Request for Application Girls' Learning Through Technology

Proposals (Contingent on Funding) Nairobi, Kenya

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Description

 

REQUEST FOR APPLICATION

For IREX

Issuance Date:          October 5th, 2022 

Closing Date: October 21st, 2022

Closing Time: 5:00pm EAT

Subject: Request for Application (RFA) Number 01

Girls Learning Through Technology (GLTT)

Reference: Issued Under an International Research and Exchange Board (IREX)

This Request for Application outlines the information required by the applicant for the development and submission of a proposal for consideration.  The potential applicant is expected to review, understand, and conform with specifications contained in this RFA.  Failure to do so will be at the applicant’s own risk.

 

All reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, both direct and indirect, which are related to the sub-grant program and are in accordance with applicable cost standards may be charged under the sub-grant.

This RFA is being issued and consists of this cover letter and Schedule A.

Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of GLTT/IREX nor does it commit GLTT/ IREX to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. The application is submitted at the risk of the applicant.  All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense.

Thank you for your interest in GLTT and IREX activities.

Sincerely,

Alexis Field

Program Officer GLTT/IREX

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

IREX – International Research and Exchange Board

GLTT – Girls Learning Through Technology

CBC – Competency-Based Curriculum

TOT – Training of Trainers

TPD – Teacher Professional Development

STEM – Science, Technology Engineering & Mathematics

CSO – Curriculum Support Officer

USD – US Dollars

LTPT – Learning Through Play and Technology

RFA – Request for Application

 

 

 

 SECTION I: FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION:

a.      The GLTT project is funded by The Stone Family Foundation and implemented by IREX in Kilifi County. GLTT uses a technology-based approach to support girls’ education and development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills in low-tech schools through evidence-based practices and research. The project is working to develop digital literacy capacity of teachers and their ability to use creative coding using Scratch and Makey Makey in tech labs to deliver CBC and apply gender responsiveness to engage girls in ICT.

IREX invites interested local organizations to submit an application to partner with IREX in implementing GLTT by providing support during Tech Training of Trainers (ToTs), Teacher Professional Development (TPDs), Tech and Gender inclusive Coaching Sessions and development of tech lab activities. Please see program description and Scope of Work description in Section IV.

 

b.      Program Purpose: The end goal for GLTT is to increase girls' attendance, improve the quality of their learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, and develop digital literacy skills.

c.      SECTION II: AWARD INFORMATION:

  1. The expected duration of IREX’s support or the period of performance is November 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023. IREX expects to award one subaward in the amount of $15,000-$20,000 USD. GLTT/IREX reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.

SECTION III: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

  1. The applicant / application must meet the following requirements
  • Be officially registered and working in compliance with all applicable civil and fiscal regulations, including, but not limited to pertinent local laws and status.
  • Be officially registered as a legal entity and working in compliance with all applicable local laws.
  • Ability to implement the program activities as detailed in Section IV Program Description and Scope of Work in order to meet the projects objectives and principles
  • Contain expected outcomes and results consistent with and linked to the project’s objectives
  • Applicant is not a debarred organization

 

  1. Types of Sub-Awardees Eligible:
  • Non-US Nongovernment Organizations (Non-US NGOs)
  • Community Based Organization (CBOs)
  • Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
  • Professional Associations
  • Universities

 

Cost share is not required.

Section IV. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND SCOPE OF WORK

A.     Program Description and Purpose

Project objectives:

The aim of the GLTT project is to develop the capacity of teachers in low-tech schools to use technology to deliver the CBC and to apply gender-responsive and practical labs to engage girls in ICT. The overarching goal is to create high-tech schools in which teachers have the confidence and capacity to use ICT regularly in their teaching and female students have improved learning outcomes in STEM subjects and increased digital literacy skills. The outcomes of the GLTT project and corresponding research will deepen stakeholders’ (e.g., government institutions, implementing organizations, donors, teachers, and researchers) knowledge on effective ways to mainstream ICT into the curriculum and improve girls’ learning outcomes in STEM subjects. The GLTT project will build on IREX’s KPLAY project, making it both cost-effective and scalable, as the findings from GLTT are fed back into the KPLAY’s programming and plans for scale-up. 

Target population:

The GLTT will be implemented with Grade 4 teachers and girls across 15 randomly selected public primary schools within Kilifi County, a coastal tourist destination. Kilifi is one of the most marginalized counties with the highest girls’ dropout rates in the country and lowest levels of access to ICT.

Project Outcomes:

The goal of GLTT will be to equip 2,400 girls in marginalized areas with math, computer literacy and design thinking skills. These foundational STEM skills are assessed in Kenyan national exams. Girls will also develop soft skills in the CBC, such as creative thinking and collaboration skills through teamwork and problem-solving. Overall, 60 Grade 4 teachers (roughly four per school) will have increased knowledge and skills to integrate ICT into classroom subjects while incorporating existing technology and local resources.

Key Components and Activities:

The project activities will be implemented through three key components: 1) equipping low-tech schools with ICT resources, including updated ICT devices and improved facilities to successfully integrate technology into classroom lessons; 2) gender-responsive teacher training and professional development for improved ICT integration into the curriculum; and 3) development of Tech Labs to facilitate hands-on use of ICT hardware and software, expression of creativity, and collaborative learning. 

Research Outline 

To support learning and dissemination of project outcomes, IREX will conduct an evaluation to measure the impact of GLTT on girls’ learning of core STEM subjects and their acquisition of digital literacy skills. The following three learning questions will be explored to assess the assumption that equipping teachers in low-tech schools with ICT resources, gender responsive LTPT training and professional development, and ICT Tech labs will increase teachers’ confidence and ability to use technology regularly in the classroom and enhance girls’ digital skills and learning outcomes:

1. To what extent do teachers in low-tech schools trained in LTPT methodology use technology more regularly for classroom instruction?

2. Do girls attending low-tech schools with teachers trained in the LTPT methodology and gender-responsive pedagogy use technology more frequently and consistently and have higher digital literacy skills than girls in low-tech schools with untrained teachers? 

3. Does supporting teachers in low-tech schools to use LTPT methodology and gender-responsive pedagogy improve learning outcomes for girls in STEM subjects (e.g., Science or Math)?

Through a quasi-experimental research study, a sample of low-tech schools receiving the intervention (treatment group) will be compared with a sample of low-tech schools in Kilifi County who did not receive any intervention (control group). The sample will be selected randomly and stratified to ensure a representative proportion of female teachers. However, current data from KPLAY staff suggests that 80% of teachers are female. Data will be collected at baseline and endline to identify gains in learning and usage of ICT by the end of the 18-month intervention. Monitoring data will also be collected throughout implementation to track progress against indicators and will inform the end-of-project results.

Our proposed methodology to respond to the first learning question will include classroom observation and key informant interviews with target teachers, coaches, and school heads in treatment schools only. To understand the resources and ICT practices in control schools, we will rely on interviews with CSOs who conduct regular monitoring visits. Through these data collection methods, we will explore which subjects’ technology was used most often, how frequently and for what purposes to assess whether usage is aligned with the LTPT training methodology, and to capture any possible innovations occurring in the classroom. 

For the second learning question, evidence will be collected through both ongoing programmatic monitoring efforts in addition to the impact evaluation. The first part of the question, “do girls use technology more frequently and consistently?”, will be collected through classroom observations in treatment schools, and interviews with female students, teachers, school principals, and coaches in both treatment and control groups at the baseline, during monitoring visits, and at the end of the intervention. The second half of the question, “do girls have higher digital literacy skills?” will be assessed through a basic computer literacy skills test administered at baseline and endline. This test will be aligned with the CBC to determine if girls are achieving expected digital literacy competencies. Qualitative data on how girls are using technology in ICT Play Labs, in the school and community, including case studies of projects girls have completed, will provide additional insights into the extent to which girls’ capacity to use ICT has increased as a result of GLTT and/or whether girls have exceeded expected outcomes.

For the third learning question, we intend to explore the impacts stemming from training teachers in low-tech schools in ICT, LTPT and gender-responsive strategies on girls’ learning outcomes, pending timing of and access to available government assessments. The primary source of data to provide evidence for this question will be national student assessments conducted annually in Grade 4. Specifically, the project will use performance data from national exams on STEM subjects (science and math subjects) since the project is supporting the implementation of the CBCs. However, this will depend on when the project is implemented and when the national exams take place. Additional supporting data will include learning portfolios and continuous assessment. 

 

Scope of work

The scope of work provides information on activities to be completed by the sub-awardee, in partnership with the GLTT team, related to the areas of research, ToTs, TPDs. Coaching Sessions and development of Tech labs. The scope of work covers the implementation of activities between November 2022 to March 2023. Good faith efforts will be made to revise, adapt, and adjust the scope of work, deliverables, budgets, and timelines as appropriate.

 

B. Terms of Reference- Detailed Tasks:

In collaboration with IREX's GLTT team, the sub-awardee tasks include the following:

  1. Review and contextualize the available technology and gender responsive training content and ensure its relevant and applicable for the intended capacity building of Curriculum Support officers and Grade 4 teachers.
  2. Provide technical support during TOTs of CSOs and TPD workshops of Grade 4 teachers.
  3. Support in designing coaching models and conduct continuous CSO coaching sessions to ensure content mastery and CSOs can conceptualize, contextualize the curriculum and can be able to support grade 4 teachers integrate LTPT in the classrooms
  4. Carry out school visits to the different Tech Labs to assess use and ICT integration in the classroom.
  5. Attend the scheduled research team calls and the STEM Research Committee meetings
  6. Assist the MEL & Research team in the creation of school assessment tools, ICT skills and competencies.
  7. Support the data collection during midline and endline survey

 

Section V: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

a. Application Overview

Any questions concerning this RFA should be submitted in writing no later than five days prior to the closing date shown above to Alexis Field, Program Officer, GLTT, [email protected].  Applicants should retain for their records one copy of all enclosures which accompany their application.

The application must be received at the Kilifi/IREX’s office at the email below no later than the closing date listed on the front page of this RFA.  Pre-award costs are not allowable and will not be reimbursed. An application and modifications thereof shall be submitted in electronic format to [email protected] with the Subject: GLTT, RFA_NAME_OF_ORGANIZATION

The application, in the Form of a written narrative, must be submitted in electronic form (Word or PDF) and include the sections and attachments detailed below. Applicants are asked to include proposals and budget. The complete application packet must be submitted in the required format with the required attachments.

 

 

Application: 

Organizational Information

  • Name of Organization
  • Location (City and Address)
  • Point of Contact Name and Email
  • Organizational Mission
  • Organizational Background

 

Staffing Plan [1-2 pages]

  • Please provide a staffing plan including descriptions of planned staff and consultant roles
  • Include a CV for the proposed Project Manager

Finance Monitoring, Compliance and Ethics 

  • Please describe the systems in place to ensure protection against corruption and ensure financial oversight 

Program description [5-10 pages]

  • Geographic/Logistical Coordination
    1. Please briefly describe the opportunities and potential complexities involved in a multi-school program and how your organization would handle them; if you have experience coordinating such programs, please describe.
    2. Please describe how you would consider geographic and social inclusion in your school programming for the selected GLTT schools.
    3. Please describe how you would develop the program to incorporate the selected GLTT schools that are in rural, peri-urban, or urban areas
    4. Please describe how you would ensure proper safety protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    5. Please describe how you ensure teacher and Curriculum Support Officers (CSO) participation in virtual program activities, especially regarding economically and geographically disadvantaged communities.   
    6. Please describe your organization's internet accessibility capabilities, including your ability to communicate regularly with DC based IREX staff and liaise virtually with potential stakeholders across Kenya.
  • IREX Coordination
    1. Propose Plan for coordinating with IREX Team based in Mombasa.
  • Facilitator Recruitment and Training
  • Description of Proposed Local Initiative (training or activity) and relevance to GLTT and how it would build the program network in country and drive program sustainability.
  • Implementation and Monitoring of other Follow-On Activities which may include the following:
    1. Coaching Opportunities
    2. Site Visits to GLTT schools

 

Partnership Plan / Community Engagement [1 Page]

  • Propose a strategy for leveraging local partner organizations and experts to support the implementation (as guest speakers, field trips etc.) of GLTT activities in Kilifi County.
  • Demonstrate capacity to leverage local relationships to strengthen activities.  

 

Past Experience [1-2 Pages]

  • Please describe one or more (no more than three) past programs demonstrating the organization’s ability to facilitate training for primary school teachers. Highlight any linkages to gender responsive approaches, LTPT and/or ICT.
  • What were the programs’ major successes? How was the impact measured?
  • Please describe one or more (no more than three) past programs demonstrating the organization’s ability to implement virtual programming.

 

Description of Programming Experience and Institutional Capacity to implement gender transformative and safe programming

  • Provide examples of gender programming experience
  • Provide example or institutional policy related to safeguarding and Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) [1]
  • Provide example of experience related to virtual training

Required Attachments

  1. Due Diligence Questionnaire (see Annex 3)
    1. Copy of Local Registration
    2. Copy of Sample time sheet
    3. Internal Procurement Policies (if applicable)
    4. Most Recent Audit (if applicable)

 

 

b. Restrictions:

Sub-award funds provided under the terms of this RFA shall not be used to:

  • Procure goods or services from suppliers that may be identified on the USG consolidated list of debarred, suspended or ineligible contractors at http://www.SAM.gov/.
  • Make any purchases or fund activities deemed unnecessary to successfully complete the activity, including any sub-awardee headquarters’ expenses that are not directly linked to the implementation of the proposed project.
  • Pay previous obligations and/or bad debts.
  • Pay fines and /or penalties.

 

C. Late Application 

Late applications are marked as “late” and are ineligible for review or award; however, IREX reserves the right to accept and include late applications in the review and award process when it is considered within the best interest of IREX to do so and if applications that were received on time have not been opened and reviewed.  Applications that are submitted late or incomplete run the risk of not being considered for review.

SECTION V: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION:

  1. Within ten working days of the deadline for submitting applications, a technical review committee will convene.  Throughout the evaluation process, IREX shall take steps to ensure that members of the committee do not have any conflicts of interest or the appearance of such regarding the organizations whose applications are under review.  An individual shall be considered to have the appearance of a conflict of interest “if that person, or that person’s spouse, partner, child, close friend, or relative works for or is negotiating to work for or has a financial interest (including being an unpaid member of a Board of Directors) in any organization that submitted an application currently under the panel’s review.”  Members of the committee shall neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from parties to the awards. 

Note: Under unusual circumstances the technical review committee may be delayed.

Verification of the application submission requirements will be conducted by the IREX field grants manager.  Awards will be made within ten working days after the technical evaluation committee completes its review. 

The application will be evaluated according to the evaluation criteria set out below.  To the extent necessary (if an award is not made based on initial applications), negotiations may be conducted with each applicant whose application, after discussion and negotiation, has a reasonable chance of being selected for the award. 

b. Evaluation criteria

a. Technical Merit 15 points

      Relevance to program goals

      Sustainability of project results

      Technical proposal for recruiting facilitators and leading trainings

      Technical proposal for working with schools

      Technical Proposal for engaging partners and local communities in ICT and/or LTPT Topics

      Technical experience with ICT with primary school children.

      Experience conducting program analysis and monitoring

      Anticipated impact on the beneficiaries

b.      Past Performance / Organizational Capacity 25 points

      Past performance in similar projects

      Relevant staff skills and structure to implement the proposed project

      Experience in geographical region

      Experience in building relationships with public schools

      Experience facilitating teachers

      Experience with virtual trainings

      Written accounting and procurement procedures

      Capacity to communicate with IREX DC and Kenya based IREX consultant

      Capacity to securely receive and disperse funds to project stakeholders in compliance with program objectives

      Capacity to communicate virtually with Mombasa and DC based IREX staff and consultants, and potential stakeholders across Kenya

c.      Feasibility and Cost Effectiveness 10 points

      Are costs reasonable, allowable, and allocable

      Is the proposal cost effective

 

Section VI: AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

  1. Overview:

The recommendation or selection of an application in accordance with established procedures does not guarantee an award.  All applicants must demonstrate that they possess, or can obtain, the necessary management competence to practice mutually agreed upon methods of accountability for funds and other assets provided. 

A successful applicant can expect to receive an Award Letter, signed by the program.  The award letter will be addressed to the organization’s point of contact as stated in the application. 

Following the Award Letter, final negotiations will take place before the signing of a sub-grant agreement.

  1. Reporting Procedures:

A description of reporting requirements will be included in the Sub-Grant Agreement.  The types of reporting required, along with the schedule of reporting, will depend on the sub-grant type and project duration.  Reporting forms will be provided to sub-grant recipients.  Types of reporting will include the following:

  • Program report to be submitted during project implementation according to a schedule described in the sub-grant agreement.  This report will include a description of progress made during the period, problems in project implementation; actions taken to overcome them; and activities planned for the next period.  

 

  • The final program report will describe how the project objectives and goals were reached, results of the project, and problems and solutions during implementation.

 

  • Financial reports will be submitted according to a schedule described in the sub-grant agreements.  Types of financial reports, as well as the schedule of reporting, will depend on the type of sub-grant, length of the project, and amount of funding.  In addition, the sub-grantee is required to submit a detailed Final Financial Report. 

 

Issuance of the final installment of sub-award funds is contingent upon GLTT receipt and acceptance of Final Financial and Final Program Reports.

SECTION VII - OTHER INFORMATION

The issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of IREX, nor does it commit GLTT / IREX to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application.

IREX reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted. Further, IREX reserves the right to make no awards as a result of this RFA.

 

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