Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia & St. Vincent & the Grenadines

Windward Island Sector Transformation for Learning Enhancement

Ministry of Education

GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE

TF No./Grant No.: TF-C8595, TF-C8598, TF-C8596, TF-C8594

Project ID No. P508559

The World Bank (WB) Education team is preparing a new regional Education Program (Windward Islands Sector Transformation for Learning Enhancement (P508559) in the Eastern Caribbean States of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This Project is funded by a USD 10M System Transformation Grant (STGs) financed by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

This Project is a continuation of the on-going engagement under System Capacity Grant for Education Sector Plans, Enabling Factors Analysis, and Partnership Compacts in the OECS (P179416). Through this grant, also financed by GPE, the WB has supported the four countries, during the period of two years, to develop their education sector plans and partnership compacts (a GPE document to support education reforms and foster partners’ collaboration). This new Project is meant to finance the countries’ priority reforms, which are the following:

· Dominica: Developing, implementing, and sustaining a comprehensive, inclusive, and equitable curriculum by integrating technology, life skills, TVET, Arts and resilience education; and serving the needs of all students, in both general and special education settings.

· Grenada: Successful implementation of an enhanced curriculum and assessment strategy for lower secondary schools

· St. Lucia (SLU): Climate resilient technology, infrastructural enhancement and equitable quality educational delivery towards acquisition of 21st century competencies, skills and learning outcomes.

· St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG): Comprehensive Technology Integration for Enhanced Education

The project will include the following components

Component 1. Enhanced Lower-Secondary Curriculum for Inclusive and Relevant Education Delivery in Dominica (US$2.2M). This component will support the implementation of Dominica’s priority reform “Developing, implementing, and sustaining a comprehensive, inclusive, and equitable curriculum by integrating technology, life skills, TVET, Arts and resilience education; and serving the needs of all students, in both general and special education settings.” More specifically, the objective of this component is to design and implement an enhanced lower-secondary curriculum

and ensure inclusive and relevant education delivery modalities for all students, with specific emphasis on TVET and SEN students.

i. Subcomponent 1.1. Lower-Secondary Curriculum Development. This subcomponent would finance the development of a quality, relevant and inclusive lower secondary curriculum, with appropriate linkages to the primary and upper secondary curriculum, which would support the stronger acquisition of foundational skills and relevant competencies to support secondary education completion.

ii. Subcomponent 1.2. Lower-Secondary Curriculum Delivery and Implementation. The objective of subcomponent 1.2 is to enhance and strengthen the Dominica education system capacity to deliver quality, relevant, and inclusive education at the secondary education level.

Component 2. Enhanced Lower-Secondary Curriculum and Assessment Strategy in Grenada (US$2.4M). This component will support the implementation of Grenada’s priority reform: “Successful implementation of an enhanced curriculum and assessment strategy for lower secondary schools”. More specifically, the objective of this component is to design and implement an enhanced curriculum and assessment strategy for Forms 1 and 2. The design of a common curriculum framework and assessment strategy offers the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between curriculum-assessment and the Government vision for social and economic development.

i. Subcomponent 2.1. Curriculum Design and Delivery. This subcomponent intends to develop a common lower-secondary curriculum that focuses on foundational knowledge and competencies, but also aligns with Government priorities.

ii. Subcomponent 2.2. Design and Use of Assessments. This subcomponent will finance activities aiming to improve the design and use of assessments to improve student learning data, to inform policymaking and improve student learning outcomes.

Component 3. Enhanced System Resilience and Management for Inclusive and Quality Education Delivery in Saint Lucia (US$2.2M). This component will support the implementation of Saint Lucia’s priority reform: “Climate resilient technology, infrastructural enhancement and equitable quality educational delivery towards acquisition of 21st century competencies, skills and learning outcomes.” Particularly, the objective of this component will be to enhance education sector resilience and strengthen inclusion for improved pedagogy and decision making. It comprises of two inter-related subcomponents.

Subcomponent 3.1. Improved Instructional Delivery. This subcomponent seeks to strengthen teaching practices and delivery of quality education for all, including when face-to-face instruction is not possible. Responsive and a specific module would be developed for students with special educational needs.

Subcomponent 3.2. Strengthen education management information system. This subcomponent seeks to strengthen evidence-based decision-making and overall management of the education sector in Saint Lucia.

Component 4. Technology Integration for Enhanced Education in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (US$2.2M). This component will support the implementation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ priority reform: “Comprehensive Technology Integration for Enhanced Education”. More specifically, this component’s objective is to improve administrative efficiency, strengthen connectivity, and improve integration of technology in the classroom.

i. Subcomponent 4.1. Strengthen digital platforms for education management. This subcomponent will finance activities promoting the use technology and digitalize administrative processes and improve the use of data for decision making for overall efficiency gains.

ii. Subcomponent 4.2. Strengthen digital infrastructure and governance for improved technology integration. This subcomponent will support the MOE in providing high-quality internet connectivity in selected schools and enhance the institutional framework for the use of EdTech. Three main activities will be supported: (i) Improving high-speed internet connectivity in schools and MOE by upgrading access points for the supply of high-speed internet connectivity; (ii) Creating an enabling environment for digital infrastructure, governance, and technology integration in education by developing an education data policy and a contingency plan to enhance the education system’s resilience during emergencies; and (iii) Designing and piloting smart classrooms in grades 4-6 for technology integration to improve teaching and learning experiences. Preparation, an evaluation of the current availability of digital equipment will be implemented. Improvement in teachers practices will be measured using the TEACH classroom observation tool.

4. Component 5. Regional Collaboration and Project Management (US$0.8M).

iii. Subcomponent 5.1. Regional collaboration. This subcomponent will seek to strengthen regional collaboration and synergies between the country-specific activities.

iv. Subcomponent 5.2. Project Management and Monitoring and Evaluation. This subcomponent would also support the management of the education projects in all four countries and regionally through improved monitoring and evaluation (M&E), as well as overall capacity-building in project management, including auditing activities and support for compliance with environmental and social standards (ESS). Subcomponent 5.2 would also finance the administration of participant satisfaction surveys. Additional technical assistance and capacity building would be financed under the remaining System Capacity Grant.1

Procurement of contracts financed by the World Bank will be conducted through the procedures as specified in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers (July 2016) (Procurement Regulations), and is open to all eligible firms and individuals as

defined in the Procurement Regulations.2 After project negotiations, the World Bank shall arrange the publication on its external website of the agreed initial procurement plan and all subsequent updates once it has provided a no objection.

Specific procurement notices for contracts subject to open international competitive procurement will be announced, as they become available, in UN Development Business online, on the World Bank’s external website and Borrower’s country websites and local newspaper and official gazette if required under national legislation.3

Interested eligible firms and individuals who would wish to be considered for the provision of goods, works, non-consulting services and consulting services for the above mentioned project, or those requiring additional information, should contact the Borrower at the address below:

Central Procurement Unit

Procurement Officer

Windward Islands Sector Transformation for Learning Enhancement Project