Terms of Reference: Rapid Assessment of UNESCO’s Lifelong Learning Programmes

This assignment is open to eligible Individual Consultants/Experts or Institutions, in line with the requirements and assignment description below.

1. Background

Cambodia has made impressive gains in education in the last decade. It has successfully expanded primary education access over the past few years with an average rate of 95 percent. Dropout rates, particularly from Grades 7 – 9, however, remain high with a graduation rate of only 45 percent at the lower secondary level.  Adult illiteracy is also a persistent issue: the overall literacy rate for adults is 82.5 percent and it is estimated that 7.8 percent of people who are aged 15 to 24 are illiterate. The literacy rate for women is lower at 71.8 percent than for men at 84.8 percent.[1]

In accordance with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 and the Royal Government of Cambodia’s Ministry of Education Youth and Sport’s (MoEYS) Education Strategic Plan (2019-2024) priority policies, UNESCO through its Basic Education Equivalency Programme (BEEP) and Factory Literacy Programme (FLP) has been working to provide lifelong learning opportunities for Cambodia’s most marginalized populations. 

BEEP is a collaborative initiative between MoEYS, Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT) and UNESCO that aims to expand access to basic education for youth. It is an online program that was launched in August 2018 with the financial support of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and contributions from UNESCO, MoEYS, MoLVT and Smart Axiata to help young Cambodians aged 14 and older who dropped out after completing their primary education to achieve Grade 9 equivalency.

Students who complete BEEP can continue their study at technical high schools, or technical and vocational education institutions to gain new skills to build a better career in the future. There is no fee for accessing the program. Students who do not have a personal smartphone or computer can come to any BEEP learning centers to use computers or tablets there.

To address adult illiteracy among marginalized populations, UNESCO has been supporting MoEYS implement a targeted literacy initiative for workers in factories, the Factory Literacy Programme. A 2013 report on Women and Migration in Cambodia by the Ministry of Planning showed that 85 percent of the 605,000 workers in garment and footwear factories were women, of which 14 percent did not have basic literacy skills, and 29 percent demonstrated low levels of literacy.[2] FLP provides a literacy package especially targeted towards these women. It equips learners with functional literacy and life skills to help them cope with the day-to-day challenges of urban life. Learners who pass the course’s final exam are provided a certificate of literacy completion by their respective Provincial Office of Education, Youth and Sport (PoEYS) that is recognized by MoEYS as equivalent to Grade 4 of formal education. Learners can continue their education from Grade 4 onwards, at both non-formal and formal education institutions, using the certificate as a reference.

Both programmes are directly in line with the National Policy on Non-Formal Education developed in 2002 to promote literacy and continue education by establishing links between credit, employment and vocational skill; and the National Policy on Lifelong Learning rolled out in 2018 to support all people gain skills and use knowledge to maximize effectiveness, quality, job productivity and income in a knowledge-based society.

The broad objective of the assessment is to conduct an analysis of how the BEEP and FLP programmes can be scaled-up at the national level within the framework of Royal Government of Cambodia’s key policies and priorities while ensuring quality and equity. It is expected that the consultant will conduct a comprehensive review of BEEP and FLP’s programme components and results as well as key Royal Government of Cambodia policies and strategic plans, and interview key stakeholders to inform recommendations on expansion.

2. Objective

UNESCO would like to commission a qualified and experienced consultant/expert or institution to conduct a rapid assessment of BEEP and FLP.

Recent literature suggests that too little attention has been paid to non-formal and informal education relative to formal education in recent decades[3], including Cambodia. The objective of the assessment is to provide recommendations on how BEEP and FLP that can be nationally scaled to better achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 and MoEYS key priorities and core indicators as set out in relevant policy documents (e.g. provinces with lower secondary education completion rate, adult literacy rate).

To inform recommendations on scale-up, the consultant/expert or institution is expected to review the programme design and progress - the service delivery components - of BEEP and FLP within the framework of MoEYS’s key policies and plans including but not limited to the Education Strategic Plan (2019-2023), the National Policy on Non-Formal Education, the National Policy on Lifelong Learning, among others; and identify strategic areas of expansion. The consultant/expert or institution is expected to include costing implications, as well as issues of quality and equity, in their analysis.

3. Work Assignment

The rapid assessment will be conducted in close collaboration with UNESCO. The selected consultant/firm is expected to conduct the following activities:

1. Develop an assessment methodology in collaboration with the UNESCO Phnom Penh team and relevant MoEYS technical departments.
2. Conduct interviews of officials at various Ministries and technical departments including but not limited to the MoEYS, MoLVT, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), factory managers, representatives from the Provincial and District Offices of Education, and learners and facilitators, as determined by the finalized assessment methodology.  
3. Conduct extensive desk review of previous programme evaluations and relevant MoEYS policy and planning documents.
4. Develop a draft rapid assessment report that showcases policy linkages between BEEP and FLP and MoEYS policies and priorities; and recommendations on national scale-up based on review of existing documents and data, and stakeholder consultations; and solicit input and feedback from relevant stakeholders.
5. Finalize report based on feedback and present to UNESCO and ministries for approval.  

6. Deliverables and fee

For the above Terms of Reference, the Contractor is required to work 25 working days within the period of 28 December 2020 to 1 February 2021 with a total fee of $5,000 and to submit to UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh for consideration and discussion the following deliverables:

Payment will be made after satisfactory completion and submission of the final deliverable.

5. Qualifications/Requirements:

Required qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in conducting research and analysis in Cambodia
• Deep knowledge of the education system in Cambodia and relevant stakeholders
• Strong report writing and analytical skills in English

Desired qualifications

• Knowledge of the lower secondary and non-formal education system in Cambodia

6. Apply To:

Interested applicants should submit the following:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)/ Company profile
• Cover Letter explaining motivation and prior relevant experience
• Select examples of relevant work (e.g. programme assessments, policy mapping)

Applications should be submitted via e-mail to: phnompenh@unesco.org.

• Deadline for applications is 20 December 2020.
• The subject of the application email should be “Expert – Non-Formal Education – ED Sector – UNESCO Phnom Penh Office”

UNESCO is committed to promoting gender equality, therefore, women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.