BACKGROUND

The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) in the Gambia sent a request for technical assistance to the RTIA Facility in April 2025. Following the approval of the request, two experts from the RTIA Facility went to Banjul in October 2025 to co-develop the Country Action Plan (CAP) with directors and experts of the MoBSE, and representatives of the teachers' unions and education partners. During this mission, the technical areas and the themes presented in the request were adjusted. The CAP components cover both teachers' governance and teachers' education and professional development. The development of an HR policy, the operationalization of the teacher policy and support provided to the implementation of the HR platform will contribute to enhancing transparency and effectiveness of the teaching force management. A STEAM component, including the development of a policy and a teacher competency framework, intends to anchor 21st ^century skills in the whole education cycle. Finally, the operationalization of the teacher competency framework and the revision of a mentoring program for newly qualified teachers aim at facilitating the transition between pre-service and in-service, and articulating teachers' professional development and career development around the acquisition of core competencies.

This process of experts' recruitment starts after the CAP has been validated by the MoBSE and the Facility management.

The Gambia's priority reform: Accessible, Equitable, and Inclusive Foundational Learning, aims at achieving high learning and skills outcomes, with more than 80 percent of the children achieving the minimum learning competencies and standards in line with the National Education Policy 2016 – 2030. Recruitment of qualified teachers and in-service training and teacher professional development are core components of the reform.

As such, the CAP activities are aligned with national priorities in the education sector, and the technical assistance (TA) will contribute to several ESSP (Education Sector Strategic Plan) 2016-2030 indicators.

The components under teachers' governance (HR policy, operationalization of the teacher policy and support to the implementation of the teacher portal) intend to foster enhanced planning and management of human resources and will directly contribute to the ESSP Result area 4, Sector management program: Effective planning, development and management of human resources ensured . The launch of the teacher portal more specifically will contribute to Improving HR system to enhance transparency and accountability.

ASSIGNMENT

The key action, identified by MoBSE, aims at ensuring a smooth implementation of the teacher portal through a wide sensitization of users in the country. The main objective is for key users, such as headmasters, principals and teachers themselves, to gain ownership of the platform and become fully confident in using it.

The action needs to be implemented in coordination with the MoBSE, the service providers and the users themselves. The expert will develop simple tutorials and guidelines, and/or training contents per user category, taking into account the discrepancies in connectivity between regions and different levels of capacities in internet navigation and use of similar platforms among identified users.

DELIVERABLES

The main deliverables for this consultancy include: 

Deliverable 1: Inception report

The inception report includes an outline of the work to be carried out for developing the guidelines/ tutorials for the identified users (no longer that 3-4 pages). It should reflect the process and timelines.

Deliverable 2: Capacity building modules per category of users

Based on the users’ profiles and actual use of the platform, capacity building modules are co-developed in the format of tutorials for each category of users. Simple guidelines will also be edited and shared online.

Deliverable 3: Final version of training materials

The expert, together with the MoBSE, will conduct a pilot of the developed tutorials and guidelines. Based on the feedback collected during the pilot, adjustments will be made (if necessary) and final versions of the tutorials and guidelines produced.

Deliverable 4: Mission final report (for the Facility).

DURATION OF THE MISSION 

The consultancy is planned to take place between March and May 2026 for a total number of 40 days).

·       Preparation: 2 days

·       Consultations and development of contents: 30 days

·       Pilot: 8 days

·       Total: 40 days Distance work (including drafting of deliverables)

GENERAL APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

The general approach and methodology described below are indicative and non-exclusive. The expert must develop the methodology he/she intends to use in his/her application.

General approach:

The national expert will work closely with the MoBSE and the service providers, to ensure complementary and alignment with the planned phased implementation of the platform.

A participatory approach with the MoBSE partners is essential, to ensure that what is proposed is in line with their needs. They will be the ones guiding the process, giving access to the platform, facilitating meetings with the service providers and the platform users, and validating the tutorials and guidelines.

Methodology:

To carry out this work, the expert recruited must:

o   Carry out a desk review of the main policy documents of the Gambian education system

o   Participate in a scoping meeting with the MoBSE focal points, and the Facility. Following this meeting, the expert will propose a brief note describing the work to be carried out, including the methodology and an updated timetable.

o   Engage with the service providers and navigate the teacher portal to capture the key entry points and analyse key actions per type of users.

o   Based on this analysis, develop simple tutorials and guidelines

o   Collect feedback from a small sample of users on the tutorials and guidelines and adjust accordingly (if necessary)

o   Deliver the final versions of tutorials and guidelines to the MoBSE for the service providers to upload them on the platform.

Throughout the consultancy, the expert is expected to have technical discussions with the Facility. The deliverables will be validated by the MoBSE and the Facility.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The MoBSE is responsible for:  

·       Providing all the documentation required for the desk review

·       Facilitating the organization of meetings with relevant stakeholders (including the service providers)

·       Facilitating the validation process of the tutorials/ guidelines

·       Commenting on and approving deliverables  

The RTIA Facility is responsible for:

·       Contracting and facilitating the integration of the expert by providing all available documents and resources  

·       Supporting and monitoring the expert's work from start to finish  

·       Acting as the expert's main resource person  

·       Ensuring quality control of deliverables in collaboration with the MoBSE focal points  

·       Acknowledging final validation of deliverables by all parties  

·       Evaluating the expert's overall performance under this mandate.  

The expert is responsible for:   

·       Reviewing and commenting on these Terms of Reference (ToR)  

·       Ensuring that all deliverables comply with the guidelines set out at the scoping meeting, in line with the agreed timetable 

·       Informing the Facility immediately of any difficulties encountered in implementing the mission 

·       Ensuring that stakeholders are consulted throughout the assignment  

·       Behaving with the highest level of personal integrity and committing to the required standards of conduct.