SSA_Zambia_2023_The consultant(s) to undertake a costing exercise to better determine the cost of educating a child in a public school in Zambia.

Tender description

<br />The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the GRZ to develop a costing framework that reconciles school and household-based costs of educating children while factoring in institutional type and spatial considerations (Rural, urban and remoteness). The costing framework will enable the GRZ to undertake equitable financing for schools to support the effective implementation of the EFA policy. Accordingly, the consultancy has the following sub-objectives:<br /><br />a. Determining the real/true cost of educating a child in Zambia’s public schools. <br />b. Assessing the cost differential of running schools factoring in institutional type and spatial considerations (Rural, urban and remoteness); <br />c. Determining the school-level investment required to provide a quality education under the EFA policy.<br />d. Understanding the cost of sending children to school for families (uniforms, supplies, transport, food, books, bags, shoes and other expenses necessary to send children to school) under the EFA policy. <br />e. Comparison of cost per child expenditures in public, private, community and church run or grant aided institutions;<br />f. Conducting an international cost comparison of spending per child especially with countries implementing the free education policy to inform government policy; <br />g. Informing the direction local communities and the private sector can play in education financing to ensure that cost issues are addressed without penalising vulnerable people especially girls and boys;<br />h. Determining a reasonable cost of education per child measure given the Zambian context; <br />i. Developing a costing framework that reconciles school and household-based costs of educating children while factoring in institutional type and spatial considerations (Rural, urban and remoteness); and<br />j. Supporting the GRZ to use the costing framework to inform equitable financing for schools.<br /><br />