Sol_72011520R00009.pdf

72011520R00009

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER

7. ISSUED BY CODE 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)

ORDER UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder".

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

SEALED BID (IFB)

5. DATE ISSUED

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED RATING PAGE OF PAGES

1 0

C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

EXT.NUMBERAREA CODE

B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS)A. NAME

10. FOR

INFORMATION

CALL:

CAUTION: LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

(Date)(Hour) local timeuntildepository located in copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if hand carried, in the

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offers in original and

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

INSTRS., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

CONTRACT CLAUSES

PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

I

J

K

L

M SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

PACKAGING AND MARKING

DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT

SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSESPART I - THE SCHEDULE

H

G

F

E

D

C

B

A

SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S) (X) DESCRIPTION SEC. (X)

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

18. OFFER DATE17. SIGNATURE

SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER

15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS

EXT.NUMBERAREA CODE

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER

(Type or print)AND

ADDRESS

OF

OFFEROR

CODE FACILITY

16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER15A. NAME

DATEAMENDMENT NO.DATEAMENDMENT NO.

and related documents numbered and dated):

amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS

CALENDAR DAYS (%)30 CALENDAR DAYS (%)20 CALENDAR DAYS (%)10 CALENDAR DAYS (%)

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232.8)

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

28. AWARD DATE

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

CODE 24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7)

ITEM

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

41 U.S.C. 253 (c) ( 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION20. AMOUNT19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED

AWARD (To be completed by government)

CODE

03/13/2020 X

720115

USAID/Central Asia/Kazakhstan 41 Kazibek Bi St.

Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan 00000

1000 F 05/08/2020

Liam Garvey lgarvey@usaid.gov

PAGE(S)

Joshua Schramm

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition is unusable

STANDARD FORM 33 (Rev. 9-97)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c)

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within _____180_________ calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Central Asia Project Title: Learn Together Activity in Tajikistan Solicitation #72011520R00017

Contents

SECTION B

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE AND SERVICES

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE, AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

B.4 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

B.5 FIXED FEE (Cost Plus Fixed Fee)

B.6 LABOR

B.7 INDIRECT COSTS

B.8 CEILING ON INDIRECT COST RATES

SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (January 1993)

D.2 752.7034 ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND DISCLAIMER (DEC 1991)

D.3 BRANDING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND MARKING

D.4 BRANDING STRATEGY

D.5 APPROVED BRANDING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE.37

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE/RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.2 PERFORMANCE PERIOD

F.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

F.4 AUTHORIZED WORK DAY / WEEK

F.5 DELIVERABLES AND REQUIRED REPORTING

F.6 KEY PERSONNEL

F.7. FIXED FEE PAYMENT SCHEDULE

F.8 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

F.9 752.7005 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE

DOCUMENTS (SEPTEMBER 2013)

F.10 752.242-70 PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORTS (OCTOBER 2007)

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

Project Title: USAID’s Learn Together Activity in Tajikistan Solicitation #72011520R00017

G.1 ADMINSTARTIVE CONTRACTING OFFICE

G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

G.3 CONTRACTOR’S PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT

G.4 752.7003 DOCUMENTATION FOR PAYMENT (NOVEMBER 1998)

G.5 PAYING OFFICE

G.6 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

G.7 CONTRACTOR'S PAYMENT ADDRESS

G.8 TECHNICAL DIRECTION/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 752.225-70 SOURCE AND NATIONALITY (FEBRUARY 2012)

H.2 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE

H.3 752.228-3 WORKER'S COMPENSATION INSURANCE (DEFENSE BASE ACT)

(DECEMBER 1991)

H.4 752.229-71 REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES (JULY 2007)

H.7 ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS SYSTEM

H.8 752.7019 PARTICIPANT TRAINING (JANUARY 1999)

H.9 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA LIBRARY (DDL)

(OCTOBER 2014)

H.10. USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNER NOTICES (IPN) PORTAL FOR

ACQUISITION (JULY 2014)

H.11 NONDISCRIMINATION (JUNE 2012)

H.15 752.7004 EMERGENCY LOCATOR INFORMATION (JULY 1997)

H.16 752.7007 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (JULY 2007)

H.17 752.7010 CONVERSION OF U.S. DOLLARS TO LOCAL CURRENCY (APR

1984)

H.18 752.7013 CONTRACTOR-MISSION RELATIONSHIPS (JUNE 2018)

H.19 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

H.20 GENDER CONSIDERATION

H.21 LIMITATION ON ACQUISITION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (APR

2018)

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE ..76

I.2 52.204-21 BASIC SAFEGUARDING OF COVERED CONTRACTOR

INFORMATION SYSTEMS (JUNE 2016)

I.7 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEBRUARY 1998)

I.8 752.225-9 BUY AMERICAN ACT - TRADE AGREEMENTS ACT - BALANCE OF

PAYMENTS PROGRAM

I.9 752.225-70 SOURCE AND NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS (FEBRUARY 2012)

I.10 752.231-71 SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR HOST GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

(MARCH 2015)

I.11 752.245-70 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY - USAID REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

(JULY 1997)

SECTION J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K – REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS

K.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY

REFERENCE

K.2 52.204-8 ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (JAN 2018)85

K.3 52.209-5 CERTIFICATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (OCT

2015)

K.4 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (OCT

2018)

K.6 52.222-22 PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE REPORTS (FEB 1999)

K.7 52.230-1 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND CERTIFICATION

(OCT 2015)

K.8 52.230-7 PROPOSAL DISCLOSURE—COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICE

CHANGES (APR 2005)

K.9 INSURANCE - IMMUNITY FROM TORT LIABILITY

K.10 52.222-56 CERTIFICATION REGARDING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

COMPLIANCE PLAN

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR

RESPONDENTS

L.1 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

(FEBRUARY 1998)

L.2 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APRIL 1984)

L.3 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEPTEMBER 2006)

L.4 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

L.5 DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

L.6 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST/BUSINESS

PROPOSAL

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

M.2 TECHNICAL EVALUATION FACTORS

M.3 DETERMINATION OF COMPETITIVE RANGE

M.4 COST PROPOSAL EVALUATION

M.5 SOURCE SELECTION

SECTION B

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to provide services that fall within the Scope of Work (SOW) specified in Section C for the USAID’s Learn Together Activity in Tajikistan.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE AND SERVICES

This is a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion contract. For the consideration set forth below, the contractor must provide the deliverables or outputs described in Sections C and F in accordance with the performance standards specified in Sections C and F.

Contract Line Items (CLINs) are delineated as follows, corresponding to the three Objectives outlined in Section C, Statement of Objectives:

Line item Description 0001 Improved Primary education (Grades 1-4) learning outcomes in Tajikistan

For the purposes of the contract’s budget, these CLINs do not require separate pricing.

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE, AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

(a) The estimated cost for the performance of the work required hereunder, exclusive of fixed fee, if any, is [TBD]. The fixed fee, if any, is [TBD]. The estimated cost plus fixed fee, if any, is [TBD].

(b) Within the estimated cost plus fixed fee (if any) specified in paragraph (a) above, the amount currently obligated and available for reimbursement of allowable costs incurred by the Contractor (and payment of fee, if any) for performance hereunder is [TBD]. The Contractor shall not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount.

(c) Funds obligated hereunder are anticipated to be sufficient through [TBD].

B.4 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

The total cost (exclusive of fixed fee) stated below for the budget categories specified below may not be adjusted without a written modification signed by the Contracting Officer. No amounts in excess of the amounts specified for each cost category shall be billed against the contract.

Item Description Total Cost Direct Labor $

Fringe Benefits $ Travel $ Equipment $ Contractual $ Other Direct Costs $ Indirect Costs $ Total Cost $

B.5 FIXED FEE (Cost Plus Fixed Fee)

Pursuant to FAR 16.306(d), the fixed fee payable under this contract will be tied to the completion of the reports and deliverables specified in this contract and in accordance with the final approved Fee Schedule.

B.6 LABOR

(a) The workday and workweek policies and method of accounting for paid absences including holidays for the contractor and major subcontractors must be in accordance with the Contractor’s organizational policies and acceptable accounting procedures which should be compliant with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cost principles and the terms of this contract. Compensation of personnel under this contract or any resulting subcontract must be in accordance with AIDAR 752.7007 Personnel Compensation (July 2007) (See Section H.).

(b) All locally hired national personnel and other non-U.S. expatriates must be paid in accordance with USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR) 722.170. Salaries for individual locally-hired personnel and other non-U.S. expatriates under this Contract and any resulting subcontract must be in accordance with AIDAR 752.7007, Personnel Compensation (July 2007), and should be based upon a combination of factors including the prevailing compensation paid to personnel performing comparable work in the cooperating country as determined by USAID and consideration of the individual’s education and work experience.

B.7 INDIRECT COSTS

The Contract clause entitled “Allowable Cost and Payment (JUN 2013)”, FAR Subpart 52.216-7, specifies that the indirect cost rates must be established for each of the Contractor’s accounting periods which apply to this contract. Pending establishment of revised provisional or final indirect cost rates, allowable indirect costs will be reimbursed on the basis of the following negotiated provisional or predetermined rates and the appropriate bases:

Description Rate Base Type Period

[TBD] [TBD] 1/ 1/ 1/

[TBD] [TBD] 2/ 2/ 2/

[TBD] [TBD] 3/ 3/ 3/

1/ Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

2/ Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

3/ Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

NOTE: Contractors are allowed to recoup indirect costs (Overhead, G&A, etc.) as other direct costs if it is part of the contractor’s usual accounting procedures, consistent with FAR Part 31 and the contractor’s Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).

B.8 CEILING ON INDIRECT COST RATES

(a) For each of the Contractor’s accounting periods during the term of this contract, the parties agree as follows:

(1) The distribution base for establishment of final overhead rates is __________________.

(2) The distribution base for establishment of final G&A rates is _____________________.

(b) The Contractor will make no change in its established method of classifying or allocating indirect costs without the prior written approval of the contracting officer.

(c) Reimbursement for indirect costs will be at final negotiated rates, but not in excess of the following ceiling rates for each fiscal year:

Indirect Cost Type FY 20 FY 21 FY 22 FY23 FY24 (contractor’s FY)

1. [TBD]________ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

2. [TBD]________ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

3. [TBD]________ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

(d) The government will not be obligated to pay any additional amount on account of indirect costs above the ceiling rates established in the contract. This advance understanding will not change any monetary ceiling, cost limitation, or obligation established in the contract.

B.9 COST REIMBURSABLE (CPFF)

The U.S. dollar costs allowable shall be limited to reasonable, allocable and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment, FAR 52.216-8, Fixed Fee, if applicable, and AIDAR 752.7003, Documentation for Payment.

In addition, the requirement and conditions concerning estimated cost and funding apply as detailed in FAR 52.232-22, Limitation of Funds, incorporated by reference in Section I of this contract.

[END SECTION B]

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF

WORK (SOW)

C.1 TITLE

Learn Together Activity in Tajikistan

C.2 PURPOSE

The United States Agency for International Development Learn Together Activity in Tajikistan aims to improve the primary students' learning skills (Grades 1-4), with a particular focus on improving reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and mathematics. Through this program, USAID intends to support the Tajikistan Ministry of Education and Science’s (MOES) capacity to take on greater responsibility for improving literacy and numeracy skills to impact the overall primary students learning outcomes. Intended coverage is nationwide (at least 80 percent of primary schools) with attention to focus on regions with historically lower learning outcomes.

The Activity purpose will be achieved through the following components:

1. Improved instruction and availability of supplemental reading materials

2. Improved instruction and availability of supplementary math materials

3. Increased government capacity to develop and implement cohesive primary education policies and programs

C.3 BACKGROUND

C.3.1 Country Context The Government of Tajikistan (GOT) provides free and compulsory basic education (Grades 1- 9). Enrollment and completion rates in primary school grades are nearly universal with full gender parity. The Tajikistan education system faces numerous challenges stemming from the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the five-year civil war from 1992-1997. The key education challenges include: insufficient budget to meet the system needs; inconsistency between revised curriculum on competency based approaches and outdated textbooks;

insufficient instructional reading hours, limited professional development opportunities for educators at all levels; intensive teachers’ workload due to an overloaded curriculum and double or triple shift schools; outdated pre-service education and certification standards; lack of basic laboratory and other supplies; demographic pressures of an increasing school-age population coupled with high family migration rates; and only 15 percent of children with access to pre-primary education. There exist issues also with poor capacity of the MOES to manage the Education Management Information System (EMIS) for generation and analyses of education data, which is necessary to drive advocacy, transparency, accountability, and inform decision-makers’ policy and professional development systems (i.e.EMIS Department under the MOES is only responsible for collection of statistical quantitative data). The amount of instructional time/hours for primary education (e.g., 1.Mother tongue,2. Grammar, 3. Nature and Science, 4.Languages/English in Grade 3-4 and Russian in Grade 2-4; Art and Labor (Grade 1-4) is estimated to be 548 hours per year, well below the average of 799 hours in OECD countries.

Furthermore, ethnic minorities and children with disabilities are not provided equal access to education and are affected, in varying degrees, by finance, demographics, regulatory challenges, social prejudices, and capacity constraints (e.g., poor infrastructure and shortage of skilled teachers). Ethnic minorities also suffer as a different language may be spoken in the home (i.e.

Uzbek), and another language taught in school (i.e. Tajik or Russian). Many schools lack basic amenities such as lighting, heating, water, health, and hygiene facilities. Although the government issued a decree to improve parental responsibility and directs parental engagement through schools, the parental support is inadequate.

While some education functions have been decentralized, sector planning and decision-making is highly centralized, often resulting in significant implementation delays. Education sector plans and programs, including those supported by most development partners, continue to utilize an outdated input-output approach to provide, measure, and report on sector improvements. USAID is the leading development partner in Tajikistan that focuses on improving and measuring learning outcomes.

The operational and technical management of the education system mostly relies on the experience inherited from the Soviet era in Tajikistan. This system is under the supervision of the MOES and is administered through a network of education departments in each province, as well as in Dushanbe. Although the government has demonstrated its commitment to reform the education system, the capacity of staff and institutions to fully implement these strategies and policies is limited. Education sector development is governed and regulated by the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2016-2030, National Strategy for Education Development (NSED) 2012-2020, and a number of corresponding medium-term implementation action plans and state programs. According to the NSED 2020, the current education curriculum reform is focused on the revision of the general education curriculum to transfer from knowledge-based to competency-based standards enabling teachers to use these innovative practices in all subjects and grades. In addition, it was expected that new textbooks supporting the implementation of the curriculum would be developed and printed. In reality, most of the teachers who attended the government training on the new curriculum on competency based approach didn’t fully benefit from the low quality training provided.

Education Sector Goals and Plans

Despite the significant education sector constraints, the GOT and MoES recognize the important role education plays for national development. The 2021-2030 NSED set the following goals: to enhance equity; to improve education quality and relevance; and to strengthen education governance at all levels of the education system. The NSED recognizes and requires financial and technical contributions from government, development partners, families, civil society organizations, and the private sector. There is also a growing recognition within with MOES on the importance of national assessments that measure learning outcomes, including their ability to report on progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Target 4.1, which ensures that by 2030, all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. The new USAID Learn Together Activity will directly contribute to the NSED’s key objectives to strengthen and professionalize teacher education, develop and implement quality assurance measures for competency-based learning, and utilize relevant data to inform policies and programs.

Early Grade Reading Assessment Results

Tajikistan does not have a standardized student assessment system in place to assess learning outcomes and does not participate in international learning assessments, such as PISA, PIRLS, or TIMMS1. Limited data indicate that primary students’ early grade reading and math skills are well below the national standards.

Since 2014, the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) assessment has been administered on five separate occasions in Tajikistan. Results from the first EGRA, in 2014, showed that the majority of students, in both Tajik and Russian, did relatively well on tests of basic literacy skills (such as letter name identification and familiar word reading), but that most did not meet the benchmark for reading comprehension. After two years of literacy programming under the USAID Quality Reading Project, however, the 2016 EGRA showed significant growth in all skill areas across grades and languages. Subsequent EGRAs implemented by the USAID Read With Me activity, in 2018 and 2019, however, showed that much of this growth was not sustained. 2

Comparison of Students Meeting ORF & Reading Comprehension Standards:

The following table compares the percentage of students who achieved the benchmarks for Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and reading comprehension respectively, for every year when EGRA results were available. The standards used are as follows:

1 *PISA - Programme for International Student Assessment. PISA measures 15-year-olds' ability to use their reading, mathematics, and science *PIRLS - Progress in International Reading Literacy Study is an international comparative assessment that measures student learning in reading.

*TIMSS - Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study provides reliable and timely data on the mathematics and science achievement of U.S. students compared to that of students in other countries. TIMSS data have been collected from students at grades 4 and 8.

2 It should be noted that sampling techniques and even the format of the questions, varied widely between the 2016 EGRA and later versions, and so any comparison between the results should be made with caution. The 2016 results, however, indicate it is possible to make large gains in students higher-level reading skills, but a deeper analysis of the teacher professional development methodology, and the development and use of materials under QRP is necessary in order to identify which specific interventions made the advances possible, and how those changes might be sustained.

● ORF Standard G2 (Russian & Tajik): 40+ words per minute

● Reading Comprehension Standard G2 (Russian & Tajik): Answering 4 out of 5 questions correctly, or 80% accuracy rate.

● ORF Standard G4 (Russian & Tajik): 80+ words per minute

● Reading Comprehension Standard G2 (Russian & Tajik): Answering 4 out of 5 questions correctly, or 80% accuracy rate.

Tajik G2 ORF Tajik G2 Comprehension

Russian G2 ORF Russian G2 Comprehension

2014 35.19 20.35 55 30.64

2016 52.7 49.7 67.5 40.9

2017 37 32.63 56 16.96

2018 50.6 14.7 48.7 16.2

2019 41.5 15.5 46.2 34.6

% of students meeting the benchmark.

Numbers reported vary between reports b/c attempts to equate different EGRAs with each other, thus numbers are not really 100% comparable with each other.

Tajik G4 ORF Tajik G4 Comprehension

Russian G4 ORF Russian G4 Comprehension

2014 22.12 15.19 11.44 11.13

2016 27.9 10.7 15.2 8.7

2017 23 12.75 18 15.73

2018 18.8 22.5 38.6 41.4

2019 22.2 16.2 37.7 42.4

% of students meeting the benchmark.

Numbers reported vary between reports b/c attempts to equate different EGRAs with each other, thus numbers are not really 100% comparable with each other.

While comprehension scores increased modestly for Russian G2 students and significantly improved for Russian G4 students, since 2014, Tajik language students’ scores have declined or remained essentially unchanged during the same time period. Given this data, the new activity should carefully look at: 1) How well strategies for teaching comprehension included in Teacher Professional Development (PD) match with the way comprehension is measured on EGRA (for example, are students given the opportunity to practice making inferences); 2) How much time teachers give students to practice reading and discussing texts; and 3) If there are underlying issues around language and vocabulary levels impeding students from developing strong comprehension skills.

C.3.2 Relationship to GOT and USAID Strategies and Priorities

The Learn Together Activity aligns with and supports both the U.S. and the GOT’s strategic education goals. The overarching GOT NDS considers education as a driving force for national economic and social development. The NSED identifies the MOES goals to enhance equity, improve education quality and relevance, and strengthen education governance at all levels of the education system.

The goal of the U.S. Strategy on International Basic Education is to empower partner countries to better respond to their education needs, strengthen local education systems and solutions, and utilize data and evidence to improve learning outcomes. The current USAID education policy reinforces these core principles and highlights the importance of education programming that supports foundation literacy and numeracy skills needed for future learning and success. This program will also support the Department of State and USAID Joint Strategic Plan (JSP) objective 2.2 to “promote educated, healthy and productive populations in the country to drive inclusive and sustainable development and support U.S.G. prosperity and security objectives.”

The new program will also support current and future USAID/Central Asia regional and USAID/Tajikistan country strategies.

C.3.3 Relationship to Other USAID Programs

Since 2012, USAID has provided funding and technical assistance to the MOES on a wide range of education reform programs. This Activity will coordinate with, or learn from, the following past and current USAID and other donor activities and initiatives (in the next section):

● USAID Quality Reading Program, 10/2012-9/2017. Quality Reading Program (QRP) was USAID’s first literacy program in Tajikistan that focused specifically on improving early grade reading outcomes. In collaboration with the MOES, QRP developed and delivered in-service teacher training for 17,500 teachers; trained more than 2,600 librarians and methodologists;

provided 226,974 Tajik and Russian reading books; supported a range of community-based activities, such as summer reading camps and mobile libraries, to promote reading; and developed and implemented a mentoring program to provide on-going support for teachers. The QRP program reached 1807 schools, 20,541 teachers and 435,000 students.

● USAID Read With Me, 10/2016-9/2021. USAID Read With Me (RWM) aims to improve reading outcomes of 75 percent of primary students in Grades 1-4 through: 1) increased availability of reading materials; 2) improved reading instruction; 3) increased innovations and partnerships and 4) increased government support to improve reading. USAID Read With Me continued and expanded USAID’s programmatic focus on improving early grade reading skills.

In-service and pre-service teacher training modules which focus on specific reading competencies were developed. In-service training specifically for reading instruction is being provided to 7,048 teachers in targeted districts. USAID Read With Me is developing and delivering a range of new and early grade readers, including Big Books, as well as other reading material available in the local market. By the completion of USAID RWM in 2021, it is expected that more 600,000 reading books will have been distributed to over 2,790 schools. A key USAID Read With Me intervention is a monitoring and mentoring program to provide instructional support to teachers. More broadly, USAID Read With Me will lay a foundation to expand innovative literacy initiatives to improve reading outcomes; increase engagement with non-state actors and promote finance and delivery of innovations; improve country capacity to generate and use assessment data to drive transparency, increase accountability and inform decision makers; and strengthen the professional development system.

● THRIVE Global Development Alliance, 2018-2023. The USAID Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Thrive activity aims to enhance integrated socio-economic development for men, women, boys and girls in Khatlon Province and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO). The Children’s Development Component is financed by AKF to promote complementarity and avoid duplication in overlapping sites in Khatlon and GBAO. The targeted primary and secondary teachers will have the professional development opportunities to reinforce their teaching pedagogy to improve overall performance in their schools. School communities will be involved in handwashing and sanitation, and Early Childhood Development (ECD) support groups will ensure that school facilities are clean and children have access to safe drinking water. AKF will support student councils to lead and carry out projects related to Thrive interventions. Some examples include school handwashing campaigns, sanitation, school gardens, healthy habits activities, and community project fundraising campaigns.

● USAID Feed the Future Tajikistan Health and Nutrition Activity, 9/2015-10/2020. This program aims to improve integrated healthcare at all levels. The program focuses on maternal, newborn, and child health, with an emphasis on nutrition, sanitation, and hygiene. The best practices on Social Behavioral Change (SBC), diversity, dietary, health and hygiene, and main nutrition messaging are relevant to USAID basic education programs.

● USAID Prevention and Treatment of Moderate Acute Malnutrition in Tajikistan, 6/2017- 6/2021. This program assists malnourished children in 140 Primary Health Centers in five pilot districts through the provision of specialized nutritious food.

C.3.4 Education Donor Coordination and Programs

Tajikistan has a well-established cross-sectoral donor coordination mechanism called the Development Coordination Council (DCC) which aims to strengthen coordination and partnerships to achieve sector development goals. DCC is comprised of several local working groups in each sector including education. USAID is a member of the Local Education Group (LEG) that provides coordinated education sector support, advocates for critical education reforms, and assists with developing and reviewing sector plans, policy documents and strategy.

The LEG also actively seeks to identify and leverage additional resources for education from development partners.

There is a clear and purposeful division of labor among the key development partners which avoids programmatic duplication and addresses priority sector needs. There are numerous development partners supporting early childhood education and a growing interest among current and new partners to support upper primary and secondary education (Grades 5-9). The list in Annex 1 summarizes the major development partner funded programs by education sub-sector (see Annex 1).

C.4 COMPONENTS

The overall purpose of the Learn Together Activity aims to improve basic education skills for primary children in grades 1-4, with a particular focus on improving reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and mathematics.

This Activity purpose will be achieved through the following Results Framework:

Objective: Improved Primary education (Grades 1-4) learning outcomes in Tajikistan

Component 1: Improved instruction and availability of supplemental materials related to reading subjects.

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Component 2: Improved instruction and availability of supplemental math materials.

Component 3: Increased government capacity to develop and implement cohesive primary education policies and programs

Sub-component 1.1 Effective Teacher Professional Development (PD) including In-Service and Pre-Service

Sub-component 1.2 Materials Development

Sub-component 2.1 Effective Teacher PD (for pre-service and in-serivce)

Sub-component 2.2 Materials Development

Sub-component 3.1 Systems strengthening and improved organizational performance

Sub-component 3.2 Innovations

Sub-component 3.3 Strengthen Public and Private Partnerships

C.4.1 Guiding Principles

The Contractor will ensure that the Learn Together Activity supports the core United States Government and USAID education programming principles which include:

1. Support country focus and ownership. Provide support to government primary education reforms as a key driver for national economic and social development. Ensure key institutions provide resources to support education goals and objectives.

2. Focus technical and financial resources on measurably and sustainably improving teaching and learning outcomes. Support evidence-based approaches to inform policies and programs that will lead to improved learning outcomes.

3. Strengthen the government education systems and technical capacities in local education institutions through capacity building and increasing self-reliance of the national, regional, and local education institutions responsible for delivering high quality education services.

4. Work in partnership and leverage resources. Identify and support partnerships with the government, development agencies, local and international NGOs, and the private sector to effectively utilize resources to support program objectives.

5. Improve the government's capacity to generate and use education data to drive transparency, accountability, decision making, and budgeting. Develop and support data driven approaches to inform policy and programming decisions, monitoring program effectiveness and internal and global reporting on progress toward the UN sustainable development goals on improved learning outcomes.

6. Promote equity and inclusion. Ensure program interventions are designed in implementing using inclusive education and universal design approaches. Promote universal access to education and target interventions, as appropriate on marginalized and vulnerable students.

C.4.2 Activity Components

● Component 1: Improved instruction and availability of supplemental materials related to reading subjects

● Component 2: Improved instruction and availability of supplemental mathematics materials

● Component 3: Increased government capacity to develop and implement cohesive primary education policies and programs

Component 1: Improved instruction and availability of supplemental materials related to reading subjects.

Current EGRA results demonstrate that while students in Tajikistan do relatively well on tests of very basic reading skills (letter-sound identification, familiar words), the majority are still failing to meet grade-level benchmarks since the first EGRA was implemented in 2014. This activity is intended to address that gap by using an evidenced based, instructional intervention to improve literacy outcomes, with an emphasis on reading comprehension that will provide training, coaching, and materials for teachers in grades 1-4. While the ongoing USAID Read With Me project has brought improvement of reading fluency outcomes for primary students, more work is necessary to update teacher professional development to incorporate the content-specific, competency-based standards for long-term sustainable impact. The two key components of this objective are the teacher Professional Development Component 1 and the development and distribution of high-quality, supplementary teaching and learning materials related to reading subjects for primary students:

Sub-component 1.1 Effective Teacher Professional Development (PD) including In-Service and Pre-Service: The contractor will design a series of professional development in-service and pre-service modules related to reading skills with a focus on reading comprehension. While it is expected that some of the modules will address basic reading skills, such as phonics, the professional development program should emphasize skills and strategies teachers can use to improve reading comprehension across subject areas including literature, natural sciences, social sciences and other topics where reading comprehension is necessary for mastery of the content.

In Tajikistan, for Grades 1-4, the classroom teacher is responsible for delivering instruction across all these topics. USAID recognizes that, especially for 1st and 2nd grade teachers, there will be a need for some of the professional development modules to focus on the most basic reading skills including phonemic awareness and phonics, and all teachers will require professional development related to improving fluency. Recent EGRA results and data from classroom observations, demonstrate that teachers and students are often most confident in teaching and learning the basic reading skills. For this reason, Learn Together places particular importance on improving reading comprehension and ensuring teachers master skills and strategies that can be used for a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts related to different subjects.

Teacher training under this activity, should focus on strategies and tools for improving students’ reading fluency comprehension and academic vocabulary as defined by the Tajikistan MOES competency-based standards. It is expected that this in-service training will be consistent with MOES standards to obtain teacher certification and continuing professional development of teachers periodically. This training will also include modules developed under Component 2.

Pre-service modules may include, but are not limited to, strategies and tools for increasing students’ fluency, developing both literal and inferential comprehension including skills such as summarizing, predicting, making inferences, and answering questions based on the text. The full teacher PD package should also include a specific plan for training methodologists to act as mentors and coaches and integrate newly developed training materials in the system to ensure sustained investments.

Additional considerations include:

● Differentiating PD for teachers of students in Grade (G) 1 & G2 and teachers of G3 &

G4. It is expected that some level of training related to the development of foundational reading skills (phonemic awareness, phonics) will need to be included for teachers of G1 and G2 as well as emphasizing strategies to improve reading fluency. For G3 & G4 teachers, PD should focus on strategies that increase time for students to practice independent reading, build academic and content-specific vocabulary, and increase overall reading comprehension skills. Some degree of training-an overview in foundational skills might be considered in grades 3 and 4 for learners who might not have built the foundation skills for the upper primary grades learning outcomes.

● Training should be adapted as needed primarily for teachers of Tajik and Russian as well as consideration for teachers who teach in Uzbek community, especially to help G1 & G2 teachers transition students from home language to Tajik.

● Training modules that prepare all teachers to use formative assessment to modify and guide their instruction, including the use of differentiated, or remedial, instruction when necessary.

● Development of appropriate pedagogical related to reading related subject materials, such as teachers’ guides, that can be easily integrated into the existing curriculum.

● Integration of strategies and activities for building socio-emotional skills (SEL) skills, such as: 1) self-awareness; 2) self-management, 3) social awareness, 4) relationship skills, and 5) responsible decision making, as appropriate, into training.

● Consider the use and application of the Universal Design for Learning framework in literacy instruction, even if creating fully inclusive classrooms is not possible.

● Training should include a component of coaching and mentoring

● The activity should plan for the monitoring and evaluation of the teacher PD program, including data from classroom observations, to ensure modifications.

Sub-component 1.2 Materials development: The contractor will support the MOES to create and increase the availability of supplemental materials related to reading subjects.

(e.g., 1. Mother tongue, 2. Grammar, 3. Nature and Science, 4. Tajik and Russian in Grades 1-4,

5. Arts and Crafts); that build students’ academic and content-specific vocabulary, and which are designed with specific reading strategies in mind such as summarizing, predicting and making inferences.

Additional Considerations include:

● Ensure that in each classroom there are sufficient supplementary reading materials for teachers and (e.g., visual aids, flashcards, story kits, etc.) for every student to have access to a text for individual reading practice and extracurricular activities to reinforce learning outcomes outside of the classroom.

● Develop and distribute materials primarily in Tajik and Russian with consideration for Uzbek materials and ensure that they are appropriately inclusively distributed to schools and classrooms based on language needs.

● For G1 and G2, the supplementary reading materials should include decodable books.

● All grade levels should be provided with a set of leveled readers. Leveled readers are defined as a set of books with varying levels of difficulty which are clearly defined based on components including but not limited to length, content, and syntax.

● This activity should make use of the titles produced under the former Reading for Children, Quality Reading Project, and Read With Me projects, which meet the required quality standards.

● Materials should be inclusive in their representation of gender, disability, language, and ethnicity.

● Where appropriate, supplementary materials should be made accessible to students who are blind or deaf.

● Where appropriate, materials may be designed to support the development of SEL skills and should reflect and support the modules for teachers that provide instructions on the development of basic reading skills.

● All supplementary materials need to be available for the teacher and mentoring training.

● While this activity may provide teachers from other subject areas, such as natural sciences, grammar, language with tools they can use to improve reading comprehension, and their general instructional approach, it is not within the scope of this activity to provide subject-specific PD for teachers outside of reading and mathematics subjects.

● Consider the use and application of the Universal Design for Learning framework in reading instruction, even if the creation of a fully inclusive classroom is not possible.

Critical assumptions:

● There will be available basic education funds to implement an ambitious program to improve the quality of instruction by using innovative approaches and supplementary materials to improve learning outcomes.

● The MOES, National Testing Center (NTC) under the President's office, and National Writers Union remain committed to primary education reforms (Grades 1-4).

● The MOES remains committed to integrate in-service and pre-service curriculums into the national system.

● The MOES remains committed to perform classroom-based reading diagnostics or formative (process focused) and utilize nationally representative, standardized Baseline, Midline and Endline reading assessment (outcome focused) through the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) under a new NSED (2021-2030) to use the standardized national assessments data to drive transparent policy, accountability, and informed decision-making for policy planning and budgeting in primary education.

● The MOES remains committed to legalizing certificates of trained educators from Tajik and Russian public and private schools and government education institutions.

● There is sufficient instructional time for reading during the school day.

Illustrative activities:

● An initial EGRA baseline, for this activity, should aim to disaggregate data by students’ home language, gender, socioeconomic status, and other key factors and conduct a deeper analysis of teacher and student attendance, teaching practices, quality, and accessibility of books and supplementary materials, and other factors to inform the design of the new activity, especially as related to improving comprehension for Tajik and Russian students.

● Develop decodable and leveled readers which include content drawn from other reading related subject areas including social studies and science content

● Train coaches and mentors to use a classroom observation form which tracks time on task, types of strategies and activities implemented and the use of instructional materials.

● Review and update the Formative assessment training package developed by the World Bank to ensure its technical appropriateness for in-service and preservice practicum.

Supplementary materials for teachers and students should be developed at a cost that is sustainable by the MOES.

● Build capacity of the ministry with its national and regional education affiliates (e.g., Academy of Education; Republican Methodological Center; Education Development Institute; National and Regional Teacher Training Institutes; Education Departments in Dushanbe, Bokhtar, Kulyob, Khojand, and Khorugh; and the National Testing Center (NTC) under the President Office to deliver in-service and pre-service professional blended trainings aligned with the national competency-based standards for all reading related subjects to impact reading with comprehension and learning outcomes.

● Targeted educators from 80 percent of public schools and pedagogical institutions to receive modern pedagogy manuals on teaching reading comprehension, with applicability across all subject areas.

● Partner with the ministry and NTC to enhance the clarity of specific assessment tools and to utilize classroom-based formative, student learning assessments (EGRA Baseline, Midline and Endline) to institutionalize in the national system.

● Support MOES and its affiliates to design, approve, and implement monitoring and evaluation activities and mentoring/coaching activities.

● Support MOES to empower the capacity of school administration, teachers, methodologists, librarians, pedagogical instructors, and other educators, including parents, to ensure cohesion with the school communities and a focus on inclusiveness and gender equity.

Component 2: Improved instruction and availability of supplemental math materials.

The development of early numeracy skills is key to students’ future academic success, especially in mathematical and scientific fields. This activity is intended to strengthen students’ numeracy skills by using an evidenced based, instructional intervention to improve foundational mathematics skills, as outlined in the MOES’s competency-based standards for mathematics.

The two key components under this objective are the teacher PD component, and the development and distribution of supplementary materials, primarily manipulatives for math instruction.

Sub-component 2.1 Effective Teacher PD (for pre-service and in-service): The implementing partner is expected to develop a professional development package for mathematics defined by the Tajikistan MOES competency-based standards in primary education. It is expected that the in-service and pre-service developed products and training will be consistent with MOES standards to obtain teacher certification and continuing professional development of teachers periodically. This training will also include the modules developed under Component 1. The contractor should clearly define which skills they expect to cover in each of the numeracy domains (number concepts, number operations, basic geometry, spatial awareness, measurement or data, and probability), and their alignment with the Tajikistan competency-based standards.

Pre-service modules should emphasize a problem-solving based approach to teaching mathematics and give teachers ample time to practice strategies and use the supplementary materials. Since limited data is available on Tajik students’ performance in mathematics, the contractor will likely adjust the design of the numeracy modules, once the analysis of Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) data is completed. Flexibility for modification of the Mathematics’ PD will be based on the EGMA findings. As with literacy, methodologists should be trained and supported to act as coaches and mentors for teachers.

Additional considerations include:

● Teacher training should be differentiated based on the content and standards of grade-level curriculum. Although some training will be applicable to all teachers, regardless of levels, it is expected that there will be substantial differences in the training for G1&G2 teachers and G3&G4 teachers.

● Training for teachers on the implementation of formative assessment, and how to use it to drive instruction and provide differentiated and remedial instruction as appropriate.

● Development of appropriate pedagogical materials, such as teachers’ guides, that can be easily integrated into the existing curriculum.

● As appropriate, strategies and activities for building SEL skills should be integrated into training.

● Consider the use and application of the Universal Design for Learning framework in numeracy instruction, even if the creation of a fully inclusive classroom is not possible.

● Training…