UNICEF Albania Country Office
TERMS OF REFERENCE
For an international consultant to develop the methodology and guide the data gathering for
the assessment of the model of preparatory classes in Albania
Country Office :
Albania
Application Deadline:
May 5 2014
Primary Category:
Early Childhood Development
Languages Required:
English
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
May 2014
Expected Duration of Assignment:
28 working days
Background and rationale
MOES in Albania has introduced during the last 5 years the preparatory classes’ model with the
aim of increasing the developmental readiness for school of children who did not access preschool
earlier. While the overall increase of preschool access is costly, the pre-primary classes offer a low
cost alternative model to meet the school preparatory needs for 5-6 years old children. The preprimary class works as a kindergarten within the basic education school, offering social and
academic preparedness for school for children 5-6 years old. So far around 400 pre-primary classes
have been opened all over Albania counting around 9, 000 student accessing these classes. The
pre-primary classes have been opened with the financial contribution of the World Bank Education
Excellence and Equity program. UNICEF has assisted with teacher training, curricula development
etc. While the access to preparatory classes has been satisfactory, e.g. MoES data show a 30%
increase of access in the pre-primary year as a result of the preparatory classes’ intervention, issues
of quality of the program, child impact, inclusiveness and equitable access intervention has not
been evaluated or assessed properly.
The monitoring and assessment of student achievements is a rather new approach in Albania. IKAP
has developed a tool for monitoring preschool settings in Albania, but this tool does not capture
children achievements and their assessment. A study on the preschool standards in Albania has
shown that preschools have not been assessed and monitored from the point of view of child
achievements based on the standards which are in place. Moreover, the process of revision of the
standards of preschool in Albania will require a new set of monitoring and assessment tools to be
developed.
The Albanian Government is considering the universalisation of the preschool pre-primary year in
Albania. Such a decision needs to be supported by a thorough analysis of the options for preschool
expansion. The progress review of the pre-primary classes’ model will be very important as to feed
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UNICEF Albania Country Office
in some of the lessons learnt from the experience and best practices to be used from this
intervention in the expansion of preschool plan from the Government.
Overall objective of the assessment
The consultant main task will be to develop the methodology for assessing the model of the
preprimary classes based on UNICEF guidelines as well as offer technical expertise and guide the
data gathering process by the local group in Albania.
The methodology developed will need to capture the efficiency, effectiveness, relevance and
sustainability of the intervention of introducing the preprimary model in the Albanian education
system.
The methodology will have to identify among the international recognized and tested tools for
measuring child readiness in the Albanian context.
Scope of Work
It is expected that the selected individual will start working on May 2014. She/he will liaise and
report at all times with UNICEF assigned PO and Deputy Representative who will provide advice,
guidance and information, as appropriate.
The geography of the assessment will be defined by the methodology and it will have to consider
equity issues and in more details how the vulnerable groups living in Albania access equitably
the preprimary classes (e.g. the Roma www.sidalbania.org)
Issues
The methodology proposed will need to address the following issues:
Has the preprimary classes ‘model been effective and efficient?
Has the preprimary classes’ model been an equitable intervention ensuring equitable access to
children from, low economic and social status as well as minority children? Is the program meeting
the needs of the children who did not have possibility to access preschool prior to preprimary year?
-What are the effects of the preprimary year in the social and academic preparedness of children
for school? What are the outcomes of the preprimary classes compared with the control group,
classical model of preschool with three years of attendance?
-Is the preprimary school model a viable model for the universalization of the preprimary year in
Albania?
Methodology
While developing the methodology, the consultant will have to make sure that:
– Methodology and tools ensure the approach and data collection to be human /child rights
based and gender sensitive (data disaggregation). Specific attention needs to be paid to the
proposed methodology that will allow the inclusion of particularly excluded groups.
Methodology will take into account the overall purpose of the assessment as well as the
needs of the users and other stakeholders, and the budget available
– Assessment methodology should demonstrate maximum use of existing relevant datasets,
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UNICEF Albania Country Office
– The methodology proposed will have to identify the data collection strategy; which methods
will be used and how the data and findings will be analyzed, which stakeholders will be
targeted etc.
Work plan and deliverables
No
Deliverable
Working
days and
tentative
calendar
Who
1.
Desk review
3 days (from Consultant
residence)
2.
Visit in Albania’s preparatory classes and meeting 5 days (In
with stakeholders. Prepare an inception report to be Albania )
presented to UNICEF and stakeholders as to which
methodology/ tools to be used.
3.
Develop the methodology and submit to UNICEF.
8 days(from Consultant
residence)
4.
Comment on the methodology proposed.
5 days
5.
Incorporate comments from UNICEF and submit 3 days (from Consultant
final methodology
residence)
6.
Offer technical expertise and coaching to the group 4 days(from Consultant
who will conduct data gathering including structure residence)
of the final report etc. through Skype, email
exchanges etc.
7.
Review and improve when necessary the final 5 days(from Consultant
assessment report submitted by the local group of residence)
experts.
Consultant
UNICEF
Payment
The assignment will be remunerated upon delivery of the agreed outputs. Payment will be made
in three installments:

20% upon submission of inception report

40% upon the successful submission of the final deliverable 5
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UNICEF Albania Country Office

40% upon deliverable 7
Required skills/experience

Demonstrated experience of conducting research, assessments in social areas preferably
on preschool;

Advances studies in social sciences, child development psychology and or other related
fields;

Demonstrated statistical analysis skills;

Good facilitation skills and demonstrated experience of conducting participatory
assessments;

Excellent writing skills in English;

Knowledge of UNICEF criteria on studies/research will be an advantage.
Interested individuals are requested to submit

Letter of interest indicating the reasons why she/he is capable of implementing the
assignment;

Curriculum vitae

Methodology outline which will including how the consultant intends to carry out the job

Fee estimate based on man/day;

Copies (or web-links to) of research work conducted in the past.
Application procedure and selection criteria
Applicants will be required to send to UNICEF Office to egorenca@unicef.org and copy to
tirana@unicef.org and mbushati@unicef.org the above documents by the deadline of May 5
2014.
The applicants will be selected based on their previous relevant experience, background, quality
of the proposal and fee proposed.
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Str. "Skenderbej", Volkswagen Building, 3rd floor, Tirana, Albania
phone: +355 42 273 335/6/7/8/9 ext. 22 fax: +355 42 243 775/6
website: www.unicef.org/albania
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