing crisis and conflict in the country. There is a need for flexible, inclusive programming that addresses the advanced educational needs of a diverse target population of youth.

Theory of Change

USAID believes that where shrinking democratic space has reduced USAID’s scope for working with host governments, leadership training, research exchange, and similar higher education programming prepare the next generation of leaders to pursue open governance and promote scientific research that benefits all population segments5. In Burma, offering a range of in-person, virtual, and blended study options (including those that do not require travel) will facilitate efforts to reach diverse HE student beneficiaries, particularly the most marginalized and vulnerable.

Consulting with beneficiaries to design programs that address their challenges in contextualized ways will facilitate greater access to HE services, as will the tailored design and implementation of

4 For the DISP Activity, private HEIs are defined as education institutions owned or operated by such entities as private citizens, faith-based organizations, ethnic-based organizations, or NGOs.

5 USAID/Asia Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) USAID: Workforce Development and Primary Education Focus Area Theory of Change. v2 09/30/2022 https://www.iie.org/Programs/USAID-Lincoln-Scholarship-Program safety and security measures, psycho-social support and other critical wrap-around services.

Integrating service learning and diversity, equity, and inclusion training requirements into training will provide students with opportunities to practice newly-acquired technical, management, and leadership skills. Once in local leadership roles, their knowledge of how to apply these principles in their workplaces and communities will steer Burma on a more inclusive path. Providing a pool of flexible small grant resources will open opportunities for HEIs, NGOs, students, and other stakeholders to fund their self-identified needs. As a result of these efforts taken together, Burma will have a trained cadre of individuals with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to support social, economic, health and political reform and mitigate tension and conflict in the complex Burmese context.

C.3.1 Guiding Principles

1) Do No Harm

All of USAID’s investments in education should lead to improved well-being and increased learning outcomes for children and youth. USAID’s conflict-sensitive or “do no harm” approach supports programs that are designed and managed with an awareness of how they could affect power dynamics and inter-group relations, particularly important in crisis and conflict situations. Burmese youth have experienced trauma and stress due to the ongoing extreme violence in the country. Physical safety and psycho-social effects of crisis and conflict must be considered when seeking to expand HE access and quality. The Contractor must adapt approaches to a wide variety of local and individual situations and challenges. The Contractor must implement digital security measures to protect activity-related personally identifiable information (PII) and other sensitive information and maintain organizational and staff cybersecurity, including training and provision of secure software and hardware. These measures must adapt to specific programmatic needs and the operating environment context. If subawards are included as part of implementation, the Contractor must include measures to ensure sub-awardees maintain or will achieve the appropriate level of digital security for the protection of sensitive activity information, as determined by evaluating risk levels, target vulnerability, and organizational capacity, in coordination with USAID as needed. Minimal standards of digital security to consider include the maintenance of anti-virus software, use of encrypted passwords and communications, enterprise accounts/security-as-a-service, custom network services, mobile device cleaning, locking and other access protections, and as-needed cyber security training. In addition, the Contractor must assist HE students with secure technologies that allow them to securely store academic records, credentials, professional certificates, research, and other important documents6.

When necessary, the Contractor must assist beneficiaries with reconstruction or evaluation of credentials, and will work with host HEIs as needed to advocate for more flexible acceptance of students’ credentials. Specific digital security standards should be discussed and agreed upon among partners and with input from USAID, and reflected in annual work plans. Additional, detailed guidance and supplementary support documents and tools will be made available to the Contractor by USAID.

2) Flexibility

The complexities of crisis and conflict in Burma will require flexible HE approaches tailored to the needs of individual beneficiaries, with community support as an integral element necessary for success. The Contractor must have a management structure that is sufficiently flexible to address shifts in a dynamic operating environment. The underlying assumptions, theories, and methodology that guide strategic planning and design of interventions may change over the expected life of the

6 For example, Article 26 Backpack is an organization that has expressed interest in supporting such efforts for HE students in

Burma.

https://backpack.ucdavis.edu/ contract. In such an instance, USAID will work with the Contractor to integrate additional activities, and/or expand program efforts to support HE scholarship and learning opportunities.

3) Localization

USAID is committed globally to localization, shifting more leadership, ownership, decision making, and implementation to the local people and institutions who possess the capability, connectedness, and credibility to drive change in their own countries and communities. USAID/Burma believes that

DISP Activity design and implementation will be greatly strengthened by drawing upon the expertise of numerous local NGOs, locally established partners7, and private HEIs working on the ground in

Burma. These organizations are key to understanding and responding to potentially rapidly changing conditions at local levels, and can provide services such as HE courses, bridging programs, language programs, assistance with identifying and supporting beneficiaries, support for service learning, and conducting community and family outreach. USAID’s new Local Capacity Strengthening Policy establishes an Agency-wide vision committing to a set of principles that will guide all relevant

USAID humanitarian assistance and development programming. Local-level approaches will be especially important given that travel may be difficult or impossible for the most marginalized and vulnerable HE students. The grants under contract (GUC) mechanism described in Section C.4.4 below is one vehicle for providing flexible, localized support to organizations and individuals seeking to advance the goals of this Activity.

4) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

The impact of development programs on gender dynamics and marginalized populations is central to USAID/Burma. The DISP Activity will support the promotion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) as outlined in EO 13985 USAID Agency Equity Action Plan and the U.S.

Department of State and USAID Joint Strategic Plan FY 2022-2026 (March 2022). In USAID HE scholarship programming, the Contractor must intentionally consider DEIA values and include them in each step of activity design, management, and implementation8. The Contractor must demonstrate how it will adhere to principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the DISP

Activity. UDL is a holistic approach to the design and implementation of educating all students— including marginalized populations such as people from gender and sexual minorities, indigenous populations and students with disabilities—to foster learning outcomes. Intersectionality of potential scholarship recipients should also be considered (e.g., women from rural crisis and conflict areas). Proposals must demonstrate considerations for persons with disabilities, gender equality and women’s empowerment, and crisis and conflict sensitivity. Over the life of the activity, the Contractor must seek to achieve a near 50 percent gender balance of scholarship recipients, and a target of no less than three percent of scholarships benefiting students with disabilities.

5) Private Sector Engagement

Private sector engagement (PSE) as a means to address development objectives is central to

USAID/Burma. The USAID Private Sector Engagement Policy signals an intentional shift to pursue market-based approaches and investments in USAID programming. DISP Activity PSE may take different forms, from cash and in-kind contributions to corporate philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, shared value and/or high net worth individual contributions. Through a comprehensive approach, the Contractor must strategically assess the potential for PSE contributions and partnerships that could mobilize resources to expand DISP’s impact. For example, 7 The USAID New Partnership Initiative defines a locally established partner as “a U.S. or international organization that works through locally led operations and programming models”. See New Partnerships Initiative Standard Practices and Definitions | U.S.

Agency for International Development for more information.

8 See Chelabi, Ilham, and Anne Campbell. Intentionally Designing USAID Scholarship Programming for Inclusion: Guidance Document.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID), 2021.

https://www.workwithusaid.org/blog/usaid-s-commitment-to-advancing-localization https://www.usaid.gov/local-capacity-strengthening-policy https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Final_Equity_Action_Plan_USAID_word_version_of_plan_submitted_to_DPC.docx.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Final_State-USAID_FY_2022-2026_Joint_Strategic_Plan_29MAR2022.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Final_State-USAID_FY_2022-2026_Joint_Strategic_Plan_29MAR2022.pdf https://lincs.ed.gov/sites/default/files/2_TEAL_UDL.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/USAIDPSEPolicy_ExecutiveSummary.pdf#:~:text=USAID%20is%20undertaking%20a%20major%20cultural%20and%20operational,accelerate%20countries%E2%80%99%20progress%20on%20the%20Journey%20to%20Self-Reliance.

https://www.usaid.gov/npi/npi-key-definitions https://www.usaid.gov/npi/npi-key-definitions https://www.edu-links.org/resources/intentionally-designing-usaid-scholarship-programming-inclusion private sector corporations that have withdrawn from Burma as a result of the political situation may be willing to forge partnerships as a way of maintaining a different type of engagement with the country. The Contractor will be responsible for researching potential partners, identifying specific partnership opportunities and any associated challenges, ensuring a common understanding of partnership expectations, and formalizing partnerships through memoranda of understanding or other means. The Contractor will strategically vet partnerships with input from the Mission.

C.4 SCOPE OF WORK

While USAID/Burma’s ongoing Lincoln Scholarship Program will continue sponsoring students to attend U.S. universities, under the new DISP Activity, USAID will expand its investment in

Burma’s next generation of democratically-minded change agents in two ways: (1) by supporting

HE scholarships for degree or certificate programs in the Southeast Asia region in USAID-presence countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand); and (2) by supporting targeted post-secondary vocational or academic courses within Burma or regionally. The Activity will follow good practices identified in USAID’s Higher Education Scholarship Toolkit.

C.4.1. Activity goal, purpose, and expected outcomes

The goal of the Activity is to strengthen the capacity of current and future community leaders of

Burma to assist in achieving inclusive social, economic, and political reform that supports the realization of a peaceful and prosperous society.

The purpose of the Activity is to support current and future community leaders of Burma, particularly those from vulnerable groups, to gain access to quality HE learning opportunities by offering regional and local HE scholarships and a variety of higher education opportunities via multi-modalities that strengthen the HE landscape.

The Activity has three expected outcomes:

Outcome 1: Increased number of individuals from disadvantaged and/or under-represented populations and/or geographic areas with safe access to quality short- or long-term HE opportunities in Burma or within the region

Outcome 2: Increased number of individuals completing HE courses or degrees from regional or in-country HEIs

Outcome 3: Increased number of individuals applying newly-acquired leadership skills to have an impact on their communities

C.4.2. Scholarships

USG scholarships and financial assistance for higher education are defined as USG-funded, full or partial financial aid provided for students to further their education. This includes tuition assistance and fee waivers, as well as financial or other support for experiential opportunities such as research assistantships, fellowships, internships, or apprenticeships. This also includes assistance for expenses accrued while furthering one's education such as housing, health insurance, transportation, books, and materials. Under the DISP Activity, USAID will award scholarships for HE students to enroll in regional HEI degree programs, or to access HE courses and programs in Burma or other communities where they reside in the region. Due to the nature of funding, all beneficiaries must be graduates of secondary school, or its equivalent. The Contractor must recruit, identify, and place target population members in short- and long-term post-secondary education and training that will enhance and maximize their skills in relevant technical fields. Examples of such training include https://www.edu-links.org/resources/higher-education-scholarships-toolkit https://www.edu-links.org/sites/default/files/media/file/PIRS%20ES.2-2%20Scholarships.pdf undergraduate degree programs, graduate degree programs, professional certificate programs, community college programs, post-secondary vocational programs, and pre-academic bridging programs that prepare students for higher education.

The DISP Activity will encourage flexible, cost-effective options for expanding HE access, hence the emphasis on regional scholarships and programs that can be delivered face-to-face or virtually in Burma or other countries where potential students currently reside. Cost will be a consideration in weighing whether currently existing on-line programs from U.S. or other international HEIs will be supported under DISP. The Activity will not support programs of study that require payment of

U.S. HEI-level tuition, for example. However, if an HEI has affordable virtual content (or wishes to develop it), DISP could potentially support it. The Activity will include a grants under contract

(GUCs) component (see Section C.4.4 below) which could open opportunities for collaboration between U.S. and local or regional HEIs, or NGOs, to develop contextually appropriate, affordable content.

a) Target beneficiaries and fields of study. Target beneficiaries will primarily be youth up to the age of 29. However, because many individuals in Burma have been forced to delay their higher education, older candidates may be considered on a case-by-case basis, especially for students seeking a terminal degree for a discipline or a postdoctoral fellowship. Special emphasis will be placed on promising youth from underserved regions and disadvantaged areas with limited resources. Target groups may include individuals with demonstrated leadership skills and expressed interest from underserved areas and disadvantaged populations; those with leadership and management potential; and/or those who have outdated skills that need retooling to meet the country’s current development challenges. Students currently enrolled in a HEI in the region may apply for scholarships to complete their course of study if they are able to demonstrate financial need and have maintained an appropriate GPA. There are also students who have been unable to complete their HE degree programs in Burma due to the political crisis. These students may need assistance to complete required courses or internships, for example . The Contractor is encouraged to work with such students on a case-by-case basis through partial scholarships for on-line or in-person modalities that will help them complete their degree programs. In addition to covering tuition and living costs of scholars, scholarship funding may include elements designed to make continued study possible under challenging conditions. Examples include providing academic mentoring and tutoring; stipends to assist with data costs; teaching and learning materials and adaptive technologies; or safe and secure cloud-based solutions for educational documents of displaced students.

USAID actively encourages use of a cohort approach for scholarships, assisting students to create networks and bond with each other within the activity timeframe and beyond9. The Contractor must engage with USAID, and where relevant with potential employers, to determine the needed higher level technical skills in targeted sectors where scholars could occupy leadership positions.

Examples of fields of study include, but are not limited to, agriculture, development, economics, education, health, law, human rights, teaching, journalism, and public policy, among others.

In the health sector, a desired field of study will include health economics, a skillset lacking in

Burma yet essential to advance national goals of increasing domestic health financing and reducing household out-of-pocket health spending. Public health policy, management, disease surveillance and epidemiology are also important areas to be improved, especially for youth and potential leaders

9 The cohort approach is encouraged in Campbell, Anne, and Ilham Chelabi. Stages of implementing a USAID

Scholarship Activity: Placing Students at the Center. USAID, 2021.

https://www.edu-links.org/resources/stages-implementing-usaid-scholarship-activity-placing-students-center https://www.edu-links.org/resources/stages-implementing-usaid-scholarship-activity-placing-students-center https://www.edu-links.org/resources/stages-implementing-usaid-scholarship-activity-placing-students-center https://www.edu-links.org/resources/stages-implementing-usaid-scholarship-activity-placing-students-center from the ethnic health organizations and non-government control areas to build up the future

(federal) health system of Burma.

In addition, the ongoing conflict in Burma has had a significant impact on health systems in many areas in Burma, and many people live in areas of acute shortages of human resources for health.

Ethnic Health Organizations (EHOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in service delivery to make healthcare more accessible for hard to reach, affected and vulnerable populations. However, EHOs, CBOs, and some

NGOs face a shortage of qualified human resources for health. Many currently-active health workers have no opportunities for continuous learning or additional specialized training. To support and improve health service delivery in hard-to-rach, under the Higher Education activity, USAID/Burma health sector will invest in workforce capacity building through provision of both didactic and experiential training in malaria, HIV, TB and other infectious diseases to build skills in field epidemiology, program planning and management, and service delivery.

USAID/Burma may receive designated resources to support specific sectoral priorities, e.g., basic education funds; in these cases, USAID will work with the Contractor to design programs that meet the established guidelines of such funding to strengthen foundational skill development. The thesis/dissertation research areas for masters and PhD students must be related to a development need of Burma and if possible be done in collaboration with a local faculty advisor. Scholarship targets for specific fields will be negotiated between USAID and the Contractor and may change or fluctuate during the performance period.

b) Outreach, recruitment, and selection of candidates. The Contractor must conduct open, transparent, and robust outreach by actively engaging in information dissemination and presentation throughout the country, including in non-government controlled areas, border areas and neighboring countries where potential HE students reside. The Contractor must apply DEIA principles to ensure that the candidate pool includes a comprehensive representation of candidates from all geographic areas and ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The Contractor must design a multi-faceted approach to advertise and promote the Activity. Outreach must be conflict-sensitive and consider accessibility issues. Recruitment should follow and be in accordance with the activity’s Inclusive Recruitment Plan (IRP). As targeted candidates will come from diverse areas of the country, recruitment and selection processes may differ. Targeted recruitment strategies must include the following communities: LGBTQI+, linguistic minorities, religious minorities, individuals with disabilities, rural and hard-to-access communities, and communities impacted by conflict. Clear strategies for reaching girls and women must be a major focus. The IRP is intended to be a living document which the Contractor must update annually during the entire period of performance, based on results from monitoring, evaluation, and learning efforts.

The Contractor must identify and recruit individuals who have the potential to serve in workplace or community leadership roles and to advocate for reforms in Burma or communities of people from Burma in the region. The Contractor must work closely with USAID and any relevant local partners to ensure that participants are selected through a fair and open recruitment process; that the requirements for near-parity gender and three percent participation of persons with disabilities are included in the Activity; and that the rationale for the final selection of scholarship recipients is clear and documented. Because there are different education delivery systems across Burma and in other places where students from Burma currently reside, in some cases it may be necessary for the

Contractor to authenticate candidates’ academic credentials. During the DISP inception period, the

Contractor and USAID will discuss in more detail the different types of documentation that candidates may present, and how to ensure that credentials are fairly considered and evaluated.

USAID will be able to nominate prospective scholarship awardees for the Contractor to consider in an expedited manner and placed on a rolling basis, as needed. USAID may serve on selection panels. USAID must approve the final selection of host HEIs, individuals proposed for scholarships, and all GUCs (see Section C.4.4 below). Candidates must be nominated, recruited and ultimately selected based on the following standard criteria:

1) Academic achievement: Academic transcripts and testimony of scholarly excellence provided by a letter(s) of recommendation from a teacher(s).

2) Financial need: Based on financial information furnished in the scholarship application, information provided in letters of recommendation, and/or any reinforcing narrative the applicant provides in the application essay.

3) Potential for contributions to the community: Based on information presented in applications, information provided in letters of recommendation, the applicant’s resume, and/or any reinforcing narrative provided in applicant essays.

4) DEIA: Over the life of the activity, the Contractor must seek to achieve a near 50 percent gender balance of scholarship recipients, and a target of no less than three percent of scholarships benefiting students with disabilities.

5) USAID-determined criterion: USAID may identify additional criteria such as (i) enrolment in a particular field of study, (ii) personal attributes and achievements such as leadership, (iii) special community service or volunteerism, (iv) residence in a specific geographic area, or

(v) other distinctions.

The Contractor must take active measures to reduce the possibility of scholars requesting protected status or asylum in participating regional countries. For example, the Contractor must assess scholarship candidates as low, medium, or high risk for returning to their country of residence upon completion of studies. Those with low or medium risk may be considered as candidates for regional study, while those with high risk will be considered only for in-place study programs. The

Contractor must provide candidates for regional study with clear instructions regarding the requirement to return to their country of residence upon completion of their programs, and brief them on the regulations and risks in each participating country for those attempting to stay beyond their programs of study. Finally, the Contractor is responsible for ongoing monitoring of scholars during their period of study to flag any potential issues with individuals, and for supporting scholars in the process of transition back to their home residences as they complete their programs.

c) Wrap-around support services. Recent evidence and stakeholder consultations emphasize that youth, especially those with limited resources, need wrap-around support services to be successful in both their academic and personal endeavors. Wrap-around services complement academic advising by supporting a student’s well-being, community building, mental health, safety and security, psychosocial support, and other needs in demanding academic or overseas environments.

The Contractor must incorporate targeted wrap-around support services that enable beneficiaries to be successful in their academic endeavors. Given the difficult security conditions in Burma, the

Contractor is required to ensure that scholars receive tailored guidance and support regarding how to maintain safety and confidentiality while in their study programs. Offerors are encouraged to provide other examples of appropriate, evidence-based wrap-around services they believe are relevant to achieving the DISP Activity’s Outcomes in Burma’s crisis and conflict environment.

d) Service learning requirement. Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that connects academic curriculum to community problem-solving. The Contractor must work with both long-and short-term training providers and HEIs as applicable to ensure that service learning is a required component of each individual beneficiary’s training program. The service learning requirement must be tailored to be relevant to the individual scholar or cohort group and the potential beneficiary community or setting. The goal is to provide students with opportunities to practice newly-acquired technical, management, and leadership skills in a real-world setting, and to ensure that training benefits extend beyond the individual level and reach communities. Service learning is an opportunity for using a strengths-based approach to build capacity of both individuals and local communities and organizations; applying a Positive Youth Development framework, as described in USAID’s Youth in Development Policy 2022 Companion Guide can support this work. The

Contractor must incorporate service learning in the DISP Activity.

e) Pre-academic and language training. To promote a diversity of program beneficiaries and equip well-motivated candidates who may be marginally below academic requirements, the scholarship program may sponsor scholars to attend bridging courses that reinforce their post- secondary school learning in preparation for higher education, and to receive tutoring and mentoring as part of their programs of study. The Contractor must verify that each beneficiary is proficient in English at a sufficient level if required by the HEI or the program of study. As the Activity will include opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged areas, English language training with a writing component will be offered to otherwise qualified candidates from underserved regions on an as-needed basis to provide the proper foundation skills for academic success. The Contractor may also consider enrolling promising but limited English speaking students into English language programs at regional HEIs. The duration of these programs will depend on the individual or cohort group proposed for study, and thus be determined on a case-by-case basis.

f) Higher Education Institution placement. For each participant that has been selected, the

Contractor must identify potential education providers. In proposing HEI placement sites, the

Contractor must take into account the relevant experience and technical resources available from the potential provider. Existing USAID HE partnerships should be taken into consideration;

however, placement is not limited to these HEIs. USAID’s intention is to place students at a multitude of HEIs with approved programs. In order to encourage the innovative approaches necessary for successful accomplishment of DISP outcomes, the Contractor consider feasibility and use of all resources available in potential partner countries for identifying and evaluating which

HEIs may be good partners10. Bridging programs offering a path to acceptance at a four-year regional HEI will be considered for providing individual or cohort scholarships. To support identification of potential new or underutilized partners, the Contractor must consider whether there are opportunities with pre-existing community college bridging programs such as those offered by private and/or ethnic-based HEIs among potential placement options. The Contractor should discuss these opportunities with USAID. USAID reserves the right to direct the Contractor to provide yearly cohort scholarships to strengthen and encourage agreements between regional HEIs and private

HEIs.

For regional scholarship recipients, the Activity will provide first-hand exposure to HEIs in

Southeast Asia, ideally in collaboration with U.S. institutions, including American faculty and researchers. Participants will be exposed to American values and norms such as academic freedom, and provide an opportunity for dialogue among scholars from Burma and Americans to examine the challenges and lessons learned regarding promotion of tolerance and diversity in different contexts. Although the DISP scholars will not attend U.S. universities, the Contractor is responsible for creating linkages with U.S. HEIs, facilitating collaboration that both supports HE and increases the level of goodwill and understanding of American culture and values among a socially, economically, and ethnically diverse group of young professionals and leaders of Burma. The

Contractor must ensure that all participating HEIs understand the safety and confidentiality issues facing students from Burma; that security and confidentiality training for each participating HEI

10 For example, the Commision for Higher Education in the Philippines has a list of HEIs designated as Centers of

Excellence (COE) that demonstrate excellent performance.

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Youth-Policy-2022-Companion-Guide-508.pdf https://ched.gov.ph/ https://ched.gov.ph/centers-excellence-centers-developmentcoescods/ https://ched.gov.ph/centers-excellence-centers-developmentcoescods/ https://ched.gov.ph/centers-excellence-centers-developmentcoescods/ and student is provided; and that there are security plans in place for each student or cohort group.

g) Pre-training processing. The Contractor must provide comprehensive pre-training preparation, processing services, and orientation. These include the following, as appropriate:

● Arrangements and logistical support for all education programs. Clarification of education and capacity development objectives and how these factors into broader development objectives; action planning and follow-up, as appropriate;

● For regional educational opportunities, the Contractor must arrange and conduct pre-departure orientations that include required logistical issues and focus on action planning/objective setting sessions with participants, including safety and confidentiality training. These sessions may include Mission technical staff, employers, and other stakeholders to share expectations and begin development of individual study plans;

● For in-country training, the Contractor must arrange a pre-academic briefing that includes logistical issues and focus on action planning/objective setting sessions with individuals.

These sessions may include Mission technical staff, employers and other stakeholders to share expectations and begin development of individual action plans;

● Assistance with travel documents, as required;

● If international training is involved, assistance in preparation and enrollment in English language and other related tests required by HEIs;

● Coordination of medical clearances and enrollment of participants in required health and accident insurance plans;

● International travel arrangements including meeting of participants and lodging arrangements required during layover stops.

h) Administration of the scholarship program and monitoring of scholars. The Contractor must liaise with the education providers to monitor the programmatic needs of the participants, including monitoring their well-being and providing support as needed. The Contractor must maintain records and process needed financial, administrative, and travel documentation for the program and the trainees as required. Activities under this task may include:

● Providing an orientation in the home location of all scholars;

● Briefing with regional scholars before departure from home country, including briefing on issues of safety, security, and confidentiality of student information;

● Placing participants in their educational institutions and handling payment of related costs

(this may include housing, transportation, learning materials, adaptive equipment, insurance costs, tuition, and fees);

● Developing and applying procedures to monitor and track scholars’ progress throughout training, as well as follow-on support during integration into workplaces and/or home communities (as applicable);

● Maintaining scholar records for long- and short-term educational opportunities;

● Providing administrative, logistical and other support associated with the educational opportunities, and keeping the Mission apprised of results on a regular basis;

● Ensuring reasonable accommodation, defined as “modifications or adjustments that enable a person with a disability to participate on an equitable basis”, to achieve equity in participation11;

● Liaising regularly with the participating educational providers, institutions, employers and

USAID/Burma to ensure that programs are functioning properly, and providing early notification to the Mission if any deviation from the original work plan will alter the program completion date;

11 See USAID. Disability Inclusive Education Toolkit.

https://www.edu-links.org/resources/disability-inclusive-education-toolkit

● For international scholars, liaising on a monthly basis at minimum;

● De-briefing with scholars upon completion of their study programs;

● Disbursing program costs and allowances as authorized in the contract;

● Purchasing and disbursing school supplies and equipment needed for study;

● Disbursing health and accident insurance coverage premiums (as applicable);

● Maintaining a 24-hour emergency contact number for scholars and a…