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Scope of Work (SOW) for Evaluation Studies and

Country Research -2020

Literacy Program

Contents 1 Organizational Overview............................................................................................................... 2

2 Background of the Studies ............................................................................................................ 2

3 Purpose of the Studies ................................................................................................................... 2

4 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 3

4.1 Sample .................................................................................................................................. 3

5 Role of agency ............................................................................................................................... 3

5.1 Selection of data collectors and Training: ............................................................................. 3

5.2 Data collection: ..................................................................................................................... 4

5.3 Analysis of the data and reporting of the results: ................................................................. 4

6 Role of Room to Read .................................................................................................................... 4

7 Data Quality measures .................................................................................................................. 4

7.1 Before data collection ........................................................................................................... 4

7.2 During data collection ........................................................................................................... 5

8 Responsibility of Supervisor........................................................................................................... 5

9 Qualifications and team: ............................................................................................................... 5

9.1 Field team ............................................................................................................................. 5

10 Key Deliverables: ....................................................................................................................... 5

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1 Organizational Overview

Room to Read envisions a world in which all children can pursue a quality education, reach their

full potential and contribute to their community and the world. To achieve this goal, we focus on

two areas where we believe we can have the greatest impact: literacy and gender equality in

education. We work in collaboration with communities and local governments across Asia and

Africa to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support

girls to complete secondary school with the life skills they’ll need to succeed in school and beyond.

Over 10 million children have benefitted from Room to Read’s programs over the past ten years.

India is Room to Read’s fourth country of operation and has impacted millions of children with its

key programs. Since our inception in 2003 in India, we have been touching the lives of several young

minds across states like: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand,

Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. We aim to make available educational

opportunities and resources to more disadvantaged kids, in our mission to break the cycle of poverty

and illiteracy at a time.

2 Background of the Studies

Room to Read’s Literacy Programme (LP) focusses on early literacy of children. It aims to

improve the reading skills and habit of primary school children with a focus on class-1 and class-2

children. With an aim to make the child an independent reader, the essential components of reading

i.e Phonological awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension are emphasized in the

classroom transaction following which the above components are measured through a standardised

tool called Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA).

Given the project requirement in 2020, we are holding a series of evaluation studies across our

project locations. This includes program only evaluation of our 2018 cohort of demonstration in

Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. Apart from it, a research study will be

conducted in 75 schools in any three project locations of RtR.

3 Purpose of the Studies

Program Only Evaluation: To measure the reading skill of children of 2018 cohort of

demonstration schools at the end of class-2 in selected schools of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan , Uttar

Pradesh and Uttarakhand using the EGRA tool.

Country Research: Collect data from 75 schools for an internal research study.

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4 Methodology

The above pool of studies comes under a specific design where the reading performance of 2018

cohort of grade 2 children will be assessed, and the performance will be compared with the previous

year’s evaluation data. wo different research design.

4.1 Sample

The agency must collect data from 175 schools across five states with the following distributions.

Table-1: Distribution of Sample

1. Program Only Evaluation:

Name of state/area Nature of Intervention

Grades # Project Schools

Total sampled children

Chhattisgarh (Rajnandgaon) Demo Grade-2 25 375

Rajasthan (Jodhpur) Demo Grade-2 25 375

Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi) Demo Grade-2 25 375

Uttarakhand (Bageswar) Demo Grade-2 25 375

2. Country Research:

Name of state/area

Grades Project Schools Total sampled children

Chhattisgarh Grade-2/Grade-3

25 500

Uttarakhand Grade-2/Grade-3

25 500

Uttar Pradesh Grade-2/Grade-3

25 500

5 Role of agency

The agency needs to ensure the following activities on time bound manner.

5.1 Selection of data collectors and Training:

The role of the agency in the current evaluation will be to select data collectors according to the

prescribed guidelines pertaining to the qualification and field experience of data collectors and take

care of all logistic arrangements for orientation of data collectors in filed location. A five days

training will be organised centrally in one of the project locations where the data collectors will be

oriented on the Tangerine app to collect data from the field. Apart from five days training, the team

will get one day field exposure training once they move to another project locations. A separate

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training of 3 days will be organised in any one of project location for the data collectors who will

collect data for country research.

5.2 Data collection:

The agency will collect data from required no of classes from 175 schools spread across four states.

For this, all logistic arrangements will be taken care by the agency.

During the data collection, the enumerators are expected to be sensitive to children and follow

Room to Read’s child protection protocols. It is suggested that enumerators take time to make the

children comfortable before administering the test. Children of primary grades are very young and

can get intimidated in front of external enumerators. The agency should take this into account while

selecting and training the data collectors and supervisors.

5.3 Analysis of the data and reporting of the results:

The agency shall analyse the data and produce the report according to the need of Room to Read.

Key suggestive points of Analysis.

The reading skill of children in four assessment tasks will be

analyzed by using some descriptive statistics- mean, standard deviation and correlation.

A standard reporting structure will be shared with the agency and

the agency needs to prepare the report accordingly.

6 Role of Room to Read

Provide the EGRA tool and all supporting documents related to EGRA

Provide the toll that would be used in country research

Provide all supporting documents i.e. program documents, school list, raw data of previous

evaluation

Support the agency in orienting the data collectors on EGRA tool and Tangerine app and other

evaluation related protocols.

Sharing the school location and its field movement plan with the agency.

Reassessment of children on sample basis already assessed by a data collector on the same day

of data collection to ensure data quality.

7 Data Quality measures

7.1 Before data collection

In a step to reduce the inter-ratter differences, inter-ratter reliability test will be taken in two

phases. At first level, the reliability test will be done soon after the completion of training to ensure

that the understanding of enumerators pertaining to some reading components is common and it is

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consistent over the repetition of similar nature of task. Next to it, the inter-ratter results will be used

to screen the best enumerators for the data collection exercise.

7.2 During data collection

The second phase will take place at school level in order to check the on-field performance of

enumerators. For that matter, the supervisor will observe first three children during the assessment

and check whether there is any difference in their rating. We expect supervisor to take remedial

action in case of any discrepancies at rating level.

8 Responsibility of Supervisor

Discuss with the Head master/point teacher for necessary support for data collection and

having some background information.

Conduct inter reliability test on at least three children rated by the enumerator in each school

to cross validate the rating given by enumerators on EGRA tool.

Check each filed in order to ensure that all the entries are free from technical flaws.

Provide necessary on-field technical support to the enumerators while data collection.

9 Qualifications and team:

Team leader (Agency) – At least 10 years’ experience in

Educational assessment project preferably on language/reading assessment.

Supervisor – Must be a graduate and minimum have a 3 years’

experience in educational project preferably on language/reading assessment.

Enumerators/Data collectors- Must be a graduate and minimum

have a 2 years’ experience in primary school setup.

9.1 Field team

The data collection will go on a parallel basis so it is suggested to

the agency to plan for 30 teams ( 60 data collector ) for the said study. A team leader in each

project location will be responsible for all logistic arrangements and other miscellaneous

support during data collection.

10 Key Deliverables:

The following are the expected list of deliverables expected from the current assignment

Study inception report.

Field movement plan.

Daily status report of data monitoring and inter-reliability test

(supervisor and enumerators).

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Submission of cross verification of data on daily basis.

Submission of draft analysis tables as per the requirement.

Submission of first draft reports.

Submission of presentation slides and presenting the findings to

the organization.

Submission of final reports.

Tentative Timeline of the Assignment

Signing of contract 1st week of February ,2020

Submission of inception Report 1st week of February ,2020

Training of data collectors 2nd week of February, 2020

Data collection for evaluation Feb-March 2020

Data cross verification On site and real time

First cut of analysis 2th week of April,2020

Draft Reports and Presentation of Evaluation 3rd week of April,2020

Final Report of evaluation 1st week of May, 2020

Data collection for country research 1st week of August, 2020

Regarding this RFP, below are the documents which needs to be filled and submitted by the

Vendor/Agency:

1. Technical Proposal

2. Financial Proposal

These documents need to send on or before 24th December’2019 on the below mentioned

address:

Zain Zaidi

M: 8587039908

D- 21 Corporate Park,

201 E (B), 02nd Floor, Dwarka Sector -21, Near Dwarka Sector 8 Metro Station.

New Delhi – 110075

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