SOLICITATION_YASE__SOL-612-17-000003.pdf

Request for Proposals (RFP) No.: SOL-612-17-000003 Issue Date: December 20, 2016 Questions Due: January 09, 2017 at 4pm, Lilongwe local time

Closing Date: February 21, 2017 at 4pm, Lilongwe local time

Subject: Request for Proposal (RFP) Number: SOL-612-17-000003

“Assess the Learners” (YESA) Activity in Malawi

Dear Sir/Madam:

USAID/Malawi is seeking proposals from qualified organizations interested in providing services to to create a multi-level monitoring and evaluation system for the National Reading Programme to assist the Government of Malawi’s (GoM’s) efforts to improve the reading skills of Malawian students nationwide.

YESA will implement activities at the national level and in all 5,500 schools and communities.

This procurement will be conducted under full and open competition under which any type of organization (U.S. and Non U.S. commercial for profit firms, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations) is eligible to compete. The procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15 apply.

USAID anticipates awarding a four-year Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion type contract with a total estimated range of $12,000,000 to $18,000,000 for the implementation of this activity. The purpose of providing an estimated range for the contract is to help Offerors develop their proposals.

Offerors will provide the lowest possible cost corresponding with their technical approach.

The RFP and any amendments to this solicitation will be issued and posted on the FBO website at https://www.fbo.gov. Offerors are encouraged to check the website periodically. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that solicitation or any amendments to it has been received from Internet in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Oral instructions, answers or guidance from any USAID source prior to the award of the contract shall not be binding.

Offerors are encouraged to read the entire solicitation, which includes the closing date and time, all pertinent contract requirements, and the conditions and instructions required for submitting a proposal.

U.S. Agency for International Development Malawi Mission NICO House P.O. Box 30455

LILONGWE 3

Tel: +265-1-772455 USA Phone: 202-216-6244 Fax: +265-1-773181 Http://www.usaid.gov/missions/mw

International Address:

DOS/ Malawi 2280 Lilongwe Place Washington, DC 20521-2280 https://www.fbo.gov/

RFP No: SOL-612-17-000003 YESA Activity in Malawi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

B.4 BUDGET

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

B.6 COST REIMBURSABLE

B.7 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

B.8 MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993)

D.2 BRANDING AND MARKING POLICY

D.3 BRANDING STRATEGY

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.3 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

F.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

F.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

F.4 REPORTS AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES OR OUTPUTS

F.5 DELIVERY SCHEDULE FOR REPORTS/PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

F.6 KEY PERSONNEL

F.7 AUTHORIZED WORK WEEK

F.8 752.7005 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE DOCUMENTS (SEP

2013) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...42

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 752.7003 DOCUMENTATION FOR PAYMENT (NOV 1998)

G.2 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICE

G.3 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S AUTHORITY

G.4 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

G.5 TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID

G.6 PAYING OFFICE

G.7 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

G.8 INVOICING INSTRUCTIONS

G.9 CONTRACTOR’S PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

H.2 FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES (JAN 2002)

H.3 DEFENSE BASE ACT (DBA) INSURANCE FOR 2015-2020

H.4 752.228-70 – MEDICAL EVACUATION (MEDEVAC) SERVICES (JULY 2007)…………………………….49

H.5 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE

H.6 LOGISTIC SUPPORT

H.7 CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACT

H.8 GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT

H.9 752.236-70 STANDARDS FOR ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE DISABLED IN USAID CONSTRUCTION

CONTRACTS (JULY 2007)

H.10 752.229-71 REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES (JULY 2007)

H.11 752.222-70 USAID DISABILITY POLICY (DEC 2004)

H.12 752.245-71 TITLE TO AND CARE OF PROPERTY (APR 1984)

H.13 752.7007 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (JULY 2007)

H.14 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL COMPENSATION

H.15 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENT

H.16 MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

H.17 752.7032 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL APPROVAL AND NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (APR 2014) 55

H.18 NONEXPENDABLE PROPERTY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REWSOURCES…………….….56

H.19 LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS……………………………………………………………………………………56

H.20 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND MANAGEMENT…………………………………………………...56

H.21 752.222-71 NONDISCRIMINATION (JUNE 2012)…………………………………………………………………………56

H.22 ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS SYSTEM…………………………………………………………………………..…56

H.23 BUSINESS CLASS TRAVEL

H.24 USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNER NOTICES (IPN) PORTAL FOR ACQUISITION (JULY 2014)……...57

H.25 USAID-FINANCED THIRD-PARTY WEB SITES (AUG 2013)

H.26 752.231-72 CONFERENCE PLANNING AND REQUIRED APPROVALS (AUG 2013)

H.27 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA LIBRARY (DDL) (OCT 2014)

H.28 752.231-71 SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR HG EMPLOYEES (MARCH 2015)

H.29 ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY (MAY 2016)

H.30 USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NOTIFICATION (MAY 2016) (DEVIATION NO. M/OAA-DEV-

FAR- 16-1C)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..62

H.31 CLOUD COMPUTING (MAY 2016)

H 32 EXECUTIVE ORDER ON TERRORISM FINANCING (FEB 2002)…………………………………………….67

H.33 REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES (JULY 2007)……………………………………………………………….67

H.34 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST………………………………………………………………..69

H.35 CONFLICT OF INTEREST……………………………………………………………………………………..….69

H.36 TITLE TO PROPERTY………………………………………………………………………………………………70

H.37 PROHIBITION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION (OCT 2011)……………………………………………………..70

H.38 CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACTS…………………………………………………………………………………..70

H.39 CONFIDENTIALITY AND OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY………………………………...71

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

I.2 52.216-24 LIMITATION OF GOVERNMENT LIABILITY (APR 1984)

I.3 52.203-13 CONTRACTOR CODE OF BUSINESS ETHICS AND CONDUCT (OCT 2015)

I.4 752.242-70 PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORTS (OCT 2007)

I.5 752.225-70 SOURCE AND NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS (FEB 2012)

I.6 752.245-70 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY—USAID REPORTING REQUIREMENTS JULY 1997

I.7 52.203-99 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT REQUIRE CERTAIN INTERNAL

CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS (APR 2015)

I.8 52.209-9-UPDATES OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION REGARDINH RESPONSIBILITY

MATTERS (JUL2013)………………………………………………………………………………………………… 80

PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND REFERENCED BY LINK

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

K.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

K.2 52.204-8 ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (APR 2016)

K.3 INSURANCE - IMMUNITY FROM TORT LIABILITY

K.4 52.204-3 TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION (OCT 1998)

K.5 52.209-2 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH INVERTED DOMESTIC CORPORATIONS—

REPRESENTATION (NOV 2015)

K.6 52.209-5 CERTIFICATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (OCT 2015)

K.7 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (JUL 2013)

K.8 52.230-1 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND CERTIFICATION (OCT 2015)

K.9 52.230-7 PROPOSAL DISCLOSURE--COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICE CHANGES (APR 2005)

K.10 52.222-38 COMPLIANCE WITH VETERANS EMPLOYMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS (FEB

2016) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….91 K.11 52.209-11 REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATIONS REGARDING DELINQUENT TAX LIABILITY OR

A FELONY CONVICTION UNDER ANY FEDERAL LAW (FEB 2016)

K.12 52.203-98, PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT REQUIRE CERTAIN INTERNAL

CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS -REPRESENTATION (APR 2015)

K.13 52.215-6 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE (OCT 1997)

K.14 52.222-56 CERTIFICATION REGARDING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS COMPLIANCE PLAN (MAR 2015) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….92

K.15 AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATOR………………………………………………………………………………93

K.16 SIGNATURE……………………………………………………………………………………………………93

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

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

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

L.4 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

L.5 SUBMISSION/DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

L.6 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST PROPOSAL. ……………………………….. 102

L.8 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF BRANDING AND MARKING PLANS…

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

M.2 TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

M.3 COST EVALUATION

M.4 DETERMINATION OF THE COMPETITIVE RANGE AND CONTRACT AWARD

M.5 SOURCE SELECTION

M.6 CONTRACTING WITH SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND DISADVANTAGED ENTERPRISES

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of the contract is to create a multi-level monitoring and evaluation system for the National Reading Programme to assist the Government of Malawi’s (GoM’s) efforts to improve the reading skills of Malawian students nationwide.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion type contract. For the consideration set for the below, the Contractor will provide the performance objectives or outputs described in Section C and F, in accordance with performance standards specified in Section E.

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 must not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount in accordance with the Limitation of Funds Clause, FAR 52.232.22.

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

B.4 BUDGET

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

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

Base of Application:

TBD TBD

TBD

TBD TBD

CLIN Item Total ($) 001 Direct Costs (not including indirect costs or fixed fee) TBD 002 Indirect Costs TBD Total Estimated Cost TBD 004 Fixed Fee TBD Total Estimated Cost Plus Fixed Fee TBD

Type of Rate: TBD Period: TBD Source: TBD

B.6 COST REIMBURSABLE

The U.S. dollar costs allowable will be limited to reasonable, allocable and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment (June 2013), FAR 52.216-8, Fixed Fee (June 2011), and AIDAR 752.7003, Documentation for Payment.

B.7 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

a) The Government shall pay the Contractor for performing this contract the fixed fee specified in the Schedule.

(b) In accordance with FAR 52.216-8 “Fixed Fee (JUN 2011),” USAID reserves the right to withhold a reserve not to exceed $100,000. The Contracting Officer shall release 75 percent of all fee withholds under this contract after receipt of an adequate certified final indirect cost rate proposal covering the year of physical completion of this contract, provided the Contractor has satisfied all other contract terms and conditions, including the submission of the final patent and royalty reports, and is not delinquent in submitting final vouchers on prior years’ settlements. The Contracting Officer may release up to 90 percent of the fee withholds under this contract based on the Contractor’s past performance related to the submission and settlement of final indirect cost rate proposals.

B.8 MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

All contract CLINs under this award are considered non-severable and constitutes a multi-year contract as defined in FAR 17.103. Therefore, this contract is subject to the requirements of FAR 17.106. In the event that the Government cancels requirements for services in subsequent program years under this contract, the following conditions will apply: [Amount and dates to be filled in at time of award]

Cancellation Dates:

Contract Year 2: DATE TBD, 2017 Amount: $1 Contract Year 3: DATE TBD, 2018 Amount: $1 Contract Year 4: DATE TBD, 2019 Amount: $1

Cancellation Ceiling:

This is a CPFF type contract where the Contractor is authorized to be reimbursed for all costs which are allowable in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, “Allowable Costs and Payment (June 2013).” Therefore, the Contractor will not incur any costs which would have been amortized over the life of the contract should the contract be cancelled in accordance with FAR 52.217-2, “Cancellation under Multiyear Contracts (October 1997).” Therefore, the cancellation ceiling for each cancellation date is provided above.

[END OF SECTION B]

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

C.1 INTRODUCTION

A stakeholder analysis1 performed to inform the USAID/Malawi Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) http://www.usaid.gov/malawi/cdcs exemplified the supply and demand side challenges in the Malawian development context. Simply stated the Government of Malawi is unable to supply citizens with some essential services and citizens are ill-equipped to demand them from the government. USAID’s CDCS addresses this imbalance through a geographically tiered “integrated” approach where USAID concentrates resources geographically where and when feasible. Integration will allow the Mission to experiment and determine what combination of investments has the most profound impact. Through what the Mission is calling a 3-C Approach, USAID will integrate development activities by:

● Co-locating interventions to the extent that it is sensible;

● Coordinating better within USAID and with other Development Partners (DPs), and

● Collaborating to foster linkages among implementing partners and the DPs to improve results, and sustainability.

USAID hypothesizes: if assistance is integrated then development results will be enhanced, more sustainable, and lead to achievement of our CDCS goal: Malawians’ quality of life improved. This will be done through improvements in social development, sustainable livelihoods and strengthening of citizens’ rights and responsibilities. This development hypothesis focuses and concentrates Mission resources by delivering integrated and inclusive development results to targeted communities.

Education is an essential component of the CDCS that will be implemented through the 3-C Approach.

During the above mentioned stakeholder analysis there was consensus among participants that education is essential to development but that children are progressing through primary school without attaining basic literacy skills. Inappropriate reading pedagogy, shortages of teaching and learning materials (TLMs), and a lack of reading culture were reasons stakeholders identified for children’s failure to achieve literacy.

USAID/Malawi developed an education strategic plan in 2012 to address low reading outcomes in primary school. Using the 2011 USAID Global Education Strategy as a guide, the five-year education strategic plan is based on the premise that education is foundational to human development and critical to broad-based economic growth and poverty reduction. It is aimed at increasing the reading skills of 5.58 million primary school students in Malawi by focusing resources, encouraging innovation, and striving to meet the global need for improved access to a quality education over the life of the five year strategy, through: (a) improving reading instruction in the primary grades; (b) increasing parental and community support for student reading; and, finally, (c) improving the policy environment for reading.

This strategic plan became the basis of the USAID/Malawi Early Grade Reading Project (EGRP) of which YESA will be one activity. By creating a sustainable capacity for monitoring and evaluating reading at multiple levels in the education system YESA will directly support the CDCS Development Objective 1 of Social Development Improved. This will entail improvements in the quality and availability of essential social services measured through the sustained improvement of reading gains of students enrolled in early grades of primary education.

In addition YESA holds significant relevance to the CDCS’s cross-cutting Sub Intermediate Results: a) Capacity of institutions improved; b) Use of technology and innovation increased; C) Policy and systems

1 USAID/Malawi CDCS Stakeholder Consultations Report, University of Malawi’s Centre for Educational Research and Training, February 2012.

http://www.usaid.gov/malawi/cdcs strengthened; and d) Positive behaviors adopted.

Monitoring and measuring these linkages constitutes a key component of the activity.

MERIT, the flagship EGRP activity, provides support to the implementation of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology’s (MoEST) National Reading Programme (NRP) through focused reading interventions to improve reading outcomes. YESA will also support the NRP by building local capacity to monitor and evaluate NRP interventions to strengthen citizens’ capacity as informed consumers of reading data to constructively advocate for and support improved reading instruction.

YESA must coordinate with MERIT to put the CDCS into action by prioritizing co-location, coordination, and collaboration whenever sensible.

C.2 BACKGROUND

This section provides background information on the development problem (C.2.1), the Government of Malawi (GoM) and development partner (DP) context (C.2.2), and the results framework that underpins

MERIT (C.2.3).

C.2.1 Development Problem

Access to education in Malawi has improved greatly in recent years, but the quality of education in the country still lags. After the abolition of school fees in 1994, primary school enrollment in the country jumped from 1.9 million to nearly 2.9 million.2 By 2009, net primary school enrollment reached 97 percent—an equivalent of 3.6 million, according to the World Bank.3 Unfortunately, the number of qualified teachers in the country has not kept pace with this growth. Class sizes remain very high. According to data supplied by the MoEST in 2014 the Pupil-Trained Teacher Ratio in primary schools was 78 to 1. Further, the 2010 Early Grade National Reading Assessment (NRA) conducted by USAID through the Malawi Teacher Professional Development Support (MTPDS) Activity showed that students consistently and dramatically underperformed in measures of basic literacy. Specifically, test results showed that 73 percent of Standard 2 students could not read a single word of a prompted story, and 97 percent could not answer a single reading comprehension question correctly in Chichewa.4 A 2013 baseline assessment for USAID’s follow-on activity to MTPDS—the Early Grade Reading Activity (EGRA)—found similar trends and showed that 76 percent of Standard 2 students could not read a single word of a prompted story, and 86 percent could not answer a single reading comprehension question in Chichewa.5

A randomized control trial carried out under MTPDS aimed to show how much of an effect could be made on reading scores in Chichewa when a systematic focus on early literacy skills was introduced in Standard 1.

This trial included a small sample of schools in the education districts of Salima and Ntchisi who received the USAID Maziko a Kuwerenga (Foundations of Reading), intervention, and compared results after one year to control schools that did not have the intervention. Regression analysis found participation in the Maziko a Kuwerenga group to be associated with the ability to read an additional five letters and more than two additional words per minute as compared to students who did not receive the intervention. The results showed that while overall performance remained low, large absolute and relative gains in reading

2Ampiah, Joseph; Byomugisha, Albert; Chimombo, Joseph; Kunje, Demis; Mikiko, Nishimura; Ogawa, Keiichi; Sawamura, Nobuhide; Sifuna, Daniel; and Yamada, Shoko, “A Comparative Analysis of Universal Primary Education Policy in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Uganda,” CICE Hiroshima University, Journal of International Cooperation in Education, Vol.12 No.1, 2009. <CICE Hiroshima University, Journal of International Cooperation in Education, Vol.12 No.1>.

3World Bank. World Development Indicators, 2009. <http://databank.worldbank.org/data/views/reports/tableview.aspx>.

4USAID/Malawi. “Early Grade Reading Assessment: National Baseline Report,” 2010.

<www.eddataglobal.org/reading/index.cfm/Malawi%20National%20Baseline%20EGRA%202010.pdf?fuseaction=throwpub&ID=3 54>. The numbers from Standard 4 are 42 percent and 69 percent, respectively.

5Capper, Joanne, et. al., “Early Grade Reading Impact Evaluation Baseline Report,” November, 2013.

performance were achieved in the intervention schools that did not occur in control schools.

Students in control schools demonstrated few, if any, measurable pre-reading skills, including naming the letters of the alphabet. Although scores for students in the Maziko a Kuwerenga intervention schools were very low, they are close to the level of achievement demonstrated by Standard 4 students in the 2012 National Reading Assessment (NRA) for Malawi which used an early grade reading assessment methodology.

These studies concluded that by addressing fundamental reading skills such as phonemic awareness and the alphabetic principle in a systematic and sustained way, and in the first year of primary school, reading can be measurably improved. The quantitative analyses from these studies confirm that students who succeed on basic skills such as letter naming and familiar word reading have significantly higher oral reading fluency and comprehension scores. Therefore, it is important to focus on these basic skills early in Standard 1 with continuous reinforcement and skill development throughout the early Standards of primary education.

Although carefully scripted lessons, teacher training, coaching, and providing text books had a positive effect, and the gains are large relative to control schools which showed only small gains between baseline and endline, they are not large enough to classify students as “readers” or allow them to read to learn in Chichewa.

The Maziko a Kuwerenga reading intervention demonstrated that in its most base form the development challenge was that a culture of reading needed to be created both in and outside the classroom. The USAID/Malawi EGRP addresses this development challenge of producing a reading culture by increasing USAID efforts in both scope and scale to not only improve reading instruction in Standards 1-4, but to increase parental and community support for student reading, and improve the policy environment for reading. A description of USAID/Malawi’s interventions under the EGRP can be found in section C.2.2.2.

Specifically, as an essential aspect of the EGRP, in addition to monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the NRP, YESA will address the challenge first articulated in the 2015 USAID Study on Community Perceptions of Students’ Reading Abilities in Malawi. The study found that the “community,” consisting of parents, members of various school committees, and education professionals, perceived students were acquiring sufficient literacy skills when in fact only 2.1% of students were able to achieve the proposed benchmark of 30 correct words per minute by the end of Standard 1. In short, stakeholders believe that students are learning to read when, in fact, they are not. YESA will work with stakeholders at multiple levels of the education system, including national, district, zonal, school, and community levels to build capacity in monitoring and evaluating reading acquisition and to constructively advocate for and participate in improved reading instruction.

C.2.2 Government of Malawi and Development Partner Context

C.2.2.1 Government of Malawi Priorities and Strategies for Reading Improvement

Although quality education, such as the improvement of reading skills, has figured prominently in Government of Malawi (GoM) strategy documents such as the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II: 2012-2016, the National Education Sector Plan, and the First Education Sector Implementation Plan, until recently the focus of GoM and Development Partner (DP) efforts were focused on improving an overburdened school infrastructure and supply of other school inputs such as desks, classrooms, sanitary facilities, textbooks and other teaching supplies. However, studies on learning achievements such as the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ), Monitoring Learning Achievement (MLA), and Early Grade Reading Assessments (2010-2014) have consistently shown that students in Malawi are not learning and cannot read to learn. Therefore, the GOM has responded by including a focus on improving learning outcomes. This focus is evident in the GoM’s Second Education Sector Implementation Plan (ESIP II) which cites ensuring 50 percent of children reach Standard 4 literacy/numeracy by 2017, a high-performing teaching corps, an increase in internal efficiency, and improved management and delivery of TLMs as its highest priorities for 2013-2018.

To actively pursue these priorities, in early November 2014 the MoEST formally adopted a National Reading Strategy (NRS) that was developed in partnership between the MoEST and USAID/Malawi. The NRS is aligned with the priorities set forth in the ESIP II in terms of the focus, outputs, and activities. The core components of the NRS are instruction, assessment, teacher preparation, and families and communities.

To begin the realization of and demonstrate their commitment to the NRS, in mid-November 2014 the MoEST, with technical assistance from USAID, created benchmarks for Standards 1-3 in syllable reading, familiar word reading, oral reading fluency, and reading comprehension for Chichewa. In January of 2016 the utility of these benchmarks was reviewed, revised as needed, and Standard 4 added. It is anticipated that national reading benchmarks will eventually be officially adopted. However, it will be the job of YESA to work with USAID and the MOEST to make adjustments to the benchmarks grounded in reading data from the implementation of the NRP and previous reading assessments in order to finalize grade-level benchmarks as soon as possible.

In 2015, USAID awarded MERIT: The Malawi Early Grade Reading Improvement Activity to support the MoEST in implementing a National Reading Programme based on the NRS.

Progress toward achieving the goal of the NRP, to improve the reading abilities of all Malawian students nationwide, will be measured against the official benchmarks. YESA will work closely with MoEST officials, community members, and MERIT to measure, interpret, explain, and collaborate toward achieving reading improvement toward the benchmarks.

C.2.2.2 Development Partner Funded Reading Activities

The Malawian education sector is supported by a number of international development agencies. The most prominent ones are the World Bank (WB), the UK Department for International Development (DfID), the European Union (EU), the German Development Cooperation (GDC), which includes the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the German Development Bank (KfW), the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Food Programme (WFP), African Development Bank (AfDB), the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Donor coordination is well-established in Malawi through a DP coordination group.

While slowly changing in recent years, access has been the primary focus of most DP activities and USAID is the only partner in the DP Group to focus on early grade reading. DPs meet with MoEST counterparts on a regular basis to align activities and ensure all discrete and direct support is in alignment with MoEST priorities.

Donor Funded Reading/Literacy Interventions:

USAID

USAID addresses the need to improve early grade reading in Malawi through the EGRP’s support of the NRP. With the ratification of the National Reading Strategy and the genesis of the National Reading Programme the MoEST declared that all reading interventions support the NRP.

As MERIT is the flagship activity under the EGRP and is focused on supporting and coordinating interventions under the NRP, YESA must work in close coordination with MERIT to insure that EGRP activities are benefitting students to the maximum extent possible.

Selected current and past activities under the Early Grade Reading Project are as follows:

MERIT: The Malawi Early Grade Reading Improvement Activity (September 2015 – September 2020) implemented by RTI International and co-funded with the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DfID), provides technical assistance to the MoEST to fully implement their National Reading Programme. MERIT will improve the reading performance of all Malawian learners in Standards 1–4 in all public primary schools. MERIT will do this through supporting best practices in reading instruction, the strategic integration of development interventions, an increase in parental and community support for reading, a creation of safer learning environments, and ensuring pathways to sustainability for reading interventions in all primary schools in Malawi.

Early Grade Reading Activity (EGRA) (June 2013-October 2016) implemented by RTI International provides technical assistance to the MoEST to improve the reading performance of Malawian students in Standards 1–3. EGRA improves early grade reading achievement through improved early grade reading instruction, the provision of TLMs, greater parental and community engagement in providing reading support, and a strengthened policy environment to support early grade reading. EGRA is currently being implemented in 11 education districts in Malawi which include: Mzimba, Ntchisi, Lilongwe Rural East, Lilongwe Rural West, Salima, Ntcheu, Balaka, Machinga, Zomba, Blantyre Rural, and Thyolo. EGRA implemented activities in approximately 1,600 schools in 11 of 34 education districts. In addition to those schools, there are approximately 450 EGRA control schools.

EGRA Impact Evaluation (EGRAIE) (April 2013 – September 2017) implemented by Social Impact to measure the effect of EGRA on student reading outcomes (treatment versus control group) and to test the hypothesis that integrating USAID interventions in education, agriculture and health as well as adding a community strengthening component in the same communities, results in increased learning amongst primary school students, as described in the USAID/Malawi CDCS. Data collection for the EGRAIE will take place in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

In addition the EGRAIE also performed a data collection for a national random sample NRA in 2014 and will conduct another in 2016 at Standards 2 and 4. The purpose of the NRA is to allow the MoEST, USAID and other stakeholders to monitor reading interventions in Malawi over time using nationally representative data. The results from both the EGRAIE and national early grade reading assessments will be used by stakeholders to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of future early grade reading interventions.

Strengthening Early Grade Reading in Malawi (SEGREM) (October 2014 – October 2017) implemented by the Malawi Institute of Education (MIE), a parastatal organization, to support the creation of reading materials for the National Reading Programme. SEGREM will also create teacher training courses and materials to help teachers improve their proficiency in English.

National Reading Strategy Implementation Phase II (August 2015 – November 2016) This activity implemented by School to School International provides expert technical assistance to the MoEST to develop a comprehensive implementation plan for the National Reading Program that incorporates the four main components of the National Reading Strategy: instruction, assessment, teacher preparation, and family and community participation.

USAID - Lakeland College Educational Partnership (March 2014-January 2017) implemented by Lakeland College supports twenty language arts teacher trainers from public Teacher Training Colleges in Malawi to earn their Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree at Lakeland College in Wisconsin with an emphasis in early grade reading instruction. The degree program includes a research practicum on early grade reading in Malawi. These teacher trainers will become experts in and advocates for the reading interventions under MERIT and thus the National Reading Programme.

Girls’ Empowerment through Education and Health Activity (ASPIRE) (December 2014 – December 2018) implemented by Save the Children Federation, Inc. specifically addresses the challenges that girls face in the Malawian Education System. A collaborative, co-funded activity between USAID/Malawi’s Education and Health offices, ASPIRE focuses on all primary and secondary schools in the Balaka and Machinga districts and aligns with MERIT efforts toward implementation of the NRP. Interventions will improve the reading skills for girls in upper primary school, increase the adoption of positive sexual and health-care seeking behaviors, and social, and decrease key structural and cultural barriers for girls’ access to schooling. This will lead to improved achievement of girls in upper primary and secondary school.

ASPIRE will also create an assessment of English language proficiency assessment for teachers in upper primary to understand their strengths and weaknesses in English so they can improve their English skills through study programs.

USAID/Washington Social Behavior Change Communication Evaluation for Malawi (November 2015- November 2016) implemented by RTI International will evaluate the extent to which purposefully crafted communications messages and activities can increase students’ participation in afterschool reading programs, increase the completion of reading homework assignments, and increase family participation in reading activities with their children on a regular basis.

USAID/Washington Let Girls Learn Program (Period of Performance TBD) implemented by a partner to be selected will focus on improving adolescent girls’ agency, changing social norms, and improving school access and performance, including support for English language skills improvement in the upper primary grades.

Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) In late 2014, NORAD announced funding for a scale up of a three-year pilot of a tablet-based supplemental learning project for students in Standards 1-4 implemented by VSO International. The project’s focus is to increase basic literacy and numeracy skills in 58 schools, with potential to scale to currently unknown number of schools. The activity is too new to know its impact on improving learning outcomes. However, all reading interventions are required to be guided by the National Reading Strategy and conform to the NRP. MERIT will be the lead activity in collaborating with all reading interventions in Malawi on supporting the NRP.

C.2.2.2(b) Other, Non-USAID Interventions:

Literacy Boost, a reading intervention that includes teacher trainings, assessment, and community action, is implemented by Save the Children, International in the Zomba Rural Education District and World Vision International in select areas of the Neno, Balaka, Dowa, Kasungu, Mzimba, and Nkhata Bay Education Districts. Literacy Boost aims to improve literacy for students in Standards 1 to 3.

EQUAPEG Project (Promoting Equal Access to Quality Primary Education for Girls and Most Vulnerable Children in Nsanje District) implemented by Concern International seeks to increase educational access for girls and also to increase the quality of their educational experience in a the Nsanje Education District. This includes improving reading skills for beneficiaries.

A Literacy Intervention is being piloted in the Zomba Rural Education District by the Millennium Villages Project, Mwandama through its learning center program. The intervention began in The Fall of 2014 and focuses on teaching students the proper sounds of each letter of the Chichewa alphabet in order to equip them with the skills to decode short words, with the goal of transferring these skills to the reading of English.

C.2.3 Results Framework

The YESA Results Framework appears on the following page. The activity-specific framework provides the overarching conceptual basis for YESA and its role in the EGRP to establish a comprehensive sustainable assessment system for early grade reading in Malawi.

Activity Goal: Comprehensive Assessment and Capacity Building Systems for Early Grade Reading Instituted and Sustained to Support Malawi’s National Reading

Outcome 1:

National Reading

Assessment Instituted

O1.1: Sufficient demand and political will to support regular National Reading Assessments identified, developed, and institutionalized

O1.2 Capacity for performing National Reading

Assessments created within government of Malawi institution(s)

Outcome 2:

Universal School–Level

Utilization of Assessment Strategies and Techniques for Reading and school management instituted

Outcome 3:

Community Level capacity for the performance and informed use of reading assessments and activities instituted

O1.3 National Reading Assessment tools identified, standardized and utilized to inform targeted planning and new education policies

0utcome 4: Integration of Reading Assessments into the NRP and MOEST Policies and Practices Instituted

02.1 Capacity for performing

school-level continuous assessment in reading and school management developed

02.2 School-Level

assessment tools identified, standardized and utilized

03.1 Capacity for performing

community level reading assessments and other reading activities developed

03.2 Community Level

assessments and other reading improvement tools identified, standardized, and utilized

Development Objective: Social Development Improved

Project Objective: Reading skills of all Malawian students Improved

03.2 Data from assessments

and other activities used for planning and advocacy

02.3 Data from assessments

used for planning and advocacy

C.2.3.1 Results Framework Explanation

Relationship between the YESA Goal and the CDCS

A healthy, educated population is essential to improving peoples’ social development and livelihoods.

Research has made it clear that children who achieve greater educational outcomes will become adults who are better able to hold jobs, increase their income, have fewer and healthier children, and hold their governments accountable, all of which contribute to a higher quality of life. The outcome hypothesis of YESA is that if comprehensive assessment and capacity building systems are created and sustained then stakeholders will be better able to measure and demand quality reading instruction. This demand will motivate national, district, school, and community levels to fully utilize and improve upon the National Reading Programme interventions. This will improve reading outcomes and thus social development as defined in the CDCS.

Activity Goal: Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation for Early Grade Reading Instituted and Sustained As outlined in the results framework for YESA, USAID/Malawi posits that if there is a multi-level assessment system for early grade reading instituted at the community, school, district, and national levels, then children’s skills will improve as teachers’ abilities to target skill gaps increase, and families and communities knowledge about reading skills acquisition will improve so that they are able to better demand accountability for high quality reading instruction.

For the purposes of this solicitation, the word “instituted” as used in the results framework and the outcome statements, for example, is to be interpreted as the sustained and autonomous ownership, use, and timely performance of the specific assessment by the local system being targeted.

The goal statement represents the highest-level development challenge the Contractor must focus on. The Contractor must seek to address the development hurdles posed by current practices and inefficiencies through a carefully targeted mix of interlinked national, district, school, and community-based approaches.

This mix of technically sound approaches must establish and institute a sustainable and MOEST-owned National Reading Assessment linked to current and future MOEST sector strategy indicators and targets and used for resource planning and policy decisions (Objective 1), universal school-level utilization of assessment strategies and techniques for reading with linkages to the MOEST’s education management information system (EMIS) data collection and use of Primary School Improvement Program (PSIP) grants (O2), and nationwide community-level capacity for the performance and informed use of a simple, easy-to-use reading assessments and messages focused on reading and other relevant information about vulnerable populations (including girls) and key messages grounded in evidence coming out of USAID’s EGRAIE activity as well as a centrally funded USAID Social Behavior Change Communications evaluation (O3). In addition, to ensure that these assessments will compliment and inform each other to support the National Reading Programme in improving the reading skills of Malawian primary school students, they must be integrated and coordinated to support the NRP and links to inform existing school, district, and national level resource allocation, development, and strategic planning (04).

As its base function YESA is to work with the MoEST to create and execute a cohesive assessment plan, which is integral to any reform effort. The assessment data will pinpoint instructional areas that need to be modified; highlight gaps in the delivery system; and identify methods of improvement.

YESA will allow for the comparison of data within and across standards and over time. To ensure that YESA assessment data is most useful, all currently available USAID reading data and assessments will be reviewed to determine how it can be used to compare with YESA assessments.

In addition, YESA will ensure that (a) the critical reading skills will be assessed; (b) the skills to be assessed are predictive of reading mastery; and (c) the tasks are standard/age appropriate.

Each of the proposed YESA assessments must make a unique contribution to the reform of the National Reading Programme.

In supporting the MoEST’s National Reading Programme, to further NRP goals YESA will be responsible for providing support for working within MoEST and community-level systems to create and institutionalize assessments for measuring reading outcomes in primary school students. This will allow stakeholders to better understand expectations and measure student progress toward national reading benchmarks as mandated in the National Reading Strategy.

Teachers are successful in educational systems that use assessment data to identify strengths and areas for development; ensure that there is adequate time for teaching; support teachers to continue to grow as professionals, and commit resources in targeted ways informed by data. As such, these assessments are to be used for these purposes and are not to be used as high-stakes exams. No promotion or certificate should be dependent upon any of the YESA supported assessments.

Outcome 1: National Reading Assessment Instituted

The focus of this outcome is to create and/or augment the capacity within the Government of Malawi to perform a national reading assessment on a consistent basis (eventually independently) and to ensure there is sustainable support for regular national reading assessments through inclusion of reading data and targets ideally at the Standard 2 and 4 levels in MOEST education sector improvement program (ESIP) strategy documents, the use of national reading assessment data to inform the development of in-service and pre-service teacher training programs, and other linkages determined by MOEST and USAID with the implementing partner.

To that end, the Contractor must develop an innovative, evidence-based, cost effective, and self-sustaining suite of actions to create or augment the capacity of the Government of Malawi to measure the progress of the NRP and use NRP data for decision making and new education policies.

Outcome 2: Universal school–level utilization of assessment strategies and techniques for reading instituted

Evidence emerging from several countries that have sought to improve reading outcomes in the primary grades demonstrates that improved instruction results when teachers are knowledgeable about how children learn and how to teach children to read, they have materials that support teaching and learning, they have adequate time to teach reading, and they use formative and summative assessments to make instructional decisions.

This outcome focuses on creating the capacity to create, administer, and utilize assessments at the school-level. This includes both continuous assessments in addition to end-of-unit and end-of-year assessments.

The Offeror will work in close conjunction with MERIT to perform school level assessments that are complimentary to MERIT interventions. This means that YESA interventions will enhance, support, and utilize but not duplicate MERIT continuous assessment interventions to achieve this outcome. YESA will also work with School Management Committees (SMCs) to collect school performance data such as attendance of students and teachers, the timeliness of students and teachers to class (especially at the start of school), distribution of textbooks to students, and other indicators determined by USAID with the MOEST in order to hold schools accountable for student learning progress. School level data should be linked to the use of MOEST PSIP, USAID/MERIT, and GPE/MESIP grants and collection of reading data at school, zonal, and district levels should be tracked by the MOEST and possibly through the annual EMIS. MOEST staff including district education managers, zonal education officers, and cluster and school level inspectors and teachers should be trained to develop, administer/assess, grade assessments and use data for instruction and decision making/planning purposes. YESA should work with the MOEST to institute the collection of student reading data to determine how PSIP, MESIP and other related grants are to be used.

For the purpose of this task order “universal” is meant to convey it is used in every school or classroom is utilizing assessment strategies. It does not mean that every learner is to be assessed at every occasion.

Appropriate assessment and sampling techniques will be proposed and agreed upon through the work plan.

Outcome 3: Community level capacity for the performance and informed use of reading assessments and reading activities instituted

Research has shown that even though reading abilities in the primary grades in Malawi are quite low, the school community perceives that children are reading at appropriate levels.

YESA will facilitate the utilization of existing school or community-level systems and/or management structures to engage school communities at the household level to become informed and enthusiastic consumers of and positive change agents for reading reforms. Community messages and activities must be developed in line with evidence coming from EGRAIE and SBCC/Malawi and in consultation with USAID.

Outcome 4: Integration of reading assessments into National Reading Programme instituted

Outcomes 1-3 are essential but not sufficient to create reading reform. Knowledge without the ability to interpret or learn from that knowledge has little utility.

This outcome is included to emphasize the necessity of each of the outcomes to work in concert to achieve YESA goals and in turn for YESA as a whole to work with other USAID activities and development partners to achieve greater development goals. It also allows for learning through studies that will both build capacity and inform implementation.

These multiple levels of reforms must inform the other. For example, it is not sufficient to have an informed and capable community that understands the reading abilities of their children; they must use that knowledge to support, and demand from their schools, better reading outcomes. Schools, in turn, must be able to understand the abilities of their students and use the continuous assessment tools provided through the NRP to improve instruction.

This outcome also must link school communities with existing and future resources to help improve reading such as Primary School Improvement Program grants, Global Partnership for Education grants, and in-kind grants provided by USAID activities.

In addition, YESA must work in close collaboration with MERIT to complement the work of MERIT and ensure the EGRP is providing a consistent and comprehensive product.

Critical Assumptions

Two critical assumptions underpin the Results Framework:

1.…