1. Right To Play International

Right To Play is a global organization committed to improving the lives of children and youth affected by conflict, disease and poverty. Established in 2000, Right To Play has pioneered a unique play-based approach to learning and development which focuses on quality education, life skills, health, gender equality, child protection and building peaceful communities. With programming in 16 countries, Right To Play transforms the lives of more than 2.3 million children each year, both inside and outside of the classroom. In addition to our work with children, Right To Play advocates with parents, local communities, and governments to advance the fundamental rights of all children.

Right To Play is headquartered in Toronto, Canada as well as London, UK, and has operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Our programs are facilitated by more than 600 international staff and 31,900 local teachers and coaches. For more information, follow @RightToPlayIntl and visit www.righttoplay.com.

According to Rwanda’s Education Statistical Yearbook 2023/24, the net pre-primary enrollment rate stands at 44.7%, and 52.6% of pre-primary teachers have received training. However, significant gaps in play-based learning, teacher capacity, and gender-responsive pedagogy remain.

To address these challenges, RTP Rwanda in collaboration with MINEDUC, REB, NCDA, and NESA will implement the Inkingi y’ejo project in Rubavu, Kayonza and Ruhango District. The baseline assessment, addressed in this TOR, is a critical step in measuring the initial status and determining project impact over time.

2. Program Overview

Right To Play (RTP) Rwanda launched a three-year Early Childhood Development (ECD) project titled, Inkingi y’Ejo (Pillar of Tomorrow) which aims to improve the cognitive, physical, and socio-emotional development of children aged 3–6 years in Rwanda. The project targets a total of 100 school-based (SB) and community-based (CB) ECD centers across the districts of Kayonza, Ruhango, and Rubavu, reaching over 10,000 children, in 100 ECDs, 303 pre-primary teachers (in school based ECD centers) and caregivers (in community based ECD centers), and 2,320 parents. To assess the pre-intervention status, RTP seeks a qualified external consultant firm to conduct a baseline assessment, using the IDELA tool and other context-specific tools.

3. Purpose of Baseline Study

The purpose of the baseline study is to: Assess the status of the ECD indicators among children aged 3-6, their caregivers, and parents in the project target areas. The findings will establish a benchmark for monitoring progress, inform the refinement of interventions, and support the evaluation of the ECD project’s impact on child development, caregiver practices, parents’ involvement and service access.

4. Scope of Work

The consultant firm/individual consultant is expected to:

• Prepare an inception report: outlining the evaluation methodology and measurement approaches to be employed in executing the assignment. This should include:
• Introduction and Background: The consultant will focus on providing a brief overview of the ECD project; Purpose and objectives of the baseline study; Rationale for the baseline and how it will be used.
• Evaluation Objectives and Questions: Clear articulation of what the baseline seeks to evaluate and key evaluation questions aligned with project objectives and logframe.
• Methodology: A detailed description of the evaluation methodology, including:
• Study design (e.g., cross-sectional, mixed methods).
• Sampling strategy and sample size
• Data collection methods (Caregiver/Parent surveys, interviews, focus group discussions).
• How IDELA tool will be used or adapted.
• Key indicators to be measured (aligned with the project’s results framework or logframe).
• Disaggregation of data (e.g., by age, gender, geography, socio-economic status).

• Data Quality Assurance: The consultant will document the procedures to ensure reliability and validity of data, develop the enumerators/data collectors training plan. The consultant will also develop a plan for pre-testing/piloting of tools and its way forward.
• Ethical Considerations: The consultant will document what measures will be taken to protect participants, especially children, parents and caregivers.
• Work Plan and Timeline: The consultant will develop a detailed schedule of activities with milestones and deliverables including timelines for data collection, analysis, reporting, and review.

• Recruit and manage a qualified research team and enumerators with Education background having experience in IDELA data collection
• Lead the development, adaptation, revision and translation of data collection tools: Take a lead role in developing, revising, adapting, translating, and piloting various data collection tools (both qualitative and quantitative) to be used for the baseline as per the agreed methodology, including pre-testing or piloting of tools for linguistic and cultural appropriateness.
• Lead training and pilot testing (all logistics and costs covered by consultant): In close coordination with RTP, develop the training agenda and conduct the training.
• Manage data collection and process: Manage all data collection, including supervising the field team, perform daily monitoring checks, collect daily feedback, and provide general support to all enumerators during data collection. This includes ensuring the credibility of field data collected by interviewers.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data and compile a comprehensive first draft baseline report based on the field research findings according to format upon agreement with Right To Play staff and revise report based on feedback from Right To Play.
• Facilitate a validation meeting with Right to Play team, to share the findings and lead a discussion on transforming the recommendations into actionable steps forward.
• Prepare and submit final baseline report to Right To Play, including the raw data.

Throughout the consultancy period, the consultant is expected to actively participate in regular meetings with Right to Play, consulting on research plan/methodology, timeframe/tools/training, discussing results and findings and agreed recommended follow-up actions.

5. Evaluation Objectives

The overall objective is to design and implement the baseline study for ECD/Inkingi y’Ejo project to respond to the evaluation questions:

Specifically, the baseline study should:

• Assess the school readiness and developmental status of children aged 3–6 years using the IDELA tool.
• Measure teacher /caregivers’ competencies in delivering the ECD curriculum and using the Learning through Play (LtP) approach.
• Assess the physical and learning environment in both CB-ECD and SB-ECD centers.
• Evaluate the extent to which parents demonstrate positive parenting skills.
• Identify the existing level of advocacy and stakeholder engagement in support of ECD.

6. Evaluation Questions

7. Evaluation Tools

To measure and report on the ECD /Inkingi y’Ejo project indicators from the Performance Measurement Framework, the following tools should be developed and/or adapted for use:

• IDELA tool with a purpose to assess developmental outcomes and school readiness of children aged 3–6
• Parent/Caregiver KAP Survey: (Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices) with purpose of assessing the positive parenting behaviors and beliefs.
• Stakeholder Interview/FGD Guides: this tool will be exploring the perceptions, roles, and engagement in ECD promotion and support.

During field data collection, it is important to consider that the IDELA that will primarily measure school readiness among children aged 3–6 years. At the same time, a complementary parent or caregiver questionnaire will assess the parental contribution to the child's development.

Therefore, interviews will be conducted in pairs one with the child and one with the parent or at the household level. The sampled households will include those with at least one child aged 3–6 years who is currently enrolled in an ECD center, along with the child's parent or primary caregiver.

8. Key Deliverables and Timeline

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSULTANT

RESPONSIBILITIES OF RIGHT TO PLAY

• Provide necessary background documents and indicator framework.
• Support in mobilizing key stakeholders at district/ schools and community level.
• In coordination with the consultants, deliver training of Enumerators hired by the consultant. Topics include but not restricted to: using IDELA tool, Right to Play policies, Child Safeguarding during data collection Review and approve deliverables.
• Payment as per the contract agreement.

9. TEAM COMPOSITION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Lead Consultant Requirements:

• A minimum of master's degree in education (PhD is preferred), Child Development, Social Sciences, or related field.
• Proven experience conducting baseline assessments using the IDELA tool.
• Strong understanding of ECD systems in Rwanda
• Excellent analytical, reporting, and communication skills.
• Experience in training and managing enumerators.

• Experience using participatory, child-friendly, and gender-responsive evaluation approaches.

Team Composition:

• Team Leader (Masters degree or PhD, Lead Researcher)
• ECD Specialist with experience using IDELA
• Data Analyst
• Enumerator Supervisor(s)
• Field Enumerators with Educational background and proven IDELA expertise, and ability to speak Kinyarwanda

The consultant must provide:

• CVs of all team members
• A cover letter
• At least two sample reports of similar assignments conducted, one of them using IDELA.
• A technical and financial proposal

10. SUBMISSION DEADLINE

The assignment must be completed within 45 calendar days from the date of contract signing.

The Proposal must be submitted no later than 06, August 2025 to rwandaprocurement@righttoplay.com

Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed as soon as they are received. Early submissions are encouraged, and Right To Play reserves the right to select a consultancy before the proposal submission date noted above.

While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.