Save the Children International
Terms of Reference (ToR)
Consultancy for Special Need Education Policy reviewin Puntland
March 2019
Background
For over 90 years, save the children has been making a difference in children’s lives in more than 120 countries. We are the world’s independent child rights organization, underpinned by a vision in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Our mission to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.
Introduction:
CARE and Save the Children are implementing the three-year EU-fundedWaxbarashadu Waa Iftiin III (Education is Light III) project to address the challenges in close coordination, support and guidance of the MoEHE in Puntland. The project aims to contribute to a sustainable, cohesive education system offering relevant services to the majority of children, youth and adults including vulnerable groupsin Puntland and specifically strengthens the delivery of effective primary Education (PE) including special needs, Secondary Education (SE), Accelerated Basic Education (ABE), Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET, Non Formal Education (NFE), education services addressing the populations priority needs.
Waxbarashadu Waa Iftiin (Education Is Light) Phase III
CARE and its partners received the third funding for Waxbarashadu Waa Iftiin project phase III. The overall project objective is “Improve the educational attainment and the employability of relevant target groups, contributing to poverty reduction within an increasingly peaceful, secure and democratic Somalia”. The specific objects are ‘To consolidate and expand (i) equitable and inclusive quality education for Somali children, youth and adults and (ii) vocational training opportunities for Somali youth and adults’. The project has two result areas namely:
Result 1: Increased access to quality education and training for all children, youth and adults including vulnerable groups
Result 2: Strengthened public systems for effective education service delivery
Objective: To review, enrich and capacitate in the existing SNE Policy in Puntland.
Special need policy framework (SNE) is one of the major components to support with the ministry and mainly tocarry out in reviewing in the existing SNE policy framework.The SNE policy framework is expected to improve the quality and access to education provided to children with special needs. It also addresses issues of equity and improvement of learning environments in all schools.
Perhaps, educational opportunities for children (learners) with special needs and disabilities are a major challenges to the education sector in Puntland. The national education system has been characterized by effectivepolicies and frameworks that respond to the challenges faced by learners with special needs and disabilities. In this situation the WWI project phase 3 has been announced to contribute specific support allocation for reviewing onthe current national special need education framework (SNE).
The National SNE policy framework therefore will serve to harmonize education service provision for learners with special needs and disabilities in Puntland. The policy will provide a comprehensive framework of the principles and strategies to be followed in order to create equal access to quality and relevant education and training for these learners. The policy also reflects to strength the ongoing efforts to bridge any gaps arising out of provision of SNE, identifying extra measures to be taken by the government and other stakeholders to address inequalities of education.
This SNE policy states in part that to increase participation, retention and completion for learners with special needs and disabilities. This should be done through flexing curriculum, providing trained personnel, equipment and facilities and ensuring accommodative physical infrastructure for learners with special needs and disabilities.
However, this has been agreed to recruit a qualified consultant that works in reviewing Puntland special needs education policy. This consultant will expect to improvethe current SNE policy and produce effective report whichaids to constitutein future decision making related to SNE interventions.
SCOPE OF WORK
Save the Children wishes to support MOEHE in reviewingPuntland special needs education policy framework. The consultant will review, enrich and produce final document of SNE policy in-depth focusing specific areas relates to assessment and early intervention, access to quality and relevant education, conducive and safe environment, Specialized facilities, Inclusive education, curriculum development, capacity building and development, participation and involvement, advocacy and awareness creation, partnerships and collaboration, gender mainstreaming, research and documentation and resource Mobilization.
Therefore, the output of the revision will be finalized by the lead consultant and subject experts and relevant stakeholders from the ministry. The finalized SNE policy will be presented to an all-inclusive stakeholder’s forum for validation. To ensure consistency with MOEHE policies, the SNE panels will include MOEHE Directorates personnel, Technical participants etc.
OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY:
The main objective of this consultancy is to review, enrich and capacitate in the existing SNE policy. The SNE policy aimed to establish conducive environment for learners with special needs and disabilities in order for them to have equal access to quality and relevant education and training.
Save the Children and MOE&HE therefore seeks to engage a national qualified and experienced consultant(s) with strong background in Special need and disability and translation services. The main objective of this consultancy is to review, enrich and capacitate in thecurrent MOEHE Special need education policy (SNE).
The Consultant will work closely with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, but will report to Save the Children for Contractual, Technical aspects and guidance.
Specifically, the lead Consultant Will:
Conduct extensive literature review in the existing documents related to Puntland Special need education policy.
Work closely with formal education department, policy and planning department of MOE&HE and Save the children.
Carry out to review on how inclusive education and SNE should integrate in the followingthe sub sectors of early Childhood Education (ECE), Basic Education (Primary, Formal, Non-formal, Informal), Secondary Education, Higher and Tertiary Education, Technical and Vocational Training, Teacher Education, designing and implementing initiatives which aimed at increasing enrolment and improving retention of children with special needs.
Identify the existing gaps and suggest possible measures to change the current practice of SNE programme.
Asses the existing challenges and needs in both inclusive and exclusive SNE schools.
Assess and prescribe the relevant equipment to inclusive education/SNE children and the appropriate mechanisms to ensure they are safe and adapt in use.
Evaluate how the general curriculum can be responsive and will reflect to the children’ needs and advice the appropriate measures to enforce the adaption of current curriculum to the SNE children.
Assess and prescribe the relevant equipment to inclusive education/SNE children and the appropriate mechanisms to ensure they are safe and adapt in use.
Provide technical support with MoHE for the required leadership in the SNE programming and interventions for all persons living with disabilities.
Analyze the current SNE curriculum and how reflects with special need children’s performance, and highlight the existing challenges with in line some possible recommendations.
Evaluate the level of participation in SNE learner’s in decision making issues and to respect their voices and needs.
Asses the differentiation and active learning that are necessary to include in formal learning class which integrated to SNE learner’s.
Develop a comprehensive narrative report on the SNE review with concrete suggestions on implementation of the revised policy. Incorporate comments from the task technical experts and stakeholders. Go through the policy and get a clear understanding of the contents.
Collect relevant data from SNE schools and relevant bodies to enrich and capacitate in the exiting SNE policy.
Present finalized drafts for SNE reviews for validation and approvals as per contract.
DELIVERABLES/OUTPUTS:
The deliverables / outputs of this assignment are:
An inception report.
A narrative report detailing the process, experiences and challenges encountered while carrying out the assignment and way forwards.
By the end of this assignment the consultant will handover to save the children and MOEHE for the reviewed policy (SNE policy).
DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The duration of the assignment will be 20 days effective from date of signing contract.The consultant(s) will be presented in the technical proposal specifying the relevant actions to be performed. This will then be moderated with the selected consultants.
QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE OF THE LEAD CONSULTANT
To qualify for this assignment, the consultant must have the following mandatory professional experience and knowledge:
Advanced university degree in the area of Educational psychology, Curriculum Development or special need education related field.
At least seven (7) years of experience in development, assessment and evaluation of curriculum, teaching and learning resources required for Special needs education.
Collaboration with policy and planning technical experts as source of SNE related issues.
Good understanding of education policies and quality assurance and standards.
Understanding of the key issues involved in special need education and disabilities in the region, or specifically in Puntland.
Ability to manage demanding workload and strict adherence to timelines provided.
Understanding of the key issues involved in special need education and disabilities in the region, or specifically in Puntland.
Evidence of CVs and passports of subject panel experts.
Strong professional background in Special need education and disabilities.
Show evidence of having successfully completed at least two similar assignments.
Outstanding communication and analytical skills, with excellent command of spoken and written English
Computer literate.
Requirements:
The Consultant must have done a similar assignment(s). Prove of the previous work done on the same should be provide
Interested parties must submit their applications by email referenced under title,
SNE Consultant. to somalia.puntlandvacancies@savethechildren.org before the deadline for submission: 24th March 2019.
SOURCE: Terms of Reference (ToR) Consultancy for Special Need Education Policy reviewin Puntland