MYANMAR COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION SECTOR REVIEW

Terms of Reference for Consultant for the ECD Cost and Financing Study

Section in Charge: Education

1.Purpose of Assignment

Background

For Myanmar to recognize that early childhood is a critical period of human development and an area that requires a national policy attention is a major breakthrough. This is a fairly recent development which has occurred over the past two years. It is now well understood that learning begins at birth and the early years are when the foundations for subsequent learning and adult life are established.

It is also recognized that early childhood is also a time of especial vulnerability for many children. This is compounded where there is poverty, inadequate nutrition and poor health services and where parents are lacking preparation for positive parenting. These factors can be exacerbated by conflicts as well as HIV and other diseases. In these contexts of deprivation, ECD programmes are essential to promote the rights to survival, development and early education and to meeting the special needs of vulnerable children.

In response to the abundant research that has demonstrated that preparation for parenthood, good antenatal education and care, early stimulation for rapid brain development, quality health and nutrition care, continuous parent and early childhood education services, and the provision of safe, hygienic and secure home and preschool environments are required for holistic child development and ensuring children’s readiness to achieve success in school, the government of Myanmar has decided to develop their first ever national multi-sectoral early childhood care and development (ECCD) policy under the leadership of the Ministry of Social Welfare.

UNICEF was requested to provide technical and capacity building support to the development of the draft ECCD policy. An international expert in policy development worked with the government’s policy task force and steering committee to develop the draft of the ECCD policy. It is anticipated that the final ECCD policy will be submitted to the cabinet for approval in early 2013. The Ministry of Social Welfare had also requested UNICEF to provide technical support in preparing the strategic plan for the implementation of this national policy.

An extensive Situation Analysis was also conducted to: 1) assess child and family status and needs; 2) identify ECCD resources, including services, human capacity, training services and financial investments in ECCD; and 3) analyse policies, plans and legislation related to ECCD. The results of the Consultation Workshops, high-level interviews and Situation Analysis have shaped this ECCD Policy. It was developed in a fully participatory manner, and it represents the knowledge and priorities of dedicated parents, leaders and specialists of Myanmar.

On parallel, Myanmar is conducting its first comprehensive education sector review(CESR) after almost twenty years. This proposed cost and financing study willnot only contribute to the CESR education sector plan process and ,but also will contribute to the development of the ECCD policy’s strategic plan. As part of the education reform process that is now taking place, MoE wants to add a one year Kindergarten as the initial level of the basic education system changing its current system of 5-4-2 to 6-3-3 system.

Purpose

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement (the lead Ministry for ECD) with technical support to obtain evidence based information on the cost and financing of ECD services for young children and their families with initial focus on school-based preschool and the proposed Kindergarten to be added to the national basic education structure of Myanmar. The consultancy is also aimed at building the capacity of the key government ministries in developing and using a costing analysis tool to inform them on financial planning for ECD services for under five children.

The consultant will work in close collaboration with the focal person in the Ministry of Education and the focal persons from the CESR team. The consultant will also work with the multisectoral ECCD Task Force members to consult and to the capacity of the members throughout the process. The consultant may consult other organizations that may be relevant to accomplish the task given as well.

The consultancy is highly technical, sensitive and need sound economic analysis and team building experience in addition to prior experience in conducting such cost and financing analysis in the developing countries.

  1. Major Tasks to be accomplished:

In consultation with the staff from the key ministries involved in ECD including the focal personforECD from the CESR team, the consultant will carry out the following tasks:

  • Conduct a desk review of documents, studies, and related materials (Situation Analysis of Women and Children, ECD Situation Analysis, ECCD draft policy, Household survey, MICS), ECD Minimum Quality Standards, draft preschool guidelines, Child Law, and other available documents). Results of this desk review are to be reflected in the final report
  • Develop tools to collect data at the central level and in selected Townships (minimum 4) to observe the existing school-based ECD services offered by MoE
  • Conduct meetings & interviews with key government ministries at central and State level and ECD actors such as Faith-based NGOs, Yinthway Foundation,and Save the Children.
  • Based on the information obtained above, develop methodologies for costing of selected school-based preschools and do projections for the proposed Kindergartens to be added to the national system. Projection should include all cost and financial aspects: number of kindergarten teachers needed, teacher training needs, infrastructure cost, supplies and materials, development of a national curriculum, quality standards (teacher child ratio, etc.). Annual cost by MoE should be estimate with proposed financing mechanisms
  • Based on the main objective of the ECCD policy (increasing access of young children and their families to quality ECD services), create scenarios that will demonstrate how school-based preschools and proposed Kindergartens can be expanded within the primary schools in Myanmar with an estimation of their cost and identification of sources/modalities of funding (fully by government, cost sharing with private sector and communities, etc.).
  • Build capacity of key ministries: Finance, Education, and Social Welfare at each step including planning and projection based on information on costing and financing of school-base preschools and Kindergarten.
  • Hold orientation/sensitization session with key senior officials for their buy-in as part of capacity building.
  • Prepare a draft report and presentation on costing and financing of ECD services in Myanmar with recommendations on next steps to the government counterparts and other ECD stakeholders for feedback. This could also include sharing of best practices on cost-effective approaches in other countries.
  • Finalization of the report based on feedback received.
  1. End product(s) and delivery dates and details (how the work must be delivered, i.e. electronicsubmission, hard copy, on what computer programme etc.)

The consultant is expected to deliver the following:

  1. Completion of mapping & costing exercise of selected existing school-based preschools and some community based preschools for comparison, development of methodology and data collection (by Day 10)
  2. Submission of draft report consisting of analysis of mapping of school-based preschools and 1 year kindergarten, different scenarios for expansion of these services with estimated costs and financing options, and recommendations in hard and soft copy.(By Day 30)

A suggested outline of the report (35-50 pages) will cover the following:

- Executive summary

- Background

- Objectives of the Study

- Methodology

- Key Findings: Mapping & costing of selected existingschool-based preschools in Myanmar costing for 3 possible scenarios of expanding Kindergarten abd school-based preschool (high, medium and low cost) at national level with especial focus on prioritising initially to target the poor, disadvantaged and rural populations and possible financing options with a financial plan for implementing the different scenarios.

- Conclusions

- Recommendations to improve the financing of school-based and Kindergarten servicesin a most equitable manner

3. Presentation and feedback meeting with key stakeholders (government & NGOs by Day 32). This could be done through telecommunication systems.

4. First draft report submitted to UNICEF by Day 35

5. Final draft report with comments of all stakeholders incorporated submitted to UNICEF by Day 40

  • All products should be an electronic submission.

4. Contract Supervisor and frequency of performance reviews:

Chief of Education Section

  1. Estimated duration of contract:40 working days (30 days in-country) and 10 from own base spread betweenJulyto September 2013

6. Official Travel involved, if any:

If the travel permit is granted by the Government, the consultant will visit some ECD project sites in selected townships.

7. Payment schedule & Fee

1st Payment: Upon delivery of the methodology (25%) by day 10

2nd Payment: Upon delivery of the first draft report (35%) by day 35

3rd Payment: Upon delivery of final report (45%) by day by day 40

8.Qualification or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required:

The consultant must have following criteria to be eligible to apply for the assignment

  1. Minimum of a masters degree in economics/public financing systems;
  2. Extensive expertise in carrying out financial feasibility studies in the field of ECD/education in developing countries;
  3. Strong research writing and analytical skills;
  4. Good communication, including oral and report writing
  5. Teamwork abilities;
  6. Familiarity with new development aid modalities(Paris Declaration & One UN) and socio-economic reforms
  7. Experience of dealing with Ministries in other developing countries on similar issues
  8. Knowledge of UNICEF priorities would be an asset
  9. Minimum 10 years experience in relevant field
  1. Confidentiality:

The documents produced during the period of this consultancy will be treated strictly confidential and the rights of distribution and/or publication solely resides with UNICEF.

14. Recourse:

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

1