The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) requires the services of a Consultant to design the five components that comprise an Outcome Fund for Education Results (OFFER) in Colombia.
The project goal of the OFFER is to improve access to quality education in conflict-affected areas of Colombia through innovative financing, and the creative development and testing of rural education activities and initiatives. The main objectives of the OFFER (once designed) will be to:
Orient key stakeholders’ investments (international cooperation and private sector) to align with Colombian public sector priorities, focusing on more equitable and sustainable rural education interventions;
Align incentives with the wellbeing of the most hard-to-reach children in Colombia, including girls, and focus attention on outcomes with the flexibility in how results are achieved;
Leverage international cooperation, private sector and public resources to address the financing gap for rural education services;
Create a more efficient and competitive environment wherein implementers compete to achieve results within constrained contexts towards cost-effective solutions.
The purpose of this notice is to invite formal costed proposals from eligible Consultants. Based on proposals received, one Consultant will be invited to negotiate a contract with DFATD for the provision of services. DFATD reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. The amount allocated to this contract will not exceed two hundred thousand Canadian dollars ($200,000) excluding applicable taxes. The anticipated contract duration is six (6) months.
WORKING LANGUAGE OF THE PROJECT
The working language for this project is English and Spanish.
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES
The Outcome Fund for Education Results in Colombia (OFFER), hereinafter “The Fund”– supported by a group of partners, including the members of the Alliance on Rural Education, hereinafter “The Alliance”: Government of Canada (DFATD) and private investors/foundations Bancolombia, Nutresa, Sura and Empresarios por la Educación, as well as the Colombian public sector – aims to improve access to quality education in conflict-affected areas of Colombia through innovative financing, and the creative development and testing of rural education activities and initiatives.
OFFER is based on a new innovative results-based financing model, which mobilizes private sector investment and expertise to achieve measurable cost-effective targeted social outcomes. With this instrument, private sector foundations (investors) take on “outcome risks” by financing upfront interventions through a financial intermediary (i.e. Trust Fund) to achieve agreed results, and work with delivery organizations (implementing partners) to ensure that the results are achieved. The Government of Canada, and local and national governments (Outcome funders or payers), will make payments to the fund based on the achievement of the targeted outputs and outcomes, and to replenish the fund for further activities. Outcome payments would then be returned to a trust fund and reinvested in agreed upon goals based on the principles of the Outcomes Fund. The Fund aims to pool funds at a larger scale with the potential for multiple service providers to deliver an agreed upon set of outcomes.
The Consultant will undertake the following activities:
Component I: OFFER Governance Structure- The Consultant will establish the framework and timeline for the strategic management and implementation of the Fund.
Component II: Operational and Financial Modeling – The Consultant will develop the operational and financial modeling for the project.
Component III: Selection of Outcomes and Outcome Measurement Framework – In this component, the Consultant will, based on research and consultations with key experts and stakeholders, provide guidance on the selection of outcomes, metrics and outcomes measurement framework. The goal in the selection of outcomes metrics should be that these are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely (SMART). Outcomes should be ones that are correlated with later success in school and life, there must exist data and tools with which to measure these outcomes for the given context and there should be evidence that they can be achieved by selected program implementers. Where possible, these data and tools should use, align and strengthen existing Colombian Public Sector systems.
Component IV: Defining the Intervention Model and Selection of Service Providers – The Consultant will define the intervention model and will set guidelines for selecting service providers as well as review of specific geographic regions, the target population, the proposed intervention model, evidence of success of the intervention and of the service providers, data availability and quality.
Component V: Selecting and Establishing the Independent Evaluation Mechanism - In this component, the Consultant should provide guidance on selecting an evaluation methodology as well as an evaluator to conduct this work. This process should take into consideration the importance of independence of the verification authority from any outcome/activity payment processed, to minimize the risk of perverse incentives.
BIDDERS CONFERENCE
A bidders’ conference will be held at least ten (10) business days after the launch date of the RFP.
CONSULTANT PROFILE
To meet the requirements of the assignment, DFATD is seeking to retain the services of a Consultant with a set of demonstrated and verifiable capabilities. DFATD is seeking a Consultant with experience carrying-out donor-funded projects, preferably in the Latin America region and a substantial track-record implementing education sector projects. The Consultant should have prior experience in designing, taking to market and managing outcome-based financing projects.
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS
Proposals should be presented following the instructions provided in the Request for Proposals document to be obtained through the GETS on the Internet (https://buyandsell.gc.ca ). Please note, DFATD does not send out Request for Proposals directly to interested Bidders.
In order to be considered, proposals must be completed and received no later than 17:00 hrs, local Colombia time, on the 13th of January, 2020, at the following address:
Canadian Embassy of Colombia
Carrera 7 No. 114-33, Piso 10
Bogota, Colombia
B••••••••@••••••••.••.ca
PROPOSALS SUBMITTED VIA FACSIMILE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
INQUIRIES
Questions relating to this notice must be directed IN WRITING by email to:
Development Section
Design Outcome Fund for Education Results (OFFER)
Embassy of Canada in Colombia
B••••••••@••••••••.••.ca
