Terms of Reference for Preparation of concept / schematic design project for small renovation work of some Tuzla Canton’s schools to promote the Inclusive Education Approach and Universal Design.

Terms of Reference for

Preparation of concept / schematic design project for small renovation work of some Tuzla Canton’s schools to promote the Inclusive Education Approach and Universal Design.

1.     Introduction

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the North-West Balkans and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met, and their voices are heard.  We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

2.     Background and Rationale

Children with disabilities[1] and their families are one of the most marginalised and excluded groups, often experiencing discrimination and violation of their rights guaranteed under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the medical approach to children with disabilities is still omnipresent, which focuses on the defects of the child rather than their potentials and environmental barriers and the complementary charity approach that focuses on the provision of social welfare as the only means of community support. Children with disabilities often experience discrimination and social exclusion in every aspect of their lives, including negative beliefs, lack of knowledge, and others’ discriminatory behaviour.

Although data on the number of children with disabilities is scarce, it is estimated that there are over 70,000 children who have some disability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Over 7,500 of them live in Tuzla Canton[2].

Inclusive4All - Inclusive education for all children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, code: AID 011522, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), started on May 1^st 2018. The project aims to enable children with disabilities to develop their potentials and fully enjoy their right to education and social inclusion.

Specifically, the project aims to reach the following three main results:

1.      Children with disabilities and their families have access to several diverse support services in Tuzla Canton;

2.      Tuzla Canton authorities are strengthened and supported in the review and adoption of the local strategy for the inclusion of children with disabilities in the regular education system;

3.      The population and civil society organisations of Tuzla Canton understand and support the bio-psycho-social model of educational and social inclusion of children with disabilities.

Concerning the second result, the consultancy’s main objective is to prepare concept / schematic design projects for small renovation works of premises in some schools in Tuzla Canton to promote the Inclusive Education Approach and Universal Design. The Ministry of Education and Science TK (MES) will identify 3-5 schools to implement small renovation works and improve the physical environment (i.e. accessible toilets, ramps, lighting and paint schemes to help visually impaired children, carpeting and acoustic tiling of classrooms to help deaf and hard of hearing pupils etc.).

3.     Objective

This assignment aims to prepare concept / schematic design projects for small renovation work of premises in the identified schools in Tuzla Canton. The goal is to promote the Inclusive Education Approach and Universal Design, which will develop the investment-technical project documentation for their renovation/adaptation.

4.     Expected outputs 

1) The contractor is expected to develop a detailed concept t/ schematic design project for small renovation works of premises in the schools identified by the MES in Tuzla Canton, in line with the following:

-        Application of universal design principles and accessibility of all premises (architectural and communication accessibility) to children and people with disabilities regarding exterior and interior of the premises;

-        Application of the contemporary ergonomic standards and considering environmental, safety, and sustainability measurements;

-        In considerations with the overall aesthetics of the space;

-        In close consultations and feedback with SCiNWB, Ministry of Education and Science (MES) and partners (disability expert, Pedagogical Institute, and schools management and relevant staff);

2) The concept/ schematic design project should contain the information about the buildings with compiled data and information on the needs of the renovation, including but not limited to:

-        Technical documentation for the building and its relevant exterior – the type of building, gross and net space, number of floors, installations, entrances, parking space, security measures;

-        Statistical data as to the number of employees and average daily circulation of users in the building;

-        Proposed measures for mitigation of environmental risks and ensuring the sustainability of reconstruction;

-        Interior design suggestions;

-        Refining architectural program for small renovation works of premises in the identified schools. The contractor should develop a detailed understanding of the proposed uses and spatial allocations, with all the needed accompanying drawings. The drawings should also entail three-dimensional perspectives to convey the full sense of design;

-        Proposed types of materials for the reconstruction/adaptation, with proposed colours, patterns, and sizes.

3) The contractor is also expected to provide technical inputs for developing Terms of Reference to develop the investment-technical project documentation and provide technical support in ensuring that the proposed investment-technical documentation is fully in line with the concept/ schematic design project. 

5.     Timeframe and methodology

In order to complete the above-specified task, the consultant will be engaged from May 26^th to July 8^th 2021. The consultant will develop and implement the work plan in consultations and support SCINWB designated staff, in line with the proposed timeframe:

*Timeframe can be changed in consultations with SCINWB.

The final deliverables should be the following:

·        One concept / schematic design project for each school;

·        Terms of Reference to develop the investment-technical project to be used for the Bid.

6. Funding and logistical support and organisations

Funding will be provided by Save the Children in North West Balkans to cover the consulting fees and materials costs. The consultant is responsible for the development of the concept / schematic design project.

7. Qualifications and Specialised Knowledge/Experience Required  

The contractor engaged in performing the task should possess the following expertise and skills as a minimum:

-        University diploma in technical sciences (engineering/construction/architecture) of the lead expert;  

-        At least five years of experience in similar assignments;

-        Knowledge of BHS and English languages;

-        Previous experience in accommodation of premises for people/children with disabilities and universal design;

-        Qualifications for developing the concept/ schematic design project and eligibility to provide signed and stamped reconstruction elaborate plan.

8. Formal Expression of Interest for Consultancy

The interestedconsultantshoulddevelopandsubmitthefinancialproposaltorespondto the above-mentionedspecifictasks.Theproposalshouldinclude:

1.      Submission of the Bidders response document with a specified budget breakdown (Annex 1);

2.      Letter of interest with confirmation of the availability for the proposed dates and work dynamics;

3.      Curriculum Vitae (CV) in SCI template (Annex 2);

4.      References from similar projects (Annex 3).

The interested applicants should submit their proposals on Procurement.NWB@savethechildren.org no later than May 24^th 2021, 12:00 h. Only the shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Evaluation Criteria

Documentation for application can be found at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/146uGh1E8qj4GesG8OTIbzbgWLM8Y9x5o/view?usp=sharing

Particular requirement: no person is performing any task on behalf of Save the Children may in any way be involved in or connected with abuse or exploitation of children.