1. Introduction

Realising Inclusive and Safe Education or ‘RISE’ is a five-year, multi-country project funded by the Scottish Government. In Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia, RISE will strengthen government support for children with disabilities, allowing such children to access a safe and quality education. RISE is a consortium of four partners, led by Link Education International (LEI) and project partners Link Community Development Malawi (LCDM), Chance for Childhood Rwanda (CfCR), and School to School Zambia (StSZ).

The project aims to:

• Identify, assess and support learners through the provision of assistive devices and links to medical help and social services.
• Strengthen teachers’ and leadership training in gender and inclusive education.
• Engage communities (including parents with or without children with disabilities (CWD) and/or special educational needs (SEN), and school governance bodies) to better support children with disabilities.

2. Scope of the Baseline Study

The consultant will work in harmony with RISE partners to complete the baseline, holding responsibility for:

• Lead: The development of a MEL framework to cover the whole duration (5 years) of RISE.
• Lead: Developing the baseline design report – including design methodology, sampling framework, gender and social inclusion (with a focus on disability) analysis, and a workplan of activities.
• Reviewing, and amending where necessary, the RISE suite of tools.
• Providing quality assurance recommendations for data collection.
• Lead: Carrying out data cleaning (post-country cleaning).
• Lead: Carrying out analysis – including relevant disaggregated data that is gender-sensitive and disaggregated by other characteristics, e.g., age group, disability, race, sexual orientation, incorporating findings from the baseline data collections in all three countries to initiate a final consolidated study report.
• Lead: Presentation of initial findings – overall findings and findings for each country, contextualized.
• Lead: Development of a high-quality, brief publishable report of the main findings and case studies, and clear recommendations.

3. Approach and Methodology

The method of data collection for this baseline is mixed-methods. However, the consultant is expected to define a more detailed methodological approach in the MEL framework and inception report.

• The study should consciously apply qualitative and quantitative research methods that are disability and gender-sensitive, and engage as much as possible in participatory approaches.
• The geographic scope of the study will be aligned with the targeted areas, schools, households, and community stakeholders targeted by the project as laid out in the project description.
• The final suite of tools used to establish RBF indicator baselines should be adapted to the local contexts in each country, to assure the appropriateness and reliability of the data collected.

4. Key Activities, Deliverables, and Timelines

The baseline evaluation study is expected to involve three key phases namely:

• MEL framework & baseline design development.
• Tool development.
• Data analysis, and final report.

The study is expected to take at least four months from November 2024 – March 2025.

5. Guiding Principles and Values

RISE underscores the important thematic values of Intersectionality, safeguarding, and ethical conduct in the implementation of projects including this baseline study.

6. Ethical Standards

The consultant is expected to ensure and uphold the following:

• Ethical conduct: All effort shall be made for the consultant to undertake behavior that aligns with accepted moral principles and standards, acting in a manner that is fair, honest, respectful, and responsible towards others.
• Conflict of Interest: Researchers should disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may arise from the study, including financial interests, affiliations, or personal relationships that could influence the conduct or outcome of the research. Transparency in reporting and decision-making processes is essential to maintaining the integrity and credibility of the study.

These may not be exhaustive ethical considerations for the research, but by adhering to these ethical considerations, the baseline study aims to uphold the principles of respect, ethical conduct, justice, and integrity, thereby ensuring the welfare and rights of all participants involved.

7. Requirements

The consultant must possess the following qualifications and experience. Candidates from Malawi, Rwanda, or Zambia are preferred:

Essential:

• A minimum of 10 years’ experience in administering studies, collecting data, and producing quality baseline/endline study reports, in education and for international non-profit organizations or multilateral agencies.
• Advanced experience in designing baseline and endline studies, including proven experience in sound sampling, gender-sensitive research methods, mixed methods approach (quantitative and qualitative).
• Demonstrated experience in tool development.
• Demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Excellent knowledge and experience in disability, inclusion, and gender equality in the education sector.
• Demonstrated capacity to respect and safeguard vulnerable populations.
• Fluency in English.
• Capacity to set priorities, organize, plan, and production and delivery of high-quality work under tight timeframes.

Desirable:

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with education policies in Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia will be considered an asset.
• Fluency in other relevant languages.

8. Proposal Structure and Submission Guidelines

We invite applications from suitably qualified evaluators/researchers to submit proposals for the baseline evaluation. Qualified and interested parties are asked to submit the following:

1. Detailed technical proposal (5 pages maximum) clearly demonstrating a thorough understanding of this ToR, and including the following:
   • Description of the capacity and qualifications of the consulting firm, including previous relevant experience.
   • Description of the proposed approach and methodology, including baseline design methodology, sampling strategy, data analysis, integration of gender, inclusion and safeguarding considerations, and ethical standards and quality assurance.
   • A proposed schedule/work plan (i.e. a Gantt chart), including contingency planning for emergencies.
   • The level of effort linked to each deliverable.
2. Curriculum Vitae of all proposed team members outlining relevant experience (max 1 page per CV).
3. Financial proposal (in GBP) with a detailed breakdown of costs for the study:
   • Itemized consultancy fees/costs.
   • Expected payment plan and method.
4. Names and contact information of two referees who can be contacted regarding relevant experience.
5. A sample copy of a previous or similar work undertaken.

All proposals should be submitted electronically to the following email address: angela@linkeducation.org.uk

Please submit 2 separate emails: “RISE BL Technical Proposal from … (name)” and “RISE BL Financial Proposal from …. (name)” indicated in the email title line.

For any further inquiries, please contact info@linkeducation.org.uk and indicate “RISE BL enquiry” as part of the email title.

The deadline for submitting proposals is Monday, 25th November 2024 by 8AM CAT.