Action for Nepal, Literacy Improvement Program (LIPS) is a four-year (2016 -2020) pilot project funded by Himalayan Trust New Zealand and Ministry of Foreign Affairs New Zealand (MFAT) to support the Ministry of Education to improve the foundational reading skills of primary school students in grade one through three of 11 schools at Everest region in Nepal. The program involves the whole school community, including parents, to improve the way literacy skills are taught and learned in the early years.

Job Purpose:

The program involves continuous monitoring, evaluation and development of the programme by the schools and our education team. Working closely with schools and the communities, we aim to build a successful and sustainable model for improving literacy and learning for boys and girls in early grades that can be rolled out to more schools in future.

The project directly supports the National Early Grade Reading Program, which aims to help children to read with fluency and comprehension.

The Programme is based on three core principles:

• Literacy – reading and writing are critical foundations needed for students learning in any subject
• Grade and multi grade teaching is more effective than subject teaching for early grade learning
  
• Head teachers, teachers and parents need to work in partnership to improve student literacy
  

The objectives of the programme are to:

• Establish effective and sustainable approaches to teacher professional development based on in- class coaching over several weeks with regular follow up
• Provide a model for teaching reading and writing and adapt the teaching timetable to prioritise literacy
• Encourage teachers to change their classroom practice from teacher- centred subject teaching to student- cantered grade and multi grade teaching
• Deepen teachers’ and parents understanding of the importance of literacy to children’s learning
• Actively engage parents and the community in monitoring and supporting their school’s literacy programme

Objectives

• To conduct end term evaluation of Literacy improvement Program in Solukhumbu (LIPS)

Specific tasks for consultant are as below: -

• Design and implement annual surveys of project participants that collects data to report against key project outcomes as set out in the project M&E framework. Three annual surveys will be delivered: i) May 2017; ii) May 2028; and iii) May2019.  
• Conduct school visit and implement evaluation activities
• Develop and implement a series of meetings, student’s assessment, in-depth interviews with a Head teachers, teachers, SMC Chair, Students and local government officials that have participated in key program activities.
• Provide reports on key findings, drawing upon the data from surveys, implementation/activity monitoring and in-depth interviews, M&E activities conducted under their supervision, using a range of formats and for different audiences. A final dissemination plan will be agreed with the project team.

Proposals will be assessed using the following criteria:

• A strong track record of the design and implementation of high-quality monitoring tools, data collection processes and analysis
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement a range of evaluation methodologies
• Demonstrated ability to work in close partnership with programme implementation teams
• Knowledge of EGRA programmes and activities
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in both English and Nepali
• Experience in the field of culture and development is an advantage. 

Deliverables and Time line

The evaluation should be completed by October 31, 2019 

Methodology 

• To be written by the consultant.

Consultant Specification

• Master Degree in Education
• Having prior experience of education program elevation
• Having prior experience on EGRP and literacy program
• Having prior experience of working with schools and government agencies. 

Supervision and Arrangement

• LIPS Program and M&E Manager will supervise the arrangement

Proposal Submission Guideline

• Proposal Submission Guideline August 2019

Required documents

• Completed Proposal Submission Form
• CV(s) of purposed consultant
• Copies of Citizenship

Budget

• To be purposed

Payment Modality

• 50% payment as advance for the assignment
• 50% payment after completion of the assignment

Selection Criteria