Terms of Reference Teacher Training Module Developer

Project: Strengthening Inclusive Education Systems and Services in Nepal

1. Purpose of the consultancy

The purpose of the consultancy is to adapt and finalise training modules that will provide knowledge, skills and guidance for ongoing support to teachers to apply UDL as a pedagogical approach. The modules will also cover integration of ICT, safeguarding and school change management. This would include preparing training materials and hand-outs (to be designed and translated for delivery of training in local language under a separate contract). The consultant will also be expected to oversee delivery of a training session for a Training of Trainers team including teachers, itinerant teachers and school managers on UDL.

The modules will be delivered over seven days in Chitwan district in Bagmati Province: at a central venue between Kalika Municipality and Bharatpur Metropolitan City. The training material has to be designed for delivery to a core group of master trainers who will in turn roll out the training to teachers at school level. The training should capacitate teachers with skills, values and attitudes towards creating enabling learning environments in which reasonable accommodation is available for all learners and the individual needs of children with disabilities are also addressed. This will also include ever increasing knowledge on how to cater for specific individual support needs and referral to services, wherever these may be available, also including home-based and community-based services.

2. Background and context

Leonard Cheshire is collaborating with a number of partners in a consortium led by Humanity and Inclusion to ‘Strengthen Inclusive Education Systems and Services in Nepal’.

The teacher training will be delivered by the respective TOTs at 35 government schools of Kalika Municipality and 119 schools in Bharatpur Metropolitan City. Thus, the total number of targeted schools will be 154 (with an enrolment of approximately 35,000 children) in both municipalities. At least 770 teachers, 154 school managers (SMCs) and 154 PTA members will benefit from this activity.

The project aims at addressing the challenges for the delivery of basic education for all children, due to a lack of trained teachers, limited teaching and learning materials and lack of parental and SMC engagement to improve school. The Government of Nepal has a number of policies that aim to support inclusive education for children with disabilities and other children with learning support needs. However, poor coverage and limited budgets result in limited reach in geographical coverage and therefore the inclusion of children with all types of disabilities and other children with learning support needs is a particular challenge amongst the different marginalised groups.

This training is expected to contribute towards:

• Ensuring that the teaching-learning process is organized in a way that allows contextual and community-specific considerations in real-life situations for all types of learners;
• Providing students with different ways to represent their learning, using a variety of means that they feel comfortable with – using spoken language, sign language, gestures or pictures and symbols, using more visual approaches (pictures, graphs, diagrams etc.), role play, or more active ways to share their learning etc. Differentiating the ways in which students can express their knowledge and apply their skills;
• Taking into account that, regardless of how robust UDL is, equity in education will require that selective and additional measures be available to all learners, as needed, including reasonable adaptations and accommodations.
• Preparing Individualized Education Plans for children with disabilities and using communications and curriculum adaptations by including Assistive Technology and digital learning tools in classroom routines;
• How to manage catch-up programmes on foundational skills to support children with disabilities who return to school after COVID 19 lockdown or are enrolled in inclusive education for the first time (e.g. over-aged learners, learners with intellectual disability, etc.);
• Increased awareness of safeguarding and combatting school violence and bullying;
• Equipping itinerant teachers to provide specific and additional support to children with disabilities and learning support needs; and
• Equipping school managers to establish and lead whole school change towards more inclusive policies, cultures and practices.

3. Deliverables

The work shall consist of:

1. Developing modules which will be used at a seven day Training of Trainer (TOT) session to train a core team of master trainers (33 master trainers involving district officials, itinerant teachers and OPD representatives) who will in turn train teachers (including itinerant teachers) and provide continuous mentoring and support.
2. The modules will be based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles aligned with the guiding document “Universal Design for Learning and its Role in Ensuring Access to Inclusive Education for All” prepared by the International Disability Alliance (IDA), the UDL training package developed under the previous DID Task Order 14 and also to national teacher training curricula.
3. The content to be covered will include strategies to:

• Screen and identify disability and developmental delays, barriers to learning and participation and support needs of children across a range of disabilities;
• Make instruction child-centred and inclusive by differentiating content, material, methods of instruction, classroom organisation and assessment in line with the UDL framework;
• Work in teams to plan how to address support needs, remove barriers and promote inclusion;
• Ensure safeguarding of children with disabilities;
• Catch-up on foundational skills;
• Use and integrate assistive technology and digital learning tools in lessons;
• Manage whole school change through the introduction of inclusive policies, cultures and practices and the coordination of support to teachers and learners;
• Learning assessment support; and
• Implementation of IEPs and child-to-child activities.

1. The consultant will also develop a pre-and post-training evaluation tool and support the facilitators during the TOT training session.
2. Finally, the consultant will oversee the drafting of the training report of this first of three training sessions to be conducted over three years. The report will make recommendations towards strengthening follow-up training sessions.

Consulting days

The consultancy will take place during the months of September to October 2022 and should not exceed 15 working days.

4. Contractual Responsibilities

Reports to: Programs Technical Lead, Inclusive Education, International Department.

The consultant will be responsible for managing the workload and delivering the products in a timely and efficient manner as set out in this document.

The consultant will have regular reporting points with consortium.

5. Requirements

• Advanced degree in Inclusive education, development studies, inclusion or any other relevant degree from a recognized institution
• Minimum of 5 years designing, reviewing and facilitating inclusive education focused training in developing countries or emergency set up. Sound understanding of the Nepalese education system.
• A solid understanding of international development with a focus on inclusive education and UDL pedagogy and assessment as well as on disability and reasonable accommodation.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills, sound project management with proficiency in desk reviews.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to work with different teams internationally.
• Ability to work and deliver under strict deadlines and under pressure.
• Excellent written English and computer skills. Understanding of local language including Nepalese is a plus.
• Knowledge of working in the field of disability with track record of facilitating adult education programs in inclusive education.

6. Mode of application and Deadline

The consultant that meets the above requirements and is available within the time period indicated above should submit an expression of interest including a detailed technical proposal that contains a workplan and budget that includes daily rates (Not more than 5 pages). The candidate should also submit CV and sample work to [email protected], by 5 September 2022. Please note that interview will be done a rolling basis due to the urgency to fill the position.

7. Equal Opportunity Statement

Leonard Cheshire is an equal employer. Persons with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply.

8. Disclaimer

This ToR is Subject to Contract. It is not an offer of a contract and is not capable of acceptance by the issuer. Neither this ToR, nor any response to it by the issuer, will be binding on Leonard Cheshire or have any other legal effect. Only a subsequent formal document (which is NOT headed Subject to Contract), accepted and signed by an authorized person on behalf of Leonard Cheshire, will give rise to or constitute a contract.