Baseline Study Supporting the Government – Nairobi – Aga Khan Foundation

1. Project background
The Aga Khan Foundation East Africa (AKF (EA)) and Aga Khan Academy – Mombasa (AKA-M) in partnership with Porticus, Government of Kenya (GoK) and the Global Centre for Pluralism (GCP) are supporting the integration of values into the Kenyan education system. Responding to issues of marginalization and prevailing intolerance present in the Kenyan Coastal region, the partnership will support the school communities, children and their parents, teachers and system stakeholders to understand the benefits of diversity and to better relate and interact with diverse people, ideas, beliefs and cultures. Many residents of the Coast region of Kenya feel socially and economically marginalized, discriminated against and unfairly targeted by government forces. This has resulted in a vicious cycle of rising insecurity, high rates of drug abuse & substance abuse, religious radicalization, ethnic tensions, secessionists movements & political instability as well as rising violent incidences, economic decline & high rates of poverty. There is increasing attention in Kenya on how values are inculcated through the national education system as a strategy of shielding the young from negative influences and addressing socials ills. Values based education is being considered as a mechanism of enhancing the ability of young Kenyans to reflect intelligently and become sensitive to values while exercising their moral judgement.

The project titled ‘Supporting the Government of Kenya’s Values-Based Education Policy and Practice’, is a four-year (November 2016-October 2020)[1] initiative with the overall goal of supporting the Government of Kenya (GoK) to build a values-based education system is expected to demonstrate effective models in Mombasa and Kwale Counties that could be replicated and taken to scale. In order to achieve the overall goal, the project will deliver the following outcomes:
1. Values-based schools which demonstrate effective and scalable strategies in teaching, co-curricular activities, school leadership / ethos and parents’ engagement;
2. Community-based youth groups engaged in activities to promote values beyond the school and into the broader community;
3. An education system and policy framework that promotes a conducive environment to inculcate values; and
4. An evidence base for values-based education, and the dissemination of evidence to support the national implementation of values-based education practices and policies.
By the end of the four years, the project is expected to provide evidence of effective models and harness learnings for systematically integration of desirable values in teaching and learning, school ethos, leadership, and education policies. The ultimate success of the project will be measured through two expected outcomes: firstly, evidence that the activities initiated in schools and communities impacted and transformed not only attitudes but also behaviors; and secondly, that the model has been tested, adapted and refined so as to be suitable for national scale up. Over the life of the project, the partnership is expected to reach 100 schools in Mombasa and Kwale.
2. Rationale for the baseline study
The project aims to support the Government of Kenya (GoK) to build a values-based education system. Achievement of this ambitious goal calls for the development of a strong evidence base. Therefore, in order to assess the impact of the project, AKF has scheduled a research-based baseline and endline evaluations. The baseline evaluation is expected to provide information on the current status with respect to the perspectives, attitudes and practices of students, teachers, school leadership and communities on high-priority values. Generally, the results of the baseline study will support the development of the Monitoring, Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL) framework for the project which will be used to track progress towards achievement of project outcomes. Specifically, the results of the baseline survey will: a) provide benchmark data for selected performance indicators and guide in setting targets for monitoring implementation and results; b) inform the revision of the curriculum guidelines and teacher training manual, as well as the development of the BoM training curriculum and capacity building package for youth groups; and c) be compared with endline results to determine whether the model has impacted and transformed attitudes and behaviours in schools and communities and therefore inform on whether it could be taken to scale.

3. Objectives of the baseline study
Generally, the baseline study is expected to provide information on the current status with respect to the perspectives, attitudes and practices of students, teachers, school leadership and communities on high-priority values. The consultant will need clearly define these high priority values. Specifically, the baseline is expected to:
1. determine the perspectives of community members, parents, BOM members, education officials, head teachers, teachers, students and youth on high-priority values.
2. determine the current attitudes and practices of community members, parents, BOM members, education officials, head teachers, teachers, students and youth with regard to high-priority values.
3. Establish the approaches used in transmission of high-priority values at school and in the community

4. Scope of consultancy services
The baseline survey shall be conducted in project sites in Mombasa and Kwale Counties. It is expected that the consultant will select a representative samples of schools (30% of the 100 intervention schools and a similar number as a control group), head teachers, teachers, students and education officials, parents, and youth in the communities. The specific tasks that will be conducted by the consultant will include:
1. Use an appropriate study design that will allow for tracking of outcomes at end of project evaluation
2. Use an appropriate sampling frame to select representative samples of target groups (schools, head teachers, teachers, students, education officials, etc.)
3. Develop a questionnaire and interview/data collection methodology which can assess with reasonable accuracy (correcting where necessary for bias or censorship) current beliefs, attitudes and practices around values in targeted communities
4. Develop appropriate tools to meet the objectives and specific questions of the baseline evaluation study
5. In collaboration with AKF, recruit and train enumerators for data collection and oversee the data collection process
6. Carry out data entry and analysis
7. Prepare and submit a draft baseline evaluation study report to AKF for review alongside soft copies of all baseline evaluation datasets (MS Excel or MS Access or SPSS), outputs and tools
8. Submit a final baseline evaluation study report in soft copy having incorporated the inputs of AKF and partners

5. Deliverables
The consultant (s) will prepare and submit the following deliverables within an agreed timeline:
1. An inception report with the proposed study design, samples, tools and procedure for data collection & data collection plan
2. All Instruments for data collection
3. Conduct training of the enumerators (data collectors)
4. First draft of the baseline evaluation report
5. All Datasets (MS Excel or MS Access) and tools used in the data collection
6. A final baseline evaluation study report

6. Timelines
The timeline for baseline is December 2016 to March 2017 with a total of 49 consultancy days. A final report is expected on or before 24th March 2017. The consultant will be required to submit the deliverables to AKF within the following timelines:

7. Requirement
Interested consultants are required to submit a detailed technical proposal on how they intend to undertake this assignment. The proposal should include the following:
1. A detailed methodology including: i) interpretation of the study objectives; ii) description of target groups, samples and sampling procedures; iii) description of instruments; iv) procedures for data collection; v) procedures for data analysis
2. A detailed work plan specifying all the timelines
3. A detailed budget
4. A detailed CV of the lead consultant indicating relevant assignment
5. References of at least 3 former or current clients for whom similar work has been done, together with their contacts
It is anticipated that the contract will be awarded not later than 16th December 2016.
[1] AKDN is currently implementing a one-year pilot of the project, in which the baseline survey will be situated.

HOW TO APPLY:
Interested qualified individuals/firms should send their Detailed Proposal to recruitment@akfea.org. The proposals must be submitted electronically to the address above, by December 10, 2016.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
The Aga Khan Foundation is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (www.akdn.org)).

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