SOL-660-14-000004_-_Equitable_Access_to_Education_and_Learning_Project.pdf

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC USAID/Democratic Republic of the Congo

RFP Issuance Date: May XX, 2014 Pre-Proposal Conference (London, U.K.): May XX, 2014 Pre-Proposal Conference (Washington, D.C.) May XX, 2014 Questions due date and time: May XX, 2014, 05:00 PM, Local Time (Kinshasa, DRC) Responses Due: May XX, 2014 RFP Closing date and time: July XX, 2014, 05:00 PM, Local Time (Kinshasa, DRC)

SUBJECT: Request for Proposals (RFP) No. SOL-660-14-000004 – Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Dear Potential Offerors:

The United States Government, represented by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Mission, and the United Kingdom Government, represented by the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID), DRC Mission are soliciting proposals from qualified organizations for the performance of services detailed in the attached Request for Proposals (RFP) to support a contract that will be administered by USAID’s DRC/Education Office in the DRC in collaboration with DFID.

This is a full and open competition, under which any type of organization, large or small, commercial (for profit) firms, faith-based, and non-profit organizations in partnerships or consortia from geographical code 935, are eligible to compete. The procedures for “contracting by negotiation, trade-off process” method of procurement, as described in Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and AIDAR, will apply.

Electronic Response is required (See L.6.2). Please submit your proposals to all of the email addresses below by the time and date specified on the top of this cover page. Receipt by any one of these addresses will constitute timely receipt for this RFP. The addresses for the receipt of proposals are:

Supervisory Contracting Officer, Ms. Linda McElroy at LMcElroy@USAID.Gov and Regional Acquisition and Assistance Specialist, Mr. Ketan Sood at KSood@USAID.Gov.

The Technical Proposal has a strict 40 page limit as noted in Section L.7 of the RFP. Offerors are advised that any pages exceeding this limit will not be evaluated. Offerors are reminded that the Evaluators have to be able to read the proposal, so presentation and legibility is crucial. This is discussed in more detail in Section L.

Subject to availability of funds, USAID contemplates award of a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion type contract. The maximum estimated cost of the contract (costs and fee) is US$120 – 130 million covering period of performance of five (5) years. Offerors should not necessarily strive to meet the maximum amount. However, Offerors must propose costs that it believes are appropriate, realistic and reasonable for the work. The cost proposal will be evaluated as part of the Best-Value procedure in determining contract award, including cost effectiveness of approaches to achieve the desired results.

It is the responsibility of the recipient of this solicitation document to ensure that it has been received in mailto:LMcElroy@USAID.Gov mailto:KSood@USAID.Gov

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC its entirety, including subsequent solicitation amendments, if any. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Any questions, comments and requests for clarifications must be addressed to Supervisory Contracting Officer Ms. Linda McElroy and sent to LMcElroy@USAID.Gov with a copy to KSood@USAID.Gov. No phone calls will be accepted.

Issuance of this solicitation and the submission of a proposal do not constitute any guarantee or a commitment on the part of the U.S. Government or USAID to make an award; neither does it constitute any obligation or authorization by USAID to reimburse any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. USAID reserves the right to reject proposals received. Award of a contract will be subject to availability of funds and proper completion of required USAID internal processes.

Thank you for your interest in working with USAID.

Sincerely, Linda McElroy, Supervisory Contracting Officer USAID/East Africa/Regional Acquisition and Assistance Office mailto:KSood@USAID.Gov

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

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Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

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. INDIRECT COSTS

B.5. CEILING ON INDIRECT COST RATES AND FINAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR INDIRECT COSTS

B.6. MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

B.7. PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1. PROGRAM TITLE

C.2. PURPOSE

C.3. SCOPE

C.4. COUNTRY BACKGROUND

C.5. RATIONALE & RELATIONSHIP WITH GDRC PLANS AND PRIORITIES

C.6. OVERALL PROGRAM RESULTS FRAMEWORK

C.7. PROGRAM RESULTS

C.8. PERFORMANCE MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING

C.9. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

C.10. TIMELINE

C.11. GOVERNMENT CAPACITY BUILDING

C.12. LOCAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

C.13. GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT

C.14. PARTNERSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS

C.15. GENDER, DISABILITY-INCLUSIVE, AND CONFLICT SENSITIVE DEVELOPMENT

C.16. ADAPTABILITY, FLEXIBILITY, AND RESPONSIVENESS

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1. AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993)

D.2. ADS 320.3.2.5 – EXCEPTIONS TO CONTRACT MARKING REQUIREMENTS

D.3. BRANDING

D.4. BRANDING STRATEGY AND MARKING PLAN

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1. NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

E.2. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.3. MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1. NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

F.2. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

F.3. TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND DESIGNATION OF RESPONSIBLE USAID OFFICIALS

F.4. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

F.5. KEY PERSONNEL

F.6. REPORTS AND DELIVERABLES

F.7. AIDAR 752.7005 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE DOCUMENTS

(SEPTEMBER 2013) (Class Deviation OAA-DEV-13-01c)

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

G.1. CONTRACTING OFFICER’S AUTHORITY

G.2. TECHNICAL DIRECTION

G.3. ACCEPTANCE AND APPROVAL

G.4. PAYING OFFICE

SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1. NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

H.2. AIDAR 752.7034 – ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND DISCLAIMER (DEC 1991)

H.3. AIDAR 752.225-70 – SOURCE AND NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS (FEB 2012) (CLASS DEVIATION

NO. OAA-DEV-12-01C)

H.4. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

H.5. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED FACILITIES OR PROPERTY

H.6. CONTRACTOR’S STAFF SUPPORT, AND ADMINISTRATIVE AND LOGISTICS ARRANGEMENTS

H.7. AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE

H.8. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

H.9. CONFIDENTIALITY AND OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

H.10. MOBILIZATION REQUIREMENTS

H.11. AIDAR 752.228-3 – WORKER’S COMPENSATION INSURANCE (DEFENSE BASE ACT)

H.12. AIDAR 752.228-70 MEDICAL EVAUCATION (MEDEVAC) SERVICES (JULY 2007)

H.13. AUTHORIZED WORK WEEK

H.14. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL COMPENSATION

H.15. AIDAR 752.231-71 – SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR HG EMPLOYEES (OCT 1998)

H.16. PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL (JUL 2007)

H.17. EXECUTIVE ORDER ON TERRORISM FINANCING

H.18. ADS 302.3.5.5 – REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES (JUL 2007)

H.19. NONDISCRIMINATION (JUNE 2012)

H.20. USAID DISABILITY POLICY – ACQUISITION (DEC 2004)

H.21. SECURITY CLEARANCE

H.22. INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY

H.23. HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE – 12

H.24. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST

H.25. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

H.26. STANDARDS OF CONDUCT – IMPROPER BUSINESS PRACTICES

H.27. PROHIBITION ON THE PROMOTION OR ADVOCACY OF THE LEGALIZATION OR PRACTIVE OF

PROSTITUTION OR SEX TRAFFICKING (ACQUISITION) (APRIL 2010)

H.28. AIDAR 752.7025 APPROVALS (APR 1984)

H.29. AIDAR 752.7032 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL APPROVAL AND NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (JAN

1990)

H.30. BUSINESS CLASS TRAVEL

H.31. CONTRACTOR’S USE OF PROJECT VEHICLES AND LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR

PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLES

H.32. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

H.33. COMPLIANCE WITH THE TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTECTION REAUTHORIZATION ACT

H.34. AIDAR 752.245-71 TITLE TO AND CARE OF PROPERTY (APRIL 1984)

H.35. AIDAR 752.7007 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (JULY 2007)

H.36. REQUESTS FOR CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACT

H.37. SUBCONTRACTING PLAN AND THE SF 294 – SUBCONTRACTING REPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL

CONTRACTS AND SF 295 – SUMMARY OF CONTRACTING REPORT

H.38. GENDER CONSIDERATION

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I – CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1. NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

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

I.3. 52.204-1 APPROVAL OF CONTRACT (DEC 1989)

I.4. 52.203-13 CONTRACTOR CODE OF BUSINESS ETHICS AND CONDUCT (APR 2010)

I.5. 52.209-9 UPDATES OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY

MATTERS (FEB 2012)

I.6. 52.232-99 PROVIDING ACCELARATED PAYMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS - SUBCONTRACTORS

(DEVIATION) (AUG 2012)

I.7. 52.232-22 LIMITATION OF FUNDS (APR 1984)

I.8. 52.217-9 OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (MAR 2000)

I.9. 52.215-20 – REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA AND DATA OTHER THAN

CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA (OCT 2010)

PART III – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J – LIST OF DOCUMENTS EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

PART III – REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K – REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS OR

RESPONDENTS

K.1. NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

K.2. AIDAR 52.204-3 – TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION (OCT 1998)

K.3. FAR 52.204-8 – ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (JAN 2014)

K.4. FAR 52.209-5 – CERTIFICATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (APR 2010)

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

K.6. AIDAR 752.226-1 – DISADVANTAGED ENTERPRISE REPRESENTATION (APR 1991)

K.7. INSURANCE – IMMUNITY FROM TORT LIABILITY

K.8. AGREEMENT ON, OR EXCEPTION TO, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

K.9. SIGNATURE

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1. NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

L.2. 52.215-1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS-COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION (JAN 2004)

L.3. 52.216-1 – TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

L.4. 52.233-2 – SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEPT 2006)

L.5. QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

L.6. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

L.7. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

L.8. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE COST PROPOSAL

L.9. BRANDING AND MARKING PLAN

L.10. OFFER VALIDITY

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1. GENERAL INFORMATION

M.2. TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

M.3. COST EVALUATION

M.4. FEE LINKED TO PERFORMANCE

M.5. DETERMINATION OF COMPETITIVE RANGE

M.6. SOURCE SELECTION

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

PART I – THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1. PURPOSE

USAID/DRC in collaboration with DFID/DRC seeks to implement a primary education initiative to improve equitable access to education and learning outcomes for girls and boys in the DRC.

B.2. CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion type contract. The Statement of Work (SOW) for this contract is laid out in Section C of this document.

For the consideration set forth below, the Contractor must achieve the performance objectives and deliverables or outputs described in Sections, C, D and F and otherwise comply with all contract requirements.

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

(a) The Total Estimated Cost and fixed fee is as follows (TBD):

Item Year 1 (US$) Year 2 (US$) Year 3 (US$) Year 4 (US$) Year 5 (US$) TOTAL 1 Salaries 2 Fringe Benefits 3 Consultants

Travel, Transportation & Per Diem

5 Allowances 6 Subcontracts 7 Other Direct Costs

Total Direct Costs

8 Indirect Cost 9 Fixed Fee

Total Estimated Cost Plus Fixed Fee

(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 of the contract period hereunder is $TBD. The Contractor must not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount unless authorized by the Contracting Officer pursuant to the clause of this contract entitled “Limitation of Funds” (FAR 52.232-22). See

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

Section I of this contract.

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

B.4. INDIRECT COSTS

The contract clause entitled “FAR 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment (JUN 2011)”, specifies that the indirect cost rates must be established for each of the contractor’s accounting periods that apply to this contract. Pending establishment of revised provisional or final indirect cost rates, allowable indirect costs must be reimbursed on the basis of the following negotiated provisional or predetermined rates and the appropriate bases:

Description Rate Base Type Period

TBD TBD 1/ 1/ 1/

TBD TBD 2/ 2/ 2/

1/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

Source:

2/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

Source:

[To be determined]

Note: The Contractor is allowed to recover applicable indirect costs (i.e., overhead, G&A, etc.) on other direct costs (ODCs), if it is part of the Contractor’s usual accounting procedures, consistent with FAR Part 31, and Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). Indirect costs must not be allowed for local organizations. All costs for local organizations must be budgeted and billed as direct costs.

B.5. CEILING ON INDIRECT COST RATES AND FINAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR INDIRECT COSTS

(a) Reimbursement for allowable indirect costs must be at final negotiated rates but not in excess of the following ceiling rates:

Description Rate Base Type Period

TBD TBD 1/ 1/ 1/

TBD TBD 2/ 2/ 2/

[To be completed by the Offeror]

(b) The Contractor must make no changes in its established method of classifying or allocating indirect costs without the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

(c) USAID is not obligated to pay any additional amount on account of indirect costs above the ceiling rates established in the contract.

(d) This understanding will not change any monetary ceiling, obligation or cost limitation established in the contract.

(e) Because the clauses entitled "Allowable Cost and Payment" (FAR 52.216-7) and "Fixed Fee" (FAR

52.216-8) are incorporated into this contract, the terms and conditions of these clauses apply after total payments of fixed fee reach eighty-five percent (85%) of the total fixed fee.

B.6. MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

This contract is considered non-severable, and this is therefore a multi-year contract as defined in FAR

17.103. Therefore, this contract is subject to the requirements of FAR 17.106.

Cancellation Dates:

Contract Year 2: TBD Contract Year 3: TBD Contract Year 4: TBD Contract Year 5: TBD

Cancellation Ceiling:

This is a CPFF completion 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 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. Therefore, the cancellation ceiling for each cancellation date is $TBD.

B.7. PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

The payment of the fixed fee under this contract shall be tied to the achievement of performance targets. The fee schedule and performance targets are as follows:

Indicator Current Baseline

Performance Target Means of Verification Incentive

Fee Values Percent of second grade students reading at grade level proficiency in National languages (Disaggregated by sex)

[To be proposed by Contractor]

LQA Sampling

$TBD

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

Number of Students gaining access to quality education (Disaggregated by sex)

Contractor] M&E Database, LQA

Sampling, Annual Reporting

$TBD

[Additional indicators to be proposed by Contractor (if any)]

[To be proposed by Contractor]

Contractor (if any)]

$TBD

Upon successful achievement of a performance target, the Contractor shall provide evidence of its achievement to the Contracting Officer’s Representative and the Contracting Officer. Upon acceptance by USAID and issuance of written approval by the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall submit an invoice for the amount of the associated fee.

[To be completed at Award]

[END OF SECTION B]

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

*Footnotes are at the end of this document

C.1. PROGRAM TITLE

Equitable Access to Education and Learning in the DRC

C.2. PURPOSE

A primary education initiative to improve equitable access to education and learning outcomes for girls and boys in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

USAID/DRC and DFID/DRC seek to implement a primary education initiative to improve equitable access to education and learning outcomes for girls and boys in the DRC. This activity is one component of a joint United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and USAID program to support the Government of DRC’s (GDRC) commitment to free universal basic education and improved learning outcomes as articulated in the GDRC’s Interim Education Plan (IEP), the forthcoming Education Sector Strategy and other reform efforts in the sector.

C.3. SCOPE

The USAID DRC Office of Education and DFID DRC will support a primary education activity to improve equitable access to education and learning outcomes for children in the DRC. This activity will primarily target the provinces of: Katanga, Kasai Occidental, and Equator. Activities under this Contract shall target all schools within a geographic education district or religious network, Efforts to support access for out of school youth related to accelerated learning programs shall target South Kivu and North Kivu as well. The activities under this Contract shall support improved learning outcomes in the government public primary schools and schools supported by religious networks which are recognized by the GDRC.

The Results and Intermediate Results (IR) of this Contract support the USAID/DRC Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Objective of “Long-term transition to more effective and empowering development in the DRC supported” and the objective of DFID’s Country Operational Plan for the DRC to work with the “Government to enable it to provide and finance basic services in the long-term.”

C.4. COUNTRY BACKGROUND

The DRC, the second largest country in Africa, remains one of the least developed and poorest countries in the world. Plagued by instability, conflict1, limited infrastructure, and low levels of educational access and outcomes, the DRC has consistently been ranked at the bottom of the Human Development Index. It is estimated that, of 70 plus million inhabitants, 15 million are of primary school age, of whom 3.5 million, are out of school2. For those in primary school, learning levels are extremely poor: assessment showed that 68 percent of grade 3 and 4 students were unable to read a single word of simple text3. The education system faces severe challenges to improve equitable access, quality, and governance throughout the sector. Consequently the DRC is off track to meet the Education Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and while there has been some progress, this remains limited and is further

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC weakened by inequities. For example the overall primary completion rate in 2011 was 58.8%, but this was 68.5% for boys and just 49.1% for girls, and in North-Kivu and Kasaï-Occidental completion rates are

29.4 % and 31.3% respectively.

Table 1: The Education MDGs in DRC4

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 MDG 2. Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling

Completion rate (%)

Overall n/a 53.9 56.3 56.7 58.8

Boys n/a 63.5 66.5 64.9 68.5

Girls n/a 44.2 46.0 48.6 49.1

MDG 3. Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Gender Parity Index5

Primary 0.82 0.84 0.86 0.87 0.87

Secondary 0.53 0.56 0.56 0.58 0.59

Tertiary 0.35 0.36 0.31 0.32 0.31

The 2012 ‘Enfants et adolescents en dehors de l’ecole’ (EADE) study estimated that 7 million children and adolescents (aged 5 to 17) are out of school. Many children enter school late and 75% of primary school age children out of school are aged between 6 to 8 years. Poverty, instability, and distance remain major obstacles for children to enroll in school or remain in school. Almost 80% (2.75 million) of all primary school age children out of school live in rural areas and two thirds are from poor households.6 In many of these areas, there is not a formal school (public or religious) to attend; for these communities, distance remains a major barrier to participation in school. The EADE Study indicated that most out of school youth live more than five kilometers from a primary school and most primary schools will not accept entrants older than 9 years of age7. The government has supported the expansion of accelerated learning programs (ALPs) or alternative learning opportunities for those who have been not been able to access formal education or dropped out due to poverty.

In addition, there are almost equal numbers of primary school age boys and girls out of school, however differences become starker as girls become older. Girls make up 60% of out of school children of lower secondary school age (12 to 13) and 75% of these are girls living in rural areas8. Socio-economic norms and systemic sexual violence in school underpin gender inequity in education. Key obstacles to girls’ education have been identified as parental attitudes, lack of financial means, significant domestic burdens on girls, the tendency to prioritize boys, adolescent pregnancy and the poor social and physical environment for girls in schools9. For girls and boys learning environments are often not safe spaces:

corporal punishment, bullying, verbal harassment, sexual harassment and even rape, in and around schools are frequent. For example, in a baseline survey conducted in the DRC in 2011 by the USAID funded C-Change project, 20% of girls in the survey reported that teachers pressure them to have sex in exchange for good marks, more than 25% of students reported that beating/whipping of students occurs regularly in their classrooms. Conflict has also exacerbated the situation with the DRC reporting cases of children used as soldiers, sexual slaves and laborers within large internally displaced populations in Katanga, North Kivu, and South Kivu10. Due to the extended periods of conflict and instability in the Congo, girls in particular have had limited access to schooling.

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

This activity will extend USAID and DFID’s efforts to address gender equality, as well as disability-inclusive development. USAID and DFID have invested resources to improve girls access to education, better learning outcomes, and transition from primary to secondary. Programs including the Ambassadors’ Girls’ Scholarship Program, C-Change, Empowering Adolescent Girls to Lead through Education (EAGLE) and Vas-y Fille! have all worked to increase better educational opportunities for girls.

The provinces targeted for this activity reflect deliberate efforts to improve the enrollment, retention, and performance of marginalized girls and boys.

However, perhaps the single most important barrier to access and quality in the DRC education system is the cost of education and the financing of the system. Approximately 60% (2.1 million) primary school aged children out of school are considered to be out of school primarily related to cost reasons11.

Almost all school and local office operating costs are generated from school fees. The decline in financing of education during the 1980s and 1990s led to the introduction and reliance on school fees.

For many years, the majority of Congolese schools charged a variety of school fees, including, but not limited to, fees for tuition, books and supplies, uniforms, school hygiene and maintenance, and test administrations12. While the government has been taking action to address this with fee free education policy (gratuité) launched in 2010, the system remains under-financed and the practice of ‘ventilation’ still exists. Ventilation entails the use of fees collected at school level to meet the operating costs of higher levels in the administration.13 The system has become institutionalized with an estimated 90% of all operating costs of the education sector being funded this way14. Although the GDRC has continued to commit to increased funding for education the situation is currently endemic and slow to change.

However, there are large scale efforts to improve transparent practices through management information systems such as payment of teacher salaries from central funds and the mecanisation, or teacher registration, process, but parents continue to be expected to provide teacher salary supplements and cover other school expenditures.

Complexities in the financing of the education system also arise due to the fact that many schools are administered by one or another of the country’s multiple religious networks, and these schools are able to set their fee structures. While the state oversees the education system, almost 75% of all primary school pupils attend the ‘écoles conventionnées.’ These are schools managed by church networks but recognized as public schools under the 1977 Convention. The religious networks maintain their own administrative structures that are linked to the government at national, provincial and sub-provincial level. The state pays teachers and administrative staff but the dual nature of education management of the écoles conventionneés and non-conventionneés can impede efficiency and accountability in the system.

DRC also suffers from low completion rates, high repetition rates and high dropout rates. Due to inefficiencies in the system, only 60% of students who start school will complete all six years of primary schooling. In addition the quality of education remains low and learning outcomes poor. Learning outcomes in DRC are compromised by very high rates of malnutrition and poor health: Children can come to school malnourished15, infected with parasites, and at times suffering from chronic malaria;

leading to absenteeism and repetition, and reducing their ability to benefit from the instruction they receive.

Low system efficiency is caused in largely in part by the poor quality of student learning. The results of a learning assessment carried out by the Program on the Analysis of Education Systems (PASEC) indicate

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC that at the end of the 5th year of primary education, only 47% of pupils reached the level of “minimal” knowledge in French and 59% in math16. Early Grade Reading Assessments17 (EGRA) found that children in 2nd and 4th Grade struggle to identify letters of the alphabet with automaticity. On average at the end of the academic year, fourth grade students could only read approximately 6 words per minute in French and sixth grade students were only able to read 19 words per minute in French, well below required levels for fluency and comprehension18. These data substantiate that once children enter school, they are not learning the requisite competencies to successfully move through the education system. The DRC had a long history of teaching reading and other subjects in national languages in the early grades, with a full transition to French instruction at the beginning of Niveau 3 (Grade 5) that has been replaced by full French and the lapse of national language instruction in recent years. This approach to language of instruction began during the colonial period and there is a desire to reinvigorate the use of national languages in early grade reading acquisition using an evidence-base that enables children to acquire national reading abilities and transition to French reading acquisition by the end of Grade 4.

Teachers play a key role in improving quality and learning outcomes. However the current pre-service teacher preparation system is weak and does not actually equip graduates with requisite skills and competencies. Historically, teachers have received minimal pre-service training and no systematic continuous in-service teacher training. In recent years, however, there have been various initiatives to improve teacher quality, particularly in-service teacher training and the DRC has adopted a National In- Service Teacher Training policy19 that identifies how in-service teacher training should be conducted within the DRC. This process has also identified the major issues impacting teachers’ ability to improve quality which include (i) limited instructional time within schools; (ii) ineffective instructional approaches in foundational skills, especially reading and math instruction; (iii) lack of classroom management and pedagogical skills required to teach; (iv) low institutional capacity in schools; and (v) schools and communities lack materials and infrastructure to provide a quality education to every child.

C.5. RATIONALE & RELATIONSHIP WITH GDRC PLANS AND PRIORITIES

USAID and DFID are committed to the proactive coordination of the international development partners in education, and continue to play a leading role in ensuring donor and host country efforts are complimentary. In addition to USAID and DFID, key development partners DRC in the include AFD, UNICEF, World Bank, Belgium and the World Food Programme. USAID and DFID are active members of the Education Partenaires Techniques et Financiers20 (PTF) and the Comite de Concertation (ComCon) of the MEPSP which includes government, donor and civil society partners.

As part of the GDRC’s efforts to reform the education sector, the Ministry of Education (MEPSP) has developed an Interim Education Plan (IEP) for the period 2012-2014. The plan provides a consensus-based framework for more effective use of public resources and better coordinated donor engagement.

It focuses on three key principles: access, quality, and governance. In the primary sector, the IEP identifies the three most pressing challenges to ensure universal access to primary education: 1) reduction of school fees and transitioning costs from households to the state; 2) incorporating the significant out of school population back into the formal school system; and 3) ensuring that girls achieve the primary school graduation certificate. To implement the IEP, the GDRC has committed to increasing funding for the education sector by 3.7 times from 175 billion Franc Congolese (8 percent of the national budget) in 2009 to 841 billion Franc Congolese (15 percent of the national budget) by

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

201521. The GDRC is also in the process of developing a new Education Sector Strategy: Strategie Sectorielle de l’Education et de la Formation: 2014 – 2023.

Recent positive results in the sector already include (i) DRC membership to the GPE and a subsequent $100 million GPE investment; (ii) better coordination and dialogue among donors, on the one hand, and between government and donors, on the other, both having expressed full commitment to aligning with the IEP;22 and (iii) the agreement of a three year roadmap for education policy reforms which is reviewed quarterly23.

The $100 million GPE investment is the first major intervention in line with IEP priorities and paves the way for others to follow. The components in the GPE Program PROSEB24 include (i) increasing access and equity through school rehabilitation; (ii) improving the quality of teaching and learning through school-based teachers’ skills development in all primary schools in Kasaï-Occidental and Equateur provinces;

(iii) the provision of textbooks country-wide; and (iv) results-based financing and restructuring of education administrative offices to replace school fees and enhance service delivery on the ground. One of the particularities of the GPE program is the implementation of consensus-based national strategies developed in the IEP such as low-cost school rehabilitation and school-based in-service teacher training.

The Government has also been involved in key external events such as the Ministerial for All Learning Events in Washington in April 2013. In this meeting the GDRC identified four priorities (i) implement the policy of free primary education; (ii) rehabilitation of infrastructure and school equipment destroyed due to conflict; (iii) reform of initial training of primary school teachers; and (iv) monitoring and assessing learning outcomes.25 Following a number of policy dialogues with the global community, the government committed to implementing conflict-sensitive education programming so as to ensure that education provision will not exacerbate conflict but will also mitigate factors contributing to insecurity and fragility26.

In addition, along with policy commitments to increasing financing, implementing the gratuité policy, and the national teacher training policy, the GDRC has also shown a willingness to improve learning outcomes in reading. For example building off its participation in the GPE-sponsored “All Children Reading Conference” in Rwanda in March 2012, the GDRC took three major policy decisions related to early grade reading since 2012: (i) designated reading as a specific subject in the curriculum; (ii) added more instructional time during the school day for reading; and (iii) the MEPSP created a National Reading Commission which has developed a National Reading Roadmap. 27

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

Figure 1 Overall USAID DFID Joint Program Results Framework

TO BE PROCURED SEPARATELY

Joint USAID/DFID Program Objective: Improved educational outcomes for girls and boys in select districts of the DRC.

IR 2.1 Quality of instruction at the primary level improved.

IR 2.2 Teaching and learning materials used in the classroom effectively.

IR 2.3 Community participation to support school based and extra-curricular learning increased.

Result 1: Equitable enrollments to a quality education environment increased

Result 3: Improved governance and accountability by stakeholders

Result 2: Improved education quality

Intermediate Result (IR) 1.1 Barriers to access for primary education reduced.

IR 1.2 Alternative/accelerated basic education programs that address the needs of out-of school children and youth strengthened.

IR 1.3 Community and school collaboration and partnerships to support access to education strengthened.

IR. 1.4 Quality of education environments improved.

IR 3.1 Development and implementation of policies for improved access and learning strengthened.

IR 3.2 Community and civil society oversight and accountability at local and provincial levels increased.

IR 3.3 School leadership and management strengthened.

IR. 3.4 Effective resource allocation and execution in the education sector strengthened.

IR 3.5 Strengthened systems and capacity at the national, provincial, and school levels.

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

C.6. OVERALL PROGRAM RESULTS FRAMEWORK

This Contract shall support the policies and strategies contained in the 10 year Education Sector Strategy and the Interim Education Plan to help the GDRC improve access and equity, quality and learning, and governance and accountability. It shall work with and complement other government and donor supported activities, in particular the GPE PROSEB program. As such, the Results Framework for the overall joint USAID and DFID program is depicted in Figure 1.

The Joint USAID/DFID Program is divided into two main Activities (separate procurement mechanisms).

The Contractor shall be responsible for the Intermediate Results of the joint USAID and DFID Results Framework that fall under Results one (1) two (2) and Intermediate Results 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3. The Contractor shall be required to coordinate with a third-party contractor working to achieve Intermediate Results 3.4 and 3.5.

C.7. PROGRAM RESULTS

The overarching objective of this Contract is to improve educational outcomes for girls and boys in select districts of the DRC.

By the end of the Contract, USAID and DFID shall see enrollments increased by at least 50% over five years, improved gender parity, and learning outcomes increased by 80% for grade 2 and 60% for grade 4 girl and boy students.

In addition USAID and DFID shall see an improved quality education environment based on a number of key indicators and school level participation and accountability as measured through a community based monitoring mechanism of which school safety will be included.

To achieve these targets, the Contractor shall achieve the following results:

Result One: Equitable enrollments to a quality education environment increased

Through this Contract, USAID and DFID will invest to improve equitable access in quality education environments by targeting barriers to equitable primary school access, strengthening accelerated and alternative learning programs, and promoting quality education environments which support learning, are equitable and safe for girls and boys.

1.1 Barriers to access for primary education reduced.

The Contractor shall identify and implement measures to reduce barriers to access, especially for girls and vulnerable children at the district and sub-district levels in order to assist families, school communities, and communities to enroll and maintain their children and youth in formal primary school or alternative primary level learning programs. This will include but will not be limited to, a focus on on-time enrollment for 6 year olds in grade 1.

1.2 Access to alternative/accelerated learning programs that address out-of school children and youth needs increased.

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

The Contractor shall support equitable access to high quality accelerated and alternative learning programs for disadvantaged, conflict-affected, and poor children and youth who are out of school and have no or limited access to a formal (public or religious) school. In conflict-affected areas, including Katanga, South Kivu, and North Kivu these programs should enable conflict affected youth to reintegrate into society through both employable skills and education.

1.3 Community and school collaboration and partnerships to support access to education strengthened.

The Contractor shall work with communities within the school catchment areas to reinforce and support efforts to increase access to education. The Contractor shall sensitize and mobilize schools, parents and community members to address barriers to school and increase access, retention and completion, especially for girls, vulnerable children, child laborers, children with disabilities, rural poor, and conflict affected children and youth.

1.4 Quality of education environments improved.

The Contractor shall support formal schools and accelerated learning programs to ensure a quality education environment that provides girls and boys and teachers a teaching and learning environment that is equitable, conducive to learning, and free of emotional, sexual, or physical violence and intimidation.

The Contractor shall partner and leverage and partner with health interventions to ensure that girls and boys in target schools benefit from de-worming and micro-nutrient campaigns and activities.

Result Two: Improved education quality

Through this Contract, USAID and DFID will invest to improve learning outcomes which form basic foundational skills for girls and boys to access the primary school curriculum. This will primarily focus on early grade reading in national languages in grade 1 to 4 and French oral language acquisition in grades 1 and 2 and a transition to French reading acquisition in grades 3 and 4. The investment shall support an effective transition from national language reading acquisition to French language reading acquisition by the end of fourth grade.

Activities under this Result will target the provinces of Katanga, Kasaï Occidental, and Equateur. The Contractor shall begin work in Katanga and shall phase in activities in Kasai Occidental and Equateur over the duration of the project.

2.1 Quality of instruction at the primary level improved.

The Contractor shall work with the MEPSP, particularly SERNAFOR and DIPROMAD (Directorates responsible for textbooks/curricula and teacher training) at the national, provincial, district, and sub-district levels. The Contractor shall develop coherent, scoped-and-sequenced sets of materials: leveled and decodable complementary readers, lesson plans, in-service teacher training modules, and coaching and mentoring guides for each national language. The Contractor shall utilize the materials developed to provide coherent in-service teacher training on early grade reading in national languages; French oral language acquisition, and transition to French reading acquisition by the end of grade 4. The Contractor shall revise, update and develop new materials for students and teachers to complement existing

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC national and French reading acquisition material; developing and providing scripted lesson plans;

leverage existing and develop in-service teacher training modules, and support the provision of coaching, mentoring, and classroom formative assessment to help teachers monitor and assess student learning. The Contractor shall build on current in-service teacher training programs and national language materials.

The Contractor shall develop and provide scripted lesson plans and teacher guides for reading in national languages for teachers suitable for resource constrained environments. The scripted lesson plans shall enable teachers to implement the material covered during in-service training, and shall incorporate both new and existing texts made available to teachers by the Contractor into actual classroom instruction.

The contractor shall ensure that teachers receive routine coaching and mentoring at the school level over the life of the Contract. The Contractor shall ensure that a practical and effective mechanism is used for teacher coaching and mentoring in teaching national early grade reading acquisition and student French oral language acquisition and reading acquisition. The contractor shall ensure that classroom observation tools for coaching and mentoring enable coaches, mentors, school leaders, and inspectors to assess skills and capacities related to national and French reading acquisition. The contractor shall provide professional development opportunities for itinerant inspectors, and other actors, as appropriate, to ensure the regular use of these observation tools and the regular coaching of teachers based on the results of these observations.

The Contractor shall incorporate diagnostic methods as part of the in-service teacher training and reading curriculum that enable teachers to assess student learning, identify psycho-social issues that may hinder learning and inform classroom instruction and interventions.

The Contractor shall pilot a lite but effective mathematic instructional approach for Niveau 1 (grades 1 and 2) in a target district that builds off reading in-service teacher training. The Contractor shall incorporate early grade mathematics instruction in a cost-effective manner into the early grade reading in-service teacher training, materials, and scripted lesson plans.

2.2 Teaching and learning materials used in the classroom effectively.

The Contractor shall support the use national language reading materials for grade 1 to 4 and French oral language acquisition in grades 1 and 2 and French reading acquisition in grades three and four.

The Contractor shall revise and update existing early grade reading materials and develop, print, distribute, and support the use of new materials to complement existing national language reading materials. The teaching and learning materials produced under this Contract will reflect inclusive, gender, and conflict-sensitive approaches. Materials shall be leveled and include decodable material.

The reading material provided under this contract shall cover a broad range of themes and topics.

Reading materials shall include fiction and non-fiction books. At a minimum, topics such as life skills, nutrition, mathematics, number sense, sanitation, and hygiene shall be produced. .

The Contractor shall develop, print, distribute, and support the use of mathematics materials in the pilot mathematics district classrooms.

2.3 Community participation to support school-based and extra-curricular learning increased.

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

The Contractor shall provide innovative, low-cost, and effective ways for parents and the community to partner with teachers, and schools to support school-based and extra-curricular activities that support student learning.

The Contractor shall work with communities to pilot and test non-monetary performance incentive systems for formal and non-formal education structures as well as for including high performing students and teachers in target districts.

Result Three: Improved governance and accountability by stakeholders

USAID and DFID shall invest to strengthen GDRC efforts, at the national, provincial, district, and sub-district levels, to apply policies and inclusive, gender and conflict-sensitive approaches related to access, quality, and school safety in the program target districts. The Contractor shall provide technical assistance to the GDRC via experience, data from project monitoring, and participation in government education working groups related to access, quality, and school safety.

3.1 Development and implementation of policies for improved access and learning strengthened.

The Contractor shall coordinate with USAID, DFID, and the MEPSP to identify key policy issues and assessments identified in the Ministry Annual Work Plans and technical groups. The Contractor shall provide technical assistance to identified key policy issues and assessments related to access, quality, and governance.

The Contractor shall support the development, implementation, rollout, and learning of key policies and strategies including inclusive, gender and conflict-sensitive strategies related to access- and quality-related components of the DRC National Strategy for Education 2014-2023.

The Contractor shall support MEPSP efforts to develop policies and assessments to improve implementation of the National Education Strategy, the work of the National Reading Commission and policy work related to local language instruction and reading, mathematics, and inclusive, gender and conflict-sensitive approaches to education delivery and quality.

The Contractor shall provide technical assistance, including short-term technical consultants, training and/or logistics support, monitoring, planning, workshops, research, analysis and assessments; as deemed appropriate and within the ceiling of this award to support these policies.

3.2 Community and civil society oversight and accountability at local and provincial levels increased.

The Contractor shall support schools, parents, community members, and the private sector to develop partnerships that strengthen local level engagement, planning, accountability, and oversight of education. This should include increasing oversight and accountability for student and teacher attendance, teacher performance, student learning, and safe learning environments.

3.3 School leadership and management strengthened.

Request for Proposals # SOL-660-14-000004 Equitable Access to Education and Learning Project in the DRC

The Contractor shall strengthen school leadership, supervision, and management that supports a conducive school environment that supports access, student learning, quality learning environments, and disability-inclusive, gender and conflict-sensitive management approaches.

C.8. PERFORMANCE MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING

I. Performance Monitoring

The performance of the activities undertaken under this Contract shall be measured through performance monitoring by the Contractor and through independent evaluations conducted by third party firms contracted by USAID and DFID. The Contractor shall collect data that monitors activities through output and outcome indicators. These indicators shall track the number of people and systems impacted by the activity. The indicators shall be in line with the USAID agency standard indicators and the Contractors Logical Framework. Data collected by the Contractor shall be used both for monitoring and evaluation purposes as well as USAID and DFID reporting.