EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER (EDC)

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity. Since 1958, we have been a leader in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful and innovative programs in more than 80 countries around the world. 

EDC promotes equity and access to high quality education and health services and products that contribute to thriving communities where people from diverse backgrounds learn, live, and work together. We support an inclusive workplace culture that embraces many perspectives and broadens our understanding of the communities we serve, enhancing and enriching our work.     

EDC is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Project Description

The USAID Let’s Read Zambia project is a 6-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ending on July 6th 2025 and implemented by the Education Development Center (EDC).  USAID Let’s Read Zambia works to improve reading outcomes for children attending pre-primary (kindergarten) through to Grades 3 and provide professional development for teachers to support reading interventions in Zambian public and community schools. 

The USAID Let’s Read Zambia Project seeks a highly skilled firm or consultant to conduct data collection for a study assessing the effects of drought on primary school learners across three provinces: Eastern, Southern, and Western. The study will involve 9 schools across the 3 provinces, with 3 schools per province, to ensure representation across different strata.

This will be a qualitative study involving Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with school staff and selected parents. The aim of the FGDs will be to explore the reasons behind attendance and performance trends, particularly whether the drought has influenced these trends.

Key areas of investigation will include:

1. Determining whether the drought has had any effect on learner performance.
2. Assessing how drought has affected learner attendance in schools.
3. Identifying any coping mechanisms or resilience strategies implemented by schools and communities

Scope of Work

The consultant is expected to produce high quality local language recordings and English translated transcriptions of the FGDs that will be conducted. The FGDs will be facilitated in English and one of three local languages according to provinces (Eastern: Cinyanja, Southern: Chitonga and Western: Silozi). 

1. In-person discussions with head teachers, grade teachers, and parents/guardians in sampled schools following the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guidelines that will be provided by the project.
2. Record clear audio verbatim of the discussions.
3. Transcribe line by line the content FGDs held with Head teachers and class teachers.
4. Translate the responses from local language to English and transcribe line by line the content FGDs held with parents/guardians.

Specifically, as part of the short-term consultancy, data collectors will travel to respective sampled schools within the provinces of assignment as per deliverable table to perform the following tasks:

Table 1: Deliverables Schedule

Deliverable and description

Deliverable 1:

Training and Contract Signing

1. Full Participation in orientation sessions and signing of contract.
2. Submission of orientation report.

(Deliverable due date - 4th October 2024)

Deliverable 2:

Data Collection and Transcribing

1. Collect qualitative data from sampled schools in line with the data collection tools and FGD guide.
2. Conduct 1 FGD (in English) per school with head teachers and grade teachers as required and record clear verbatim audio of FGDs using a device capable of recording in transferable and portable format such as MP3, WMA or AAC.
3. Conduct 1 FGD (preferably in the official local language) per school with select parents and/or guardians as required and record clear verbatim audio of FGDs using a device capable of recording in transferable and portable format such as MP3, WMA or AAC.
4. Transcribe the verbatim of the FGD held with Head teachers and class teachers in line with the template that will be provided.
5. Translate to English and transcribe the verbatim of the FGD held with parents and guardians in line with the template that will be provided.

(Deliverable due Date- 15th October 2024)

Logistics:

1. USAID Let’s Read will provide 1 motor vehicle and required fuel in each province of assignment to facilitate movements to and from data collection sites. No additional vehicles will be provided for in the contract.
2. The consulting firm is expected to have the resources such as audio recording devices, laptops and/or computers for the transcription, listening device and appropriate competencies needed to fully execute the scope of this consultancy.
3. The consulting firm is expected to engage no less than 6 data collectors, that is a minimum of 3 teams, each team comprising of not less than 2 experienced data collectors fluent in both spoken and written English and official local languages (Cinyanja, Chitonga, Silozi) for each of the 3 provinces. A minimum of 1 team will be assigned to each province at any given time.
4. Motor vehicle capacity of a maximum of 4 passengers will be strictly adhered to at all times.
5. USAID Let’s Read guidelines for the use of motor vehicles shall apply.

The candidate for the position of Data Collector (Lead Consultant) shall have at a minimum the following qualifications:

Education:  

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Education, M&E, or related field.
• A postgraduate qualification in a relevant field will be an added advantage.

Skills and Experience:  

Requirements for individuals to be engaged as data collectors by the consulting firm:

Skills and Experience – Required:

• At least 3 years’ practical experience in relevant fields such as research, data quality management, and report writing is required for persons proposed as data collectors or research assistants
• At least 5 years’ experience in conducting qualitative research, data quality management, and report writing particularly in education or community mobilization is required for lead consultants and supervisors.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating FGDs, preferably in English and the following local languages: Chitonga, Cinyanja, and Silozi.
• Proficiency in using tablets or computers for data collection.
• Organizational skills and readiness to work in remote locations.
• Three references whom USAID Let’s Read Project may contact. These references should be clients or employers for whom you have provided similar services in the past 3 years.
• Curriculum Vitae

Requirements for Firms:

Documentation and Experience – Required:

• Company profile detailing relevant experience in research and data collection.
• ZRA Tax Clearance & PACRA Returns.
• At least 5 years’ experience in carrying out similar types of assignments (research, data collection).
• Experience working with International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) is a plus.
• Three references whom USAID Let’s Read Project may contact. These references should be clients or organizations for whom you have provided similar services in the past 3 years.
• CVs/Information for the proposed lead consultants/research supervisors who would be leading the assignment, with demonstrated experience in carrying out similar tasks.

Location of the Assignment

The location of the assignment will be in the Eastern, Southern, and Western Provinces (Zambia). All persons (lead consultants, supervisors and data collectors) to be involved in the data collection will be expected to attend in person the orientation in Lusaka at a venue to be communicated in due course. The consulting firm will be expected to arrange own accommodation and transport for all persons required to attend the orientation for data collectors. The project will facilitate travel from Lusaka to the locations of assignment during the data collection period and transport for return to Lusaka.

Evaluation Criteria

1. Technical Expertise (40%)
   • Proven experience conducting qualitative research, data quality management, and report writing particularly in education or community mobilization.
   • Demonstrated experience in facilitating FGDs, preferably in English and the following local languages: Chitonga, Cinyanja, and Silozi.
2. Portfolio and Work Samples (25%)
   • A strong portfolio showcasing similar activities, especially educational research, qualitative data collection, translation and transcribing.
   • Previous experience in conducting focused group discussions for non-profit or educational projects is a plus.
3. Turnaround Time and Availability (15%)
   • Ability to complete the activity within the given timeline of 9 days.
   • Availability to make corrections based on feedback from the Monitoring and Evaluation Director.
4. Cost Proposal (20%)
   • Competitive pricing aligned with the scope of work.
   • Detailed breakdown of costs, including any revisions and final file handover.

Additional Information

• Please describe your background and experience, explaining why it is well-suited to the nature of the work described. Be sure to address the qualifications, experience listed above, and provide examples of comparable project work.
• Include a pricing list your company offer based on the activities listed in the deliverables schedule in Table 1 above.
• Submit your proposal to [email protected] clearly indicating the title “Effects of the Drought Study Data Collection” in the subject line.
• Submissions will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, with a deadline of no later than September 30, 2024

Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price

• This consultancy will be awarded as a firm fixed-price contract based on the submission and approval of deliverables as specified in the scope of work. Payment will be made upon satisfactory completion of all deliverables in accordance with the agreed timeline.

Activity Period: October 7, 2024, to October 15, 2024, subject to change by EDC if needed.

Experience Required: 36 months (3 years) for individuals to be hired by the consulting firm as data collectors or research assistants and 60 months (5 years) of provision of similar services for firms and lead consultants/supervisors.

Education Level of lead consultant/supervisor: Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Education, M&E, or a related field

Job Closing Date: September 30, 2024

Due to the anticipated volume of applications submitted, only finalists will be contacted.

EDC is committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce and ensuring an equitable and highly inclusive work environment. EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Note: EDC doesn’t solicit for money from applicants at any level of the recruitment & selection process.