Consultancy: Diagnostic Study and Recommendations on Alternative/Non-formal Education... Tender

Procurement Summary

Country : Panama

Summary : Consultancy: Diagnostic Study and Recommendations on Alternative/Non-formal Education for Venezuelan Migrant Adolescents and Out-of-School Adolescents of Receiving Communities

Deadline : 13 Aug 2019

Other Information

Notice Type : Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 35342356

Document Ref. No. :

Competition : ICB

Financier : United Nations Secretariat

Purchaser Ownership : -

Tender Value : Refer Document

Purchaser's Detail

Purchaser : UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN`S EMERGENCY FUND
Calle Alberto Oriol Tejada Edif. 102 - Planta baja Teléfono +507 301 7360 Fax: +507 301 7370
Panama
Email :unicefpanama@unicef.org

Tender Details

Consultancy: Diagnostic Study and Recommendations on Alternative/Non-formal Education for Venezuelan Migrant Adolescents and Out-of-School Adolescents of Receiving Communities, LACRO, Panama.

UNICEF works in some of the world-s toughest places, to reach the world-s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.



For every child, Education



BACKGROUND:



The ongoing political, human rights and socio-economic developments in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (hereinafter referred to as Venezuela) have led to the outflow of more than 3.7 Venezuelans into neighbouring countries and beyond (as at March 2019). The exodus of refugees and migrants from Venezuelan is already the largest in the modern history of Latin America and the Caribbean. While a number of countries in LAC are affected by the migration crisis, the largest number of Venezuelans are in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It is estimated that there are over 920, 000 Venezuelan refugee and migrant children and adolescents now present in the four countries. The lack of access to education means that a significant number of these children and adolescents are out of school - across the four countries an estimated 630, 000 refugee and migrant children and adolescents from Venezuela are not enrolled in formal schooling, representing an average out-of-school rate of over 50% (with Colombia the highest at an estimated 73%). In general, across the four target countries, the lack of, or limited access to, formal and non-formal education is leaving many refugee and migrant children from Venezuela without education, putting their health and wellbeing at risk and exacerbating their exposure to various protection issues, including negative coping mechanisms. In order to respond to the situation, a First Emergency Response has been approved in June 2019 for these four countries by Education Cannot Wait.


Children and adolescents, including those traveling without family members or care-givers, need access to protection, appropriate care, and inclusive quality education services which, in these fragile contexts, are considered as life-saving interventions. In this context, continuity is largely linked to access although it is compounded by the significant numbers of refugees and migrants from Venezuela who are in transit. The population movements between the countries in the region is very fluid and is particularly acute in Ecuador where it is estimated that only 30% of refugees and migrants from Venezuela in the country will stay there, with the rest transiting through to other countries such as Peru and Chile. Reaching children and adolescents with quality education services whilst they are on the move in such numbers is very challenging. Even for those refugee and migrant children and adolescents from Venezuela who chose to stay in one particular location, a multitude of barriers can prevent them from enrolling and thus continuing their education. These include lack of recognition of previous education levels, capacity constraints of host communities (for example physical space in classrooms), xenophobia and language barriers (for example in Brazil). Education, particularly life-skills education and in the case of adolescents from 15 to 18 years of age, flexible and/or technical education modalities that permit them to combine work and taking care of their children, and to develop quickly working skills, are the key needs.


Given the above situation and alarming figures of out-of-school children and adolescents, the ECW funding across the four target countries has been prioritized towards addressing the specific out-of-school issues in each context, including both migrant children and adolescents and those from the receiving communities.


Given the above, urgent action is required to offer increased educational alternatives which correspond to the specific needs to these population groups while also responding to those children and adolescents that have not benefitted from education from the receiving communities.


This requires the strengthening of alternative/non-formal education at the systems level, as well as an increase in offer and quality of alternative education opportunities which are recognized and certified, the creation of flexible learning pathways and educational bridges, taking a lifelong learning approach as well as the strengthening of the capacity of providers and facilitators and the creation of supporting and safe learning environments.


In this view, UNICEF plans to assist governments and education providers to improve, strengthen and systematize alternative educational programmes for Venezuelan migrant adolescents and out-of-school adolescents from receiving communities.
While there is a diversity of existing alternative/non-formal and accelerated education programmes in each of the four countries, the migration crisis requires a specific and more systematic response both at the system and programme level, taking a regional and cross-border approach. This response needs to be flexible and adaptable to the specific need of the learner and his/her point of departure.





PURPOSE:



The objective of the consultancy is to undertake a diagnostic study on existing policies and programmes on alternative/non-formal education (in terms of scope, reach, relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, gaps and challenges, etc.). Particular attention should be paid to existing initiatives and programmes as well as policies which are targeting Venezuelan migrant adolescents and out-of-school adolescents from receiving communities aimed at reintegrating them into the education system and/or to providing them with opportunities for learning and skills development for the labour market. The consultancy should also develop recommendations on how to ensure the relevance of policies and programmes to the specific situation of migrant and OOS adolescents and strengthening them.



Depending on the context, the needs of the learner and the age group, alternative education programmes have different objectives, take different forms, provide different content and lead to different learning outcomes. They should take into consideration the different starting points, learning needs and requirements of the learners, as well as their socio-cultural context and languages. The Diagnostic Study should make a clear distinction between these different types of alternative education programmes, such as for example those which aim at mainstreaming out-of-school adolescents back into school (accelerated education programmes), which involve working closely with the formal system, and those which aim at providing out-of-school adolescents and NEETs with the necessary knowledge and skills for life and decent work with a strong vocational component, taking a lifelong learning approach.



The consultancy will include desk work and field research in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The field research in Brazil will be conducted by a local consultant/university, and the results shall be used by the consultant for the overall diagnosis and development of recommendations.


EXPECTED RESULTS (measurable results):



Under the overall supervision of the Regional Education Advisor, and in coordination with the Secondary Education and Learning Specialist, the consultant is expected to meet the following results:



1. Diagnostic Study of alternative/non-formal education policies and programmes in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, focusing on three broad areas:

§ (1) the teaching and learning content and process (e.g. curriculum, learning materials, methodology, language approach, ICTs, special needs, inclusiveness, gender sensitivity, mobilization, motivation and retention, etc.); assessment tools and methodology; recognition and certification of alternative/non-formal education learning outcomes that are equivalent/comparable to those acquired through formal education based on procedures and methods of learning assessment defined by national standards and national qualifications frameworks.

§ (2) the supporting structures (e.g. management structure, decentralized governance, development & delivery of materials, reporting & data-basing, monitoring & evaluation, continuity & flexible learning pathways to further learning opportunities as well as educational bridges to re-integrate into formal education and/or training, establishment & equipment of learning sites, recruitment, training & supervision of educators, etc.); and

§ (3) an enabling environment (e.g. policies, legislative measures, institutional embeddedness & system development, partnerships & collaboration arrangements, mobilisation of funds, supporting & scaffolding structures in families, community ownership, incentives and other enabling contexts & measures, public access to results, etc.).

2. Based on the outcomes of the Diagnostic Study, development of recommendations on how to strengthen/improve policies and programmes on alternative/non-formal education and ensuring their relevance to the specific situation of migrant and OOS adolescents. Reference should also be made to different key components and building blocks of alternative education programme, which could be implemented in a modular way depending on the levels and requirements of the learner.

[1] The consultant is expected to conduct the filed research in Colombia, Ecuador and Perú. Field research in Brazil will be conducted by a local consultant/university.



To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

§ Advanced University degree in education, social sciences, international development or a related field;

§ At least ten years of prof

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