Foreign economic-aid-related services

Tender description

DFID is seeking a supplier to deliver a new 6 year programme that will undertake research on the most effective approaches to education delivery in conflict and protracted crisis contexts. This programme will carry out research in 6 countries/regions. The programme is also expected to engage internationally, promote global research uptake and stimulate and grow the existing community of practice though annual conferences and events. The intended impact of the programme is: stronger evidence based policies and better value for money programmes in conflict and protracted crisis. The expected outcomes are: (i) strengthened education programmes in DFID focal countries/regions; (ii) a rigorous body of evidence on what works for education in conflict and protracted crisis; (iii) decision makers access and use evidence on education in conflict and protracted crisis; (iv) knowledge systems strengthened for research on education in conflict and protracted crisis. The programme will respond to demand for evidence by providing advisory capacity and additional funding to DFID programmes that are operating in a crisis situation to facilitate learning and support innovation in delivery, addressing specific knowledge or evidence gaps. The programme will focus on 6 primary countries — Nigeria, South Sudan, Myanmar, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Alongside the operational support, a long term research programme will be implemented to assess the impact of education interventions. Research themes will include improving child protection, helping programmes to shift from a humanitarian to a development response, and ensuring that teachers with the right skills are in place to work with displaced and traumatised populations. In addition, the programme will promote research uptake and capacity by working in close partnership with the UK Research Councils who are planning complementary research, with other key stakeholders such as Education Cannot Wait (ECW), and the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), and with research institutions in selected focal countries. The programme will have four components: — Component 1: research on the most effective approaches to education delivery in conflict and protracted crisis. The supplier will be responsible for designing a tailored and adaptive research programme that works closely with DFID country offices and DFID funded programming, to identify how to best deliver education in both conflict and protracted crisis contexts; — Component 2: ensuring country level impact — the supplier will be responsible for working with the DFID country offices to strengthen or scale up interventions as per lessons learnt through the provision of expert technical expertise, supplies or materials; — Component 3: promoting research uptake across DFID and the international community. The supplier will be responsible for leading on activities to ensure that evidence feeds into policy and practice. This will include working closely with decision makers and education providers in-country, consolidating and disseminating learning from the research projects, organising community of practice events and annual conferences for knowledge sharing between policymakers, practitioners and academics from different disciplines, — Component 4: knowledge systems strengthening. This component will be led by the British Academy and the supplier will not be held responsible for its effective implementation. The British Academy will run an innovative fellowship and institutional strengthening programme in parallel with research and uptake activities, in focal countries or countries in close proximity. This will generate opportunities for cross country and cross-disciplinary learning and knowledge sharing. The supplier is expected to engage with the British Academy to maximise synergies between this component and the other components, to strengthen the overall impact of the programme. The contract will run for 6 years with a 6 month inception phase. The programme will be managed by the Education Research Team within DFID. The Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for this programme will sit in DFID and will be the decision maker on the programme. A DFID programme funded secondee will work with the supplier for 80 % of their time, providing a valuable resource, particularly for communication and providing general oversight. DFID intends to hold a Market Engagement event prior to launch of the tender. The final date and location of the event will be confirmed via the DFID Supplier portal. All interested parties should register their interest on the DFID supplier portal. Further information and documents will be made available via the DFID supplier portal prior to the Engagement Event. The supplier portal can be used to ask any questions related to this programme to which DFID will provide a response which will be shared with all registered suppliers.