Education Consultancy: Study to assess learning from implementation of a Key Resource Teacher model in Southern Tanzania 48 views1 applications

Consultancy: Study to assess and extract learning from implementation of a Key Resource Teacher support model in Southern Tanzania

BACKGROUND
Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Tanzania implements a multi-sector areas development programme to improve the quality of life of households and communities in Southern Tanzania. Investments cut across sustainable economic development, community health, education, and early childhood development. Since 2013, AKF has been implementing the Strengthening Education Systems in East Africa (SESEA) project in partnership with the Global Affairs Canada, the governments of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, as well as other Aga Khan Development Network organisations. The project was designed to strengthen teacher education and support systems to improve and sustain learning outcomes – especially in literacy and numeracy – for girls and boys in pre-primary and primary school levels. It comprised three components:

1. Professional development of educators
2. Strengthening of education support systems and institutions
3. Learning and dialogue

In 2016, in response to needs as identified through ongoing Monitoring and Evaluation, AKF re-developed and implemented the Key Resource Teacher (KRT) model in Lindi, Southern Tanzania. The objective of the KRT model is to provide decentralised support to teachers at the school level to enable the professional growth and development of all teachers in the school. Through this process, KRT have been supported to develop their classroom observation skills, mentoring, and their ability to support their peers to implement a horizontal, peer-to-peer process of reflective practice, research, and plan, do, review process (through the Education Community of Practice (ECOP) model), to drive school level improvements. AKF worked closely with the government to develop and deliver the training components and design the modality in which the KRT model could be managed and coordinated through the government system.

STUDY OBJECTIVES
In October and November 2017, AKF will conduct a qualitative assessment of the KRT model to assess impact, progress, and learning after one year of implementation. More specifically we would like to understand:

1. Overall impact of the KRT model, particularly in terms of:
   A. The standard of teaching and learning in the classroom
2. What evidence exists that demonstrates that this model has improved teaching and learning?
3. Do teachers consider their performance to have improved because of the model

1. The motivation of teachers
2. Whether teachers value the KRTs support and why
3. Collaborative peer-to-peer support – does the model drive a process of reflective learning that develops teachers’ internal motivation for professional growth and development

1. Aspects of the KRT model that have proved effective
   A. Key success factors (e.g. initial training; support materials; on-going support from AKF, Ward Education Coordinator (WEC), and LGA)
   B. Frequency of lesson observations, quarterly meetings etc.
2. Sustainability of the model:
   A. How the government system is managing and coordinating the KRT model
   B. What will embed the model and enable it to become a sustainable, low-cost, decentralised mechanism for driving professional growth and quality
3. Key learning
4. Recommendations based on the findings

This research comes at an opportune time as the government works to develop a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework. Learning from the implementation of the KRT model would therefore provide AKF with the opportunity to inform the modality of this and contribute to the design of the CPD.

APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY AKFT is seeking a consultant or team of consultants with the following qualifications and experience to conduct qualitative research to address the questions above:

• Minimum academic qualification of a Master’s Degree or equivalent, preferably in education or other related fields
• Experience in background theory and practice with respect to teacher professional development, peer-to-peer support, and national government education systems
• Experience of conducting qualitative research on education in Africa and preferably in Tanzania
• Fluent spoken and written English; fluent spoken Swahili an advantage

The consultant/s will be supported by the Manager for Action Research, Monitoring and Evaluation and Communications or her representative who will ensure that all available and relevant background materials and project data are provided and that day to day logistics are arranged. During research, AKFT team members will join the consultant/s to ensure transfer of AKFT-contextual information, transfer of qualitative research skills and knowledge, ownership and uptake of learning by AKFT. The consultant/s will have full responsibility for the undertaking of the study.

To respond to the objectives of this study qualitative research methods will be required rather than quantitative methods. Qualitative methods are likely to include focus group discussions, structured and semi structured interviews with key informants including AKFT staff, Government of Tanzania staff, teachers, KRTs and other relevant actors.

Prior to conducting the field research the consultant/s will be required to:

• conduct a desk review of existing project information and data; studies conducted by other government and non-government actors working on teacher support models in similar contexts; and AKFT strategies, reports and data.
• develop and share with AKFT for approval: a detailed research plan; a list of people/ groups to be interviewed; selection criteria for these people/groups; a set of questionnaires/ semi-structured interview/ FGD questions based on the study objectives and questions to be answered.

Based on the specified selection criteria, the AKFT team will suggest locations and people/groups for interview and will set up meetings with the selected people. On completion of the field research the consultant is expected to conduct a feedback session to present findings to AKFT staff. In addition to a detailed final report the consultant will develop a summary brief for circulation to a range of stakeholders.

KEY OUTPUTS
The consultant/s will produce the following deliverables:

• Research plan and interview guides – to be approved by AKFT prior to commencement of the field work
• Interviewee/ group selection criteria – at same time as research plan so that AKFT can make recommendations
• A debriefing presentation to AKFT management and relevant team members – prior to the end of the in-country mission
• Raw data (recordings) and transcribed data (in English) from all interviews and FGDs
• Draft full report – to be submitted within two weeks of the end of the field work for review by AKFT/EA
• Summary brief/digestible learning paper to disseminate findings and recommendations to varied stakeholders including the development community in Tanzania – to be submitted within two weeks of completion of the field work for review by AKFT
• Final report and summary brief – to be completed within one week of written feedback received by AKFT on the draft report

DURATION OF THE STUDY AND ACTIVITY SCHEDULE Literature review, briefing on programme activities and required outputs of study; respondent identification; tool development (3 days)

Data collection (13 days)

Feedback session (1 day)

Data analysis and report writing (5 days)

Travel (2 days)

Total days 24

The research must be undertaken in October/November 2017, and be completed by 10th November. The final report should be approved no later than December 8th.

How to apply:

All interested applicants should submit the following to Aga Khan Foundation Tanzania to [email protected] by September 28th, 2017:

1. Sample of final report from a similar assignment carried out by consultant
2. Expected consultancy budget breakdown
3. A two-pager outlining the proposed approach, respondents etc
4. CV of the consultant(s) who will undertake the assignment
5. Names of two people/organisations for whom the consultant has done similar