Terms of Reference:
Curricula and activity Plan development
In support of ‘Buddy Club’ and Peer learning support activities within Build Africa’s Early Years
Learning programme
1.
Background
1.1
Background to Build Africa Uganda
Build Africa Uganda (BAU) was registered as a Ugandan NGO in 1996. BAU’s programs seek to combine
earning and learning opportunities for children and their families. With 16 years’ experience working in rural
areas of Uganda, BAU has strong working relationships with communities and local authorities. BAU is
currently operational in the nine districts of Kumi, Ngora, Bukedea, Pallisa, Kibuku, Masindi, Kiryandongo,
Oyam and Buliisa. Within these districts BAU is working with 154 primary schools and the surrounding
communities.
Find Build Africa on http://www.build-africa.org for more information.
1.2
Background to the Early Years Learning programme
Currently, Build Africa is implementing 3 Early Years Learning projects all aimed at ensuring that boys and
girls in P1 to P3 receive support for their learning, both in and out of school, so that they acquire the
fundamental skills they need to achieve a good level of educational attainment. Whilst this ToR is directed
primarily towards the ILEAP project, elements of this model will be implemented across two additional
projects. As such, it will be expected that the approach be adaptable across the three projects and can be
implemented with or without purpose built resources. Full details of the additional two projects will be made
available upon the selection of the successful candidate.
Project Description - Improving Learning and Attainment in Primary Education, Uganda (ILEAP)
The project is being implemented in 40 primary schools within Ngora district, working directly with three key
Build Africa UK
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target groups; children in early years of school, teachers of early years classes and parents of the children in
early years.
1.3
Project Description
The Early Years Learning programme in Uganda is comprised of 3 projects designed to engage with three key
types of beneficiaries (children in early years of school, teachers of early years classes and parents of children
in the early years) to improve the outcomes for young children at primary school in target districts.
The impact of good quality learning in a child’s early years is undeniable, as children who are well supported
with early learning outperform their peers at school; the benefits of this support are seen well into
adulthood. When teachers and parents struggle to meet children’s needs, it hinders them from reaching
their full potential.
Each of the three Early Years Learning projects in Uganda seek to achieve the following four outcomes:
•
Outcome 1: Young girls and boys receive both academic and social support for their learning, in and
out of school, ensuring that they acquire the fundamental skills they need in order to achieve a good level
of educational attainment.
•
Outcome 2: Teachers are skilled and inspired, which ensures they provide children friendly and good
quality teaching, improving children’s engagement in class.
•
Outcome 3: Older children are empowered to mentor younger children, enhancing the learning and
emotional support that those younger children receive at school, improving their academic and social skills.
•
Outcome 4: Parents are equipped to champion their children’s education, ensuring children are
prepared for school and their learning is nurtured resulting in a positive learning culture for children at home.
BA is working with Mango Tree, a consulting and implementing organisation whose mission is to provide
African educators with the best tools and methods to empower education. MT’s creative services make the
teaching and learning experience simple, effective and fun. MT is skilled in strategic design, graphic design,
illustration and curriculum development amongst others. MT has supported the development and
translation of tailored resource materials for many international NGOs. MT will develop resource guides
and learning materials for peers and teachers that are age and context appropriate and support the project
outcomes. For ILEAP, they will be producing kits and resources to correspond to the guidance and activities
given for Buddy Club and Peer Learning Support Clubs.
Under this assignment, the selected consultant is expected to work closely with Mango Tree for synergy.
2.
Background to Buddy Club and Peer Learning Support
The buddy clubs and peer learning support clubs are under outcome three which states: Older children are
empowered to mentor younger children, enhancing the learning and emotional support that those
younger children receive at school, improving their academic and social skills.
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Buddy Clubs are designed to support older pupils (in P5 and P6) to help incoming children in P1 to make
the transition from home life to school. This helps with the young pupils’ social and emotional transition to
school life, laying the foundations for learning, while empowering older children to act as guides, raising
their self-esteem and confidence.
During the needs assessment and consultation stages for this project, certain vulnerable child groups were
identified whose learning support needs may not be fully met by other project areas. In our initial research,
these included children who have been orphaned, are living in child or elderly headed households or those
with disabilities. The Peer Learning Support Clubs are intended as a support activity for children whose
performance is affected by their social circumstances, as a result of the absence of support from parents at
home or stigma they may face for other reasons. The definition has remained broad and needs-based to
allow for the activity to be targeted at the children who most need the support. The consultant will be
expected to generate criteria of vulnerability based on contextual evidence and a strategy for engaging
those children. It should be noted that the project is not designed to respond to special learning needs in
the sense of cognitive disabilities, but is rather a social mechanism to give disadvantaged children a more
equal chance at accessing extra-curricular support.
3.1
Purpose of Technical Support
This support is being undertaken to provide credible and useful step by step procedures on the
operationalization of the buddy and Peer Learning Support Clubs and foreseen challenges of the
intervention that could inform future interventions.
The chosen consultant will provide a clear set of guidelines and activities which embody the outcome given
above. This will be underpinned by a knowledge of child development, with goal-led design and
explanation of each activity. They will also maximise the integration of the activities and outcomes with
other elements of the project, such as the early-grade reading and parent clubs activities.
Materials must be designed for practical application by teachers in Ugandan primary schools, where
varying levels of capacity can be anticipated. A recommended training programme should also be outlined.
Activities should appeal to a variety of ages within the school and should be adaptable to offer school
authorities autonomy in how they choose to practice them.
3.2
Expected outputs from the Technical Support
A detailed report including annexes detailing the following:
- A clear rationale of the child development philosophy underlying their approach and activities
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- A detailed report which describes the steps taken (both in desk review and field work) to design the
activities come up with. Data sets (in English) will also be expected
- A training programme for teachers, appropriate to a variety of capacities and year-groups with
emphasis on P1-P3 learners
- Selection criteria and process of pairing older and younger children for both Buddy Clubs and Peer
Learning Support Clubs including guidance for determining how students with Special Learning Needs
are supported in the clubs and where tailored support should be provided by the teacher i
- Identification of the most vulnerable child groups in the schools and communities and a strategy for
targeting them for activities
- How the parents of these children may be involved in the running/ management of the clubs
- Guidance and suggested programme of activities for both sets of clubs throughout the entirety of a
school year. Each activity should have a clear rationale and anticipated impact, including some
suggested follow up activities which can be implemented as part of existing lesson plans
- A technical brief for the design of materials which will be used to carry out the activities. If possible,
additional instructions for how schools can use the initial material and resource sets to model their
own for additional sustainability.
- A list of any additional support which may be required in the running of the clubs and a suggested
implementation model for doing so.
4.0 Timeline for delivery
Activity
Agree on scope of assignment
Submission of inception report
Review inception report
Draft report due
Review draft report
Final report and data due to BA
March
W1
W2
W3 W4
April
W W
1
2
W
3
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
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W
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5.0 Skills and qualifications of consultancy team
The consultancy team should consist of one or more consultants who meet the following requirements:
 Master’s degree in Education , Child Development or Child Psychology discipline (essential) coupled with
advanced skills in Research Methodologies (preferred);

Experience of developing Early Childhood Learning or primary school curricula and learning supports in
Uganda or East Africa (preferred)

Demonstrable understanding of child cognitive, emotional and social development frameworks and
support models (essential)

Worked within school environment in Uganda or East Africa and / or has knowledge of early learning
pedagogical methods (preferred)

Excellent communication skills including report writing (essential);

Experience of working with children, facilitating participatory approaches to data collection (essential);

Able to reliably access the Internet, as well as relevant national policy/planning documents and surveys
(essential);

Fluent English in both writing and speaking (essential) but Ateso will be an added advantage;

Willingness to familiarise self with, and sign up to abiding by, Build Africa’s Child Protection Policy
(essential).

Knowledge of the early years learning Curriculum of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and
Sports (essential). Existing government contacts and networks in Uganda (preferred).
6.0 Child Safeguarding
It is essential that the successful applicant familiarise self with, and sign up to abiding by, Build Africa’s
Child Protection Policy.
We reserve the right to conduct background checks for all shortlisted applicants in line with our child
safeguarding policy. This may include collecting references from past employers or commissioning
organisations.
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7.0Application process and timeline
Interested consultants must submit the following documents:
1) Technical proposal (with a maximum of 6 pages), which must include the following:
a. Outline of the child-development approach to be taken and a rationale for why this
approach fits the project
b. Outline of methodology to develop guidelines for the implementation of the Buddy and
Peer Learning Clubs to include involvement of relevant primary and secondary stakeholders.
c. A timeline of consultant work plan with number of days for desk research, primary research,
material development and review, finalizing materials and final report (guided by Section
3.2 of this document). This should bear in mind the final deadline for the finalised work to
be completed - 18th April 2016
d. Sample of previous report written for similar consultancy work, with contact details for
commissioning client.
2) Detailed budget submitted in Excel calculated on a maximum of 25 consultancy days. Consultants who
are unable to complete the work by the stated deadline will not be considered.
There is a fixed internal budget for the consultancy including professional fees, ancillary costs and support
costs with the assumption that the consultant is based in Uganda or in the East Africa region (to minimise
travel costs).
Consultants must have an existing legal right or hold the relevant visa to work in Uganda.
The selected consultant(s) will be chosen based on their relevant experience, robustness of their
submission, availability (to start in March 2016) as well as overall cost effectiveness.
All documents must be submitted no later than Friday 11th March Feb 2016 at 17:00 hrs East Africa time via
email to Fred Semyalo, Head of Programs ; [email protected]
i
Use the Ugandan governmental definition of special educational needs, which states that: “special learning needs” means
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needs of which one does not always know the cause, which may include significant difficulties in making use of
listening, speaking, reading, writing or walking organs coupled with lack of reasoning capability which might have been
caused by under-stimulation or social or emotional irregularities in the child’s upbringing.’
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