Date of Issuance: 12 October 2018
Date and time Expression of Interest (EOI) due: 26 October 2018, No later than 4:00 pm local time Drop off EOI to Main Office: Finance Division, Ministry of Education and Training, Vuna Road,
Nuku’alofa,
Email Submission of EOI: Please email to: Manu ‘Akau’ola, manu_akauola@yahoo.com Attn: CEO, Ministry of Education and Training, Vuna Rd, Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Assignment: Strengthening TVET Provision
Employer: Ministry of Education and Training
Location: Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Duration: This firm contract will require services over the course of the project (FY19 – FY23).
Expected Start Date: November 2018
Tonga is currently preparing a skills and employment project, which will be financed by the World Bank under the IDA 18 cycle. The project will be jointly implemented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Finance and National Planning. The project objective is to improve opportunities for secondary school progression and facilitate the transition to jobs in the domestic and overseas labor markets for Tongans.
The Skills Employment for Tongan (SET) project consists of four components:
- Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) for Secondary School Enrolment and Attendance
- Strengthening TVET provision
- Enhancing opportunities for labor migration
- Program management, Monitoring and Evaluation
The project will be managed by a Project Management Unit (PMU) located in Tungi Colonade. This PMU will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation, monitoring, and coordination of Components 1, 2, 3 and part of Component 4 of the project. The PMU will report to the World Bank on a semiannual basis on the progress of the project implementation for such components.
The Ministry of Education and Training (MET) now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide specific information and past project experience which demonstrates that they have the required qualifications, resources and relevant experience to perform the Services.
This Expression of Interest is for the services required under Component 2 around strengthening technical and vocational education and training (TVET) provision:
- Strengthening TVET quality – provision of grants for up to 8 TVET providers to improve the quality of selected TVET courses so that they will achieve accreditation by Australia or New Zealand or an international accrediting body.
- TVET Student Support Program – targeting the poorest 10% of households in Tonga and offering household members support with course fees and a living allowance (if they have to relocate). Household members who have a recent TVET certificate qualification will also be assisted with English language training and the costs of IELTS assessment.
- Strengthening TVET Governance – designing and implementing an information system to track TVET students and developing proposals to enhance governance in the TVET sector.
1. Objectives of the assignment
The objectives of this assignment are to manage various responsibilities under Component 2 (Strengthening TVET Provision) of the Project. The contracted firm would be expected to hire and manage multiple staff that would be based in Nuku’alofa and work within the Ministry of Education and Training (MET) who are part of the Project Management Unit (PMU) located in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).
2. Scope of Services & Description of Tasks
The specific duties and responsibilities of the firm contracted will be (i) managing the process, in line with World Bank procurement guidelines for selecting and recruiting four project officers specialized in TVET in different areas (one international consultant in QIP development plan, one in implementation support; one in compliances and one in TVET management information system); and (ii) monitoring project officers’ performance to ensure the deliveries of the tasks and responsibilities for each position as described in the Terms of Reference.
3. Expected Outcomes/ Deliverables with timelines
The key expected outcomes/ deliverables include:
- Development of Quality Improvement Grant Information Pack (December 2018);
- Workshops to assist TVET providers complete their Program Improvement Plans (February 2019)
- Completed contracts for 8 TVET providers selected for QIG Grants (April 2019)
- Ongoing support for the implementation of the Program Improvement Plans for selected TVET institutions;
- Managing and overseeing the TVET Student Support Fund beneficiaries, including tracking payments and training outcomes (ongoing);
- Developing a TOR/ contract for the English language training support (April 2019)
- Developing a TVET Education Management Information System (June 2020)
- Conducing a regular review of the TEMIS system developed (ongoing)
4. Expected Key Experts
The firm would be expected to hire 1 TVET implementation support project officer, 1 TVET implementation compliances officer, 1 TVET international training consultant, and 1 TEMIS Project Officer. All of these experts would be based at the Development Project Unit, MET Finance Division, Nuku’alofa, Tonga.
Candidates working for the firm and undertaking the TVET support and training activities should have:
- a degree in a field related to project management, public administration, or TVET education and have the equivalent of 10 years full time experience in program management in the public or private sector. Consideration will also be given to a person without formal qualifications who has long term experience in program management (15 years or more) in the public sector or TVET provider management.
- Good judgement – ability to distinguish systemic issues from aberrations in a project implementation
- Capacity to meet tight deadlines for report writing and delivering a work program Willingness to undertake regular field visits and interact with a range of stakeholders
- Experience in data processing and with computers.
Candidates working for the firm and undertaking the TEMIS Development and operation should have
- a Degree or Higher Education Diploma in Information Technology
- be competent in Access, CSPRO or another widely used database
- have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in working successfully on design and management of nontrivial databases
- be able to demonstrate they give attention to technical detail and the production of quality data and information while being able to work with a range of non-technical stakeholders and to provide IT solutions that fit the needs of stakeholders
All candidates working under the firm contract must have:
- Genuine interest in the project achieving successful outcomes
- Demonstrated ability to manage relationships in a respectful way
- Willingness to undertake regular field visits and interact with a range of stakeholders
- Capacity to meet tight deadlines and for delivering a work program
- Demonstrated capacity to write clear reports in English and Tongan
- Demonstrated capacity to use standard software packages such as Microsoft Word and Excel Experience in data processing and with computers.
- Clear report writing in English and Tongan
It would be an advantage if the candidates had experience in Educational Grant Management and good understanding of the Education and TVET sector.
5. Duration of the assignment and estimated key staff-months input
The duration of the assignment will coincide with the implementation period of the project (FY19 – FY23). The required staff months for each position are as follows:
- 2 x TVET Project Officers (approx. 56 months/each)
- 1 x TVET Training International Consultant (4-6 months)
- 1 x EMIS Project Officer (approx. 56 months)
6. Reporting requirements
The firm will be hired by the Ministry of Education and Training (MET) and report to the CEO MET through Deputy CEO (MET Finance) and the team leader of the PMU. The firm will be required to provide bi-annual progress reports against the proposed set of outcomes/ deliverables.