Request for Applications (RFA): Collaborative Partnerships – Jordan

Strengthening Early Childhood Education

Date Issued: February 15, 2008
Extended Deadline: May 27, 2008

HED anticipates making one (1) award of up to $450,000 for this three-year higher education partnership. The award recipient is expected to enhance and improve the Early Childhood Development undergraduate degree program in two higher education institutions in Jordan – University of Jordan and another private Jordanian institution – as a way to increase teachers’ skills and competencies in early childhood education in Jordan.

For clarification or questions regarding this RFA, please contact Lisa Leander at (202) 243-7680 or lleander@hedprogram.org.

Background
Context
Partnership Description
Eligibility
Application Review Guidelines
Application Format, Submission, and Review
Terms of the Solicitation 
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) UPDATED!

Background

Higher Education for Development and U.S. Agency for International Development

Higher Education for Development (HED) mobilizes the expertise and resources of the higher education community to address global development challenges. HED accomplishes this by administering a cooperative agreement (AEG-A-00-05-00007-00) sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Leader with Associate Cooperative Agreement, signed in September 2005, allows HED to manage a competitive awards process to access expertise within the higher education community in coordination with the American Council on Education (ACE), the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the Association of American Universities (AAU), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC). 

Funding by USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade, Office of Education (EGAT/ED), as well as USAID’s functional and regional Bureaus and worldwide Missions, supports higher education partnerships to advance global development, economic growth, good governance, and healthy societies. These partnerships provide training, applied research, program evaluation, policy analysis, and program implementation, which are critical to promote USAID’s foreign assistance goals. More information on USAID and its role in economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide over the past 40 years is available on our website.

Context

With limited natural resources, the government of Jordan has focused on contributing to the nation’s wealth through enhancing its knowledge economy. Currently, 13 percent of Jordan’s public expenditures are devoted to basic and secondary education. As a result, Jordan has a high literacy rate (89%) and high enrollment rates in basic and secondary education. 

Education in Jordan consists of two years of pre-school education (KG1 and KG2), ten years of compulsory basic education, and two years of secondary or vocational education that culminate with a secondary education examination. Until 1999, early childhood education was provided by the private sector and only recently has the Government of Jordan focused on including kindergarten classrooms in public schools serving five and six year olds. Although not compulsory, there are currently 582 public KG1 classrooms increasing by 50 classrooms annually and still the demand from parents is not being met.

Despite efforts to improve early childhood education by the public sector, overall KG2 enrollment (both private and public) currently stands at 38% of five and six year olds and the private sector continues to serve the majority (more than 90%) enrolled in KG2 education. The quality of childhood education in the public sector lags due to limited resources for professional development related to early childhood education.

In 2003, the Government of Jordan launched the Education Reform for the Knowledge Economy (ErfKE) program, an ambitious five-year $450 million program to improve the access, quality, and relevance of education for children and youth. One integral component of the ERfKE initiative is the Early Childhood Education Component, which strives to enhance the learning readiness of children through early childhood education by focusing on access and quality. USAID/Jordan is involved in advancing this component by refurbishing 170 kindergarten classrooms, developing and delivering in-service teacher training programs, and piloting a parent involvement initiative. USAID’s implementing partner is currently developing a quality assurance system specifically for early childhood education, which includes modification of the curriculum, updating the licensing standards and developing learning readiness assessment tools. 

To build on the success of these reforms under the ERfKE initiative, it is necessary to continue to prepare Jordan’s future teachers with the skills and competencies to enter the profession. Currently, most of the undergraduate teacher training degree programs offered at higher education institutions in Jordan, do not provide early childhood education teachers with practical classroom experience. After graduation, teachers who are typically assigned to classrooms of 25 or more children are unprepared to take on the challenging and sometimes overwhelming job. Improved training in early childhood education will strengthen the early childhood undergraduate degree program and improve the overall quality of early childhood education. 

Partnership Description

The purpose of this higher education partnership is to develop and enhance the undergraduate early childhood education degree programs at the University of Jordan and another private Jordanian institution by improving the knowledge and skills of future teachers and prepare them for classroom experiences.

The University of Jordan offers four-year undergraduate degrees in early childhood education requiring 126 credit hours to earn the bachelor degree. Their program is structured to fulfill university and specialization requirements. Typically, the university requirements are completed over the first two years while the core courses toward the education major are completed during the second two years. University of Jordan students graduate with only one semester of in-classroom experience.  (Download University of Jordan program descriptions).

The institutions are exploring the possibility of increasing the practicum experience as part of the undergraduate degree program. The requisite restructuring of the existing early childhood education programs would allow students to:

1. Complete their university requirements in the first two years;
2. Receive appropriate background and knowledge about child development theory and teaching pedagogy in the third year; and
3. Complete a practicum, student teaching, and seminars during the fourth year.

Partnership activities will focus on strengthening the early childhood degree program at the two universities by revising the university curriculum to include expanding the practicum experience, developing professional standards for early childhood education teachers, offering professional development for university professors and supervisors, training selected mentor teachers in public kindergarten classrooms, and developing an action plan to sustain and extend these efforts nationally. The U.S. partner is expected to coordinate with USAID’s implementing partners to ensure consistency with in-service training programs.

Partnership Objectives

• Strengthen the existing early childhood education undergraduate programs at two Jordanian universities: University of Jordan and another private Jordanian institution;
• Increase the number of graduates with the essential knowledge of early childhood development theory, appropriate pedagogy and relevant skills to deliver high quality early childhood education;
• Deliver well-designed practicum experiences for student teachers ultimately reducing the burden on the Ministry of Education to provide teachers with intensive in-service training courses; and,
• Provide guidance to improve the skills of current kindergarten teachers who mentor and instruct university students throughout the student teaching process.

Examples of Suggested Partnership Activities

• Restructure existing early childhood education programs of study to satisfy university requirements; focus on child development theory and teaching pedagogy; and include practicum/seminars within public kindergarten classrooms;
• The practical or field based classroom component will provide the undergraduate students with an opportunity to apply learning theories prior to graduation;
• Develop and implement culturally appropriate professional teaching standards specifically for early childhood education teachers;
• Develop an assessment system for early childhood education to provide appropriate feedback on student teachers’ progress;
• Provide in-service training to university faculty and public kindergarten classroom teachers who will supervise and mentor student-teachers; and,
• Design briefings and/or professional development opportunities for current public school teachers and supervisors that relate to partnership objectives and activities.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

The application must describe a monitoring and reporting plan to address the partnership objectives including proposed activities and expected outcomes. The monitoring and reporting plan should demonstrate how progress towards objectives will be tracked, and how results of partnership activities will be summarized. There should be mention of a baseline assessment of the programmatic needs in the early childhood education degree program at the two institutions. Applications should address or include how, at the end of the partnership, the higher education partner institutions will be strengthened, faculty knowledge and skills improved, and the early childhood education programs revised to meet 21st century criteria for early childhood education.

A planned external evaluation of program impact must be included as part of the M&E plan. Qualifications of the external evaluator should be described in the application. The M&E plan must describe how results will be communicated and reported to USAID/Jordan through HED.

Contact Information

The following USAID/Jordan staff member is the primary point of contact on this partnership:

Nour Abu-Al Ragheb, USAID/Jordan
Tel.: 9626- 5906232 (office)
Tel.: 96277-786-4894 (mobile)
E-mail: nabualragheb@usaid.gov

Eligibility

HED welcomes applications from the member institutions of ACE, AACC, AASCU, AAU, NAICU, and NASULGC, and from other regionally accredited, degree granting, U.S. higher education institutions. U.S. colleges and universities may apply individually, or in partnership with each other. HED encourages applications from or with the participation of minority-serving institutions.

Application Review Guidelines

Peer reviewers will use the following criteria to evaluate the applications:

I. Alignment with the Goals of the RFA and Overall Partnership Design (15 points)

• Demonstrated understanding of the current best practices for early childhood education degree program design, pedagogy, child development theory and teacher preparation;
• Alignment of the partnership activities and outcomes with the goals and objectives stated in the RFA; and,
• Demonstrated understanding of the educational context in Jordan to strengthen early childhood education.

II. Strengthening early childhood education programs and providing faculty development (40 points)

• Adequate details of the proposed plan to improve faculty knowledge and skills in helping students link theory and practice;
• Quality of plan to prepare teachers/supervisors to guide students during their practicum to utilize appropriate teaching techniques;
• Evidence that partnership activities will strengthen supervisors ability to evaluate student-teacher performance;
• Evidence that the revised undergraduate degree programs in early childhood education will meet international expectations;
• Descriptions of the in-service teaching modules and procedures for training Ministry of Education mentor teachers and early childhood education supervisors about new program requirements and expected outcomes;
• Explanation of how student assessment procedures will be implemented;
• Description of training for field-work supervisors and classroom mentors; and,
• Appropriateness of proposed experiential learning opportunities for students.

III. Expertise and Collaboration (15 points)

• Professional credentials and expertise in early childhood education of U.S. partner;
• Partnership personnel’s knowledge and experience in Jordan or other developing countries with a similar context; and,
• Evidence of institutional commitment (engagement of faculty, students and administrators) among all partners in the United States and Jordan.

IV. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Share of Overall Budget (20 points)

• Cost sharing (recommended at 25% of the award amount), including expected cash or in-kind contribution from all the partners;
• Demonstrated cost-effectiveness in program design and equitable distribution of funds between U.S. and Jordanian partners.

V. Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan (10 points)

• Evidence of valid and reliable methodology for collecting baseline data, monitoring partnership activities, and reporting outcomes; and,
• Clearly articulated plan for an external evaluation to assess the partnership’s impact.

Total Points: 100 points

Application Format, Submission and Review

Application Format
How to Submit an Application
Peer Review

Application Format

Please provide the contents of the application in the following order:

1. Title Page (Please complete HED form in full and obtain signatures of authorized officials.)

2. Table of Contents

3. Abstract (not to exceed 3 typed, double-spaced pages, 12-point font, 1-inch margins). The abstract should contain a summary of the narrative, workplan and budget.

4. Narrative (not to exceed 20 typed, double-spaced pages, 12-point font, 1-inch margins) Address the criteria listed in Application Review Guidelines I-VI (see above).

5. The 20-page application must describe a monitoring and reporting plan for the partnership, including an initial baseline assessment, that shows how progress and results will be communicated and reported to USAID through HED.

6. Appendices (Attachments beyond the stated appendices will not be read nor taken into consideration):
    * Annual workplan for the funding period (Use HED form).
    * Budget forms (Use HED form. Complete all tabs).
    * Résumés of the proposed U.S. institution director(s) and host institution personnel, not to exceed 2 one-sided pages per person.
    * Signed letters of support from the presidents, chancellors, or other chief executive officers of the cooperating institution in the United States.
* Signed letters of support from appropriate university leaders of the overseas partner institution as well as partnership directors. University leaders from the overseas partner may include deans, rectors, or university presidents.
    * Signed letter from appropriate official at applicant institution verifying that all costs cited conform to established institutional policies and practices.

How to Submit an Application

Due to the Memorial Day holiday. applications must be received at HED by 5:00PM, Eastern Time (ET), May 27, 2008. Faxed or electronically transmitted applications will not be accepted. All elements of the application must be received by the deadline. HED recognizes that original, signed cover letters and letters of support from overseas partners may be subject to delays due to factors beyond the applicant’s control. Only in these exceptional cases, faxed or scanned copies of the application title page and letters that include all necessary signatures may be submitted in the application, provided signed originals are received at HED within seven (7) calendar days of the deadline.

Applicants should submit the original application plus seven (7) hard copies of the complete application package containing title page, table of contents, abstract, narrative, and appendices (all on loose-leaf paper, clipped together — no three-ring binders, staples, or plastic bindings), and a diskette or CD (with files saved as Microsoft Word/Excel for PC) containing the entire application, including all budget forms, budget narrative, and other appendices.

Applications should be sent to: (*NOTE: This is a NEW address)

Collaborative Partnership: Jordan
Higher Education for Development
1 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 420
Washington, D.C. 20036-1193

Once an application has been received, there is to be no contact with the HED program office until the completion of the peer review process in order to ensure fairness to all parties concerned.

Peer Review

Applications will be reviewed by expert panelists, which include representatives from higher education, international development, and USAID.  Awards will be made on the basis of reviewers’ recommendations of merit, and USAID. Peer review of applications is slated for early June.

Letters of communication from members of the U.S. Congress in support of an application are discouraged as these may be thought to prejudice the peer-review process. Such letters will not be forwarded to peer reviewers.

Notification about awards is expected following the completion of peer review. Upon final announcement of awards, the person named in the application as partnership director may submit a written request for copies of the peer reviewers’ scores for the application. No personal reviews will be granted, and no comparative score tabulations will be shared.

Terms of the Solicitation

Cost Share
Execution of Awards
Post Award Briefings
TraiNet Requirements
Health and Accident Insurance
Reporting

Cost Share

The minimum suggested total cost share from all U.S. partners is 25 percent of the award amount. Reported cost share must be auditable. Non-auditable contributions may not be used to meet the minimum, but can be indicated separately and attached to the budget detail form.

Higher education institutions are encouraged to leverage support from the private sector in addition to the cost sharing provided by their institutions. Applicants should itemize all cost sharing and in-kind contributions.

Cash and in-kind contributions will be accepted as part of the applicant’s cost sharing when such contributions are: (a) verifiable from the applicant’s records; (b) not included as contributions for any other federally-assisted program; (c) reasonable for the accomplishment of partnership objectives; and (d) not paid by the federal government under another grant.

In-kind contributions may include, but are not limited to: waivers of tuition and fees for students participating in academic exchanges; donation of library and classroom materials to the partner; ICT infrastructure and Internet Service Provider subscription subsidy for the partner and exchange students; faculty salaries; travel and/or per diem for faculty and administrators to participate in professional exchange and development programs; and indirect costs.

Execution of Awards

Awards will be executed as sub-agreements between the designated U.S. university, college, community college, or consortium, and the American Council on Education (ACE), through the Higher Education for Development (HED) office, under USAID Cooperative Agreement AEG-A-00-05-00007-00. The institution recommended for award will receive a draft version of the sub-agreements to review. The award recipient will be expected to submit a marking plan related to USAID branding as part of the sub-agreement that clearly indicates the support provided by USAID for activities conducted under the award.

Please note that no award nor cost share funds may be expended prior to a fully executed (i.e., signed by both parties) sub-agreement between ACE and the designated U.S. institution unless pre-award expenses have been approved as a part of the negotiation of the sub-award. Activities are expected to commence immediately after the sub-agreement is executed.

Award funds will be disbursed to the designated U.S. university, college, community college, or consortium, based on the applicant’s implementation of the work plan, stated budget, and submission to HED of financial, tax, and narrative progress reports. It is the designated U.S. institution’s responsibility to provide disbursements (reimbursements) for its collaborating partner(s) in accordance with the agreed-upon activity schedule and budget.

Post Award Briefings

Partnership directors, and/or their designees, are required to participate in two post-award briefings. The first briefing, conducted in a virtual format, will review reporting, monitoring and evaluation requirements. The second briefing via a conference call will address general requirements of the award.

TraiNet Requirements

To comply with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of State, and USAID regulations regarding tracking and monitoring of Exchange Visitors, foreign nationals whose costs are paid, fully or partially, directly or indirectly using USAID program funds for training, non-training, and invitational travel, must enter the U.S. on a J-1 visa (non-immigrant Exchange Visitor visa) processed under one of USAID’s two program numbers, unless otherwise waived according to the procedure in ADS 252.3. J-2 visa applications for family members are not supported per USAID policy.

USAID expects that all DS-2019 documents (paperwork needed for J visas) and in-country or third country training be processed through the USAID Training, Results and Information Network (TraiNet) system. Institutions may not directly access the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to issue DS-2019 documents internally. Information regarding USAID’s J-1 visa requirements may be found online at the Participant Training website. Administrators must adhere to the regulations detailed under TraiNet, Visa Compliance System (VCS), the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), and USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) 252-Visa Compliance for Exchange Visitors, and 253-Training for Development. U.S. institutions should allow up to 12 weeks for the processing of visas when planning activities in the United States.

TraiNet management requires a significant commitment of staff time and applicants are encouraged to take this into consideration when developing the program budget.

USAID Health and Accident Coverage (HAC) Insurance Program

The U.S. institution is responsible for enrolling each participant traveling to the United States or a third country in the official USAID Health and Accident Coverage (HAC) insurance program. Participants entering the United States on J-1 visas are required to obtain HAC from the official USAID vendor. Institutions may not use award funds to cover their own institutional HAC insurance. More information on the USAID HAC insurance program is available online. The cost of HAC for participants must be included in the budget.

Reporting

Awardees will be required to submit to HED:

· Financial reports are due quarterly to record expenditures for the following periods: Jan. 1-March 31, April 1-June 30, July 1-Sept. 30, and Oct. 1-Dec. 31;

· Semi-annual narrative progress reports for the following reporting periods may be sent via e-mail: April 1-September 30 and Oct. 1-March 30;

· Both financial reports and semi-annual progress reports are due within one-month after the corresponding reporting period closes: Jan. 31, April 30, July 31, and Oct. 31;

· A final narrative report (due 30 days after the conclusion of program activities); and,

· Final financial reports (due no later than 90 days after the sub-agreement closing date).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: I have been unable to contact Al-Zaytoonah University to review our partnership plan and seek a letter of support.  Are they still participating in this partnership?

A: Al-Zaytoonah University is unable to participate and another private Jordanian institution will be identified by USAID/Jordan to provide a pilot program for both public and private institutions.  Applicants will be required to supply a letter of support only from University of Jordan for this application, and not from the second Jordanian institution, due to the impending proposal deadline.  When the second institution is identified, the institution’s early childhood education program information will be posted to the HED website.  HED encourages applicants to include plans for activities involving a second Jordanian institution in applications, but does not require a signed letter of support from that institution.

Q: My institution is currently working with another Jordanian University, is it possible to include this institution in the proposal as the second institutional partner?

A: The Jordanian institutions participating in this partnership will be identified by USAID.  Once the selection is made the information will be posted to the HED website.

Q: When is the proposal due?

A: The original due date in April was extended to May 27th to give applicants additional time to consult with the institutions in Jordan. Applications must be received at HED by 5:00PM, Eastern Time (ET), May 27, 2008.

Q: Do U.S. institutions need to work with the Jordanian institutions to develop the application?

A: HED requests that applications include letters of support from the University of Jordan to indicate support the proposed activities. Pre-submission consultation with the Jordanian institutions will enhance the effectiveness of the project design and achievement of results once the successful applicant is selected and the award is made. Primary contact information:

University of Jordan
Dr. Tagreed Abu-Taleb
Tel.:  962-79-554-2453 (mobile)
E-mail: phdec@go.com.jo

Q: Do you expect to announce this RFA again next year?

A: HED does not expect to release a similar RFA next year. To receive future e-mail updates about funding opportunities for international higher education partnerships, send your name, job title, organization name, and e-mail address to HED@HEDprogram.org.  Please continue to visit the HED website because new RFA’s are released throughout the year.

Q: We have looked at the websites of both universities but have not been able to locate specific information about their early childhood programs. Is there a place online we can review that information or a catalog we can receive?

A: Please download the University of Jordan program descriptions.

Q: Does the University of Jordan have any previous relationships or related partnership activities with a U.S. institution?

A: The early childhood education partnership with Jordan is new. The Jordanian institutions have not previously established a relationship with another U.S. institution in this subject area or activity. Some U.S. universities that are interested in responding to the RFA may have had previous partnerships or programs with one or both participating Jordanian institutions. HED considers these previous relationships unrelated to this award and are not part of the evaluation criteria for the application.

Q: Are other U.S. institutions already working with University of Jordan on this proposal?

A: HED competitions are open to all regionally accredited, degree-granting institution of higher education in the United States. USAID encourages the Jordanian institutions to respond collaboratively to interested U.S. partners and offer letters of support for any and all applications that address the needs of their institutions. A peer review committee of academic experts and USAID personnel review each application and rate it according to the evaluation criteria listed in the RFA.  The peer review process will result in recommendations to USAID for the award.

Q: How do we obtain the necessary letters of support that will strengthen the proposal?

A: While preparing the applications institutions are encouraged to communicate with the host country institutions either directly or through USAID/Jordan. Contact the University of Jordan to request letters of support from the institutional contacts listed below:
 
University of Jordan
Dr. Tagreed Abu-Taleb
Tel.:  96279-554-2453 (mobile)
E-mail: phdec@go.com.jo

HED requests that letters of support be sought several weeks in advance of the application due date.

Q: When should I schedule activities to begin?

A: Activities requiring financial reimbursement should begin immediately after the sub-agreement is signed by the U.S. partner institution and HED.  The estimated date of signature for this partnership is late July 2008.

Q: Can indirect costs (such as Facilities & Administration) be included in the proposed budget?

A: Yes, the proposed budget can include indirect costs. The Technical Evaluation Committee will review the proposed budget in terms of cost effectiveness and cost share following the evaluation criteria described in the RFA.

Q: Who will be the Partnership Directors for the Jordanian Institutions?

A: Dr. Tagreed Abu-Taleb will be the Partnership Director for the University of Jordan. When the second Jordanian institution is selected, the Partnership Director will be determined at that time.

Contact Information:

Dr. Tagreed Abu-Taleb
Tel.:  962-79-554-2453 (mobile)
E-mail: phdec@go.com.jo

Q: The requirement for application formatting is double space font, can I use single space font in tables and charts?

A: Yes, single space font can be used in tables and charts.

Q: Where can I locate the Basic Kindergarten Teacher Training Manual and Student Evaluation Forms for Jordan?

A: Please see the following links for the PDF forms: Basic Kindergarten Teacher Training Manual and Student Evaluation Form.