Request for Proposals (RfP) for set-up of the Digital Entrepreneurship trainer team to provide Training of Trainers (ToT)

TERMS OF REFERENCE DIGITAL LITERACY INITIATIVE PROJECT

Activity Title: Digital Entrepreneurship Course for students in Technical and Vocational Education Training

Assignment Duration: January 2024 – November 2026

Reporting to: Latdaphone Vongkhamheng, DLI Project Manager

Location:     Vientiane Capital
1.       Project Overview
Technology continues to become more ingrained in daily life, the importance of digital literacy skills is becoming increasing apparent whether for communication, finding employment, and receiving comprehensive education. In Lao PDR, jobs increasingly require training in information and communication technology (ICT), this results in acquiring necessary ICT skills in young people to perform jobs requiring these skills when they finish schools. However, ICT knowledge and digital literacy activities are not sufficiently supported yet in educational institutes, especially in primary and secondary schools.

To support digital literacy education in Laos, the project called ‘Digital Literacy Initiative (DLI)’ is designed to promote the increase of ICT activities on secondary education level and technical and vocational education level. The DLI will be implemented in three provinces – Khammouan province, Xiengkhuang province, and Oudomxai province. These three provinces were selected as the project aims to support and give opportunities to youth in non-urban provinces to learn the basis of computer programming in a team setting. This promotes the increase of creative and critical thinking, collaboration, and basic ICT skills among youth which are fundamental competencies and skills that adopt and apply in employment and further education in the future.
2.       Project Objectives
The project aims to support the education sector in Laos through strengthening ICT skills for upper secondary school students through computer coding lessons and basic programming introduced as an additional creative activity for students. Introducing digital entrepreneurship courses for diploma students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges (TVET students) to develop their own digital businesses ideas.

The activity directly targets at students in upper secondary schools and Technical and vocational colleges (TVET) in 3 target provinces: Khammouane province, Xiengkhuang province and Oudomxai province with estimated total number of 3,150 students who will receive benefits from the project (2,700 students from upper secondary schools and 450 technical college schools) that currently study at target schools.
3.       Scope of the Assignment

The service provider will have to develop the set-up of the Digital Entrepreneurship trainer team to provide Training of Trainers (ToT) for target teachers and students in the target TVETs. The scope of work are as follows:

Scope   and  Tasks of the Service Provider

(1) Developing Digital Entrepreneurship module for TVET students

Develop Digital Entrepreneurship module for TVET students. This includes:

• Techer’s guide (Lao and English version)
• Student’s handout (Lao and English version)

(2) Organizing trainings of teachers (ToT) and Refreshment training for TVET teachers

Designing training model, materials and organizing Digital Entrepreneurship training for TVET teachers in 3 target provinces:

• ToT for TVET teachers
• Refreshment training for TVET teachers

(3) Organizing trainings for TVET students with collaboration with TVETs
Designing training model, materials for TVET students and organizing Digital Entrepreneurship training to TVET students, collaborate with TVET’s teachers.

• Training preparation with TVET teachers
• Digital Entrepreneurship trainings for TVET students

More detailed information on purpose, format and content of the different activities can be found in

the annex “Content of Activity”.
4.       Service of the Assignment
The selected service provider will closely cooperate and consult with the DLI project manager and technical staff in order to design and develop the concept, modules, training and guidance materials and may use of available project materials. The service provider will further provide – in close coordination with the project – the technical sessions for TVET teachers as well as preparation training for target TVET students.

The detail activities shall be reviewed and discussed with the project and feedback from the project used by the service provider to finalize the deliverables. The materials and guidelines have to be approved and handed over to the project team in Lao and English version in soft copy.

The service provider will provide their services within the Scope of Assignment outlined above.
5.       Deliverables / Expected outputs.
The following deliverables are required from the assignment in line with the scope of assignment outlined under point 3 above:

See attached 

• All documents and materials developed from this assignment are under Swisscontact’s ownership
• If any change occurs with the deliverables; the project team will give the notification in

6.     Duration of assignment
The timeline for the assignment is as follows see attachment
7.     Eligible applicants
Eligible are applicants (consortium/organization/company) with an appropriate setup technical team that fully equipped with physical facilities and competent team members to operate and lead the above – described tasks. The service provider must be knowledgeable about supporting individuals to set up businesses and apply technology into businesses.
8.     Tentative Responsibility
The service provider and Swisscontact have responsibility under this assignment as follows:
Swisscontact:

The DLI project has responsibilities as follow:

• Clarification of the ToR
• Timely review of submitted documents, materials and tools (deliverables)
• Time allocation for progress briefings, feedback, additional information
• Arrange venues, travelling and other expendables for

The service provider:
The service provider has responsibility as follows:

• Provide technical knowledge and services as tasks mentioned in the ‘Scope of Work’;
• Provide competent technical team to operate this assignment;
• Manage the technical team to complete the assignment and produce the quality of work;
• Ensure the quality of

9.     Proposal Content
The short proposal should cover the main points as below:

Content

1. Background/Introduction
2. Description of the understanding of the applicant of the task at hand including feedback and suggestions to proposed TOR, its scope, deliverables, timeline (Gantt-chart) and milestones.
3. Organizational profile of the applicant and track record of earlier similar experience
4. Set up of the career supporting expert team, its members’ qualification and relevant track record and their role in the guideline and training.
5. Budget proposal (breakdown) including:

• Professional fee for developing modules/materials/guidance (daily fee)
• Trainings/workshop delivery fee (fee per training)

10.     Budget and remuneration
The service provider will be hired by Swisscontact according to Swisscontact standards and regulations as specified in a separate contract with workplan and budget.
11.     Clause for full confidentially
During the whole assignment full confidentiality needs to be respected by the agency, no information received during the assignment can go beyond Swisscontact staff, unless agreed upon beforehand in writing.
12.     Submission of Proposal
Further inquiries or clarification needed on this Term of Reference as well as submitted proposal shall be sent to Swisscontact’s Procurement Unit Email: la.procurement@swisscontract.org latest by Thursday, 8th March 2024.