Consultancy service to support the scaling up of the experimental initiative with impact assessment and real-time evaluation

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (REOI) (CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRM SELECTION) Project Name National Plan for the Teaching and Learning of French in Rwanda Source of Funds MINEDUC / AFD Grant Agreement Number CRW105901R Assignment Title Consultancy service to support the scaling up of the experimental initiative with impact assessment and real-time evaluation Procurement Method Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) Submission Deadline As indicated in UMUCYO e-procurement system Submission Platform UMUCYO e-procurement system only 1. PROJECT BACKGROUND Recognized by the 2003 Constitution, French is one of Rwanda’s four official languages. It was the main language of instruction until 2008, when English was adopted as the medium of instruction. In 2016, French was reintroduced into the school curriculum as a foreign language. However, teaching methodologies and assessment frameworks have not yet been fully adapted to reflect this new status. Following the October 2018 Council of Ministers’ decision to promote the use of French across all sectors, the National Plan for the Teaching and Learning of French in Rwanda (PNFR) was developed. The PNFR addresses identified gaps in the teaching of French as a Foreign Language (FFL) across all levels of education, from primary to higher education, including both general and technical institutions. Its main objective is to equip young Rwandans with communicative skills in French, enabling them to interact effectively in French in professional and academic environments. Studies conducted under the PNFR identified the adaptation of FFL teaching methodology as a priority. This includes the development of innovative, contextually relevant content and techniques geared towards real-world application. To address this priority, the PNFR focuses on three key areas: pre-service and in-service teacher training in French language and methodology; improved access to and development of appropriate teaching and learning materials and resources for FFL; and the promotion of French in connection with professional skills to enhance employability. The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) officially endorsed the plan on April 1, 2022, following the signing of the Grant Finance Agreement on February 18, 2022. The plan is scheduled to conclude in June 2026. MINEDUC is responsible for overseeing and supervising the implementation of the project 2. ASSIGNMENT SCOPE Beginning in September 2026, 45 schools (ranging from primary to secondary and TVET) will serve as laboratories for pedagogical innovation. Each experimental school will implement a defined combination of seven key interventions: 1. Baseline Assessment in experimental schools 2. Support Implementation of FFL through capacity building of teachers and school management 3. Strengthening the implementation of Extra curricula Activities and conduct capacity building 4. Reinforced governance supported by a real-time monitoring system 5. Propose scalability plan 6. Documentation of lesson learned and based practices, and Reporting The differentiated allocation of these levers across schools is designed to allow comparative analysis of intervention packages. 45 schools will be rigorously selected as control group comparable schools will be established as a central pillar of the evaluation design. These schools will not receive experimental intervention packages during the pilot phase but will participate fully in baseline and endline assessments. The control group will be selected through a stratified sampling methodology ensuring comparability in terms of rural/urban location, school size, teacher qualifications, regional distribution, and baseline student proficiency levels. The inclusion of this control group is intended to generate credible evidence. It will allow the evaluation to distinguish between improvements resulting directly from the intervention and those attributable to external contextual factors such as socio-economic differences, parallel reforms, or natural progression over time. The purpose of this contract is therefore to design and implement a rigorous, real-time impact system combining experimental and control schools. The evaluation will generate robust evidence to inform national decision-making, reduce operational risks through early detection of implementation challenges, and define a scalable national model for French language education reform. 3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TERMS OF REFERENCE 3.1 Rationale and Evaluation Framework This assignment is grounded in the conviction that educational reform requires evidence. Traditional annual monitoring systems often provide aggregated results too late to influence implementation. In contrast, the PNFR experimentation adopts a real-time monitoring and evaluation framework, enabling immediate feedback, contextualized analysis of classroom practices, and continuous learning. The evaluation design combines three complementary dimensions: a baseline assessment, continuous real-tim