RFP_NO_SOL-621-15-000014.pdf

Issuance Date: April 28, 2015 Deadline for Questions: 16:00 East Africa Time (EAT), May 6, 2015 Deadline for Receipt of Past performance Annex: 16:00 EAT, May 18, 2015 Deadline for Receipt of Proposal: 16:00 EAT, June 1, 2015

Subject: Request for Proposals (RFP) No. SOL-621-15-000014

USAID/Tanzania

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Tanzania is seeking proposals from responsible organizations interested in providing the services described in Section C of this solicitation for technical assistance and instructional materials targeted at improving lifelong learning skills, defined as mastery of early grade reading, writing, and arithmetic.

USAID/Tanzania anticipates awarding one Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion type contract as a result of this solicitation. The estimated cost range for this procurement is $60 to $70 million. The anticipated period of performance is five years, subject to availability of funds.

The purpose of providing an estimated amount for the contract is to help Offerors develop their proposals. Offerors must propose costs that are reasonable and realistic for the work described herein and commensurate with their technical approach. Cost will be evaluated as part of a best value determination for contract award, including cost effective approaches to achieving the results. The authorized geographic code for this procurement is 935 and the NAICS code is 541 -- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services/541990 -- All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services.

This procurement is being conducted through full and open competition, pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). All types of organizations are eligible to compete.

All organizations responding to this solicitation, must submit their proposal in accordance with Section L of this RFP. Proposals must be submitted electronically to the USAID Tanzania contracting office mailbox at usaidtzco@usaid.gov. Late proposals will be handled in accordance with FAR 52.215-1, Alternate I.

This solicitation in no way obligates USAID to award a contract, nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Furthermore, the Government reserves the right to reject any and all offers, if such action is considered to be in the best interest of the Government.

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER RATING PAGE OF PAGES

UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER 4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION 5. DATE ISSUED 6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

SEALED BID (IFB)

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

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

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

9. Sealed offers in original and _____________________________ copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if handcarried, in the depository located in until local time _______________________ (Hour) (Date)

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.

A. NAME B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS) C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

AREA CODE NUMBER EXT.

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

PART I - THE SCHEDULE PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

A SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM I CONTRACT CLAUSES

B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

C DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

D PACKAGING AND MARKING PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA L INSTR., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

K

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER

STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

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

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within 240_____ calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted 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 designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT 10 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 20 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 30 CALENDAR DAYS (%) CALENDAR DAYS (%)

(See Section I, Clause No. 52-232-8)

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS AMENDMENT NO. DATE AMENDMENT NO. DATE

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors and related documents numbered and dated:

CODE FACILITY

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

ADDRESS

OF OFFEROR

(Type or print)

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER 17. SIGNATURE 18. OFFER DATE

AREA CODE NUMBER EXT.

15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS IS DIFFERENT FROM

ABOVE - ENTER SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED 20. AMOUNT 21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: 23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN G.5 ITEM (4 copies unless otherwise specified)

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

24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7) 25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BYCODE CODE

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print) 27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 28. AWARD DATE

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

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

(REV. 9-97)

10. FOR INFORMATION CALL:

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

STANDARD FORM 33

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

SOLICITATION

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

AWARD (To be completed by Government)

3 137N/A

SOL‐621‐15‐000014

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Electronic only n/a

16:00 EAT June 1, 2015

Keisha Effiom 255 222600378 4388 usaidtzco @usaid.gov

See Attached Table of Contents

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Office of Acquisition and Assistance Office (OAA) USAID/Tanzania P.O.Box 9130 686 Old Bagamoyo Road, Msasani Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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 AND CEILING PRICE

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

B.6 COST REIMBURSABLE

B.7 CANCELLATION CEILING

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS / STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 INTRODUCTION

C.2 BACKGROUND

C.3 TUSOME PAMOJA TARGET REGIONS, BENEFICIARIES, PARTNER

INSTITUTIONS, AND PROGRAMS

C.4 STATEMENT OF WORK

C.5 PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND EVALUATION

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993)

D.2 BRANDING STRATEGY AND MARKING PLAN

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OF PERFORMANCE

F.1 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

F.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

F.3 AUTHORIZED WORKWEEK

F.4 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

F.5 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

F.6 REPORTS AND DELIVERABLES OR OUTPUTS

F.7 PERSONNEL

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S AUTHORITY AND ADMINISTRATIVE

CONTRACTING OFFICE

G.3 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

G.4 TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID

G.5 PAYING OFFICE

G.6 CONTRACTOR’S PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT

RFP NO. SOL-621-15-000014

G.7 CONTRACTOR’S PAYMENT ADDRESS

G.8 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

G.9 COUNTRY CLEARANCE

SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 52.252-2 – CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

H.2 AIDAR 752.225-70 Source and Nationality Requirements (FEB 2012)

H.3 INSURANCE AND SERVICES

H.4 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE

H.5 NON-EXPENDABLE PROPERTY PURCHASES AND INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

H.6 LOGISTIC SUPPORT

H.7 LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

H.8 EXECUTIVE ORDER ON TERRORISM FINANCING (FEB 2002)

H.9 REPORTING ON FOREIGN TAXES (JULY 2007)

H.10 AIDAR 752.7007 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (JULY 2007)

H.11 EMPLOYMENT COSTS OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS AND COOPERATING

COUNTRY NATIONALS

H.12 STANDARDS OF CONDUCT -- IMPROPER BUSINESS PRACTICES

H.13 USAID DISABILITY POLICY (DECEMBER 2004)

H.14 SPECIAL PROVISIONS

H.15AIDAR 752.228-70 MEDICAL EVACUATION (MEDEVAC) SERVICES (JULY 2007)

H.16 Conference Planning and Required Approvals (August 2013) H.17 ADS 302.3.5.9 NONDISCRIMINATION (June 2012)

H.18 ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS SYSTEM

H.19 ADS 302.3.5.13 – ACCESS TO USAID FACILITIES AND USAID’S INFORMATION

SYSTEMS (August 2013)

H.20 FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL

CONFERENCES (JAN 2002)

H.21 ADS 302.3.5.21 – USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNER NOTICES (IPN) PORTAL

FOR ACQUISITION (JUL 2014)

H.22 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

H.23 CONFLICT OF INTEREST

H.24 GENDER CONSIDERATION

H.25 302.3.5.22 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA

LIBRARY (DDL) (OCTOBER 2014)

PART II – CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I – CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 52.252-2 – CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

I.2 52.203-13 – CONTRACTOR CODE OF BUSINESS ETHICS AND CONDUCT (APR

2010)

I.3 52.203-99 - PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT REQUIRE

CERTAIN INTERNAL CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS (DEVIATION 2015-2)

(APR 2015)

I.4 52.204-1 – APPROVAL OF CONTRACT (DEC 1989)

I.5 52.217-8 – OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999)

I.6 52.222-50 – COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (MAR 2015)

I.7 52.247-67 – SUBMISSION OF TRANSPORTATION DOCUMENTS FOR AUDIT

(FEB 2006)

I.8 AIDAR 752.7101 – VOLUNTARY POPULATION PLANNING ACTIVITIES (JUN

2008)

I.9 USAID IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 508 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT

OF 1973 AND FEDERAL ACQUISITION CIRCULAR (FAC) 97-27 "ELECTRONIC

AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY

I.10 AIDAR 752.7032 – INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL APPROVAL AND NOTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS (APR 2014)

PART III – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT 1 – USAID FORM 1420-17 - CONTRACTOR BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

SHEET

ATTACHMENT 2 – SF LLL Disclosure of lobbying activities

ATTACHMENT 3 – PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

ATTACHMENT 4 - THE BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES AUTHORIZED BY THE

ATTACHMENT 5 – LIST OF REFERENCES

PART IV – REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K – REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS

OF OFFERORS

K.1 52.252-2 – CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

K.2 52.203-98 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT REQUIRE

CERTAIN INTERNAL CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS-REPRESENTATION

(DEVIATION 2015-2) (APR 2015)

K.3 52.204-8 – ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (DEC 2014) .. 94

K.4 52.209-5 – CERTIFICATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (APR

2010)

K.5 52.209 7 – INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (JUL 2013)

K.6 FAR 52.209-XX REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATION REGARDING A

DELINQUENT TAX LIABILITY OR A FELONY CRIMINAL CONVICTION

(Deviation OAA-DEV-14-02c) (August 2014)

K.7 52.222.22 – PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE REPORTS (FEB 1999)

K.8 52.230-1 – COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND CERTIFICATION

(MAY 2012)

K.9 52.230-7 – PROPOSAL DISCLOSURE – COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICE

CHANGES (APR 2005)

K.10 INSURANCE - IMMUNITY FROM TORT LIABILITY

K.11 SIGNATURE

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 52.252-1 – SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB

1998)

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 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: . 109

L.6 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST PROPOSAL:

L.7 DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

L.8 LATE SUBMISSIONS

L.9 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF BRANDING IMPLEMENTATION AND

MARKING PLAN

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA

M.2 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

M.3 SOURCE SELECTION AND COMPETITIVE RANGE

M.4 COST PROPOSAL EVALUATION

ATTACHMENT 1 – USAID FORM 1420-17 - CONTRACTOR BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

SHEET

ATTACHMENT 2 – SF LLL Disclosure of lobbying activities

ATTACHMENT 3 – PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

ATTACHMENT 4 - THE BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES AUTHORIZED BY THE 134

ATTACHMENT 5 – LIST OF REFERENCES

ACRONYM LIST

ACO Administrative Contracting Officer ADS Automated Directive System AIDAR USAID Acquisition Regulation AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome BRN Big Results Now CAS Cost Accounting Standards CCIR Cross Cutting Intermediate Result CCN Cooperating Country National CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CFR Code of Federal Regulations CLA Collaborating, Learning and Adapting CO Contracting Officer COP Chief of Party COR Contracting Officer Representative CPFF Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee DBA Defense Base Act DEC Development Experience Clearinghouse DO Development Objective DOC Development Outreach and Communications Officer DoD Department of Defense DQA Data Quality Assessment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAPIIS Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation FOIA Freedom of Information Act FTF Feed the Future FY Fiscal Year GIS Geographic Information Services GOT Government of Tanzania GOZ Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar GPE LANES Global Partnership for Education Literacy and Numeracy Support HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus /Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome HSPD Homeland Security Presidential Directive IEE Initial Environmental Examination IP Implementing Partner IRS Internal Revenue Service LOE Level of Effort M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MEDEVAC Medical Evacuation MoEVT Ministry of Education and Vocational Training NAICS North American Industry Classification System NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NBS National Bureau of Statistics

NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement NXP Non-expendable Property OFAC Office of Foreign Assets Control OPM Office of Personnel Management PDF Portable Document Format PEPFAR President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief PFG Partnership for Growth PIV Personal Identity Verification PMP Performance Management and Plan PPR Performance Plan and Report RFP Request for Proposal SF Standard Form SOW Statement of Work TBD To Be Determined TCN Third Country Nationals U.S. United States USAID United States Agency for International Development USPSC U.S. Personal Service Contract

RFP NO. SOL-621-15-000014 SECTION B

PART I – THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to acquire technical assistance and instructional materials targeted at improving lifelong learning skills, defined as mastery of early grade reading, writing, and arithmetic. Technical assistance will cover: (1) improving quality of basic skills instruction at the early primary level; (2) strengthening Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) skills delivery systems; and (3) increasing community and parental engagement in early primary education. These three components align with the Government of Tanzania (GoT)’s ten-year Education Development Sector Plan (EDSP)(see Attachment 5, item 22) and other reforms underway, such as Big Results Now (BRN), Performance4Results (P4R), and Global Partnership for Education Literacy and Numeracy Support (GPE LANES) program on 3R’s (reading, writing, and arithmetic) reform.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion type contract. For the consideration set forth below, the contractor must perform the tasks required in Section C (Statement of Work) and provide all deliverables and/or outputs as described in Section F in accordance with the performance standards specified.

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, is to be determined (TBD). The fixed fee is TBD. The estimated cost plus fixed fee is TBD.

(b) Within the estimated cost plus fixed fee 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.

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

B.4 BUDGET AND CEILING PRICE

Cost Elements by Component

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total

Component 1 Component 2 Component 3

Other Direct Costs Subtotal Direct Costs

Indirect Costs Total Estimated Cost

Fixed Fee Total Cost plus Fixed Fee

The contractor will not be paid any sum in excess of the ceiling price.

The inclusion of any costs in the above budget does not obviate the requirement for prior approval from the Contracting Officer of cost items designated as requiring prior approval (see FAR §52.216-7 “ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT”); nor does it constitute a determination of allowability by the Contracting Officer of any item of cost, unless specifically stated elsewhere in this contract.

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

For the Prime Contractor:

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 1/ 1/ 1/ 1/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 2/

1/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

2/Base of Application:

Type of Rate: Period:

For Each of the Major Subcontractor(s)*

Description Rate Base Type Period

% 1/ 1/ 1/ % 2/ 2/ 2/ % 3/ 3/ 3/

1/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

2/Base of Application:

Period:

3/Base of Application:

Period:

*“Major Subcontractors” are those subcontractors whose proposed cost exceeds 15% of the total estimated contract cost.

B.6 COST REIMBURSABLE

(a) 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), and AIDAR 752.7003 (Documentation for Payment).

(b) In addition, the requirement and conditions concerning estimated cost and funding apply as detailed in FAR 52.232-22, LIMITATION OF FUNDS.

B.7 CANCELLATION CEILING

This is 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, 2016 Cancellation Ceiling: TBD Contract Year 3: DATE TBD, 2017 Cancellation Ceiling: TBD Contract Year 4: DATE TBD, 2018 Cancellation Ceiling: TBD Contract Year 5: DATE TBD, 2019 Cancellation Ceiling: TBD

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”.

Therefore, the cancellation ceiling for each cancellation date is stated above.

[END OF SECTION B]

RFP NO. SOL-621-15-000014 SECTION C

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS / STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 INTRODUCTION

This contract will implement the Tusome Pamoja activity. Tusome Pamoja, Kiswahili for Let’s Read Together is a primary education activity with an emphasis on reading and writing under the USAID/Tanzania Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS/Tanzania) priority objective, “improved lifelong learning skills”. This objective supports human resource development for Tanzania to reach middle-income status by 2025.

Figure One: Diagram of the Theory of Change

The activity will align with, and further the implementation of, the GoT’s 3Rs reform. Under this reform, the GoT is focusing on empowering pre-primary, first, and second grade teachers to teach the 3Rs using evidence-based materials, methodologies, and approaches that yield measurable outcomes in student learning. The GoT approaches 3Rs reform as a holistic ensemble. The GoT states that student success in each competency area (reading, writing, and arithmetic) reinforces and supports students’ success in the other areas. Though the contractor must emphasize and prioritize early grade reading and writing under this contract, it must do so in a manner that supports the GoT’s comprehensive vision.

C.2 BACKGROUND

Tanzania has made significant progress in access and equity in education, with a primary net enrollment ratio above 90% and near gender parity at all primary education levels. However, there are few corresponding advances in educational quality, particularly in the early grades. As a part of USAID’s global Education Strategy 2011-2015 (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACQ946.pdf), USAID/Tanzania funded assessments, including an Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), Early Grade Math Assessment (EGMA), and Snapshot of School Management Effectiveness (SSME). The results revealed that

TUSOME PAMOJA

•Basic Skills Instruction Improved

•Basic Skills Delivery Systems Strengthened

•Parental and community engagement in education increased

Lifelong Learning Skills

Improved

Women and Youth Empowered

Tanzania's Advance Toward Middle Income Status

Supported the majority of Grade 2 students were not reading with fluency and lacked foundational literacy skills taught in first and second grade. The SSME noted that 89% of sampled mainland schools lacked necessary textbooks, 25% of classrooms had no reading materials or textbooks in Kiswahili, and 50% of students did not read at home. Results were only slightly better for Zanzibar, where about 25% of students had textbooks or printed materials. These results are similar to those of the household-level learning assessments conducted by Uwezo/Tanzania; only a fraction of 100,000 grade 2 and 3 children tested by Uwezo in 2012 possessed the required skills in reading and arithmetic at their grade level. Overall, Tanzanian children are not mastering the lifelong learning skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic to succeed in future educational or professional endeavors.

USAID/Tanzania’s gender analysis examined girls’ access to schooling, poverty and family livelihood security, socio-cultural barriers, and gender-based violence and harassment, and identified the following:

Educational access and attainment are lower for females, leading to higher levels of illiteracy and loss of economic opportunity;

Women and children are disproportionately affected by poverty;

Women and girls are more likely to be victims of gender-based violence, and schools (and travel to and from school) are locations where violence and harassment occur;

Attitudes towards gender roles undermine women’s ability to assume positions of leadership; and

A shortage of sex-disaggregated data affects policy reform and contract evaluation.

The GoT is committed to reversing the crisis in education quality and has identified the principal causes. These are: weak capacity and systems for service delivery; teachers’ absenteeism and limited skills; lack of 3R instructional materials in Kiswahili and other mother tongues; resource constraints and non-transparent financial management practices that limit funds for school management and upkeep; lack of local authority for decision making; low community engagement; and persistent poverty. To address these, the GoT launched the Big Results Now (BRN) campaign in 2013, a nationwide effort to achieve development indicators in sectors from agriculture and energy to education. The main education-related objectives of BRN are to formulate educational policy based on evidence; rationalize teacher deployment schemes;

transfer school capitation grants reliably; and ensure more children master the 3Rs by the end of grade two. A number of development partners provide financing tied to achievement of results under BRN.

With funding from the Global Partnership for Education Literacy and Numeracy Support (GPE LANES) Program and technical support from USAID/Tanzania, the GoT initiated the 3Rs program for instruction in pre-primary school (the grade that precedes first grade) and grades one and two. The GoT developed competency frameworks for each skill area at each grade level (5 skill areas in reading, 4 in writing, and 4 in arithmetic). The Ministry also stipulated 80% or more of instructional time be dedicated to reading, writing, and arithmetic and developed a standard “learning kit” on new competency frameworks and syllabi.

In 2015, the GoT started a training program on the 3Rs. Between April and June 2015, the Ministry will utilize funding from the GPE LANES Program to conduct 3Rs training for more than 17,000 grade one and two teachers. Training guides and materials used in the 10 day residential training are available in Attachment 5, items 10 and 11. The Ministry has committed to follow up this training with a mix of cluster-based training and self-study material implemented over the next few years.

Development partners are supporting these government-led reforms. USAID/Tanzania, for example, supports improvements in early grade reading under a four-year, $44 million 21st Century Basic Education Program (TZ21). The materials and methodologies of the TZ21contract are good examples for the lower primary education system, and mid-term evaluations of TZ21 indicate improvements in reading between participating and non-participating lower grades of comparable schools. Coordination of 3Rs support between USAID/Tanzania and the three-year, $94 million GPE LANES Program has been extensive; for example, GPE LANES is producing and distributing materials developed under TZ21. This model of USAID/Tanzania materials development, and GPE LANES production and distribution to schools is expected to continue, and will be particularly useful for the production and distribution of student learning materials for arithmetic. For a list of bilateral agencies please refer to the following website http://www.tzdpg.or.tz/dpg-website/dpg-tanzania/about-dpg-in-tanzania.html and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) please refer to the following website http://www.tenmet.org/operating in education in Tanzania, and key documents and reports from each program.

C.3 TUSOME PAMOJA TARGET REGIONS, BENEFICIARIES, PARTNER

INSTITUTIONS, AND PROGRAMS

The contractor must assist regional, district, and ward personnel to implement reading, writing, and arithmetic reforms in five regions of Tanzania, with support given to all public primary schools in the selected regions. Approximately 3,000 total public primary schools in the five regions will benefit, with an estimated 1.5 million children directly benefitting over the five years of the program. No private primary schools will be beneficiaries of Tusome Pamoja. In addition to direct beneficiaries, Tusome Pamoja materials and methodologies will serve as models for 3Rs reform in other regions of the country.

To leverage recent USAID/Tanzania funded improvements in early grade reading instruction, the contractor must continue to work in the approximately 900 public primary schools in Mtwara and Zanzibar regions. USAID/Tanzania will identify three additional regions, containing approximately 2,100 public primary schools in total, based on a combination of factors, including political will for early grade instructional reforms, implementation plans of other agencies and NGOs, distance between schools, enrollment rates, gender-based violence, early marriage, early pregnancy, and linguistic diversity. Another important criterion is whether the region falls within the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), which USAID/Tanzania identifies as priority area for multi-sector assistance to achieve the CDCS goal of “advancing Tanzania’s socio-economic transformation towards achieving middle-income status by 2025.”

In Mtwara and Zanzibar, TZ21 implemented interventions for improving Kiswahili reading skills of grades one and two students. Under Tusome Pamoja, the contractor must reinforce basic skills of grade one and two students and support improved basic skills in the 3Rs in grades one to four.

In addition, in Mtwara and Zanzibar, the contractor will conduct a 3Rs pre-primary intervention that implements activities in 75 pre-primary level classrooms in each of the regions (150 in total). Further details on this pre-primary intervention are included in the description of Component 1.4. Because early grade instructional reforms are just beginning in the three other Tusome Pamoja regions, the contractor will work only in grades one and two in these three regions.

Table 1: Regions and Grade-level Interventions

Pre-primary Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Zanzibar X X X X X Mtwara X X X X X Region 3 X X Region 4 X X Region 5 X X

The contractor must strengthen the capacity of Tanzania’s regional government entities.

Tanzania has implemented the devolution of many primary education functions from the central ministries to regions, districts, wards, and local government authorities. The contractor must measure outcomes in system strengthening at these levels, particularly the regional level. At the same time, the contractor must also support gradual assumption of responsibility for planning, budgeting, and implementation aspects of 3Rs reform at the region, district, ward, and local government level. USAID/Tanzania intends for this model of capacity development and responsibility transfer to allow continued improvement of student outcomes after Tusome Pamoja.

The contractor will use and support GoT partner institutions in Table 2 below.

Table 2: GoT Partner Institutions

Partner Institution Regional Level Regional Office of Education District Office of Education Local Government Authority (LGA) Ward Office of Education Schools Central Level Mainland Prime Minister’s Office-Regional Administration and Local Government

(PMO-RALG)

Tanzania Institute for Education (TIE) Commissioner of Education’s Offices (policy and planning division, teacher education unit, basic education policy development division, and school quality assurance division

National Commission for Educational Assessment Mainland Federal Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) Zanzibar Zanzibar Commissioner of Education Offices (department of teacher education and department of pre-primary, primary, and lower education) Zanzibar Institute for Education (ZIE) Zanzibar’s independent Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (Z/MoEVT)

A pre-service institute of training is not included because pre-service training is not a primary task under Tusome Pamoja and the contractor is not required to measure change at the pre-service teacher training level.

The contractor must align implementation to maximize synergies and minimize overlap with the following:

Department for International Development (DFID)’s EQUIP-T program;

UNICEF programs;

Reading programs implemented by other bilateral or multilateral donors; and

USAID health, nutrition, and decentralization programs implemented in Tusome Pamoja target regions.

Beginning in 2013, representatives of intervention programs in early grade reading, writing, and arithmetic, and key leaders and authorities from the Ministry, have regular Development Partner (DP) meetings. Through these bi-monthly or monthly meetings, they have made considerable progress in coordinating programs, sharing lessons learned and best practices and planning for future jointly supported activities and interventions. The contractor must participate in these meetings, strengthening this management model to be an effective means of collaboration and cooperation.

C.4 STATEMENT OF WORK

The Tusome Pamoja program’s primary goal is to increase the percentage of children who:

a. after two years of schooling, can read and comprehend grade level text, encode simple sentences, and solve grade-level arithmetic problems (measured in all regions), and;

b. after four years of schooling, can read and comprehend grade level text, respond to simple writing prompts, and solve grade-level arithmetic problems (measured in two regions)

The program is expected to reach approximately 1.4 million students, and will be considered a success if it can demonstrate measurable increases in student learning amongst these students using internationally viable instruments such as EGRA and EGMA. At least 75 percent of classrooms participating in Tusome Pamoja must demonstrate statistically significant improvement in reading outcomes over the life of the program.

The program includes three major components. The components, and the expected results for each, are listed in the table below. Expected results for each sub-component are detailed below.

Component Expected Results Numerical Targets

1. Quality of early grade basic skills instruction improved Tusome Pamoja classrooms and schools use internationally acceptable materials, teaching practices, coaching routines, and assessment measures for the teaching of reading, writing, and arithmetic

3000 schools (900 in Zanzibar and Mtwara, and 2100 in two other regions)

2. Skills delivery and assessment systems of MoEVT strengthened

The MoE, is able to complete distribution of materials, teacher training and coaching, school monitoring and student assessment using the same norms and international standards as the Tusome Pamoja program

2 central governments and 5 regions

3. Effective engagement in education of parents and community increased

Parents and family members in Tusome Pamoja communities implement

3000 communities (based on number of schools) home-based and school-based activities to provide additional instructional experiences in reading, writing, and math for their children during out-of-school time.

The Objective, Components and the topline indicators for measuring impact for Tusome Pamoja are:

Contract Objective: Lifelong Learning Skills (i.e., reading, writing, arithmetic) Improved in Target Regions of Tanzania Required Topline Indicators:

a. % of children who, after two years of schooling, can read and comprehend grade level text, encode simple sentences, and solve grade-level arithmetic problems (measured in all regions)

b. % of children who, after four years of schooling, can read and comprehend grade level text, respond to simple writing prompts, and solve grade-level arithmetic problems (measured in two regions)

2.1 Research-based policies for

successful reading implementation institutionalized

2.2 MoEVT coaching and mentoring

of teachers improved

2.3 Regional systems for early grade

reading assessment improved

2.4 Targeted, data-driven capacity

building implemented, for select MoEVT institutions

Component 1: Quality of early grade basic skills instruction improved (approx. 60% of total cost)

Component 3: Effective engagement in education of parents and community increased (approx. 15% of total cost)

Component 2: Skills delivery and assessment systems of MoEVT strengthened (approx. 25% of total cost)

1.1 Provide quality instructional materials

for early grade reading, writing, and arithmetic

1.2 Effective use of reading, writing and

arithmetic teaching and learning materials in the classroom by teachers increased

1.3 School leadership and management in

support of reading, writing, and arithmetic strengthened

1.4 Quality of pre-primary reading and

writing instruction improved

3.1 Engagement by parents and

community members on 3Rs development increased

3.2 Community and civil society oversight

of 3Rs instruction increased

3.3 Quality of learning environments

improved

Component 1: Quality of early grade basic skills instruction improved

USAID defines basic skills as skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Data on early grade reading and arithmetic performance in Tanzania indicate children are not mastering basic skills of Tanzania’s 3Rs initiative (referred to in this contract as Lifelong Learning Skills). Poor student participation and performance in upper grades are directly traced to poor mastery of fundamental literacy and numeracy skills in lower grades. If students do not acquire strong foundational skills early, gaps in learning outcomes between students grow over time and sufficient human capital needed for economic growth is not developed.

The contractor will work at the classroom and school levels to ensure that students and teachers benefit from the materials, training, supportive leadership, and responsive institutional environments to catalyze positive change in learning outcomes.

Component 1.1 - Provision of high-quality instructional materials for early grade reading, writing, and arithmetic improved

Research proves that successful reading, writing, and mathematics reforms depend on students having access to high-quality materials. The achievement of Tusome Pamoja’s topline outcome, improved reading, writing, and arithmetic skills, is directly related to the achievement of this contract component. The result of the work under this component must be that all students in Tusome Pamoja-supported classrooms use learning materials that meet or exceed industry standards (see below for description) and conform to the primary school curriculum articulated by the Tanzania Institute for Education. The presence of materials in Tusome Pamoja classrooms must be verified by classroom monitoring instruments developed as part of the performance monitoring plan.

The contractor must develop, produce, and distribute instructional materials as discussed below.

Evidence on learning indicates that adequate provision of learning materials in the early grades is critical to student acquisition of basic skills. To learn to read, students need access to their own copy of carefully sequenced decodable and leveled texts in a language they speak and understand. To learn to write their own thoughts and responses, students need paper, prompts that they can understand (i.e., image cards), and a sufficient supply of chalk, pencils, or other writing implements. To learn to solve procedural and conceptual arithmetic problems, early grade students need manipulatives, charts, and workbooks in which they can calculate answers.

Classroom teachers are generally unable to produce these required materials, particularly for early grade reading. When these materials are available, teachers require scripted lesson plans to use them.

The mainland MoEVT and the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) have assembled a learning kit prototype for distribution to 3Rs classrooms. Building on the prototype, the contractor must develop materials to fulfill a “minimum required package” provided in Table 3 for each grade and 3R subject.

The contractor must produce and distribute the reading and writing packages or “kits” at a ratio of one kit per student in the five target Tusome Pamoja regions. Individual student kits will also include additional student materials justified by evidence, research, and sustainability consideration. All materials must conform to minimum international standards for quality, including those related to sequencing of skills and content (for all 3 skill areas), font types, letter and word sizes and spacing, paper types, binding types (for reading and writing), durability, and cost-efficiency ratios (for all 3 types of material). Materials produced Tusome Pamoja must be validated by the Tanzania Institute for Education to ensure they conform to standards consistent with the Tanzanian primary school curriculum. See Attachment 5, item 7, for the unit costs of materials that the MoEVT has previously found cost effective to produce.

The contractor must assist the TIE in the development of arithmetic materials for the student learning kit. However, the contractor is not required to print and distribute arithmetic materials as USAID will identify other sources of funding and support, notably from the GPE LANES Program, to procure and deliver arithmetic materials in the five target regions. In accordance with supporting guidance for USAID’s Education Strategy (which is focused on reading), the contractor may devote no more than $500,000 dollars per year to arithmetic.

Table 3: Minimum required materials per grade and subject

Reading (Kiswahili) Writing Arithmetic

Grade One

Decodable Reader

Reader with Leveled Texts

Wide-lined writing journal with pre-printed writing prompts

Handwriting practice book for manuscript print

Materials for counting and sorting

Arithmetic workbook

Grade Two

Reader with Leveled Texts

Wide-lined writing journal with pre-printed writing prompts

Hundreds Charts

Arithmetic flashcards

Arithmetic workbook

Grade Three (Mtwara and

Zanzibar only)

Reader with both fiction and non-fiction texts

None; Students can purchase their own regularly-lined book for writing

Arithmetic flashcards

Arithmetic workbook with multiplication table

Grade Four (Mtwara and

Reader with both fiction and non-fiction

None; Students can purchase their own

Arithmetic flashcards

Zanzibar only) texts regularly-lined book for writing

Arithmetic workbook with multiplication table

The contractor must also develop, produce, and distribute teacher’s guides with scripted lessons to accompany the materials. Scripted lessons may be more important in grades one and two than in grades three and four, but all grades require guides with sample lessons. The contractor must distribute teachers’ guides in a 1:1 ratio of teachers to guides.

The contractor must accomplish the following in collaboration with mainland and Zanzibar MoEVTs and TIE (mainland) and ZIE (Zanzibar):

Review, update and refine the scopes and sequences for the production of early grade decodable and leveled texts for grades one and two; (versions of scopes and sequences may be available for review and use from TZ21);

Develop and finalize decodable and leveled readers in Kiswahili for grades one and two;

Develop and finalize individual student readers for grades three and four with grade-appropriate fiction and non-fiction text;

Develop accompanying teachers’ guides for reading ;

Develop student writing journals with pre-printed prompts aligned with TIE’s writing frameworks and syllabi;

Develop and update handwriting notebooks for grade one students with manuscript print;

Develop accompanying teachers’ guides for writing;

Develop and finalize the minimum required arithmetic materials for the individual student kits;

Develop accompanying teachers’ guides for arithmetic; and

The contractor must ensure that teaching and learning materials reflect inclusive, gender-sensitive principles, and in ways appropriate for very young students, touch on a broad range of themes and topics, such as nutrition, sanitation, safety, age-appropriate life skills, etc. Learning materials must take advantage of opportunities to broaden attitudes toward gender and attempt to establish a foundation of respect and safety. The contractor must ensure that curricula, materials, and training techniques are inclusive for all students, particularly marginalized students such as those with disabilities.

The contractor must organize the work under this component in a methodical and efficient manner and draw upon existing examples and resources, including those available from other countries. (For example, Kenya, with USAID support, has developed a large body of teaching and learning materials in Kiswahili for the instruction of early grade reading).

Component 1.2 - Effective use of reading teaching and learning materials in the classroom by teachers increased

The contractor must provide teachers with evidence-based instruction in reading writing and arithmetic using the revised learning materials developed and distributed in component 1.1.

Teacher training must lead to changes in teacher practice and student learning outcomes. The contractor must submit teacher training materials and a training plan that is coordinated with the MoEVT for USAID/Tanzania review prior to conducting any training under this component.

The 3Rs training program envisioned by the MoEVT uses three modalities: residential face-to-face training, ward-level teacher “community of practice” meetings, and self-study. The contractor must train teachers with and through government systems, using all three training modalities.

The contractor must provide no less than 24 hours per teacher of training contact hours per year in each of the 3Rs subjects, yielding a minimum total of 72 training contact hours per year per teacher. USAID/Tanzania defines training contact hours as hours during which the teacher receives support from a second individual more knowledgeable in the use of the materials and target instructional and assessment techniques. Self-study hours do not count as training contact hours, although coaching time (see component 2) would count. The contractor must collaborate with TIE, ZIE and both departments of teacher education on teacher training with the new 3Rs materials to:

Collect baseline data on teacher attitudes and skills in early grade reading, writing, and arithmetic instruction to inform the revisions to the 3Rs training package;

Provide phased, residential face-to-face training to teachers that improves teacher skills and behavior

Organize and conduct “community of practice” meetings at lower decentralized levels to provide refresher trainings that reinforce the initial, phased face-to-face trainings on reading, writing and arithmetic;

Increase teachers’ use of the self-study materials for reading, writing and arithmetic; and

Employ social behavior-change communication strategies (SBCC) to encourage teachers to change behavior in teaching early grade reading.

Note that there is some self-study material available in Tanzania for primary school teachers, much of it produced by the DFID-funded EQUIP T program. Investigate whether any of that material could be integrated into the routine of training teachers for Tusome Pamoja. Please see Attachment 5, items 5 and 6 for these materials.

Component 1.3 - School leadership and management strengthened for improved 3Rs implementation

The purpose of this component is to enable principals to support the 3R implementation through materials inventory and management, observation and support of teachers and accountability to communities through transparent and accurate reporting.

In Tanzania, 80% of the population lives in rural areas; schools are often far from one another and isolated. This leaves school principals largely responsible for mentoring and supporting teachers. Improving student performance on reading and writing requires trained teachers (see component 1.2). At a minimum, school principals must be able to: a) observe teachers in reading and writing instruction and determine whether they are correctly using student materials and scripted lesson plans; b) monitor teachers’ use of self-study materials for reading, writing and arithmetic; and c) aggregate and report to the community the results of periodic (once per term) school level assessments of reading, writing, and arithmetic outcomes.

The contractor must assist the ward, district, regional, and PMO-RALG authorities to offer school principals the leadership development and training programs that will reinforce their abilities to succeed in these tasks. The contractor must base the content and design of these trainings on TIE’s 3Rs leadership manual. The contractor must work with both departments of teacher education, with TIE, and with ZIE to:

Collect baseline data on school principal attitudes and skills in supporting early grade reading, writing, and arithmetic instruction to inform revisions to the 3Rs leadership package;

Revise the 3Rs leadership package developed in 2013 by TIE to strengthen the components related to periodic school-level assessment and reporting;

Provide, in conjunction with PMO-RALG, regional, district, and ward authorities, annual training and on-the-job coaching and mentoring to principals to improve their ability to support 3Rs implementation;

Conduct observation visits to “shadow” principals at school and observe their use of time, material, and financial resources in support of the 3Rs and collect data on these practices.

Component 1.4 - Quality of pre-primary reading and writing instruction improved

The contractor must, as part of improving learning environments, work in a subset of 150 schools (75 in Mtwara and 75 in Zanzibar) to implement a quality, evidence-based reading and writing program for pre-primary instruction. This intervention will serve as a model of best, cost-effective, scalable practice for 3Rs pre-primary instruction. The contractor must establish a tested and scalable model of reading and writing instruction the GoT can expand after Tusome Pamoja ends.

The USAID education strategy permits work in reading instruction in the grade preceding grade one if that grade level is part of the established national education system. It does not permit the use of resources in levels earlier than the “kindergarten” year, nor does it permit the use of resources in private kindergartens. The kindergartens supported must be those put in place by the public system and linked to a public grade one classroom.

Existing reading and writing competencies under the 3R framework, training guides, and materials kits developed for reading and writing at the pre-primary level by the MoEVT and TIE will guide the contractor’s work. It will also be informed by the current pre-primary models of other partners (DFID’s EQUIP-Tanzania, UNICEF, etc.) around the country. The contractor must:

Develop a minimum package of pre-primary reading and writing instructional material, including specifications for individual student learning materials, teachers’ guides, and supplemental classroom kits;

Update the TIE reading and writing training plans for pre-primary teachers, creating a scalable and cost-effective mix of face-to-face regional-level, ward-level and self-study modules;

Update monitoring and evaluation tools to track teacher and student reading and writing performance in the pre-primary classrooms, using the student and teacher competencies frameworks as a basis for the development of these tools;

Phase in pre-primary sites per year to use the revised pre-primary reading and writing program and monitor annually teacher and student reading and writing outcomes in pre-primary…