REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(INDIVIDUAL CONSULTING SERVICES)

Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI)

Education and Skills Strengthening Project

Grant no.: IDA-D7600

Assignment: TVET Training Needs Assessment and Development of Block Grants Training Guidelines Consultant

Reference No.: MH-MOE-300018-CS-INDV

The Government of the Republic of Marshall Islands has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Education and Skills Strengthening Project (ESSP) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The consulting services (“the Services”) will assist the Project Manager and the RMI National Training Council to effectively implement the World Bank-funded project.

The assignment will focus on supporting the ESSP project activities, by conducting TVET Training Assessment in Majuro and Outer Islands and also facilitate the development of block grant training guidelines to training providers. This consulting assignment is a short -term position (3 months) to be in Majuro, RMI.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment is indicated in the attached Terms of Reference (ToR).

The National Training Council now invites eligible individuals (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services (attach a Cover Letter of no more than four (4) pages addressing the mandatory experience and qualification requirements curriculum vitae with description of experience in similar assignments, similar conditions, etc.). Only the Experience and the Qualifications of the consultant will be considered in the selection process

Mandatory Qualifications and Experience:

Mandatory Qualifications and Experience 

• Master’s degree in, Education, Management, or any relevant qualifications
• At least 5 years of experience of working in the general education and / or TVET sector
• Demonstrated background of at least two similar consultancies in providing services within the general education and / or TVET sector with similar profile and characteristics
• Relevant experience in working for the government and/or an educational institution in the RMI
• Relevant experience, knowledge and understanding of working with relevant government agencies, local governments, mayors’ association
• Fluent in both Marshallese and English Language
• TVET work experience in the Pacific with the US Affiliated Countries
• Green TVET knowledge and experience
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and build effective team working relationship with clients and relevant stakeholders

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours; 0900 to 1700 hours local time.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by e-mail) by 5:00pm, 28^th October 2022. The subject line should state:  TVET Training Needs Assessment and Development of Block Grants Training Guidelines Consultant

Julius Lucky
Director

National Training Council
ntcdr@ntcinfo.org :  esspcord2.3@gmail.com

Phone: 692 625-4521

Cc:

Malie Tarbwillin

Assistant Secretary,
Division of International Development Assistance
didadirector@gmail.com : filipesefeti@gmail.com

Phone: 692 625 5968

Susan Kommwa

Project Manager, ESSP

suekommwa@gmail.com

­­­­­­­­­_____________________________________________________

Republic of the Marshall Islands

Ministry of Education, Sports and Training

Terms of Reference

 Individual Consultant 

1. BACKGROUND

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is one of the world’s smallest, most isolated, and vulnerable nations. The country consists of 29 atolls and five individual islands (24 out of these 34 atolls and islands are inhabited). It covers an area of 1.9 million square km (around the size of Mexico) but has just 181 square km in land area (around the size of Washington, DC). The population was estimated at 58,413 in 2018, of which around 28,000 (53 percent) reside in Majuro (the country’s capital) and 10,000 (18 percent) in Ebeye, the two largest urban centers. Its low elevation makes the country highly vulnerable to natural and climate related disasters threatening the physical viability of some areas of the main and more remote outer islands (OI).

Project summary

Presented to the World Bank’s Board of Directors for approval in December 2020, the Education Skills Strengthening Project (ESSP) was approved on 21^st January 2021, declared effective on 6^th April 2021, and will be active until January 2026.

The overall objective of the Education Skills Strengthening Project (ESSP) is to increase access to and quality of technical and vocational education and training opportunities and improve labor market outcomes for Marshallese beneficiaries in RMI and abroad. This project supports four components. The first and second components focus on the accessibility and quality of selected education and training programs offered in public secondary schools, public post-secondary institutions (CMI and USP), and private training providers. The third component focuses on academic and career counseling as well as labor market intermediation services. The fourth component supports project implementation and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Within the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Training (MoEST), the first component will be managed by PSS, the second and third by NTC, and the fourth jointly by NTC and PSS.

The second component which supports this assignment aims at increasing equitable access to quality and relevant (a) TVET programs (1-2) years leading to college- level certification or diploma and short (less than a year) skills development courses. Subcomponent 2.1 will support the design and delivery of demand-driven skills development programs through (a) provision of training grants to training providers for training activities and (b) construction, rehabilitation, and equipping of training facilities. The offering of demand-driven TVET college-level programs and skills development courses targeting secondary school graduates and out-of-school, jobseekers (with and without secondary school diploma) will be improved and expanded. Programs will be embedded in clear education and career pathways and aligned with labor market needs with training providers being required and incentivized (through the result-based agreements) to seek inputs from employers when planning courses; include explicit focus on developing soft skills and other general workforce readiness attributes such as problem solving, communication skills, and work ethic; and embed (to the extent possible) the use of digital technology for delivering instruction.

Implementation arrangements for the project include a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) which consists of two Project Directors (one appointed from each of the Public School System and the National Training Council, both of which are agencies under the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Training), a Project Manager, three Component Coordinators (one for Component 1 of the Project, one for Component 2 and 3 of the Project, and one Coordinator for Kwajalein Atoll), a Program Assistant, a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, and a Communications Officer.

1. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The objective of this consultancy is to carry out the following task:

• Conducting TVET Training Needs Assessment in Majuro and Outer Islands. The assignment will assist in implementing Component 2 of the project by identifying TVET prioritized training needs which will be supported by the project for the enhancement of technical and vocational education and training in RMI.
• Development of Block Training Grant guidelines. The assignment will facilitate the provision of training grants to training providers for both Long- and Short-Term Training through the development of grant provision guidelines.

III. Scope of Services:

The scope of the consultancy will focus on TVET trainings needs assessment that are expected to cover

(i) hard skills training such as Carpentry, Welding and Fabrication, Electrical and Electronics, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Plumbing, Auto Mechanics, Culinary, Nursing etc. ; and

(ii) soft skills training such as certificates in IT, Office Management, Accounting, Retail, Entrepreneurship etc. Specific activities of the assignment are expected to be as follows:

• Verify and assess the Technical and Vocational training needs (needed skills, curriculum, trainers, facilities, equipment’s) for the Republic of the Marshall Islands and align them to Local skills Gap demands and US Department of Labor skills with skills needed
• Assess the Basic Training needs aligned to Private and Public Sectors in Majuro, Marshall Island Mayor Association (MIMA), Council Offices and the S Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll
• Assess and identify the Advance Training needs of Trainees through Recognized Prior Learning (RPL)
• Assess TVET Training needs of High School Dropouts (Majuro and Outer Islands) to qualify for positions such as Skilled Assistants, e.g., Certified Carpenters Helper (employment) and Entrepreneurship Training
• Identify Soft Skills training needs in the TVET related fields
• Identify and asses Virtual Training Needs especially with outer island training centers
• Identify likelihood of aligning all TVET Training towards RMI National Qualification Framework and ACCJC Accreditation standards
• Assess and Verify Green TVET concepts to be incorporated with TVET Training in consultation with Training Institution, Employers and relevant RMI Authorities

The assessment can follow a mixed-methods approach integrating quantitative and qualitative data collection. The methodology will include interviews with a predetermined set of questions and online interviews with employers, trainers and relevant government departments.

The scope of the consultancy will also focus on the development of training guidelines that will cover both long-term training (training programs with training providers or institutions) as well as short-term training. To this end, specific items to be developed under the consultancy will include the development of the following document:

• Calls for Expression of Interest
• Shortlisting guidelines
• Guidelines to proposal development for potential applicants
• Guidelines for the evaluation of expression of interest and full application
• Selection Criteria
• Financial disbursement and management guidelines
• Training Progress Report format (midterm and final)
• Training financial report format
• Guidelines to conducting a 3-month tracer study and outline of tracer study report

1. INSTITUTIONAL AND ORGANIZATION ARRANGEMENTS

In the course of the assignment, the Consultant will work closely with both the private and public sectors (the National Training Council, Employers and relevant RMI Authorities, training providers (University of South Pacific, College of Marshall Islands, WAM.

The Consultant will report directly to the Project Manager, and work in close collaboration with Component 2 and 3 coordinators during the assignment. The Consultant will also work closely with staff from NTC and training providers.

The Government of RMI will provide necessary documents such as the Project Appraisal Document, Project Operational Manual, and all existing reports and materials related to the Project.

1. DURATION, LOCATION, CONDITIONS

The position is a part–time position to be based in Majuro or Ebeye. The duration of the contract will be 90 days

1. Output and Deliverables 

The Consultant will submit the following reports:

1. Inception Report: The inception report should at a minimum include a work plan defining the phases of the assignment, key deliverables and milestones; the assessment methodology containing data collecting tools and analysis methods and a framework for the training guidelines and needs assessment report to be submitted 1 week after signing the contract.
2. Draft Report: outlining the detailed findings, to be submitted during the 8th week after signing the contract
3. Final report: outlining the detailed report on gaps identified and recommendations on prioritized training needs which shall include identified virtual training needs, best and efficient way of training delivery, block grant training guidelines. This report shall be circulated to TVET stakeholders, and the consultant shall incorporate feedback from major national stakeholders, training centers and PIU. This shall be submitted within one week after receiving feedback from stakeholders PIU will coordinate the comments from all stakeholders and forward to the consultant, within two weeks after receiving the draft, to enable the consultant to finalize the report.

VII. Qualifications and Experience Requirements

1. Mandatory Qualifications and Experience 

• Master’s degree in, Education, Management, or any relevant qualifications
• At least 5 years of experience of working in the general education and / or TVET sector
• Demonstrated background of at least two similar consultancies in providing services within the general education and / or TVET sector with similar profile and characteristics
• Relevant experience in working for the government and/or an educational institution in the RMI
• Relevant experience, knowledge and understanding of working with relevant government agencies, local governments, mayors’ association
• Fluent in both Marshallese and English Language
• TVET work experience in the Pacific with the US Affiliated Countries
• Green TVET knowledge and experience

1. Desired Qualifications and Experience 

• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and build effective team working relationship with clients and relevant stakeholders