Terms of references and job description for the consultant for development and implementation of information technology trainings at three target project locations

Terms of references and job description for the consultant for development and implementation of information technology trainings at three target project locations

1.     INTRODUCTION

Save the Children believes that every child deserves a future. In the countries of the North-Western Balkans, we work every day to ensure a healthy start for children, an opportunity to learn and protection from violence. When crises arise and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to come and the last to leave. We ensure that children's specific needs are met and their voices are heard. We achieve long-term results for millions of children, including the most difficult to reach children. We do our best for children - every day and in times of crisis - transforming their lives and the future ahead.

2.     RATIONALE

All children and adolescents in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia have the right to quality and affordable education. Early school leaving and failure to join the educational process is a problem that hardly affects individuals and society and the economy in general, and that is why it is a problem that goes beyond the school and educational system. Experience has shown that efforts in only one of the systems are insufficient, especially given the complexity of the phenomenon and the interdependence of various factors, as well as the fact that children from vulnerable groups, children from low-income families, Roma children living in complex social and economic conditions or children with disabilities represent a special subgroup within this otherwise heterogeneous group that is particularly vulnerable. International experience clearly confirms that approaches based only on systemic change or those implemented only in schools have had only limited success. An integrated approach and close cooperation between many services at the local level and representatives of all relevant institutions, with the obligatory involvement of parents, has proven to be the most effective.

The current Covid-19 pandemic has created a crisis in education systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

Analyses show that poverty and social exclusion have further burdened vulnerable groups of children in access to quality inclusive education, which has further widened the social gap. Systems for monitoring school dropouts due to the pandemic and the reasons why children drop out of school have not been established, so any mitigation has been inadequate and prevention measures have been almost non-existent. However, the crisis has also affected all other children and their families and education professionals in terms of challenges to ensure the quality of teaching and the achievement of student learning outcomes in the context of online and / or hybrid learning modalities.

The overall goal of the project Improving access to and quality of inclusive education during the COVID-19 pandemic for children belonging to vulnerable groups is to contribute to reducing barriers to learning in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic for the most vulnerable children in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Through this project intervention, we want to act in a targeted manner on some of the most pronounced problems and identified gaps in the provision of quality and inclusive online education in the Covid-19 pandemic in BiH Serbia. Most importantly, we will address monitoring and preventing school dropout by strengthening local multisectoral protocols and referral mechanisms at three project locations - Una-Sana Canton and Bosnia-Podrinje Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the city of Belgrade in Serbia.

One of the planned activities is the development and piloting of IT training intended for teaching staff in schools, which should be implemented by a consultant in all three locations. The training program should include those programs that are used in online teaching and are a basic tool for conducting teaching and performing functions arising from activities related to the implementation of distance learning. The training will be conducted face to face in the schools involved in the project.

3.     PURPOSE AND GOAL OF THE ENGAGEMENT

The purpose and goal of the engagement is to provide consulting support related to the preparation of the Training Program in the field of information technology and the implementation of training, based on the developed program in the use of IT technologies in teaching, at all three locations. It is planned that the consultant will perform the mentioned trainings in all nine schools at all three locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia.

Consultant will deliver:

-        Development of the implementation plan and realization of the task

-        Preparation of training programs on platforms used in teaching - Zoom, MS Teams, Skype, Google Meet and Google Classroom

-        MS Office advanced course (Word / Excel / Power Point)

-        Conducting training following the Program from point 2, and adapted to the platform used in the selected school / schools

It is planned minimum 10 working days of engagement for a consultant for the realisation of the task.

4.     METHODOLOGY

The consultant is expected to propose his / her own work methodology and a clear work program to execute the task. The process will be conducted on the basis of the adopted work calendar / framework. During the engagement, consultants will work with Save the Children staff.

In order to adequately prepare for the preparation of the methodology and action plan in the target communities, it is crucial to get acquainted with the relevant documents in this area.

The methodology should be in line with the overall project objective - Contribute to the reduction of learning barriers in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic for the most vulnerable children in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, as well as the specific objective: Strengthen the capacity of education systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in Belgrade, Serbia, to provide quality and inclusive online education, with an emphasis on the inclusion of children from vulnerable groups, such as children with disabilities, children belonging to the Roma minority and socially vulnerable children.

Bearing in mind that Save the Children has been working for a long time to improve the quality of education and ensure access to education for children from vulnerable groups and their families, it is important to study all available documentation on the website: https://nwb.savethechildren .net

5.     DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities and duties of the consultant:

The consultant is expected to, in consultation with Save the Children, carry out the following activities:

5.1. Preparation of the IT training program for teaching staff in schools at three project locations

5.2. Preparation of a plan for IT training, based on the developed Program, for implementation in the BPK, USC and Belgrade

5.3. Realization of live trainings at all three locations in accordance with the agreed plan

5.4. Report on completed task, which includes training program and report on conducted training, B / H / S and English.

Save the Children responsibilities: ·        Provide essential input on the topic.·        Ensure participation and support in implementation.·        Monitor compliance with specific deadlines.·        Guidance through all stages of task execution, approving all planned, and facilitating access to documentation (or person) is deemed relevant to the process.·        Exchange task results with stakeholders. 

6.     EXPECTED OUTPUTS

·        Development of IT training program for school teachers

·        Development of training plan for implementation in BPK, USK and Belgrade

·        Implementation of trainings in three locations in nine primary schools (three per location).

·        Final report on the completed task, which includes the training program, report on the conducted trainings in B / H / S language, and the results of the course evaluation by the participants.

7.     TIMEFRAME

In order for all tasks to be performed within the given time frame, consultant will be hired in the period November - December 2021 (min. 10 working days). Consultant will prepare and implement the work plan in consultation and with the support of the relevant staff of Save the Children, in accordance with the following time schedule:

* Timeframe may be changed in consultation with relevant Save the Children staff.

8.     REQUIRED EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE

Consultants should have at least the following qualifications and skills:

•        At least a university degree in the field of technical sciences (preferably a master's or doctoral degree in the relevant field);

•        Possession of accreditation for MS Office programs that are part of the training

•        At least five years of professional experience in performing similar tasks

•        Reference experience in working with educational institutions;

•        Full understanding of the concept of online teaching;

•        Good communication skills and ability to communicate in a clear and precise way (written and oral);

•        Good analytical and creative skills;

9.     BUDGET

The proposed budget should include the cost of hiring a consultant per day, travel costs and materials for participants.

No person working on any task for or behalf of Save the Children may in no way whatsoever be involved or related to child abuse or exploitation as defined in the Save the Children's Child Safeguarding Policy.

The interested applicants should develop and submit the financial proposal to respond to the above-mentioned specific tasks. The request should include;

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).

The interested applicants should submit their proposals on Procurement.NWB@savethechildren.org no later than November 29^th, 2021, 12:00 h. Only the shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Please find enclosed documents for application: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TtZ8jua36EoLI9pQu3d2S5IBIscyOZob/view?usp=sharing