TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR): LEARNERS' PROFILE AND PATHWAY ASSESSMENT

TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)

LEARNERS' PROFILE AND PATHWAY ASSESSMENT

1. PURPOSE

Strømme Foundation (SF) Nepal wants to better understand the learners reached through the AKO education programme: who they are, how they are progressing, what happens after they leave the programme, and where former learners are now.

The assessment has two parts:

The tracer is only for former learners. Countries should not recollect information that is already reliably available in the MIS.

2. MAIN QUESTIONS

a) Who are the current learners? What are their main demographic, education, inclusion and any other relevant vulnerability characteristics? 

b) How are current learners participating and progressing? What do available data tell us about attendance, retention, and learning progression? Are there differences between learner groups, and which groups may require additional support?

c) How do learners leave the programme, and what happens next? Do they complete, drop out, transition to the next education level, or follow another pathway?

d) Where are former learners now? Are they continuing in education or training, or following another pathway, including employment where age appropriate?

e) What factors support or hinder learner progression and sustained transitions, and what should we learn from this?

3. UNDERSTANDING THE LEARNER PATHWAY

Exit/Completion  →  Immediate Next Step/Transition  →  Current Status

Exit/completion is how the learner left the programme (for example, completed, dropped out, transferred or relocated). Transition is what happened immediately afterwards. Current status is where the learner is at the time of follow-up.

Successful/intended transition: the learner progressed to the next intended or appropriate education, training or programme pathway. Examples include ECD to primary, one grade to the next, primary to secondary, accelerated/non-formal education to formal education, or an age-appropriate transition to TVET/training.

The enumerator should not ask the learner whether the transition was “successful” but rather record what actually happened and determine during analysis whether the intended transition occurred. A learner may initially transition and later drop out; this should be recorded as a transition that was not sustained.

4. THE REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• At least a Master’s degree in education, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Monitoring & Evaluation, Statistics, Research Methodology, or a related field.
• Additional training in quantitative and qualitative research methods will be an advantage.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in conducting assessments, evaluations, tracer studies, or research in the education sector.
• Demonstrated experience in learner tracking, education pathway studies, school improvement programmes, ECD, non-formal education, or youth development programmes.
• Experience working with NGOs, INGOs, donor-funded programmes, or education sector stakeholders in Nepal.
• Previous experience with education-related MIS/database analysis and secondary data review. 
• Strong skills in quantitative data analysis using Excel, SPSS, STATA, Power BI, or similar software.
• Ability to analyze learner participation, retention, attendance, progression, and transition data from MIS systems.
• Experience in survey design, tracer studies, telephone interviews, and sampling methodologies.
• Strong understanding of gender, disability, inclusion, and vulnerability analysis.
• Ability to triangulate quantitative and qualitative findings and generate practical recommendations. 
• Good understanding of Nepal's education system, including ECD, formal schooling, informal education, and skills development pathways.
• Familiarity with safeguarding, child protection, informed consent, confidentiality, and data protection principles when working with children and former learners. 
• Proven experience in producing high-quality assessment, evaluation, or research reports in English.
• Excellent analytical writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to develop concise reports with clear findings, charts, tables, and actionable recommendations. 

5. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION 

Interested and qualified consultants or consulting firms are invited to apply by 17:00 hours on November 17, 2026, via email at sfpostnep@stromme.org or nepal.strommefoundation.org, including the following documents/ information:

• Technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, sampling approach, work plan, quality assurance, and ethical considerations.
• Financial proposal with detailed budget and fee structure.
• CVs of proposed team members and description of roles.
• Examples of relevant previous evaluation work.
• At least two professional references.
• VAT or PAN Registration Certificate: For both firms and individual consultants.

6. SELECTION CRITERIA

Proposals will be assessed based on methodological quality, relevance of experience, understanding of the assignment, strength of the proposed team, ethical and safeguarding approach, feasibility of the work plan, quality of previous work, and value for money.

All terms and conditions will be outlined in the consultancy contract agreement. SF reserves the right to select or reject any Statement of Work (SoW) at its discretion and may cancel or terminate the process at any stage if necessary.

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LINK: Application Form