Republic of Moldova
Global Partnership for Education Project
Loan No./Credit No./ Grant No.TF 011810

Assignment Title: Consulting services for the training of mentors, preschool education inspectors and to monitor the process of mentoring services and continue training services for educators from kindergartens and community-based education centers 

Reference No. QCBS-01/A.3.2.2b

The Republic of Moldova has received a grant in the amount of US$4.4 million from the Global Partnership for Education Fund toward the cost of the implementation of the Consolidated Action Plan on Education, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The consulting services (“the Services”) include training preschool teachers using active teaching methods, through a hands-on, kindergarten based teacher training for professional skills development focusing on producing visible changes at the classroom level. As a result, new modern teaching-learning processes should become routine professional practices in each kindergarten in Moldova. The specific objective is to: 
a) develop and provide 13 days training course in 10 mentoring centers to the 250 mentors and 40 inspectors, give them information, which they shall further deliver to 10,105 educators (namely on the new preschool education curricula, educational teacher’s standards and on modern teaching – learning practices); 
b) replicate 13 days training course by the 250 mentors - at the raion level for 10,105 educators in 130 mentoring centers and provide mentoring services at classroom level to 7,000 educators. 
The modules and the practice guides for teachers will be in line with the existing curricula, standards and pedagogical methods.
Training Provider (TP) shall:
i) Develop 9 training modules oriented to concrete teaching-learning practices (the practice guides), containing pedagogical materials, videos, and monitoring tools for formative evaluation and auto-evaluation. The 9 training modules should reflect what teachers should know and be able to do in specific areas of teaching intervention. Each developed module should contain: 
(a) Content developed in around 30 pages (containing the teaching principles and selected indicative practices to be introduced in the classrooms by teachers); each module should also contain around 10 practice guides; 
(b) References for other materials for mentors and teachers (bibliography, web sites etc.); 
(c) Small videos: each selected practice should be reflected in a small video of 1-2 minutes produced by the training providers;
(d) Monitoring tools of the teaching-learning practices and guidelines for implementation such as simple observation tools to be used by mentors and teachers themselves to monitor the taught teaching practices. The tools will be used for self-evaluation, and for formative evaluation purposes. This means that the information should be used in providing the adequate support to teachers in order to improve their practices. 

The topics for the 9 modules should be oriented to the teaching practices rather than to theoretical presentations. 
Modules 1, 2 and 3: Teaching-learning practices for language development and emergent literacy (pre-literacy skills);
Module 4: Teaching-learning practices for knowledge and understanding of the world;
Module 5: Teaching-learning practices for physical development; 
Modules 6 and 7: Teaching learning practices for problem solving reasoning and numeracy and science; 
Module 8: Teaching-learning practices for personal social and emotional development;
Module 9: Practice guides for arts and creativity development.

ii) Train 250 mentors and 40 inspectors from all raions in the 9 training modules. Training will be delivered in the specialized 10 mentoring centers from the 130 endowed centers for organization of the mentoring at the local level: Edineț, Drochia, Bălți, Singerei, Orhei, Ungheni, Chișinău, Căușeni, Comrat, Cimișlia.
The estimated duration of the assignment is 10-12 months, during April – November 2013. 

The Ministry of Education now invites eligible consulting firms (“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. The shortlisting criteria are: 
• At least 7 years’ experience in the in-service training;
• Excellent understanding of modern teaching methods, based on children-centered approach; 
• Demonstrated experience in development and implementation of training of trainers program(s), for teaching staff from preschool units; 
• At least 5 years’ experience in conducting similar assignments.
• Experience with organizing and monitoring the delivery of short term training course(s) in rayon’s for a large number of educators 
Qualifications regarded advantageous:
• Prior experience with International Funding Agencies.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants [under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants] by World Bank Borrowers January 2011 edition, setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. 

Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a subconsultancy to enhance their qualifications.

Further information and detailed ToR can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 09:00 to 17:00. 

Expressions of interest in English must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by fax, or by e-mail) by 24 December 2012, 17:00.

Ministry of Education of the Republic of Moldova
1 Piaţa Marii Adunări Naţionale, MD-2033, office 431,
Chişinău, Moldova 
Attn: Ruslan Malai, Procurement Specialist
Tel: +373 22 233139
Fax: +373 22 233897
E-mail: ruslanmalaipge@gmail.com; cc: proiectpge@gmail.com