RFP Number: RFP-EGEA -National Public Perception Survey-FY24-001

Issue Date: October 14, 2024

Title: National Public Perceptions of Early Childhood Education Survey

Deadline for Receipt of Questions: October 23, 2024, no later than 3:00 pm

Deadline for Sharing Answers: October 27, 2024

Deadline for Receipt of Proposals via Email in PDF format to procurement.asas@irex.org email: November 4, 2024, no later than 3:00 pm

Anticipated Award Type: Fixed price contract Issuance of this RFP in no way obligates IREX to award a subcontract or purchase order and bidders will not be reimbursed for any costs associated with the preparation of their quote.

Important Note: Proposals must be submitted to procurement.asas@irex.org, otherwise it will not be accepted.

Section 1: General Instructions  

Offerors wishing to respond to this RFP must submit proposals, in English, by the following instructions. Offerors are required to review all instructions and specifications contained in this RFP. Failure to do so will be at the Offeror’s risk.  

Issuance of this RFP in no way obligates IREX to award a subcontract or purchase order. Offerors will not be reimbursed for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of their proposal. IREX shall in no case be responsible or liable for these costs. 

Proposals are due on November 4, 2024, no later than 3:00 p.m., Jordan Local time to be submitted via email to: procurement.asas@irex.org with the RFP number referenced in the email subject line, as follows: RFP-EGEA -National Public Perception Survey-FY24-001.  Proposals must be submitted to the ASAS Procurement email, otherwise, it will not be accepted. 

The Issuing Office and Contact Email noted in the above table is the sole point of contact at IREX for purposes of this RFP. Any prospective offeror who fails to register their interest with this office assumes complete responsibility if they do not receive direct communications (amendments, answers to questions, etc.) before the closing date. 

A cover letter shall be included with the proposal on the Offeror’s company letterhead with a duly authorized signature and company stamp. The cover letter shall include the following items: 

1.3 Questions Regarding the RFP  

Each Offeror is responsible for reading and complying with the terms and conditions of this RFP.  Requests for clarification or additional information must be submitted in writing via email to the Issuing Office as specified in the table above.  No questions will be answered by phone. Any verbal information received from an IREX or ASAS employee or other entity shall not be considered as an official response to any question regarding this RFP. 

Copies of questions and responses will be distributed in writing via procurement.asas@irex.org to all prospective bidders who are on record as having received this RFP after the submission date specified in the table above.  

Section 2: Scope of Work 

2.1 Background  

In 2016, the Government of Jordan (GoJ) set ambitious goals to increase access to “quality early childhood learning and development experiences” to promote life-long well-being for the youngest members of its population (The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, 2016).  Achieving the GoJ’s goal would necessitate a multi-pronged approach, including the need to shift community mindsets and practices around early childhood development - key factors in the well-being of children early on in the life course (National Academies of Sciences, 2016; The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, 2016).  Notably, community beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge had contributed to low enrollment in early childhood education programs such as kindergarten, frequent family member use of harsh punishment against young children, and limited quality of home learning environments (Department of Statistics (DOS) & ICF, 2019; Hatamleh et al., 2019).    

Data from the few studies that have examined community perceptions of early childhood development suggest that promoting evidence-based knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward early childhood development could change children’s early childhood experiences.  In one 2015 study of 1800 mothers with young children (ages 0-5) across Jordan’s 12 governorates, 43% of mothers reported that they would engage more frequently in reading and other learning activities with their children if they knew that they were positively influencing their child’s development (Hatamleh et al., 2019).  In that same study, 37% of mothers reported that they would be more likely to enroll their children in kindergarten or nursery if they knew the educational background of their teachers.   

This survey seeks to build on prior studies conducted in Jordan and to support the GoJ to develop effective policies, practices, and educational programs by exploring the community knowledge, perception, and attitudes, regarding early childhood education among adults in Jordan. 

2.2 ASAS Description  

The Early Grade Education Activity (EGEA) ASAS “مشروع اساس”  is intended to advance national efforts to strengthen the caliber of pre-and in-service teacher education and improve Kindergarten through grade three (KG-G3) foundational and socio-emotional learning (SEL) skills across the Kingdom of Jordan. The EGEA will support the development of a locally led, high-caliber early grade system, linking pre-service teacher education (PSTE) and teacher in-service professional development, with the capacity to sustainably equip over 23,500 resilient early grade teachers and educator leaders across the Kingdom of Jordan to inclusively deliver enhanced curricula, teaching, and learning materials (TLMs), and assessments to increase learning (SEL) outcomes to over one million students over five years, including those most marginalized, and  use research and data to learn and adapt policies and processes to maximize returns on investment (ROI).     

2.3 Survey Purpose  

IREX is recruiting an organization with strong quantitative research capabilities and a proven high-quality, cost-effective technical and logistical approaches for conducting a population-based survey covering a national representative sample (Perception Survey).  ASAS will conduct a national Public Perceptions of Early Childhood Education survey in 2024 to better understand how parents and community members perceive early-grade student learning benchmarks, socioemotional, and well-being. The survey targets will be females and males living in Jordan aged =>18 years. 

The main objective of the survey is to provide insights into community knowledge, perception, and attitudes regarding early childhood education.   

The survey's main thematic areas are:  

2.4 Scope of Work  

Asas expects to receive proposals reflecting on the following required tasks. As the offerors should be responsible for implementing the following tasks, Asas expects detailed information illustrating and describing how this will be implemented. 

2.4.1 Sampling Technique and Sample Size  

Asas intends to conduct a national survey (the survey targets will be females and males living in Jordan aged =>18 years). A representative random sample of the population across the Kingdom needs to be identified (Probability Proportional to size). The survey implementer needs to contact the Department of Statistics to identify the sampling technique and sample size.  

The ASAS team will design a structured, comprehensive questionnaire aligned with the survey objectives to generate relevant data. ASAS will be responsible for developing the survey tool in both English and Arabic. In the summer of 2024, the ASAS team collected qualitative data through focus group discussions to deepen understanding of the survey themes, thereby enhancing the validity, reliability, and effectiveness of the research process. 

The qualitative data provided insights into the target groups' context, influenced survey responses, minimized the risk of misunderstanding variables, and informed the development of quantitative questions. This process supported the design of the survey by identifying key questions, determining appropriate response options, and refining the research questions for the quantitative survey. By exploring the topic qualitatively, the team was to identify patterns and themes to improve the survey’s overall effectiveness. 

The survey implementer (bid winner) will finalize the survey tool in both languages based on findings from the pilot study. 

The survey implementer is responsible for developing a consent form to be presented to respondents during the data collection process. The form should clearly state the survey objectives, emphasize voluntary participation, ensure respondents' privacy and confidentiality, and provide the survey manager’s contact information for any questions or clarifications. After receiving approval from ASAS, the consent form will be finalized in English and then translated into Arabic. 

Offerors shall propose the minimum following key personnel to be assigned to the project. Complete the following table to illustrate personnel responsibilities and the level of effort needed to accomplish needed tasks. 

2.6 Survey Timetable

 

Section 3: Evaluation Criteria