TO PRE-QUALIFY FOR APPOINTMENT AS CONSULTANT (FIRM) TO CREATE AND DEVELOP A VIRTUAL LEARNING PLATFORM TENDER NO. ZOCS/PSU/SSRI/01/2023

Context and Rationale:

Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) is a vibrant and a flagship Organizations for Community Schools since 1992 in Zambia that empowers communities to provide quality basic education to OVC especially girls and Children with disabilities. Premised on the principle that every child has a “right to education”, ZOCS through its three-pillar approach of Advocacy, Service Delivery and Capacity Building, has accomplished much for the children and people of Zambia reaching out to 224,847 learners (112,433 Boys and 112,414 Girls) in 1,285 Demonstration Open Community Schools across 97 selected Districts in all the 10 Provinces of Zambia since its inception.

The ZOCS 2021- 2025 Strategic Plan Objective no. 2 is focused on capacity building for teachers, Parent Community School Committee members and community members by doing the following:

• Upgrade Volunteer Teachers in Community Schools to Professional Qualification;
• Enhance Volunteer Teachers’ knowledge, skills and competencies in pre-primary and primary education interactive pedagogies through in-service training;
• Strengthen mentorship and coaching structures to provide professional scaffolding for Volunteer Teachers;
• Create Volunteer teachers’ information sharing, networking and monitoring systems through the use of Information Communication Technology tools (WhatsApp Groups, virtual platforms for capacity building and mentorship);
• Provide trainings for PCSC members and community members in School Management and Resources Mobilization and Management, child Protection to safeguard the rights of thethat promote positive educational and social outcomes.

To adequately meet the expectations of its Strategic Objectives, ZOCS seeks to engage an experienced Consulting Firm to develop a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) under the Scaled School Readiness Initiative (SSRI) which will provide teachers, learners, parents and education leaders information tools and resources to support quality educational delivery and management. The VLE will provide a range of integrated web-based applications for the purpose outlined above.

3. Objectives

• To create storage for and access to use of learning resources
• To provide a clear mapping and planning paths for lesson planning, assessment and personalization of learning experiences
• To mobilise and create a link learner information, resources, and tracking of progress and achievement by school using the EMIS Number and special coding for children to be tracked over a period of time.
• Clear data base of all Volunteer Teachers in the Community Schools affiliated to ZOCS work.

4. Scope of Work:

• Mobilize resources for the VLE including MoE pre-primary and primary education curriculum, supplementary reading materials, self-assessment quizzes, administrative information about various pre-primary and primary courses including prerequisites, registration requirements, etc;
• Create links to all pre-primary and primary distance learning programmes their training institutions and Examination Boards;
• Create a notice board for current information about the ongoing course
• Support for communications, including e-mail, threaded discussions, chat rooms, Twitter and other media, sometimes with the instructor or an assistant acting as moderator. Additional elements include wikis, blogs, RSS and 3D virtual learning spaces
• Create a virtual resource room in which teachers and education leaders will interact and to take responsibility for their own professional growth;
• Provide for management of access rights for all users of the VLE;
• Create necessary hyperlinks to all resources and virtual platforms provided for on the VLE;
• Provide capacity building for ZOCS officers and District Resource Centre coordinators located in the project sites; and
• Provide mentorship and coaching for the end users of the VLE and give whole rights to ZOCS to use the System after development.

5. Deliverables

The deliverables of the Consultant are as follows:

• Sharing Finalization of TOR in collaboration with ZOCS
• Preparation of Tools and an Inception Report
• Writing the draft and final Reports
• Holding debriefing meetings with ZOCS
• Presentation of the functional VLE to ZOCS and its partners;

6. Overall objective of the Assignment

The overall objective of the assignment is to develop a functional Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) under the Scaled School Readiness Initiative (SSRI) with a wide range of integrated web-based applications which will be accessible to Ministry of Education Officials, teachers, learners, parents and education leaders and other partners. The VLE will enable users to access information, tools and resources to support quality educational delivery and decision making in Leadership and management.

The Consultant/Firm will work under the direct supervision of ZOCS M&E and Supported by the Ministry of Education team and will be required to regularly share the milestones based on agreed timelines.

7.Things to consider;

Ensure that the VLE provides for the following:

• Cyber security;
• User Friendliness and easy to access both Offline and Online Synchronization;
• Flexibility and attractive out look of DashBoard Features
• Scalability of its use and reach overtime with exclusive ownership by MOE and ZOCS.

8. Eligibility and Pre-Qualification Criteria

This EOI is open to all eligible consultants (firms) with relevant technical skills and experience in software development and web infrastructure setup. To be shortlisted for this assignment, eligible Consultants should submit the following additional information

• Valid and certified PACRA registration confirming CITIZEN OWNERSHIP of consulting firm
• Provide documentary proof of valid ZRA tax clearance certificate
• Submit proof of Zambian Nationality- Certified copies of National Registration Card (s) (NRCs) of firm’s partners
• Possess a minimum of Master’s Computer Science, Computer Engineering., Information and Technology or a related field for the Team Lead
• Demonstrable experience of atleast 3 years in web design and Server Management.
• Experience and understanding of the Zambian preschool and primary school curriculum.
• Experience in working with Ministry of Education structures and partners in the education sector.
• Trade references (letters addressed to Executive Director, Zambia Open Community Schools with reference to this Expression of Interest) from atleast (02) viably running commercial entities where similar consultancy has been successfully provided.

The Consultant will be expected to have a meeting with the ZOCS to discuss the plan for the study.

Interested Consultants may obtain further information by sending all the related inquiries and clarifications to zocs2008@gmail.com

9. Submission

All EOI (One original and three copies) in sealed envelopes clearly marked “EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) TO PRE-QUALIFY FOR APPOINTMENT AS CONSULTANT (FIRM) TO DEVELOP THE VIRTUAL LEARNING PLATFORM- TENDER NO. ZOCS/PSU/SSRI/01/2023. Do not open before 14.30 hours on Thursday, 14th December,2023.” should be sent to “The Executive Director, Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS), P.O. Box 50429, Tito road, Lusaka OR deposited in the Tender Box located at our Head office. Our contact details are +260 211 253841/43, email: zocs2008@gmail.com: Closing date and time is Thursday 14th December, 2023 at 14:30 hours.

The EOI will be opened soon after the closing in the Conference room in the presence of consultants or their representatives who choose to attend. Please note that this is not a contract but an Expression of interest and Zambia Open Community Schools reserves the right to cancel or annul this process without assigning any reasons thereof.