REGIONAL INITIATIVE FOR TEACHER IN AFRICA

 

1. PRESENTATION OF THE FACILITY

The Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa (RTIA), a programme funded by the EU/EC via the
Education sectio (G3) of DG INTPA aims to improve learning outcomes and the socio
emotional development of children in Africa, by having a more competent, motivated and
inclusive teacher workforce in basic education.

The RTIA will especially seek to achieve the following outcomes over the next 6 years:
Terms of Reference_CAP Uganda

1. Improve the governance, management, attractiveness, and gender balance of the teaching
   profession, with a strong focus on increased digitalisation and innovation.
2. Enhance the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of initial and continuous teacher
   professional development, notably through digital education, peer-to-peer learning
   approaches and regional collaboration.

Within RTIA, the Facility will support teacher policy and improve teacher education and professional
development systems by i) providing capacity building at country level through technical assistance,
ii) promoting innovation and scaling of effective teaching solutions; iii) increasing the production and
use of data and evidence, and iv) promoting the use of regional frameworks, evidence-based
practices, and joint learning at regional level.
The Facility will reach the above-mentioned objectives through 3 types of instruments or “windows”:
i) a first window to deliver technical assistance on teacher governance and teacher education and
professional development based on the demand from eligible partner countries, ii) a second window
on testing and scaling effective programs for teacher education and professional development in the
thematic areas of digital skills, gender, green skills, and pedagogical skills, including in the context
of refugees and displaced population, iii) a research window (third) to create new evidence and
support the integration of evidence in the policy making process and in the design of teacher
education and professional development programs.
In addition to these windows the Facility’s knowledge management and communication activities will
further contribute to the sharing of knowledge, evidence, and best practices related to the overall
Initiative outcomes.
The Facility is funded by the European Union and co-implemented by the Partnership formed by
three-member state agencies: Expertise France for France, Enabel, VVOB and APEFE for Belgium,
EDUFI for Finland. Expertise France has been designated the Coordinating Agency for this
Partnership. With the Facility governance scheme serving as the Initiative’s governance scheme, it
is expected that the Partnership will work closely with UNESCO and AUC, in charge of the other 2
components of the EU Initiative.
The first phase of the Facility (as well as the Initiative) is scheduled from February 2024 to January
2027 (36 months) with a total budget of 46.000.000 EUR.
Call for expert falls within the scope of window 1 on delivering Technical Assistance to support
countries on specific thematic areas related to teacher policy and governance, as well as teacher
education and professional development.

2. CONTEXT

2.1 EDUCATION SECTOR IN UGANDA

Endly, the Education and Sports Sector Plan (ESSP) 2020/21 – 2024/25 is fully aligned with the NDP
III Strategic Direction, and is informed by the Ugandan Vision 2040, the SDG Agenda 2030, the
Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA), the NRM Manifesto (2016-2021), and the
Government White Paper on Education (1992). The ESSP is also designed to contribute to achieving
Uganda’s international commitments enshrined in the UN-SDGs, specifically, SDG4 and in the
Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2016-2025. The Vision 2040 aims to reach a
national literacy rate of 95% by 2040 compared with the baseline of 73% in 2010. The ESSP takes
up the same finding as the analysis of the education and sport sector (2019). It highlights the
weaknesses in teacher development and management is considered to be the main cause of
unsatisfactory pupil/student performance and system inefficiencies in all sub-sectors of the education
system. The main challenges are in teacher training, recruitment, deployment, motivation and
capacity. Teacher deployment tends not to be aligned with the actual needs of schools, resulting in
strong disparities among regions, and between rural and urban areas. Weak school leadership and
supervision, combined with poor working conditions, contribute to weak motivation and teacher
absenteeism. Lastly, the low capacity of teacher is attributed to weaknesses in both the pre-service
and in-service teacher training.

As outlined in the National Teacher Policy, approved in 2018, it is a priority to professionalize the
teaching profession to level comparable to other professions like medical, engineering, legal, and
accounting among others. This policy provides a comprehensive framework for the development and
management of the teaching profession to improve teaching and learning in the entire education
system. The Policy intends to a) streamline teacher management for better productivity, discipline,
retention, and motivation, (b) strengthen pre-service and in-service teacher training to enhance
competences to effectively deliver quality learning outcomes and leadership at all levels of the
education cycle, (c) standardize teacher development, qualifications, and practice across all levels of
education, and (d) streamline the integration of cross cutting issues into all aspects of teacher
training, management, and practice at all levels.
Complementarity with existing policies and processes is one of the core principles of the Facility,
so all partners were consulted to avoid overlapping and identify synergies. The proposed programme
is built in complementarity with others partners’ support on in-service training and digital literacy
training for teachers. Other programs are being implemented by several international partners with
a focus on teachers training and digital skills. ENABEL, VVOB, UNICEF, UNESCO and the World
Bank/GPE are supporting the MoEs in improving teacher competencies through continuous
professional development programmes (CPD) and a competence-based approach. ENABEL has a
long-term involvement in the education sector in Uganda, particularly in teacher training and digital
skills development (digital hub in one training center, CPD framework, digital skills training…).
ENABEL also implements an EU-funded program that supports in-service teacher training and good
practices’ sharing.

2.2 CAP CONTEXT – ARTICULATION WITH PREVIOUS WORKS

Upon request of the Ugandan Ministry of Education (MoE), the Facility of the RTIA is looking for a
team of expert (international and national) to support the professionalization of teacher.
Received in May 2024, the country request was the starting point of technical discussions that
resulted in the definition of an agreed programme of technical assistance called Country Action Plan
(CAP) to be delivered to Uganda by the Facility.
The CAP was co-developed between the Facility International Team and the national partner (MoE),
in consultation with other national and international partners developed on the foundations of the
national education sector plan (ESP) and teacher policy. The CAP covers 3 technical areas of
expertise, including pre-service training and training programme development. The related work
package begins with a feasibility study aiming at providing inputs to the subsequent design phase of
the 12-months internship programme which is a new requirement for teacher candidates as
stipulated in the National Teacher Policy.
During the preparation of this CAP, other lines of actions have been considered in the discussions
with the MoE, and in particular actions related to in-service training and ICT skills for teachers and
teacher educators. These actions have not been selected because they are already supported by
other international partners such as Enabel and UNESCO.

3. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

3.1 MAIN OBJECTIVES

The overall programme of the CAP is mainly focused on supporting the MoE in the actual
implementation of the Teacher Policy (TP)1, both at policy, institutional, and operational level through
the implementation of the new TP orientations regarding pre-service teacher training.
The general objective of this assignment which is to support the elaboration of an internship
programme for pre-service training is fully aligned with the main strategic objectives of the Education
and Sports Sector Strategic Plan (2020/21 – 2024/25):

• Ensure equitable access to quality and relevant education and training.
• Guarantee the delivery of quality and relevant education and training.
• Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of education and sports services at all levels.

It also directly contributes to one of the measures listed in the 2019 Teacher Policy, which is the new
requirement for teacher candidates to obtain a bachelor’s degree in education (3 years) and complete
a one-year full-time internship and mentorship (implementation guidelines of the NTP).

The purpose of this assignment is to support the design and implementation of the 12-months
practical teacher internship programme, targeting teacher students at the end of their 3-year initial
training (bachelor’s degree).
Under the supervision of an international expert, the specific objectives of the assignment are:

• Provide an analysis of the technical and financial implications of the scaling up of teacher
  internship programme so that MoES and Uganda’s government has contextualized
  information
• Provide a clearer vision of the options for a gradual implementation at scale of the teacher
  internship programme
• Provide a roadmap describing the steps and modalities for the implementation of the teacher
  internship programme

3.2 METHODOLOGY & GENERAL APPROACH

The indicative methodology is as follows but not limited to – the consultant is expected to propose a
more in-depth methodology in its application:
In implementing this consultancy, the selected consultant will be able to carry out:

• a rapid desk review of the main policy documents of the Ugandan education system (sector
  strategy, teacher policy, etc.)
• a scoping meeting will be held with the country partner, Ugandan Ministry of Education
  and the Regional Teacher Facility for Africa, which will be the subject of a short note outlining
  the work to be carried out, including the methodology and an updated timetable taken into
  account workshops and the distribution between remote work and in-country missions for
  the international consultant
• key informant interviews (in-depth discussions with people who have relevant knowledge
  or experience of initial teacher training and internship programmes)
• Focus Group Discussion – consultation of all the structures involved (TETD in coordination
  with UNITE and Teachers Training Institutions)

The above preliminary actions will enable the collection of the essential information needed to
develop:

• a feasibility study, including validation of the findings and main recommendations with the
  MoES during a 2-days workshop
• a roadmap to implement the internship programme, including validation and
  endorsement by the MoES during a 2-days workshop
• a policy brief to highlight the conclusions of the analysis and comparaison of various
  internship programmes in comparable countries to be validated and disseminated by the
  Knowledge Management Unit of the Facility
• a final report to take stock of the assignment, highlight the successes, good practices and
  potential difficulties encountered.

A participatory approach will be necessary to ensure that (1) the products developed correspond
to the real needs of the partner – relevance (2) the perspectives of all stakeholders are taken into
account – consistency (3) the administrations concerned take ownership of the project, which will
enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of the technical assistance.

3.3 STAKEHOLDERS

During the assignment a close collaboration is expected with the Ministry of Education and Sport and
especially the Department of Teacher Education and Training Development which submitted the
request. In the purpose of a participatory approach, various actors should be met and involved at
different stages of the study. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the relevant stakeholders.

Stakeholders to be involved in information gathering:

– Basic Education Department (BED)
– Direction of Human Resources in the MoES
– Communication and Information Management Unit (CIM)
– Terms of Reference_CAP Uganda
– TVET Trainers Training Research and Innovation (TTTRI)
– Preschool Department
– Teacher Training Centers/University
– National Teacher Council
– Any other countries in the sub-region that have institutionalized the integration of an internship
programme in initial teacher training.

Stakeholders to be involved in the elaboration of deliverables:

– Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE)
– Teacher Training Institutions (TTI)
– Teacher Education and Training Development (TETD)
– Ministry of Finance

Stakeholders who will benefit (directly or indirectly) from Technical Assistance:

– Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES)
– Teacher candidates (from Early Childhood Education programmes to secondary Education Level),
– Teacher educators
– The consultant will also have to meet, at a minimum the Local Education Partners Group coordination agency.

3.4 MAIN DELIVERABLES

The specific deliverables under this consultancy are the following:

• Deliverable #1: inception report – a detailed methodology note including an outline of
  the work to be carried out (no longer than 4 pages)
• Deliverable #2: feasibility study report that includes at least the following components – an analysis of the existing (shorter) practical experiences in the current training
  programmes in the country, and lessons learnt, – an analysis of similar programmes in comparable countries (in Eastern Africa preferably)
  and/or in other sectors (such as the health sector), – an analysis of the mandates and capacity of the national organizations that should lead the
  provision of the internship programme, and a proposed institutional scheme for its
  implementation, – an analysis of the general design options regarding the internships’ objectives, the human
  and financial resources needed (cost analysis), the institutional organization and
  implementing modalities, – a first identification of the criteria for schools to be eligible as “school of practice”,
• Deliverable #3: a roadmap for the design and early implementation of the internship
  programme including gender considerations
• Deliverable #4: a policy brief to document the good practices identified including gender
  considerations, based on the review of similar programme in practice training of student
  teachers implementing in other countries in the region and beyond (no longer than 3-4
  pages).
• Deliverable #5: a final report

Each deliverable will be validated by the ministry and the regional facility for teachers in
Africa.
The PowerPoint presentation and slides developed to facilitate workshops must be sent
with deliverables.

4. TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION

4.1 ESTIMATED NUMBER OF DAYS & GENERAL TIMELINE

Consultancy should not exceed 40 working days for each expert (international and
national), i.e. 80 days for the 2 experts.

4.2 ROLES AND RESPONSABILITIES

The Ministry of Education and Sport – under the leadership of the Teacher Education
Training and Development department will be responsible for :

• Providing the documentation,
• Facilitating the meeting with the relevant stakeholders
• Organizing the workshop and providing workspace
• Comment on and approve deliverables

The Regional Teacher Facility for Africa will be responsible for :

• Contracting and facilitating the onboarding of the consultant by providing all documents
  and resources available
• Monitoring the Consultant’s work from start to finish
• Act as the main resource person for the Consultant
• Ensure quality control of deliverables in collaboration with the Ministry’s focal point for this
  consultation
• Share deliverables with key stakeholders and contribute to internal and external Knowledge
  Management
• Collect feedback and comments from stakeholders Acknowledge the validation of the
  deliverables by all parts
• Evaluate the overall performance of the Consultant for this mandate.

The Consultant shall have full responsibility for :

• Review and comment on these Terms of Reference (ToR);
• Ensure that all deliverables comply with the guidelines formulated during the mission
  scoping meeting, in accordance with the agreed timetable.
• Notify the Regional Teachers’ Facility immediately of any difficulties in implementing the
  assignment.
• The consultant must ensure that the stakeholders are consulted throughout the
  assignment.
• Behave with the highest levels of personal integrity and commitment to the required standards of conduct.

5. EXPERTS’ PROFILES

The study will be carried out by a pair of experts. Ideally, a team composed of a national
and an international expert who both meet the criteria would be the best arrangement.
However, the national expert may still submit a proposal if he cannot propose a team made
up of an international expert and a national expert. [Please refer to the call for individual
international experts being launched in parallel to see the detailed profile.]

The national Consultant must have the following Academic qualifications, Work experiences and
Technical Knowledge and Skills.

• Academic qualification
  • Specialist in education sciences or relevant discipline (level Master’s degree minimum);
• General work experience
  • At least 7 years’ professional experience in the field of education and training and proven knowledge
  of the Ugandan education system
• Specific work experience
  • Significant experience in the field of evaluation, analysis or development of strategies for pre and
  in-service teacher training
  • Have carried out similar studies;
  • Sound knowledge of the issues involved in initial and in-service teacher training;
  • Good analytic and report-writing skills;
• Language Proficiency
  • Excellent written and spoken skills in English required;
  • Fluency in French is an asset;
• Interpersonal and soft skills
  • Ability to work effectively in a diverse and multi-cultural team to achieve goals;
  • Excellent analytical and summarizing skills and the ability to lead workshops or seminars;
  • The highest levels of personal integrity and commitment to adhering to required standards of
  conduct;
• Additional assets
  • Knowledge of gender equality and relevant policy frameworks, including legislation on equal
  opportunities between men and women;

6. HOW TO APPLY & SELECTION PROCESS

To be considered your application must include the following:

• the reference of our offer: 2024/RFSACOTTIP/12309
• your CV (following Europass template) and
• a technical note explaining the assignment, detailing the methodology used and a
  description of the implementation (10 pages maximum). It should include a proposed
  distribution of roles and responsibilities between the national and the international,
  the expected added value of each consultant and the coordination arrangements. It
  must be written in English, and should be presented in A4 format, Times New Roman
  12 font, 1.5 line spacing and sent in Word format.
• if possible, please attach a sample of previous works (1 to 3 pieces) that you
  might have performed and that are similar to the above assignment. In each case, you should specify your role (main author, major contributions, minor contributions,
  etc.)

→ Please note that the Facility applies its own daily rate in accordance with the current
compensation grid. In this respect, fees will be calculated on the basis of the candidate’s
status and experience.
→ Please click on the following link to apply: https://www.expertisefrance.fr/en/on
recrute?redirected=2#page-12309—1—rtia-feasibility-study-and-conceptualisation-of
the-teacher-internship-programme-h-f—en_US

Deadline for applications: 2025 January 5th, 23:59 PM Paris time (UTC+1)
The evaluation of the tenders received will be based in particular on the following criteria: (i) the
candidate’s diploma (ii), the candidate’s experience in carrying out assignments that are relevant or
similar to those specified in this call for applications, (iii) the candidate’s understanding of the
expectations of the assignment and the proposed intervention methodology.

“At Facility of the RTIA we value all experts as unique individuals, and we welcome the variety of experiences they bring to the Facility. As such, we have a strict non-discrimination policy. We believe everyone should be treated equally regardless of race, sex, gender identification, sexual orientation, national origin, native language, religion, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you feel that you have been discriminated against, please let the Facility team know as soon as possible. Every complaint will be appropriately investigated”.