USAID Iraq contract document: CASec C

SECTION C SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK Revitalization of Iraqi Schools and Stabilization of Education (RISE) I. PURPOSE *This contract serves to promote rapid school enrollment and sustained retention in the school system, thus contributing to democracy, equality, stability, economic growth, and improved well-being of Iraqi families. The short-term focus is upon vulnerable children, i.e. those who either dropped out or never entered school. The longer term objective is to lay the foundation for decentralized, sustainable, quality education at the -primary and secondary school levels. The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals for implementing a 12- month educational revitalization program. The project will follow closely behind any military action, implementing in areas as they become permissive. II. BACKGROUND Status of Education in Irag and the Arab Region Because certain educational indicators and data for Iraq are scarce and of questionable reliability, this section also incorporates information from the broader Arab region. In 1999, the UN Security Council convened a Humanitarian Panel to examine pre-Gulf War Iraq and the effects of the post-war sanctions on the citizens of Iraq. UNICEF reported that the Government of Iraq made sizable investments in the education sector from the mid-1970s until 1990. According to UNESCO, educational policy included provision for scholarships, research facilities and medical support for students. By 1989 the combined primary and secondary enrollment ratio stood at 75% (slightly above the average for all developing countries at 70%, according to the Human Development Report for 1991). literacy had been reduced to 20% by 1987. While Iraq's indicators were inferior to that of other Arab countries such as Egypt, education accounted for over 5% of the state budget in 1989, above the developing country average of 3.8%! According to a field survey conducted in 1993, in Central and Southern governorates 83% of school buildings needed rehabilitation.? Some schools with a planned capacity of 700 pupils serve up to 4,500 students. According to UNICEF, progress in reducing adult and female illiteracy has ceased and regressed to mid-1980 levels. The rising number of street children and children who work can be explained, in part, as a result of increasing rates of school drop-outs and repetition, as more families are forced to rely on children to secure household incomes. A variety of UN agencies testified before the Panel regarding the cumulative effect of the sanctions and economic decline on the social fabric of Iraq. UNICEF spoke of a whole generation of Iraqis who are growing up disconnected from the rest of the world. UNESCO commented that children between 5 and 15 years of age were the most affected. According to the Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, unemployment and low salaries were forcing Iragis with higher levels of education to abandon jobs as teachers or doctors and to either emigrate or search for employment as tax drivers or security guards etc. adding to the problems in the areas of health and education. ' UN Security Council, Iraq Humanitarian Panel Report (New York: UN 1999) §22 3 UN Security Council, Iraq Humanitarian Report §22 3 UN Security Council, Iraq Humanitarian Report §22 C-1 SECTION C Enrollments: As of the late 1990s, aggregate school enrollment for all ages (6-23) in Iraq had declined to 53%. Net primary enrollment rates in Arab states average 78%, second lowest among major world regions. According to UNESCO's Education for All Monitoring Report 2002, enrollment rates appear to have stagnated during the 1990s*. Again, rates for girls and children living in rural areas are frequently much lower. Barely half of the children in Arab states enroll in middle school, and in Iraq the secondary enrollment ratio is only 20%. Enrollment Ratios for Irag® Total Male Femal e Primary net enrollment ratio 82.5 76.3 69.8 ". Adult primary completion rate (not gender disaggregated) 11.6 Secondary net enrollment ratio 26 33 39.6 Adult secondary completion rate (not gender disaggregated) 4.9, UNICEF 1999/2000 Equity: The education systems in Arab countries have been split into two parts: high quality, expensive education for an exclusive minority, and poor quality public education for the masses. According to the Arab Human Development Report prepared by the UNDP, it is difficult to pass qualifying exams for higher education without a high quality primary and secondary education. Public education is no longer a means of social advancement in many Arab countries®. The effect of both the lack of perceived return on public education and severe economic constraints on enrollment and attainment are reflected in the startling calculations of Barro and Lee, economists at Harvard University. Extent of schooling of Iragi youth and adults 2000 Average schooling years in male population over 15 ]4.562 3.321 2000 Average schooling years in female population over 15 35.5 2000 Percentage of no schooling in male population over 15 148.4 /2000 Percentage of no schooling in female population over 15 Quality: Internal Efficiency is the best measurement of quality. As shown in the chart on enrollment ratios, Iraqi education is internally inefficient with many students repeating or dropping out along the way. Fewer than half of those who begin primary school make it to secondary school. It makes little sense to improve access without taking steps to improve retention. Many Iragi schools are extremely overcrowded due to lack of classroom space and lack of teachers. Many teachers teach double and even triple shifts, resulting in less time on task. Analyses in the Arab Human Development Report indicate that the critical challenges to . The Report quality include low levels of knowledge attainment and poor analytical and innovative capacity?. also found that problems of quality and relevance have led to poor external efficiency, ie., a significant mismatch between the labor market and development needs and the output of the education systems. This mismatch leads to poor economic and social returns on education. According to the Report, "poor quality has become the Achilles heel of education in the Arab world..."? * EFA Global Monitoring Report, p. 49 § UNICEF Situation Analysis, 2002 • Arab Human Development Report, p. 54. > Arab Human Development Report, p. 54 & Arab Human Development Report, p. 54 == C-2 SECTION C III. STATEMENT OF WORK (RISE) =::- USAID'S RISE activity is an up to 12-month effort designed to provide cooperation at both the policy and classroom levels to facilitate rapid universal enrollment and retention through quality improvement at the primary and secondary levels. This program is intended to produce more positive attitudes and behaviors toward schooling and improved practices in basic education for Iraqi children. Early efforts are targeted toward the most vulnerabie children, i.e. those most likely to drop-out of school, have already dropped out, or never entered. While the specific program activities will need to adapt to the changing environment in "Iraq, the program will support the Government's education programs in three areas: • Provision of school materials ..• Education reform, with emphasis upon economic planning and accelerated learning -. • Teacher upgrading and School Leadership training The Contractor shall put in place a series of short-term interventions that will stabilize Iraq's education system and get all children back in school. Provision of school materials and equipment, provision of school supplies and accelerated learning materials will accompany physical school reconstruction efforts undertaken within other activities and by other implementers. The Contractor shall also coordinate with other entities engaged in textbook production, needs assessments, teacher training, and distribution of materials and school kits with textbooks. USAID shall review the contents of all teaching materials before they are distributed. This includes both written materials and the contents of any kits that will be provided to students and teachers. At the same time, the Contractor shall also engage in short-term efforts to strengthen Iraqi MOE capacity in quality improvement through education planning, financing, and teacher training. These activities will lead to decentralization and long-term reform. Children who are encouraged to question and participate freely are more likely to become questioning, participatory adults. RISE will promote child-centered, inquiry-based, participatory teaching methods that lay a foundation for democratic practices and attitudes among children and educators and draw families into the life of the school communities. The Contractor shall take the issue of ethnic balance in its program into consideration, and will concentrate on areas where girls have particularly low access to educational services. Basic equipment and supplies for schools and school children are in very short supply and non-existent in many areas, particularly in rural areas. Poverty, population growth and lower-than-desired investments in the social sectors have caused a deficit in equipment and supplies. Among the materials and equipment needed may include teacher desks, pupil desks, tables, and blackboards as well as perhaps copier machines, computers, and basic software. Supplies for schools may include such materials as maps, Arabic and English Dictionaries, protractors, and visual learning aids. Needed school supplies for children may include notebooks, pencils, book bags, rulers, crayons, and other essential materials which facilitate leaming. Leaming is hindered when adequate materials are not available. Providing school supplies and materials will contribute to enrollment and retention and will also reduce the burden put on families to cover the costs for their children's education. The Contractor shall also be prepared to print and disseminate appropriate . textbooks for primary and secondary grades. The Contractor shall, therefore, provide materials, equipment and school supplies in a timely manner to reopen in time for the new school year, and to mitigate any disruptions to classroom instruction. A nationwide distribution of school and leaming supplies shall begin before the beginning of the school year in collaboration with other implementers who may also be providing materials. The Contractor, in collaboration with USAID, shall engage the Iraqi Ministry of Education in dialogue to strengthen the educational system and to develop and draft educational policies that improve the quality, C-3 SECTION C equity, access and cost-effectiveness of education. The Contractor shall work with the Ministry of Education as it attempts to provide education that will strengthen Iraq's economy. This is likely to take the form of Program Advisory Committees in some instances, as well as collaborative working groups with businesses, industries, NGOs and other governmental entities, such as the Ministries of Planning, Labor, Health and Social Welfare. The Ministry of Education and its in-country partners will be expected to set policies regarding educational standards for students and teachers, and resource manuals for school administrators. Economic planning for the equitable allocation of funds within the education budget, and economic modeling • to assure sustainabilty over time is important. Training of teachers and administrators will also be included. The establishment of educational standards will be closely coordinated with textbook and course content efforts being undertaken by other organizations in order to ensure harmonization of programs and content, in collaboration with the MOE, and compatible timing of activities to be prepared for the beginning of the school year. In each of the program areas, the Contractor shall establish quantitative and qualitative baseline information and realistic targets and indicators to track progress that are based upon the standard set of UNESCO indicators used to track educational progress world-wide. It is important that the contractor assess the capacity of the MOE to manage data, and to develop data management capacity within the Ministry of Education, including installation of and training on software as needed. The Contractor shall also help assess the salaries of Iraqi education providers and determine an appropriate payroll list for public education staff. The following indicators will be used to monitor progress in terms of the GOI's and the Contractor's overall program objectives: After establishing baselines pertaining particularly to the first two bullets below, specific, numerical targets or benchmarks for each will need to be developed within the first two months of program implementation. • Improved gross primary and secondary school enrollment, dropout, repetition and completion rates in targeted schools. • Gender and ethnic disparities reduced. • Increased access to appropriate school supplies and learning material in the classroom. • Increased numbers of teachers, education officials and school principals trained in active learning. • Decentralization framework validated. • Enhanced public-private partnerships for education service delivery. Collection, organization, and analysis of data will be critical to monitor progress from the baseline in the medium and long-term and to help determine policy decisions by the MOE. USAID would like to assist the MOE in building its capacity to collect and use educational data. The Contractor shall recruit a full-time specialist in assessment and evaluation to be placed at the MOE to work with the technical head of the assessment department. The contractor shall also deliver an inventory and description of local, regional, and international NGOs and donors that have the capacity to deliver education related services. It is anticipated that the Contractor may subcontract or sub-grant some of the specific program elements in this SOW. Subcontractors and sub- grantees should have demonstrated experience in similar activities in Iraq or similar Middle-Eastern countries. Subcontracting partners is defined as "community groups" including the entire gamut from women's groups to municipalities to NGOs. Activities funded under the RISE program will focus on the three inter-related areas specified below. The Contractor shall coordinate with the USAID-supported infrastructure and reconstruction contractor and logistics contractor, and other organizations, such as UNICEF, as necessary on each of these areas to avoid overlap and ensure that all issues are fully addressed == C-4 SECTION C ... 1. Rapid Distribution of School Materials, Equipment and Supplies Based upon experiences gained elsewhere in the Middle East, the Contractor shall purchase and distribute school materials, equipment and supplies, which may include textbooks, in geographic areas not otherwise served to ensure coverage of all permissible areas. These commodities include, but are not limited to the items described above, and are dependent on the initial needs assessment survey. School supplies to primary and secondary school children will differ according to need. The actual content will be determined based on the needs assessment and what is culturally appropriate. Results: - 1. Within 60 days of commencement of program implementation: the Contractor shall have surveyed 2,500 schools in permissive areas to assess needs and collect baseline information. 2. All schools in permissive areas will have materials and equipment necessary to open for the new school year. 3. Within 6 months of program implementation, students kits shall be delivered to 2.1 million children in 12,500 primary and secondary schools, and these schools shall have the materials and equipment and supplies needed to function at a standard level of quality. 4. By the end of 1 year, student kits should be delivered to 4.2 million children in 25,000 primary and secondary schools and these schools shall have the materials and equipment and supplies needed to function at a standard level of quality. 2. Education Reform and Accelerated Learning: Based upon experience gained in Iraq and in the Middle East, the Contractor shall collaborate with the Government to strengthen national and local capacity in policy-making and planning in the education sector. Technical assistance will pave the way for Iraqi management of decentralization of school planning, management and finance. Pilot and demonstration-type projects are expected to form the basis for education policy at the district, governorate and national levels, particularly those which increase accountability. The successful implementation of RISE's three main components depends upon the capacity of the MOE to plan and undertake policy reform. Therefore, the. Contractor shall assist the MOE in strategic planning for educational reform. This assistance will take the form of full-time specialists in education planning, economics, curriculum and statistics to be placed at the MOE to work with the technical heads of departments. Only 33 percent of Iraqi students enroll in secondary schools. Repeaters and dropouts are a significant loss to both the individual and the broader society. To educate those who are not in school, accelerated learning strategies and programs are needed to better match age and grade level. The Contractor shall develop programs that provide a) accelerated schooling for over-age students, especially girls; b) education re-entry programs targeting out of school youth; c) accelerated training programs; and d) alternative methodologies, such as bridge schools. The Contractor shall explore ways to engage civil society in support of government objectives. The Contractor shall assist the MOE in the certification and oversight of formal or informal accelerated learning programs, aimed at quickly bringing up the education levels of over-aged students and moving them into age-appropriate education levels. The Contractor shall support the active involvement of the MOE in monitoring and certifying accelerated learning programs. The MOE expects that students in accelerated learning programs will be able to complete one year of schooling in six months or less, using MOE-approved curricular materials. In the provinces where the baseline evaluation finds the highest levels of primary and middle school dropouts, the Contractor, subcontractors, or sub-grantees (which need not be limited to U.S. institutions) shall implement pilot accelerated learning programs. At least S pilot projects in accelerated learning using politically neutral course content should begin within 90 days of arrival in-country. This summer program of accelerated leaming, utilizing the expertise of local schoolteachers, and providing them a salary during the == C-5 SECTION C summer months, will prepare children who have recently dropped out of school to re-enter at the appropriate grade level at the start of the next school year. The summer pilot programs should include distribution of school kits, which may include pens, pencils, notebooks and other learning aids appropriate to the course content. No later than three months after implementation of the pilot programs, and if possible in time for the school year, a nationwide program of accelerated learning shall be designed and ready to implement. This will replace the pilot programs, and should be implemented for sustainability. The Contractor shall ensure that *programming is gender conscious, ethnically equitable, and should focus on under-served areas. This program should utilize existing teachers, and may also include radio programming, audio cassettes, and other visual and audio materials. Results The Contractor shall ensure that: • The Contractor is able to deploy to a country in the region within 2 weeks of contract awards • The principal key personnel and Logistics Advisor in each of the technical teams should be identified within two weeks of contract award and be available in-country to support the MOE within 2 weeks of a permissive environment. • The Contractor shall conduct rapid education assessments within a week of entering permissive areas of Iraq to include the salaries of workers in the education sector and appropriate payroll lists. These assessments and lists will be shared with the CTO for more general use. • An inventory, needs assessment and baseline survey of existing primary and secondary schools is conducted within two months of arrival in-country, as areas become permissive. This should be done in close collaboration with other relevant assistance providers to determine needs for textbooks and school supplies, and the infrastructure and reconstruction contractor to determine infrastructure needs of the schools. Please note that USAID will fund rehabilitation and reconstruction of schools and other educational facilities through a separate contract. The RISE contractor shall provide the inventory to the CTO within two months of contract award date. The inventory will be shared with the contractor undertaking infrastructure reconstruction efforts. • The Contractor shall work with the MOE to collect available gender disaggregated data including school age population, primary, secondary, tertiary gross and net enrollments, repetition, and dropouts within two months of contract award and will generate baseline studies to support further data collection as the program progresses. Mapping of ethnic groups should be included in this work. It is understood that the MOE has reasonably good data based upon the information provided from UNESCO. Within 90 days of program implementation, at least five, but preferably more, pilot accelerated leaming programs will be implemented, using politically neutral course content. These pilots will serve as a laboratory for broader efforts to attract and retain vulnerable children into school. School kits and other useful learning material will be distributed to students participating in these pilot programs. Accelerated leaming program with relative emphasis on girls at primary school and children in under-served areas, is established nationwide within 10 months of contract award. The program will function during the traditional academic year and during summer break. Within one year, the MOE will have increased capacity to effectively manage accelerated leaming programs. 3. Training and Upgrading Teachers and School Leaders. The Contractor shall provide training to schoolteachers and administrators to improve the quality of public education. Specific objectives include training of primary and secondary school teachers. This training should complement or include efforts by other assistance providers related to training on the use of newly developed course content as it becomes available. The contractor, subcontractor or sub-grantee is expected to provide for training materials, workshops and other components of this program. Key administrators (e.g., principals and local education == C-6 SECTION C officials) shall also be trained to improve planning and management. Local education officials and school principals will receive training to assume new responsibilities under an Iraqi education system that will eventually be decentralized. In the early stages of reconstruction and stabilization, a strong centralized MOE may be needed to facilitate logistics and communications. In the mid- to long-term, however, decentralized systems will provide for good governance and full involvement of communities to assure access, quality, and relevant education. The intent is to collaborate with Iraqi education officials to undertake appropriate planning that will put them on the path toward timely decentralization. Based on findings at the ground level, the Contractor shall also develop a strategy to promote and facilitate the repatriation and hiring of qualified teachers who wish to return to Iraq. The reintegration of experienced Iragi educators who have left the field into the teaching ranks would bolster the quality of education, and to some extent, mitigate against extreme overcrowding. Particularly desirable are Iraqi teachers who can - introduce alternative teaching methodologies, means of fostering inquiry and critical thinking skills into the primary and secondary school curriculum, promotion of peer-group learning, the building and use of inexpensive teaching materials, using the natural environment to teach science, and ways to involve parents in their children's education. Pilot classrooms could serve as valuable models for replication. Results: The Contractor shall: • Assess existing pre- and in-service teacher training and identify areas for strengthening in-service training within two months of program implementation. The approach should focus upon the identification and training of Iragi teacher trainers. This capacity building approach will be the most efficient and sustainable. • Collaborate with the MOE and other assistance providers to develop and commence implementation of a training curriculum and program for teacher training institutes and in- service teachers within four months. • Collaborate with the MOE to develop and commence implementation of a training curriculum for education administrators within the first four months. • Provide in-service training to 50% of primary and secondary teaching cadre within nine months. • Provide in-service training to 50% of administrators and school leaders within nine months. • Develop and implement, with the MOE, a recruitment strategy for teachers and returnees. The Contractor shall be encouraged to develop a creative program that can not only recruit returnees, but utilize their knowledge and expertise from abroad to bolster the methodologies and knowledge of local teachers, and ensure sustained quality learning processes. • Within one year, the MOE will have increased capacity to effectively assume teacher training and school administration. Project Implementation The Contractor shall be responsible for overseeing the complete project. USAID expects the Contractor to be prepared to deploy to the region within two weeks of contract award and have logistics and administrative systems in place and functioning within two weeks of arrival in Iraq so that implementation of the program can commence immediately. USAID has a logistics contractor to facilitate the transport and storage of various USAID-funded equipment and supplies as needed. The RISE contractor should coordinate with the logistics contractor to determine the most cost effective mechanisms for acquisition, transportation, and delivery of necessary equipment and supplies. The RISE Contractor shall inform the CTO of the recommended mechanism. The CTO will then determine whether the Logistics Contractor shall support acquisition, delivery, and storage of any necessary material in support of the objectives of this scope. == C-7 SECTION C All project implementation and technical assistance within this program is expected to be done in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education by working through MOE counterparts. Offices for key personnel in-country should be negotiated either within the Ministry itself or within close proximity. Funds are provided for an evaluation of the overall program's cost effectiveness, lessons learned and the institutionalization process. The scope of work for the evaluation will be prepared by USAID, but may be conducted independently. "Project Coordination To achieve the objectives of the project, and under the guidance of USAID, the Contractor shall coordinate, as required, with USG representatives, government officials, local government personnel, representatives of the International Community, including UNICEF, other USAID-supported contractors, and international organizations. Subcontracting partners is defined as "community groups" including the entire gamut from women's groups to municipalities to NGOs. The Contractor shall provide the MOE with expert technical assistance, program management and other services. The Contractor shall carry out program activities within their area of expertise and manage subcontracts and sub-grants to local, regional, and international organizations to carry out specialized activities such as teacher training, accelerated learning programs, and evaluation. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all personnel, materials, supplies and facilities for its use in order to manage, supervise, inspect, make or authorize payment, and expedite the completion of this Scope of Work in a timely and acceptable manner. The Contractor shall validate arrangements and take responsibility for printing, supply and distribution of materials, as necessary to fulfili the terms and conditions of the contract. The Contractor shall deliver the following: 1. Implementation Plan: The Contractor shall develop an implementation plan and schedule for the length of the contract that will outline the necessary performance and input for all parties in order to complete the program on time and within budget. This shall be submitted within two weeks of contract award. It will establish benchmarks and performance milestones, based on the results stipulated under each program in this contract, and a regular reporting schedule. It will also indicate how the Contractor plans to involve relevant actors from the MOE and ensure that they are actively involved in the implementation of RISE. This plan is to be maintained with current information and procedures and be reviewed at weekly coordination program meetings The implementation plan will allow USAID and its representatives to monitor performance. It will also provide for a communication network to streamline coordination with all appropriate parties on a continuing basis. In addition, it is anticipated that an evaluation of the program will be conducted approximately 10 months after initiation. This may be either internal or external. Note: As part of the workplan, the Contractor shall calculate estimated monthly fuel requirements for program implementation for up to one year and submit with the workplan. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing communications equipment compatible with USG frequencies, vehicles for staff equipped with GPS transmitters, and full support for in-country staff. 2. Inventory of NGOs: The contractor shall also deliver an inventory and description of local, regional, and international NGOs and donors that have the capacity to deliver education-related services. Subcontracting partners is defined as "community groups" including the entire gamut from women's groups to municipalities to NGOs. 3. Initial rapid assessments of education staff salanes and payroll requirements to be conducted within a week of entering a permissive environment and shared with the CTO. C-8 SECTION C 4. Needs Assessment and Baseline Survey: The Contractor shall submit the results of the initial school needs assessment and baseline survey within 60 days of arrival in country. This will be shared with the infrastructure and reconstruction, and logistics contractors to determine logistics and delivery commitments. 5. Reports and Consultations: a. Weekly Consultations: a continuing requirement of this contract will be close collaboration, - reporting to and engagement with the appropriate officers of the USAID Mission. Consultations will occur on a weekly basis at minimum to discuss the overall progress, internal specifics and external contexts of the ongoing work. It is anticipated that these informal but regular consultations will support the monthly reports and help shape workplans. b. Monthly Reports: The contractor shall provide to the CTO, within 5 days after the end of each month, a report on the activities undertaken during the month. The monthly report should seek tô be a brief, lucid description of activities, with emphasis on issues that have arisen, results or changes induced, limitations encountered, and suggestions for additional actions that might be taken. The monthly report should also include the Contractor's accrued monthly expenditures. The CTO is responsible for transmitting this information to the USAID financial management office responsible for the contract. c. Quarterly Workplans: Quarterly workplans will briefly state the contractor's mission and modus operandi for the coming three months. The plans shall incorporate scope, budget, schedule, approvals, relationships, control and resource allocation. They will include the identification of responsibilities, identification of critical completion milestones (benchmarks) and project activities, financial and budget procedures, scheduling procedures, administrative procedures and technical standards as part of the design, procurement, construction and project documentation/closeout procedures. The first quarterly workplan shall be completed within three weeks of contract award date. Subsequent workplans shall be submitted within 7 days before the start of a new 3-month period. The CTO will respond within S working days. d. Final Report: The Contractor shall prepare a final report that matches accomplishments to the specific paragraphs of this contract and, where appropriate, to the amendments to said contract. e. Proposing Indicators: At program start-up, and subject to USAID approval, the recipient will develop and propose indicators for monitoring performance. Performance Monitoring Within 30 days from the signing of the award, the recipient shall submit for USAID approval a Performance Monitoring Plan. The plan will necessitate the conduct of a baseline study to develop the required baseline data for the measurement of progress throughout the program. The plan will include methodology on how data will be collected, interim and final targets, and a timeline for collecting data. Data should be collected for all indicators developed by the recipient. The Performance Monitoring Plan shall provide for periodic evaluation by the recipient of the impact of the various program components and operate as a "program feedback loop", i.e. impact evaluation/feedback/fine-tuning of component implementation/new activity cycle. The recipient will submit a semi-annual Performance Monitoring Report that details benchmarks toward achievement of performance indicators and results, the data collected and the method of collection. The first Performance Monitoring Report will be submitted no later than 30 days following the end of the FY 2003 U.S. Government fiscal year, with reports submitted serni-annually thereafter. A specific C-9 SECTION C format for the performance report will be proposed by the recipient to USAID for ápproval 60 days following program start-up. Personnel Requirements The Contractor should develop in its bid a staffing plan consistent with the scope and objectives of this document. The Contractor shall provide personnel meeting or exceeding the following position descriptions. All personnel are expected to work with counterparts within the Ministry of Education. See Section F for key personnel. Project Director (Washington): 12 months Duties include general backstopping, and serving as the liaison with USAID/Washington's ANE Bureau. Chief of Party (Field): 12 months The Chief of Party (COP) will supervise all personnel under the contract. The COP is responsible for day-to-day management of the contract and ensuring that deliverables meet both the standards and due dates established by the CTO. The COP reports to the USAID Mission and must be conversant with USAID regulations and procedures. The COP must have broad experience in directing an education project in the Middle East, collaborating with host country officials, translating research findings into policy dialogue and working at the local community and school level to employ methodologies that involve site educators in gathering information about teaching and learning. Experience must also include supervising and managing a cross-country project, developing and monitoring budgets, and disseminating findings in useful ways. Qualifications include an advanced degree in education and 10 years experience working in the Middle East. English fluency and Arabic proficiency are required Senior Education Advisors (2): 12 months • One Elementary Education/Teacher training Specialist • One Secondary Education/Teacher training Specialist These individuals should have practical experience working with Middle Eastern ministries of education on curriculum and instruction, teacher training, staff development, and research methodologies, particularly those that focus on data collection in a local educational environment. The specialists should also be cognizant of the key issues in education, such as language of instruction, early childhood education, health & nutrition, and learning handicaps based on gender, geography, special needs and/or ethnicity. They will also be responsible for the implementation and/or supervision of the accelerated learning program. Qualifications for these positions include a graduate degree in education or related fields, plus a minimum of 10 years experience, preferably in the Middle East. Language Abilities: English is essential and Arabic is preferred. C-10 SECTION C Senior Education Planners (3): 12 months • One Senior Education Economist/Finance Specialist (12 months) • • One Senior Education Administration and Teacher Training Specialist (12 months) • One Senior Education Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist (12 months) These individuals will have at least the following qualifications: Graduate degree in an education related field, and demonstrated technical expertise and leadership in education planning, policy analysis, economics or research. Demonstrated administrative experience and expertise in managing complex projects or programs involving strategic planning, provision of technical services, and information dissemination; Demonstrated experience in working with and supporting host country educational institutions at national and local levels; Demonstrated capacity to collaborate effectively with institutions active in the education sector, including bilateral and multilateral funding organizations, as well as U.S. and Middle Eastern non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Demonstrated experience in promoting cross-sectoral programming and coordination, especially between the education, health, and environment sectors. A minimum of five years relevant overseas experience. Language Abilities: English is essential and Arabic is preferred. GRANTS ADMINISTRATION/MANAGEMENT Funds may be made available for the award of grants, within the scope of this contract. The contractor shall negotiate, award and administer sub-agreements. Funds for sub-grantees will be provided on a pass-through basis, and profit/fee will not be applied to such funds. Accordingly: A. USAID will have substantial involvement in establishing the selection criteria and in selecting the grant recipients, including, at a minimum, USAID approval of the selection of grantees prior to award; B. USAID will retain the ability to terminate the grant activities unilaterally in extraordinary circumstances; Relevant requirements which apply to USAID-executed grants will also apply to grants C. signed by the contractor in this small grants program; the contractor shall have the responsibility to determine that applicable requirements are included in each grant; and C-11 SECTION C D. The contractor shall award such grants to non-U.S., non-governmenfal grantees, and in some circumstances, governmental, in an amount not to exceed $250,000 per grant and U.S. non- governmental grantees in an amount not to exceed $100,000 per grant. -. (END OF SECTION C) == C-12