UNICEF Pacific Terms of reference for a Consultant to upgrade, modify and strengthen the Education Information Management System (EMIS) in Tuvalu
Requesting Section: Education Date/updated date: 10 September 2015 Programme Area and Specific Project involved: Outcome 2, Output 4.4: Primary Education Quality Improvement, Tuvalu
UNICEF Pacific is looking for a qualified international consultant to provide technical assistance to Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) in Tuvalu in EMIS improvement, as well as capacity building of relevant MEYS officers.
1. Background of Programme and EMIS System in Tuvalu
Achieving Education for All in Tuvalu Programme (AEfATP) is a national programme that is being implemented by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) in partnership with Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and UNICEF. The long term goal of the Programme is to ensure All children in Tuvalu benefit from equitable access to quality education. The Education Department (EdDep) of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) in Tuvalu under Achieving Education for all in Tuvalu Programme (AEfATP) is implementing targeted interventions in the areas of school based management, teacher training and development, early grade literacy and education planning, to improve learning outcomes of all children in schools.
Tuvalu developed its first national Education Information Management System in 2012. MEYS’ main objective was to have a system for the collection, integration, processing, maintenance and dissemination of data and information from multiple sources to support decision making, policy- analysis and formulation, planning, monitoring and management of an ‘education system’. Tuvalu Education Management Information System (TEMIS) is developed in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005. It uses windows forms to display the data entry screens and reports, and uses a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 as its database for storing & retrieval of all the data. TEMIS can run on any Microsoft operating system if that operating system can run Microsoft .Net 2.0.TEMIS also uses Crystal Reports 2005 to display reports. The installer for Crystal Reports is provided with the installation media. However, MEYS believes that the EMIS system needs considerable strengthening in order to have a functional EMIS system that will help achieve the objectives mentioned above. The AEfATP would like to identify a suitable technical partner to achieve the objectives mentioned below before March 2016 (scheduled end date of the AEfATP) and provide on demand technical support (ODTS).
2. Work Assignment/ Major Tasks to be accomplished:
1 Under the supervision of the Chief of Education in Suva (Fiji) with guidance, support from the UNICEF Education Specialist in Suva (Fiji) and AEFATP National Project Manager in Funafuti (Tuvalu), the consultant will work closely with AEFATP Project staff and counterparts from MEYS to broadly achieve the following objectives:
Upgrade TEMIS features and data architecture to create a more comprehensive system with increased data coverage (student, school, financial, human resources and learning outcomes) Upgrade and automate functions to facilitate for easier global reporting (Education 2030, Sustainable Development Goals, PEDF, UNICEF Multi Cluster Survey, UNICEF Child Equity Atlas etc.) Modify system features to make it more adaptable to allow for changes/advancements by MEYS staff in the future Feed MEYS website to TEMIS Database and make TEMIS related information available. Also establish security access model to that site, and deploy appropriate functionality in MEYS Improve system documentation - ensure changes to the TEMIS software are appropriately documented to ensure that any developer familiar with the underlying platform applications and programming languages will be able to understand the structure of the system and the logic of its relationships and structure Improve training documentation - develop a training manual for MEYS/regional staff to make any future modifications/changes to the system . Detailed work assignment includes: Review the feature modifications requested by AEfATP/MEYS (Annex 1 - Feature Modifications Requested by MEYS/AEfATP) Develop a detailed work plan for approval from UNICEF/AEfATP/MEYS that includes timeline for completion of key activities and key areas of support required from UNICEF/AEfATP/MEYS staff for completion of activities. All activities need to be classified as either home-based or in-country. Develop a draft or outline of the completion report for feedback prior to finalization of outline (include timeline in work plan) Develop a draft or outline of the training manual for MEYS staff to make any future modifications/changes to the system (include timeline in work plan) Implement feature modifications and enhancements in TEMIS as per requirements listed in Annex 1 which includes modifications to relevant database design, design software and related hardware as well as reports (Crystal) Ensure that MEYS website is fed by TEMIS information and reports Build capacities of relevant AEfATP/MEYS staff on principles and the actual operation of the system installation, debugging, operation and maintenance Finalize completion report, submit system and technical documentation for TEMIS through a training manual which includes all technical parameters, drawings, designs, manuals, and other proprietary information that are specified in the contract and other related documents on the calculation, operation, maintenance, and testing of the system
5. Deliverables and Payment schedule
Key Deliverables 2 The consultant is expected to deliver the following (please include deliverables in drafting work plan): A preliminary work plan detailing priority modifications/support required Updated TEMIS features and reporting features that reflects the feature modifications requested by AEFATP/MEYS Tuvalu Completion report on all modifications with confirmation that all new features are functional and bug-free in TEMIS Copies of system and training documentation for TEMIS (training manual) Copies of database design documents including design diagram The data dictionary Access to final software package without any limitation or restrictions Access to the modified source code without any limitation or restrictions Improved functionality of MEYS website with reports and information linked to TEMIS All final products and deliverables must be submitted in e-copy/electronic format.
Payment schedule 1st Payment (10%): Upon signing of the contract 2nd Payment (35%): Upon developing a work plan, outline of the completion report and outline of TEMIS training manual and completion of modifications requested and agreed upon by Week 4 3rd Payment (30%) Upon completion of Tuvalu trip visit and completion of capacity building activities in-country by Week 11 4th Payment (25%): Upon delivery of the final report with comments from all stakeholders and submission of all the deliverables listed in the contract by Week 12
6. Duration of Consultancy
The consultancy is for 60 working days of which 20 working days will be in-country in Tuvalu. The consultancy is to start on 30th of October 2015 and end no later than 15th of March 2016. ______7. Type of supervision that will be provided:
Chief of Education in Suva will provide overall supervision and with technical supervision from TEMIS Focal Point in Tuvalu. Both individuals will be accessible via teleconference/Skype and Viber.
8. Consultant’s work plan and Official Travel Involved:
The consultant will work closely with the AEfATP Project Team and Education Officers from the Ministry involved in TEMIS related work.
In-country travel will be arranged by UNICEF/AEfATP team with no additional per-diem, however the consultant has to make own arrangements for one round trip international travel from place of recruitment to Tuvalu.
9. Consultant’s Work Place:
3 The work will be home-based but In Tuvalu, consultant will have a working station at AEfATP Project Office in Funafuti.
Consultant should bring own computer.
10. Qualification or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required: Advanced university degree in education, statistics, computer science, information system management or related disciplines; Minimum 5 years professional experience in the field of information system development and management, preferably in education. Experience of research, monitoring and evaluation in the field of social development or education programme Excellent analytical skills Experience in developing countries particularly in the East Asia and Pacific Region and working experience with international organizations is an added advantage Fluency in written and spoken English; knowledge of Tuvaluan an asset Adaptable and flexible, with the ability to work in a culturally sensitive manner with government counterparts
Annex 1
ANNEX 1 - Feature Modifications Requested by MEYS/AEfATP The feature modifications requested were compiled based on a gap analysis that was completed by the TEMIS Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Tuvalu) on the current features in TEMIS and the desired features based on consultations and good practice EMIS models in the region.
Does it currently Dimension If Yes, Where? Proposed Future Action exist in TEMIS Demographic Information Yes, it is a required feature modification. o Admission Design an admission form to capture this and requirements No Not Applicable get Developer to change database structure to accommodate this and also modification to Application. Yes, it is a required feature modification. o Birth Rate Work with Statistical, Health Department in No Not Applicable updating the Education Department with updated figure of Birth Rate. o Mortality Rate No Not Applicable Yes, it is a required feature modification. 4 Work with Statistical, Health Department in updating the Education Department with updated figure of Birth Rate. o Family economic data (e.g., low‐ Yes, it is a required feature modification Modify the Survey form and have Developer income family data, No Not Applicable modify the application and also the SQL single‐family database to accommodate the additional data to be capture in future survey. household data, poverty data)? Yes, it is a required feature modification o Early childhood Form modification by TEMIS Officer - development data? We need to work with ECCE Officers to No Not Applicable design a forms that can capture Early Childhood development data then incorporate into TEMIS with the help of Developer. Health Data o Special needs population data Student Feature YES Urgent need confirmed (e.g., learning of TEMIS needs, physical needs/disabilities)? School Level Data o School performance and efficacy data 2. If school improvement plan exists, is there data on achieving NO Not Applicable Link SIP’s and Monitoring documents milestones in that plan?
3. Data on student Work with the Assessment & Curriculum learning objectives (if NO Not Applicable Officers how to capture this and then work with regional developer in doing all these. applicable)? o School Assets i. Infrastructure 5 Modify the Census form and have Developer o Health No Not Applicable incorporate all the changes made to the survey Services/Medical Clinic form into the application and the database. ii. Service Delivery Indicators (look at Minimum Quality Service Standards Monitoring Document and see in regular intervals if they are operational) Modify survey form and then have Developer Emerge modify the application (user interface) and the ncy database at the back end. standar No Not Applicable ds complia nce ii. Teacher Records Work with EQAP to finalize TUSMITE software Teacher and then work with Developer to incorporate compet into TEMIS ency and continu ous No Not Applicable professi onal develop ment (EQAP data?) No Not Applicable Work with EQAP to finalize TUSMITE software School and then work with Developer to incorporate leader into TEMIS compet ency and continu
6 ous professi onal develop ment (EQAP data? i. Education Support
Early Extract Indicators from ELDS that need to be Learning monitor and then have Developer modify Develop application and database at back end. No Not Applicable ment standar ds Curricul Work with the Curriculum officer how to um by No Not Applicable capture this and incorporate into system with class Developer support Department Level Data
i. Financial Planning Estimati Have Developer modify the application and the on of database at the back end to capture this. No Not Applicable personn el costs Estimat Have Developer modify the application and the ion for database at the back end to capture this. No Not Applicable operati ons Estimat Have Developer modify the application and the ion of database at the back end to capture this. No Not Applicable capital outlay Estimat Have Developer modify the application and the ion of database at the back end to capture this. special No Not Applicable project s Expend Have Developer modify the application and the iture database at the back end to capture this. No Not Applicable projecti ons ii. Budgeting Budget by school Have Developer modify the application and the No Not Applicable database at the back end to capture this. Budget for No Not Applicable Have Developer modify the application and the administration database at the back end to capture this. 7 (EdDep, HQ) iii. Resource Allocation Allocation from Have Developer modify the application and the No Not Applicable national funds database at the back end to capture this. Allocation from Have Developer modify the application and the local funds No Not Applicable database at the back end to capture this. (Kaupules, etc.) Allocation from Have Developer modify the application and the No Not Applicable foreign assistance database at the back end to capture this. Allocation from Have Developer modify the application and the No Not Applicable other funds database at the back end to capture this. iv. Resource Allocation Have Developer modify the application and the Personnel No Not Applicable database at the back end to capture this. Have Developer modify the application and the Operation No Not Applicable database at the back end to capture this. Have Developer modify the application and the Capital outlay No Not Applicable database at the back end to capture this. Have Developer modify the application and the Special Projects No Not Applicable database at the back end to capture this. v. Expenditure Control Trial Have Developer modify the application and the No Not Applicable Balances/Ledgers database at the back end to capture this. vi. Financial Record Work with the Education Department (Vote keeper) & Finance people for a format that can give Annual Report. Monthly Report No Have Developer modify the application and the database at the back end to capture this. Work with the Education Department (Vote keeper) & Finance people for a format that can give Annual Report. Quarterly Report No Have Developer modify the application and the database at the back end to capture this. Work with the Education Department (Vote keeper) & Finance people for a format that can give Annual Report. No Annual Report Have Developer modify the application and the database at the back end to capture this. UIS/Other regional and Indicator To be done by Developer international indicators like Yes component of Education For All, PEDF etc. TEMIS System Adaptability Is the
8 EMIS adaptabl e to changes in: Need to work closely with Developer and try o New school design an application that can accommodate all arrangeme these changes in future. nts (e.g., bringi NO Not Applicable ng Forms 3 and 4 to primary)? Get Developer to train the Database officers o Added and other EdDep Staff on adding reports to the functionalit system given the data are available in TEMIS. ies (e.g., new reported NO Not Applicable data specifically for that school)? Capacity Building and Database Upgrade o SQL & C-# training o Upgrading of the Database from SQL server 2008 to SQL server 2014 in order to compatible with Window 10.
11. UNICEF Standard Terms and Conditions of Contracts
9 1. LEGAL STATUS Individuals engaged under a consultant contract serve in a personal capacity and not as representatives of a Government or of any other authority external to the United Nations. They are neither "staff members" under the Staff Regulations of the United Nations and UNICEF policies and procedures nor "officials" for the purpose of the Convention of 13 February 1946 on the privileges and immunities of the United Nations. Consultants may, however, be given the status of "experts on mission" in the sense of Section 22 of Article VI of the Convention. If they are required to travel on behalf of the United Nations, they may be given a United Nations certification in accordance with Section 26 of Article VII of the Convention.
2. OBLIGATIONS Consultants shall have the duty to respect the impartiality and independence of the United Nations and shall neither seek nor accept instructions regarding the services to be performed for UNICEF from any Government or from any authority external to the United Nations. During their period of service for UNICEF, consultants shall refrain from any conduct that would adversely reflect on the United Nations or UNICEF and shall not engage in any activity that is incompatible with the discharge of their duties with the Organization. Consultants are required to exercise the utmost discretion in all matters of official business of the Organization. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, consultants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Standards of Conduct in the International Civil Service. Consultants are to comply with the UNICEF Standards of Electronic Conduct and the requirements set forth in the Secretary General's Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, both of which are incorporated by reference into the contract between the consultants and UNICEF. Unless otherwise authorized by the appropriate official in the office concerned, consultants shall not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or other authority external to UNICEF any information that has not been made public and which has become known to them by reason of their association with the United Nations. The consultant may not use such information without the written authorization of UNICEF. Nor shall the consultant use such information for private advantage. These obligations do not lapse upon cessation of service with UNICEF.
3. TITLE RIGHTS UNICEF shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with regard to material which bears a direct relation to, or is made in consequence of, the services provided to the Organization by the consultant. At the request of UNICEF, the consultant shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to the Organization in compliance with the requirements of the applicable law.
4. TRAVEL If consultants are required by UNICEF to travel beyond commuting distance from their usual place of residence, such travel at the expense of UNICEF shall be governed by conditions equivalent to the relevant provisions of the 100 series of the United Nations Staff Rules (Chapter VII) and relevant UNICEF policies and procedures. Travel by air by the most direct and economical route is the normal mode for travel at the expense of UNICEF.
10 5. MEDICAL CLEARANCE Consultants expected to work in any office of the Organization shall be required to submit a statement of good health prior to commencement of work and to take full responsibility for the accuracy of that statement, including confirmation that they have been fully informed regarding inoculations required for the country or countries to which travel is authorized.
6. INSURANCE Consultants are fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the period of their services on behalf of UNICEF as they consider appropriate. Consultants are not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to United Nations staff members. The responsibility of the United Nations and UNICEF is limited solely to the payment of compensation under the conditions described in paragraph 7 below.
7. SERVICE INCURRED DEATH, INJURY OR ILLNESS Consultants who are authorized to travel at UNICEF's expense or who are required under the contract to perform their services in a United Nations or UNICEF office, or their dependants as appropriate, shall be entitled in the event of death, injury or illness attributable to the performance of services on behalf of UNICEF while in travel status or while working in an office of the Organization on official UNICEF business to compensation equivalent to the compensation which, under Appendix D to the United Nations Staff Rules (ST/SGB/Staff Rules/Appendix D/Rev.1 and Amend.1), would be payable to a staff member at step V of the First Officer (P-4) level of the Professional category.
8. ARBITRATION Any dispute arising out of or, in connection with, this contract shall, if attempts at settlement by negotiation have failed, be submitted to arbitration in New York by a single arbitrator agreed to by both parties. Should the parties be unable to agree on a single arbitrator within thirty days of the request for arbitration, then each party shall proceed to appoint one arbitrator and the two arbitrators thus appointed shall agree on a third. Failing such agreement, either party may request the appointment of the third arbitrator by the President of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal. The decision rendered in the arbitration shall constitute final adjudication of the dispute.
9. TERMINATION OF CONTRACT This contract may be terminated by either party before the expiry date of the contract by giving notice in writing to the other party. The period of notice shall be five days in the case of contracts for a total period of less than two months and fourteen days in the case of contracts for a longer period; provided however that in the event of termination on the grounds of misconduct by the consultant, UNICEF shall be entitled to terminate the contract without notice. In the event of the contract being terminated prior to its due expiry date in this way, the consultant shall be compensated on a pro rata basis for no more than the actual amount of work performed to the satisfaction of UNICEF. Additional costs incurred by the United Nations resulting from the termination of the contract by the consultant may be withheld from any amount otherwise due to the consultant from UNICEF.
10. TAXATION 11 The United Nations and UNICEF undertake no liability for taxes, duty or other contribution payable by the consultant on payments made under this contract. No statement of earnings will be issued by the United Nations or UNICEF to the consultant.
11. OTHER PROVISIONS- Terms and Conditions for Studies and Evaluations
ETHICS FOR SAFEGARDING THE INTERESTS/RIGHTS OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN IN RESEARCH
NON-DISCRIMINATION When consultants conduct interview/focused group research/survey that involves third party, consultants shall ensure that selection of participants and the processes and methods used serve to correct, not reinforce, patterns of exclusion. This requires attention to socio- economic barriers including gender and age discrimination as well as the different ways and capacities in which children and women express themselves.
PARTICIPATION Consultants shall ensure that the purposes and processes of the research are fully explained, using alternative forms of communication where necessary and making reference to any implications for participants of time, cost and the possible influence of the outcomes. The way information is conveyed must be appropriate to the context and to the child capabilities when child is involved.
INFORMED CONSENT Consultant shall ensure that the participants know their right to refuse or to withdraw from the research at any time and obtaining verbal or written consent without coercion. Parental consent is not an adequate standard in light of the rights of the child and consent should be ongoing negotiation process with child.
IDENTIFICATION OF RISKS Consultant should be mindful of the risks involving children and women in the research. Consultant should withhold information where that information may place them at risk and take necessary measures to protect them from placing themselves at risk.
CONFIDENTIALITY Consultants shall offer conditional anonymity and confidentiality to all participants and explain to participants the limitation of confidentiality and possible intervention based on what is in their best interests. Consultant is fully responsible for identifying the follow-up action and referrals to be made in case confidentiality is broken.
MISUSE OF INFORMATION Consultants are fully responsible for considering the short and long term consequences of the research from the different perspectives of participants, policy-makers, researchers and UNICEF.
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