RFI_-_Education_and_Youth_Policy_Project_-_11.28.2018.pdf

REQUEST FOR COMMENT

Request Issue Date: November 28, 2018

Comments Due Date: December 14, 2018

Subject: Request for Comment (RFI-Education-Guatemala), Education and Youth Policy Project

Dear Partners:

The United States Government, represented by the Agency for International Development (USAID) in Guatemala, is seeking comments on a draft Statement of Work (SOW) for a planned new activity, Education and Youth Policy Project. USAID plans to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) within the next few months, subject to availability of funds. The draft SOW presents the current objectives and key elements of the activity. This procurement will be conducted as a total small business set-aside in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 19.502-1.

Issuance of this RFI and posting the draft SOW for comments does not constitute a request for proposals, which will come later through a separate process. 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.

This RFI can be downloaded from http://www.fbo.gov. Interested parties who are not able to retrieve the RFI from the Internet can request a copy by contacting the Office of Acquisition and Assistance via email to Fabiola Loy at guatemalaproposals@usaid.gov. The subject line of the email must read: RFI Education and Youth Policy Project – [name of your organization]

Comments on the draft SOW should be submitted to USAID via email to Fabiola Loy at guatemalaproposals@usaid.gov no later than Monday, December 14, 2018, 5:00 pm Guatemala Time.

Interested parties may submit more than one set of comments, if appropriate. On the subject line of your email, kindly state the following: RFI Education and Youth Policy Project – [name of your organization].

This draft SOW is distributed for industry comments on the content of the attached document USAID/Guatemala welcomes general comments to the draft Statement of Work.

In particular, please consider in your review the following:

1. Given pre-primary teachers are still trained in "normal schools", is support to these institutions (or their governing bodies) a strategic approach or should USAID focus on advocating that all teachers should be trained at the university level and continue strengthening teacher training at that level?

2. The new USG International Basic Education Strategy and USAID Education Policy discuss strengthening non-state education institutions as a opportunity to expand access to quality education. Can USAID integrate support for non-state schools in ways that are not currently addressed in this SOW?

Acronym List - Education and Youth Policy Project

APPEDIBIMI Association for Integral and Multidisciplinary Development (Spanish acronym) CENACEP Centros de Aprestamiento Comunitario de Educación Preescolar (Spanish acronym) CCR-EBI Consejo Consultivo Regional de Educación Bilingüe Intercultural (Spanish acronym) CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CLA Collaborating, Learning and Adapting CONJUVE National Youth Council (Spanish acronym) DIDEDU Departmental education offices (Spanish acronym) DIGEESP Ministry of Education directorate in charge of special education (Spanish acronym) DO Development Objective DPO Disabled people’s organizations EGR Early grade reading FID National pre-service teacher training initiative (Spanish acronym) GOG Government of Guatemala GUC Grants under contracts ICT Information and Communication Technology IR Intermediate result MOE Ministry of Education MIDES Ministry of Social Development (Spanish acronym) MINECO Ministry of Economy (Spanish acronym) MOL Ministry of Labor NYP National Youth Policy 2012-2020 NQF National Qualifications Framework OGA Open Government Alliance OSY Out-of-school youth PADEP-D National in-service teacher training program (Spanish acronym) PNC National Policy of Competitiveness (Spanish acronym) PNED National Policy for Decent Work 2017-2032 (Spanish acronym) PRONACOM National Competitiveness Program (Spanish acronym) PRONADE National Educational Self-Management Program (Spanish acronym) PRONEA National Alternative Education Program PYD Positive Youth Development RDCS Regional Development Cooperation Strategy SBCC Social and Behavior Change Communication SBS Secretariat for Social Welfare SCEP Secretariat of the Presidency for Executive Coordination (Spanish acronym) SEGEPLAN Secretariat of the Presidency for Planning and Programming (Spanish acronym) SEPREM Secretariat of the Presidency for Women (Spanish acronym) SINAE National teacher coaching system (Spanish acronym) SINAFOL National system for workforce training (Spanish acronym) SINAFORHE Proposed national professional development and career ladder system for the education sector (Spanish acronym) STIP Science, technology, innovation and partnerships TA Technical assistance USAC/EFPEM San Carlos University’s teacher training department (Spanish acronym) WH Guatemala’s Western Highlands

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

Education and Youth Policy Project

C.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of the Education and Youth Policy Project is to support the Government of Guatemala (GOG) to improve implementation of key policies with the goal to elevate the quality of early grade education and youth workforce development. The project reflects the vision of the USAID Guatemala Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) where support for the GOG to prepare all young people - especially rural and indigenous children and youth from disadvantaged areas, and children and youth with special needs - for success in the labor market is central to fostering greater socio-economic development in the Western Highlands (WH). Young people will be prepared for future success through improved reading acquisition at an early age that provides a foundation for successful transition in school and workforce training outcomes that link to labor market demands.

Specifically, the project objectives to be achieved are:

1) to improve the enabling environment for development of emergent literacy skills (example: print motivation, print awareness, vocabulary, narrative skills, letter knowledge, phonological awareness) among girls and boys, and

2) to improve the ecosystem for provision of youth education and training opportunities for young women and young men.

The underlying theory of change as it relates to this project is:

If Guatemala implements key policies in early grade teacher training, pre-primary education, youth education and training, and;

If children and youth, especially rural and indigenous children and youth from disadvantaged areas, have access to pre-primary education and demand-driven training opportunities, then:

1) the enabling environment for the development of emergent literacy skills will improve;

2) youth, especially rural and indigenous young women and young men from disadvantaged areas, will have opportunities to expand their competencies, improve their livelihoods, and build a life in Guatemala; and

3) Guatemala will benefit from the demographic dividend.

This is because improved implementation of key policies will increase their effectiveness, specifically-increased access to foundational early grade education, and workforce training will lead to improved skills among Guatemalan girls, boys, young women, and young men, especially rural and indigenous children and youth from disadvantaged areas, which may help reduce the likelihood of external migration.

C.2 BACKGROUND

The Education and Youth Policy Project directly supports the USAID Guatemala CDCS 2012-2016 (extended through March 2020)1 and reflects principles and priorities of the U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education (2019-2023)2 and the USAID Education Policy.3

USAID support for education in Guatemala: The USAID Guatemala CDCS provides the framework for USAID’s work in support of education. This project will directly contribute to Development Objective 2 (DO2): Improved Levels of Economic Growth and Social Development in the WH, specifically Intermediate Result (IR) 2.3: Education Quality and Access Improved. See Attachment J.1 for more information about current USG-funded activities that are relevant to the work of DO2. In addition, the Central American and Mexico Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS)4 advances DO 3:

Regional human rights and citizen security improved. Specifically, Sub-IR 3.2.3 (Sustainable early warning and protection systems for key vulnerable groups developed) places particular attention to respecting the rights and assistance needs of migrants and youth.

The USAID Guatemala CDCS places priority on assisting targeted disadvantaged population groups in the WH, including rural and indigenous children and youth. It also recognizes that gender inequality is a cross-cutting issue that affects the long-term development of Guatemala, stating that all of the DOs’ strategies, whenever possible, will leverage networks of women’s groups, focus on issues specific to women and their roles in the family, ensure development of their skills and talents, and promote greater participation in all political and economic activities. See Attachment J.2 for the gender analysis completed for the 2013 USAID Education Project Appraisal Document which provides further guidance on gender gaps.

Early Grade Education: Guatemala has a learning crisis in primary education. In 2014, only 50% of third graders and 40% of sixth graders reached performance standards in reading.5 According to a gender analysis completed for the 2013 USAID Education Project Appraisal Document,6 there is a small gender gap (in favor of girls for primary grade reading and boys for primary grade mathematics), but students are underperforming regardless of their sex. In 2016, nearly 50 percentage points separated gross and net enrollment rates in first grade (111% vs 62%, respectively), which illustrates severe overage enrollment caused in part by low quality.7 There is a strong pattern of social inequality by sex and ethnicity in

1 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1862/GuatemalaCDCS_0.pdf

2 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/USG‐Education‐Strategy_FY2019‐2023_Final_Web.pdf

3 https://www.usaid.gov/education/policy https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1862/central‐america‐and‐mexico‐rdcs‐english

5 http://www.mineduc.gob.gt/digeduca/documents/resultados/Bifoliar_digeduca_general_2017.pdf. At the primary level, Guatemalan females tend to score better than their male peers on reading assessments, which conforms to international evidence (Educación de la Niña de 1992 al

2013: 20 años de política [Rubio and Nuñez, 2014]).

6 See attachment J.2.

7 http://estadistica.MOE.gob.gt/SNIE/eficiencia.html

Guatemala, where females average 5.3 years of schooling (compared to six years for males) and indigenous females 15 years of age and older average 3.4 years (compared to 6.9 years for non-indigenous males). Additionally, the gender analysis found boys dropout at a higher rate than girls in third and fourth grades, but in general there is not a significant gender gap at the primary level. Inequality is also a major challenge among minority language and indigenous groups due in part to limited availability of pre-primary education, low parental support for education (especially for girls), and the challenge of delivering effective intercultural and bilingual education. Key GOG policies addressing these challenges include:8

● Elevating primary school pre-service teacher education to the university level (FID, Spanish acronym);

● Providing in-service training for primary school teachers (PADEP-D, Spanish acronym);

● Employing instructional coaches to mentor primary school teachers (SINAE, Spanish acronym);

● Building a professional development and career ladder system for the education sector

(SINAFORHE, Spanish acronym); and

● Enforcing mandatory pre-primary enrolment.

Moreover, the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Comprometidos con Primero program directs departmental education offices (DIDEDUCs, Spanish acronym) to prioritize resources and support to first grade students, the Secretariat of the Presidency for Executive Coordination (SCEP, Spanish acronym) supports increased social service delivery through municipal governments, including early childhood education, and a small ministerial directorate in charge of special education (DIGEESP, Spanish acronym) is working to support students with auditory and visual disabilities by providing teachers access to more resources.

Youth Workforce Development: Guatemala has a large and unprepared youth population. While two in every three Guatemalans are under the age of 30, more than 1.6 million out-of-school youth 15-24 years old do not have sufficient life and vocational skills to enter the workforce. USAID’s 2016 Audience Research for Development Communications study found that opportunities for youth remain an important development priority despite a strong perception of improvement over the past five years.9 Uneven levels of private sector investment throughout the country, a mismatch of jobs and skills, and insecurity make it difficult for youth to find work, which contributes to both internal and external migration. It is even more challenging for indigenous youth from rural areas where jobs are scarce. Young women experience additional gender-based constraints that limit their access to labor markets, including language barriers, illiteracy, lack of female role models, and lack of parental support for education. Current efforts of the GOG to address these challenges focus on improved youth engagement, better linkages between education and the labor market, and enhanced inter-institutional coordination. Key GOG policies include the following:

8 USAID and other USG projects provide support for implementation of a number of these policies. See Annex 1 for more information about

USG‐funded education and youth activities.

9 Report in English: https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1862/final‐report‐audience‐research‐development‐communication; Report in Spanish:

https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1862/informe‐final‐estudio‐de‐audiencias‐comunicaci%C3%B3n‐para‐el‐desarrollo

● National Youth Policy 2012–2020 (NYP)10

● National Policy for Decent Work 2017-2032 (PNED, Spanish acronym)

● National Policy of Competitiveness (PNC, Spanish acronym)

● Política Nacional de Promoción y Desarrollo Integral de las Mujeres y Plan de Equidad de

Oportunidades 2008-202311

In addition, the GOG is implementing a National System for Workforce Training (SINAFOL, Spanish acronym) and to create an official National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The MOE recently launched the National Alternative Education Program (PRONEA, Spanish acronym), which includes a workforce development component. There are many relevant Guatemalan institutions working in this emergent policy environment, including the MOE, the National Youth Council (CONJUVE, Spanish acronym), the Ministry of Labor (MOL), the Ministry of the Economy (MINECO), the National Competitiveness Program (PRONACOM, Spanish acronym), the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES), the Secretariat for Social Welfare (SBS), the Secretaria Presidencial de la Mujer (SEPREM) and the Secretary of the Presidency for Planning and Programming (SEGEPLAN, Spanish acronym).

C.3 SCOPE

The overall purpose of the project is to support the GOG to improve implementation of key policies to elevate the quality of early grade education and youth workforce development. The project reflects the vision of the USAID Guatemala CDCS where support for the GOG to prepare all young people -especially rural and indigenous children and youth from disadvantaged areas, and children and youth with special needs - for success in the labor market is central to fostering greater socio-economic development in the Western Highlands (WH). Young people will be prepared for future success through improved reading acquisition at an early age that provides a foundation for successful transition in school and workforce training outcomes that link to labor market demands. USAID’s 2017 Guatemala labor market assessment12 urges that, “educational offerings consider the needs of the labor market to improve employment opportunities for young people, particularly those living in disadvantaged conditions.”

These envisioned improvements complement efforts to enhance the demand for workers among employers and thereby contribute to the countries’ development where young women and young men see a future for themselves and their families. For example, the USAID Creating Economic Opportunities project aims to generate formal employment in the WH through a focus on investment and competitiveness. Thoughtfully aligned, efforts to prepare youth for future employment and entrepreneurship opportunities and to expand economic opportunities in the private sector can improve the transition from education to labor market.

10 http://conjuve.gob.gt/descargas/pnj.pdf; The NYP focuses on ten priority areas: Education; Work and Productivity; Health; Recreation, Culture & Sport; Violence Prevention; Housing; Environment; Gender Equality; Multiculturalism; and Participation & Citizenship.

11 http://unfpa.org.gt/sites/default/files/PNPDIM%20y%20PEO1.pdf

12 https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TDGN.pdf

The Contractor must provide technical assistance (TA) services and small grants (GOG entities including but not limited to public universities, departmental and municipal offices, and national ministries are not eligible for small grants) that include support for the following:

● Assist the GOG, Guatemalan training institutions, universities and/or civil society organizations to strengthen implementation of key policies supporting the contract’s two Objectives (described in Section C.3.1 below) at national, departmental, and/or municipal levels.

● Assist Guatemalan civil society organizations to design and conduct advocacy activities aimed at building support for critical policies among key GOG stakeholders and decision-makers at national, departmental and/or municipal levels. Support for advocacy will include a requirement for the Contractor to work with other USAID implementing partners in the education sector to design and implement an Election Year Strategy with activities that can be undertaken before, during, and after upcoming elections in 2019 (described in Section C.3.3 below).

● Assist the GOG and Guatemalan civil society organizations to design and conduct Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) activities to raise awareness of the importance and value of education for children and youth. USAID views SBCC as going beyond the delivery of a simple message or slogan, to encompass the full range of ways in which people individually and collectively convey meaning. Among the powerful tools employed by SBCC programs are mass media, community-level activities, interpersonal communication, information and communication technologies and new media.13 The target groups for this SBCC will be families, young people, civil society organizations, and private sector entities at national, departmental, and/or municipal levels in areas most in need of assistance. Two inputs that will be useful to support these efforts include USAID’s 2016 Audience Research for Development Communications study and the work completed in Guatemala by the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative.14

The project reflects principles of the U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education (2019- 2023) and the USAID Education Policy. In particular, the project will prioritize ownership by Guatemalan institutions, strengthen the capacity and performance of the Guatemalan education system, partner to leverage resources, and promote equity and inclusion. In addition, the project addresses the four priorities of USAID Education Policy that are critical to supporting countries on their journey to self-reliance.

The project will support USAID Guatemala’s education and youth portfolios by building on the gains of current and past interventions to strengthen, extend, and sustain education, training and youth engagement in the WH and beyond. The project will focus on policy support with a national scope, but emphasis will be on policies important to target regions with rural and indigenous populations and high-migration areas.15 It will also support ongoing USAID efforts to map its youth development programming in

13 SBCC is defined as “the use of communication to change behaviors – including service utilization – and promote social change by positively influencing knowledge, attitudes and social norms”. See https://sbccimplementationkits.org/service‐communication/introduction‐to‐service‐ communication/#sbcc

14 https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1862/hc3‐guatemala‐final‐report‐september‐2014‐%E2%80%93‐2017

15 The geographic focus may change with the development of a new CDCS, but the overall purpose and objectives of the project will remain constant.

Guatemala in order to examine the footprint of USAID in Guatemala, better advocate for youth priorities with local stakeholders, and help partners from different sectors to collaborate more effectively and efficiently.

As USAID Guatemala wishes to maximize support for local sustainability and innovations that will contribute to expected results while providing more flexibility and building local ownership, the project will include a Grants-under-Contracts (GUC) authority. This authority will engage local organizations (indigenous and non-indigenous), including new, non-traditional partners and private sector entities, as well as key education sector civil society organizations not ready to manage large awards, to support achievement of expected results while also building the institutional capacity of local organizations and planning for sustainability. The Contractor must institute due diligence requirements regarding engagement with private sector entities.

In addition, the project will align with USG-supported commitments and strategies of the GOG.

Principally, the project will align with the Alliance for Prosperity by supporting the human capital pillar16 and contribute to Condition 11 of the Central American Strategy: “Support programs to reduce poverty, create jobs, and promote equitable economic growth in areas contributing to large numbers of migrants.”

The project will support GOG efforts derived from the implementation of the latest Migration Code, including educational policies related to the reintegration of returned minors and the prevention of youth migration. The project will also support Guatemala’s National Strategic Plan (K’atun 2032) and Education Strategic Plan 2016-2020, which call for an ambitious increase in pre-primary and secondary coverage, increased access to relevant education and training for out of school youth (OSY), as well as advancements in both inclusive education services and primary school completion.17 The project will align with the Open Government Alliance (OGA), a presidential and global initiative that contains components related to improving reading outcomes in early grades.18 Development of reading skills at a young age is a prerequisite for continued education and eventual integration into the formal workforce.

Guatemalan youth who are more prepared for economic opportunities through improved education and training will have a reason to stay in Guatemala.

Moreover, the project will support GOG’s commitment to fulfilling the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, specifically goal number four, by supporting stronger multilingual education at the pre-primary and primary levels that will help reduce dropout rates, narrow literacy gaps, and decrease gender disparities, and by supporting improved opportunities for youth workforce development. Gender inequality, in particular, is a cross-cutting issue that affects the long-term development of Guatemala. The project will seek to support networks of women’s groups (indigenous and non-indigenous), promoting greater participation of women in community and civic activities, and consider gender differences related to developing appropriate strategies for literacy development and youth workforce development among males and females. For example, adaptations such as childcare for young mothers, flexible education

16 El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Alliance for Prosperity, Regional Plan, March 2015.

17 http://www.katunguatemala2032.com/ and https://www.mineduc.gob.gt/portal/contenido/menu_lateral/quienes_somos/politicas_educativas/pdf/PLAN‐EDUCACION.pdf

18 http://www.MOE.gob.gt/compromisos/ alternatives, scholarships for young women can help reduce gender-based barriers that restrict access to workforce development opportunities for young women.

C.3.1 OBJECTIVES

Toward a future Guatemala with a more literate cohort of primary students who transition to secondary education and a work-ready youth population, the project will support the GOG to improve implementation of key policies to elevate the quality of early grade education and youth workforce development. In order to reach this goal, the project will achieve two objectives through four components as depicted in the graphic below:

To achieve its objectives, the project will strengthen and/or improve capacity of and coordination among target GOG and other Guatemalan institutions, civil society organizations (indigenous and non-indigenous), and private sector entities; it will not duplicate efforts focused on service delivery, but rather focus on the policy level. USAID expects these activities will be accomplished with external partners. See Attachment J.3 for a list of key stakeholders with whom the Contractor must work to achieve expected results as well as others the Contractor deems necessary.

Goal: Improved implementation of key policies to elevate the quality of early grade education and youth workforce development

Objective 1: Improve the enabling environment for development of emergent literacy skills

Objective 2: Improve the ecosystem for provision of youth education and training opportunities

Component 1.1:

Increased capacity of target institutions to implement early grade teacher training and instructional policies

Component 1.2:

Strengthened target institutions to expand quality pre-primary education

Component 2.1:

Increased capacity of target institutions to implement youth education and training policies

Component 2.2:

Improved coordination among government, private sector and civil society, including youth organizations

C.3.2 OBJECTIVE 1: Improve the Enabling Environment for Development of Emergent Literacy Skills

USAID has a long history of supporting improved literacy skills in Guatemala. The two results under Objective 1 represent both a continuation of longstanding USAID support for work in Early Grade Reading (EGR), and a newer movement toward supporting expansion of education at the pre-primary level in recognition of the many benefits that both focus areas offer in setting the stage for academic success as a child moves into primary school and beyond. Work under Objective 1 is underpinned by a number of core EGR concepts that USAID promotes globally in all of its country programs. There is broad evidence which underscores critical elements that characterize successful programs in early reading:

● Students learn to read in a language that they already speak and understand.

● Reading instruction in additional languages starts when students have sufficient oral knowledge of that language.

● Reading instruction should include evidence-based approaches that employ explicit phonics

(adapted to language structures) as part of the strategy for teaching children how to read.

● Children should receive explicit, research-based instruction in oral language and reading comprehension.

● Reading materials should be interesting and meaningful as possible for children.

The USAID Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and the Environment’s Education Office (E3/ED) describes USAID’s work to support pre-primary literacy in the following way: “In countries where the formal educational systems includes at least one year of pre-primary education, USAID’s reading programming can and should emphasize age and level-appropriate reading, readiness, a love of language, and early literacy skills. Programming should focus on oral language development including an awareness of the sounds in words, an understanding of concepts of print including how to hold a book and in which direction print moves across a page, and alphabetic awareness.” USAID Guatemala’s work in early grade education will be supportive of these Agency-wide priorities and approaches.

PROMOTING PARTNERSHIP UNDER OBJECTIVE 1

USAID Guatemala places a priority on the creation of partnerships with the private sector and other donor organizations, including ongoing coordination among USAID staff and partners in the form of the interagency education donors network and Partnerships Team. In Guatemala, UNICEF plays an important role in promoting the importance of primera infancia (the first stage of life, between 0-6 years old) as an essential foundation from which to grow, and in supporting DIDECUCs to create education plans and use education data more effectively, which includes actions related to quality and access at the pre-primary and primary levels. The Contractor must coordinate and collaborate with UNICEF at all stages of implementation in support of Objective 1 in order to build on successes and lessons learned, maximize resources, and avoid duplication of effort. The Contractor will be required to include a section in its quarterly reports to USAID reporting on its ongoing actions to collaborate with UNICEF, as well as other donor organizations and private sector entities, in achieving the expected results of Objective 1. See Attachment J.3 for information about partner agencies working in education and youth in Guatemala. This requirement will be included under the Quarterly Reports description in the “Deliverables” Section F of this RFP.

COMPONENT 1.1: Increased capacity of target institutions to implement early grade teacher training and instructional policies

Under Component 1.1, the project will support policy efforts to ensure that prospective pre-primary and primary school teachers complete a rigorous pre-service teacher education program that includes a strong focus on emergent literacy, reading, inclusive education, and guided teaching practice. USAID expects these activities will be accomplished with external partners. Preparation to teach in intercultural and bilingual environments is of particular interest. The project will support implementation of FID, the MOE’s policy to elevate primary school teacher education to the university level. The project will support efforts to strengthen and sustain policy efforts promoting both public and private university involvement in pre-service teacher education. The 2012 reform that created FID left pre-primary school teacher education with high school-level teacher training institutions called “normal schools,” many of which are in need of drastic pedagogical improvement.19 The project will provide TA support to normal schools to review their teacher training policies and curriculum in order to improve their capacity to prepare future classroom teachers in the area of emergent literacy. The project will also provide TA support to the MOE to improve their capacity to oversee and regulate preparation of pre-primary school teachers.20

The project will support policy efforts to improve in-service professional development of pre-primary and primary school teachers through improved training, instructional coaching, and career development. It will support implementation of the MOE’s programs to conduct in-service teacher training (PADEP-D) and to provide coaching and mentoring services to in-service teachers (SINAE). By the end of 2018, the MOE plans to have hired 400 total personnel to implement SINAE. Effectively trained, deployed, and supported coaches will improve teacher capacity to facilitate development of emergent literacy skills and acquisition of readings skills among students. In addition, the project will seek to increase public awareness of efforts and policies that aim to improve teacher quality; this is an important way to engage the public in contemplating critical issues affecting the education system and the need to take action on various fronts to improve overall education quality.

The project will support efforts to strengthen departmental and municipal engagement and oversight in improving reading instruction and prioritizing first grade as a critical moment for girls and boys to develop a strong foundation in reading. This will include supporting implementation of Comprometidos con Primero and/or future MOE initiatives that focus support to first grade.21 For example, the

19 http://www.redalyc.org/html/869/86945261004/

20 Compared to other countries in the region, Guatemala has a very large number of teacher training institutions, many of which are private high school level‐institutions. See Table 2 on page 10: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/FIELD/Santiago/pdf/Politicas‐

Docentes‐Centroamerica‐Guatemala.pdf.

21 A future GOG administration may change the name but will likely focus on similar priorities. For example, here is information about a past program, Salvemos Primer Grado: http://estadistica.mineduc.gob.gt/anuario/2003/Datos/anexos/Salvemos_primer_grado.pdf departmental education office in Quiché has instructed schools to prioritize first grade by assigning teachers with more experience who speak the students’ mother language, and ensuring first graders are not taught in multi-grade classrooms. Assisting departments and municipalities to understand and implement these types of literacy-friendly actions is a way to increase their commitment to them, as well as the possibility for success in carrying them out.

COMPONENT 1.1 REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor must provide TA services and small grants that target the following:

1. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of the MOE to:

a. Implement policies promoting pre-service teacher training for primary school teachers (at the university level, in particular FID), and for pre-primary school teachers (in normal schools).

b. Implement policies for in-service teacher professional development (PADEP-D) and for teacher coaching (SINAE).

2. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of universities and normal schools to design and/or implement policies regarding pre-service teacher preparation, and to collaborate with one another in doing so, including dialogue about gender equality and education to explore solutions on gender inequality related to higher education access.

3. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of departmental and municipal entities such as DIDEDUCs (including SINAE personnel and supervisors [CTA, Spanish acronym]) and municipal education commissions to implement and better support policies that improve early grade literacy for targeted youth so they are prepared for entry into first grade, such as the Comprometidos con Primero program. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of the MOE and civil society organizations to use SBCC approaches to generate public support for activities and policies that aim to better train and support teachers, ensuring integration of relevant categories of equity, including gender, ethnicity, and disability inclusion into all policy and SBCC work conducted under this Component.

Expected Results:

● Establish a technical working group led by the MOE and San Carlos University (by law responsible for higher education), including San Carlos University’s teacher training department (USAC/EFPEM, in Spanish), private universities, and normal schools to improve pre-primary and primary teacher training.

● Expand the Consejo Consultivo Regional de Educación Bilingüe Intercultural (CCR-EBI) to address specific Mayan languages.

● Three universities develop and implement plans to strengthen and expand their pre-service teacher education programs.

● Ten normal schools revise their curriculum to improve quality of instruction.

● Three department education offices create or update education plans that prioritize early grades.

COMPONENT 1.2: Strengthened target institutions to expand quality pre-primary education

Under Component 1.2, the project will support MOE policy efforts to expand quality pre-primary education. USAID expects these activities will be accomplished with external partners. On the demand side, this will include supporting the MOE and Guatemalan civil society organizations (indigenous and non-indigenous) to increase awareness among parents and families in disadvantaged areas of the importance of developing emergent literacy skills before primary school starts. This is an issue of particular importance in an era of obligatory pre-primary school attendance given Guatemala’s under 50% attendance rate.22 Forgoing pre-primary school is a tremendous limiting factor to success in early primary grades.23 In Guatemala, pre-primary school begins at age four and lasts through primary school enrollment at age seven; however, a new MOE initiative will allow students to enroll in primary school at age six. In 2014, USAID conducted an analysis on the implications of this policy measure that also outlines recommendations for policy makers to improve internal efficiency outcomes.24

The Contractor must support efforts by the MOE and Guatemalan civil society organizations to develop a robust SBCC campaign that builds on evidence-based messaging and lessons learned from past experience to expand the demand for pre-primary education in target areas. As stated earlier in this document, USAID views SBCC as going beyond the delivery of simple messages or slogans to encompass the full range of ways in which people individually and collectively convey meaning. SBCC programs may include a combination of mass media, community-level activities, interpersonal communication, information and communication technologies, and new media. They must demonstrate integration of relevant issues pertaining to equity, including gender, ethnicity, and disability inclusion related to the expansion of pre-primary education.

On the supply side, the project will support the MOE’s efforts to increase pre-primary school coverage in a cost-effective manner, including proposing alternative models that are culturally and contextually relevant. There are many models to consider for sustainable system growth. Examples of models that have been implemented in Guatemala include but are not limited to: National Educational Self- Management Program (PRONADE, Spanish acronym), Association for Integral and Multidisciplinary Development (APPEDIBIMI, Spanish acronym), Centros de Aprestamiento Comunitario de Educación Preescolar (CENACEP),25 Modelo de Educación Caminemos Juntos,26 and the Mi Familia Progresa initiative.

22 http://estadistica.MOE.gob.gt/anuario/2016/main.html

23 https://www.scribd.com/document/343662491/A‐Policy‐Report‐The‐Case‐for‐Investing‐in‐Early‐Grade‐Reading‐Interventions

24 https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00T6Q2.pdf

25 http://www.MOE.gob.gt/portal/contenido/menu_lateral/programas/cenacep/

26 https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00JDMJ.pdf

COMPONENT 1.2 REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor must provide TA services and small grants that

1. Strengthen the technical and managerial capacity of the MOE to:

a. Analyze costs and benefits of various potential models for expanding pre-primary education.

b. Leverage alternative models for expanding the supply of pre-primary education, especially in areas most in need of assistance.

c. Oversee quality pre-primary education programs.

2. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of the MOE and civil society organizations to use SBCC approaches to increase parents’ awareness of the importance and benefits of pre-primary attendance and early literacy in order to expand the demand for pre-primary education in target areas, ensuring integration of relevant categories of equity, including gender, ethnicity, and disability inclusion into all policy and SBCC work conducted under this Component.

● Analysis of cost and feasibility completed on five options for delivering expanded pre-primary education, including two community-based approaches.

● Evidence about options for expansion of pre-primary education presented to key stakeholders and decision makers.

C.3.2.2 OBJECTIVE 2: Improve the Ecosystem for Provision of Youth Education and Training Opportunities

Work under Objective 2 is guided by USAID’s Youth in Development Policy (October 2012),27 which serves as the foundation of the Agency’s approach to youth. It provides overarching guidance for development of youth-supportive programs, targeting ages 10-29 and has as its goal “to improve the capacities of youth so that they can contribute to and benefit from more stable, democratic, and prosperous communities and nations.” The core thematic element of this policy is Positive Youth Development (PYD), which is both a philosophy and an approach to adolescent development: PYD engages youth along with their families, communities and/or governments so that youth are empowered to reach their full potential. PYD approaches build skills, assets and competencies; foster healthy relationships; strengthen the environment; and transform systems.28 Due to enhanced brain development during adolescence, it is a key period for developing the kinds of essential skills which are valued by the private sector.

PROMOTING PARTNERSHIP FOR OBJECTIVE 2

USAID Guatemala places a priority on the creation of partnerships with the private sector and other donor organizations, including ongoing coordination among USAID staff and partners in the form of the

27 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1870/Youth_in_Development_Policy_0.pdf

28 http://www.youthpower.org/positive‐youth‐development‐pyd‐framework interagency education donors network, Partnerships Team, Youth Working Group, and Youth Migration Working Group. In Guatemala, the European Union (EU) is a key partner that has been a sponsor and technical advisor of the ecosystem for provision of youth education and training opportunities mainly through their Programa de Empleo Juvenil (2013-2018) but also through their Programa para la Cohesion Social (the third phase, which runs from 2018-2021, is called EuroSocial+). For example, the EU has helped the GOG to create the prototype NQF, specifically supporting development of occupational families (descriptions of prioritized sectors and required competencies), training modules, and other related tools. They are currently preparing to implement a follow-on to Programa de Empleo Juvenil. The Contractor must coordinate and collaborate with the EU at all stages of implementation in support of Objective 2, to build on successes and lessons learned, maximize resources and avoid duplication of effort. The Contractor will be required to include a section in its quarterly reports to USAID reporting on its ongoing actions to collaborate with the EU projects, as well as other donor organizations and private sector entities, in achieving the expected results of Objective 2. See Attachment J.4 for information about partner agencies working in education and youth in Guatemala. This requirement will be included under the Quarterly Reports description in the “Deliverables” Section F of this RFP.

COMPONENT 2.1: Increased capacity of target institutions to implement youth education and training policies

Under Component 2.1, the project will strengthen the capacity of relevant GOG ministries and other Guatemalan institutions to implement policy objectives related to youth education and training. USAID expects these activities will be accomplished with external partners. This will include supporting implementation of the NYP and the PNED. The NYP recognizes the potential contribution of youth to the country’s sustainable development and calls for a multi-sectoral effort to foster youth access to social and health services as well as educational and economic opportunities. It also highlights the need for mobilization of public and private responses to better address the educational and training needs of disadvantaged youth. Up until now, the NYP has not driven the change it envisioned, in part due to its lack of an effective coordinating body and weak institutional ownership. The PNED emphasizes that women and youth, especially those in rural and indigenous communities, are the most disadvantaged in terms of finding decent work, and includes a critical axis area targeting the formation of human capital that highlights concerns and opportunities for youth employment.29 Addressing gender, equity, and the needs of youth with disabilities for gaining access to workforce training and employment are important themes to consider as part of the contract.

In Guatemala, the NQF and SINAFOL are critical to strengthening the links between education, training qualifications, and the needs of the labor market. Four GOG ministries (MIDES, MINECO, MOE, MOL) are working to finalize and utilize the NQF and implement SINAFOL.30 One of the main purposes of the NQF is to strengthen the link and improve the articulation between education and training qualifications

29 http://www.mintrabajo.gob.gt/images/organizacion/leyesconveniosyacuerdos/Documentos/PNED_2017_2032.pdf

30 These efforts have received strong support from the European Union (EU) through the Programa de Empleo Juvenil and the ILO:

http://empleojuvenil.info/programa‐de‐empleo‐juvenil/.

and the needs of the labor market. Although it has not yet been adopted as GOG policy, with support from donor partners the GOG has developed a prototype qualifications framework with a catalogue of 28 “occupational families” (descriptions of the top 10 prioritized sectors and required competencies), training modules, and a range of other tools. In February 2018, the GOG launched SINAFOL, which aims to reduce the gap between job seekers, training offered, and employers seeking workers with specific skills by providing standardized certifications for vocational training. These certifications would not only assist job seekers to acquire applicable skills, but would also help returned Guatemalans certify their competencies gained from on-the-job training completed out of the country. The implementation of SINAFOL is therefore a step to increase equity and opportunity through formal sector employment. The private sector is also a critical player in this landscape, as a major driver of employment. Working to ensure that the private sector is actively represented and has a voice in policy development are crucial for the success of the NQF and SINAFOL.

Effective policy implementation is built on a foundation of continuous evidence-based learning and willingness to adapt and innovate. The project will support relevant GOG ministries to make maximum use of evidence, assisting them to identify, improve, and expand application of demand-driven models of youth education and training. These models may originate from the work of other USG projects, other donors, civil society organizations, the private sector, or the GOG. The project will support the expansion and sustainability of current innovative and successful approaches by serving as a conduit for spreading knowledge of good practices. The project will promote non-traditional and community-based models that respond to local needs, especially women, rural and indigenous youth, and youth with disabilities from disadvantaged communities.

COMPONENT 2.1 REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor must provide TA services and small grants that

1. Strengthen the technical and managerial capacity of relevant GOG ministries and other Guatemalan institutions to:

a. Lead implementation of the NYP and the PNED policies.

b. Lead implementation of the NQF and SINAFOL. This may include support for developing budgets and costing options.

c. Measure and monitor implementation of youth education and training policies as well as education and protection policies derived from the Migration Code.

d. Identify, improve, and expand application of demand-driven models of youth education and training.

2. Increase the technical and managerial capacity of relevant GOG ministries and civil society organizations to use SBCC approaches to increase public awareness of the importance and benefits of demand-driven and community-based training opportunities in order to expand the demand for youth education and training in target areas, ensuring integration of relevant categories of equity, including gender, ethnicity, and disability inclusion into all policy and SBCC work conducted under this Component.

● TA provided to relevant GOG ministries to implement five lines of action in the NYP under the “Education” and “Work and Productivity” strategic areas, and two priority actions in the PNED under Axis 2: Development of Human Capital.

● Analysis of cost and feasibility completed on five demand-driven and community-based models to expand and improve youth education and training.

COMPONENT 2.2: Improved coordination among government, private sector and civil society, including youth organizations

Under Component 2.2, the project will support efforts to ensure that a wide range of stakeholders, especially youth leaders and private sector entities, are included in the implementation of policies related to youth education and training. USAID expects these activities will be accomplished with external partners. Drawing on USAID’s PYD approach, the project will seek to more fully engage promising youth and youth organizations in efforts to improve the coverage and effectiveness of education and training opportunities for young women and young men.