The Punjab Educational Endowment Fund

Hiring of Consultancy Firm for Impact Assessment

PEEF Office, Link Wahdat Road, Lahore

Phone: 042-99260051-54

www.peef.org

The Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) (A Company Setup under section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984) Hiring of Consultancy Firm for Impact Assessment

The Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) is an Initiative of the Government of

Punjab under the leadership of Chief Minister, Mr. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. PEEF has

been established with the objective of promoting academic excellence by providing financial

support to talented students to help them to realize their potential and to create a critical mass

of talented students that will contribute to development of the society.

The Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) is seeking to commission an Impact

Assessment (IA) for the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund. This assessment will focus on

highlighting the impact of The Punjab Educational Endowment Fund scholarship program.

Detailed TORs of the assignment can be downloaded from PEEF website www.peef.org.pk

or PPRA website http://ppra.gop.pk or can be obtained from below mentioned address.

Interested Consultancy Firms are requested to submit the technical and financial proposals in

separate sealed envelope along with detailed profile at the below mentioned address latest by

Tuesday, 29th December 2015.

Sealed Bids should reach the undersigned on or before Tuesday 29 December 2015 not later

than 1200 hours at PEEF office.

The bids would be opened at 02:00 PM on the same date in the presence of bidders and /or

their authorized representatives at PEEF office.

Manager Administration & HR

The Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF)

Link Wahdat Road, Lahore.

Phone:042-99260051-54, Ext: 115

www.peef.org.pk

Terms of Reference 1. Background Information Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) is an initiative of the Government of the Punjab under the leadership of the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. PEEF has been established with the main objective to create a pool of talented Pakistani youth amongst the less privileged but academically brilliant boys and girls of the society by providing them scholarships/monetary assistance for pursuing quality education with equal opportunities. PEEF is registered under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance, 1984 and incorporated as an independent company in 2008 so as to make it more efficient, transparent and autonomous in its functioning with the following mission and vision. Mission: “Building a critical mass of human capital, participating in nation building; through provision of equitable opportunities to less privileged but academically brilliant boys and girls in Punjab” Vision: “Creation of a pool of talented Pakistani youth from less privileged background; contributing towards economic and social development, to realize the dream of a moderate, progressive and prosperous Pakistan” Ever since its inception, PEEF has been endeavoring to make available the best educational opportunities to the less privileged and talented youth of Punjab through following means; -

i. Provision of scholarships for talented but less privileged and needy students to bring them at par with the fortunate ones;

ii. Creation of a critical mass of talented youth for the development of the society;

iii. Identification and support to extremely marginalized students through

special quotas; and

iv. Supporting the less privileged and best students of Punjab Board of Technical Education (PBTE) as well as, to a limited extent, other provinces - including AJ&K, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan& Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The company started its operations in 2009 with an initial endowment of one billion rupees which has been increased to fourteen billion rupees. Investment proceeds of this endowment are utilized to achieve the objectives for which PEEF was established. So far, it has awarded more than 100,000 (one hundred thousand) scholarships worth more than five billion rupees. About 60% of the total students, who have been awarded scholarships by PEEF, have completed their certificate/degree programme. In this way around 40% students1 are still in the process of completing their certificate/degree.

2. Program Introduction PEEF is a proactive scholarship scheme which provides funds at the doorstep of the talented and deserving students. Allocation of these scholarships is on the basis of Tehsil and District wise results of students. 50% of the scholarships are awarded to the students in 16 less developed districts and remaining 50% in 20 developed districts of the Punjab, especially from the southern Punjab. 90% of the scholarships are allocated to government institutions and 10% to private sector institutions. A special quota of 20% has been made for orphans, children of government employees in Basic Pay Scale 1-4, children belonging to minority religions and the special children, bright and needy students of other provinces AJ&K, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and ICT have also been provided opportunities for higher education through this program. For selecting and awarding scholarships to the deserving students, PEEF follows the following eligibility criteria and process to ensure transparency, accuracy and convenience for the candidates:

a. PEEF obtains data of the students from Punjab Examination Commission (PEC), all Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISEs) in Punjab, Federal Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) based on eligibility criteria outlined by the organization.

b. Shortlisted students for the PEEF scholarship are required to fill in the prescribed

student information form and send it back to PEEF after verification from the institution where he/she is currently enrolled and forms are also verified by the concerned government official i.e. Executive District Officer (EDO), District Education Officer (Colleges), etc.

c. All the received student information forms are scrutinized by PEEF for final

selection and award of scholarship.

d. PEEF enlists selected candidates and writes them confirmation letters with copies to respective educational institutions and District Focal Committees for information and further necessary action

e. The names of the scholarship recipients are placed on PEEF website.

f. Scholarship is disbursed on bi-annual basis through Electronic Payment system

under the supervision of educational institution in which the student is enrolled.

g. Second tranche of scholarship is released once the institution provides a satisfactory performance report about the student’s academics, attendance and discipline.

h. Field monitoring visits to the educational institutions are also conducted.

1 The students are called active scholars.

3. Task Orientation

PEEF has completed seven years of its life and its beneficiaries have started acquiring

positions in various professions. The success or failure of any organization in achieving its

goals does not depend solely on financial capacity and human capital. It also relies on the

ability to accurately define its objectives and measure its outputs, to comprehensively view

achievement requirements, and to properly understand the available resources and the

mechanisms of how to utilize them within the framework of a rational strategic plan and a

detailed operational plan.

Within the parameters approved by its management, PEEF is targeting technical assistance that will assess the impact of PEEF-initiative to get answer to the following main questions:

a. Are the policy, procedures and processes identified by PEEF aligned to the Vision,

Mission and Objectives of establishing PEEF?

b. Are the PEEF processes (candidate’s selection and scholarship disbursement) relevant, efficient and effective to achieve the purpose for which the program has been instituted?

c. What educational, social and monetary problems the selected candidates would

have faced in the absence of PEEF initiative; and what difference PEEF scholarship has made in their lives and the lives of their families?

d. How far PEEF Scholars have been supported by PEEF for the achievement of their personal and family goals?

e. What contributions have PEEF initiative made in advancing the Punjab

government’s policies for educational development especially in marginalized section of society?

f. How far the PEEF initiative has been able to raise the image of the Punjab

Government as perceived by all the stakeholders for its efforts to improve education in society as a whole?

3.1 Target population:

Total population (PEEF Scholars) considered for the impact study is 39857 and details of the

population are given in tables below. It is proposed that a representative sample (10%) of

active and pass out scholars should be selected from all geographical regions, levels and

categories.

Table 1: Level and number of Active scholars for the period of 2013 & 2014

Year of Award

No. of Scholarships

Total

Secondary

Intermediate

Graduation

Masters

PBTE Other Center of

Excellence

Provinces

2013 0 127 1188 280 219 92 384 2290

2014 1883 11138 2730 1565 468 611 454 18849

Total: 1883 11265 3918 1845 687 703 838 21139

Table 2: Level and number of Pass-out Scholars for the period of 2008 to 2013

Pass-out Scholars for the period of 2008 to 2013

Year

No. of Scholarships

Total Graduation Masters

Center of

Excellence

Other

Provinces

2008 1829 0 0 119 1948

2009 1563 0 40 118 1721

2010 1724 1000 140 202 3066

2011 3474 2150 43 208 5875

2012 1560 1465 69 244 3338

2013 1447 1068 13 242 2770

Total: 11597 5683 305 1133 18718

4. Scope of the Study The study will include the following elements (including those identified under Task Orientation):

a. Assess various phases PEEF evolved as an organization (organizational development) since its birth as a case study in the Pakistani context.

b. Assess the added value of PEEF expansion of geographic outreach since its inception.

c. Assess PEEF’s internal practices and accumulated experiences in managing

scholarships, and its relationship with the partner institutions over the years in line with its vision and mission.

d. Assess how PEEF services are impacting individuals and institutions and soliciting

their opinion on the government’s initiatives like PEEF.

e. Assess current risks and opportunities PEEF faces and provide recommendations on how to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities.

f. Draw conclusions and put forward viable recommendations to further strengthen

PEEF’s functioning from the aspects mentioned above.

5. Methodology

A mix of both quantitative and qualitative methodology is recommended for conducting the impact assessment. The impact study will include a set of surveys of all constituent units (PEEF and its partners’ offices involved in scholarship selection and disbursement) and randomly selected stakeholders including but not limited to students, parents, institutional heads, community members and their representatives, officials of district administration, and Provincial School Education Departments. The data collection methods to be used will include but not limited to the interviews, focus group discussions, survey questionnaires, and any other participatory methodology appropriate to the study.

The impact study will pick statistically acceptable and proportionate2 sample of the key stakeholders from all regions3. The sample size should not be less than 10% of each stratum to be included in the survey. The sample should be drawn from all the districts of the Punjab and at least two districts each from Baluchistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, AJ&K, GB and ICT:

a) Gender balance from both pass out ( completed) and active scholars; and b) Proportioned share of each region mentioned in the section 2 (Program Introduction) of

the ToRs.

In the proposal of the study, consultants/organization will submit detailed methodology proposing tools, sampling criteria, and actual sample size.

In order to ensure wider ownership of the outcome of the study, all steps in the conduct of the impact assessment will be based on the principles of participatory assessment methodology including the data collection process and its dissemination.

6. Major Deliverables

a. Work Plan

b. Draft Report

c. Presentation

d. Final Report (format of final report is attached as ANNEX-1)

7. Assessment Time Table

The total duration of the study is four months with the following major milestones:

a. Development of the assessment design, finalization of the assessment matrix and

sampling strategy

b. Development of research instruments (questionnaires, interview guidelines, etc.)

c. Data collection

d. Data analysis

e. Submission of the draft report

f. Presentation to the stakeholders

g. Incorporation of comments and finalization of the assessment report.

2

The proportion would be based on the number of scholarships awarded to each; a) region, b) gender and c) certificate and degree.

3The possible geographic scope of the sampling and any cultural, or security conditions may affect the methodology.

8. Ethical and Child Protection Considerations The researcher will have to follow Ethical Principles4 for involving human subjects in the impact assessment and will obtain written/verbal consent from the human subjects. Permission from elder must be sought if the students under 18 years are involved as subjects. Signed informed consent of each student and his/her parents need to be taken after explaining purpose of the study and its usage. Individual responses should not be shared to observe confidentiality of data. PEEF has to ensure that no risk or harm is involved in the impact study.

9. Submission of Proposals

1. The technical proposal should have as annexes:

a. Proposed methodology of the Study

b. CVs of the Consultants expected to undertake the work

c. A list of related consultancies/contracts carried out satisfactorily, supported by credentials

d. A confirmation of the relevant experience (education and others) and capacity to

deliver the completed work by the set time frame. -A copy of registration certificate of the Firm/organization

e. Detailed list of capacity in terms of human and material resources of the

organization. - Detail of regional/district offices - Audited financial statement/income tax return

2. The financial proposal should give the overall cost including breakdown of each cost

involved to allow analysis of reasonableness of the offer.

4

Helsinki Declaration 2012: Ethical Principles for Research Involving Human Subjects

ANNEX 1. Final Report Template

Executive Summary (1-3 pages) Brief about PEEF initiative Purpose and expected use of the assessment Objectives of the assessment Summary of the assessment methodology Key findings and conclusions, especially relating to PEEF’s vision, mission,

objectives and targets Key recommendations Summary of lessons learnt

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

Report 1. Purpose of the assessment 2. Audience for and use of the assessment 3. Objectives of the assessment 4. Assessment methodology, including: rationale for choice of methodology, data sources,

methods for data collection and analysis, participatory techniques, ethical and equity considerations, major limitations of the methodology

5. Composition of the assessment team, including any specific roles of team members 6. PEEF description, including: context, underlying rationale of PEEF-initiative,

stakeholders and beneficiaries, conceptual model, results chain or logical framework, and PEEF management and monitoring systems

7. Assessment findings 8. Conclusions: insights into the findings; reasons for successes and failures;

innovations 9. Recommendations (based on evidence and insights) 10. Lessons learned with wider relevance that can help improve PEEF initiatives

Annexes to the assessment report:

Terms of Reference for the assessment Assessment matrix Timetable List of individuals interviewed and of stakeholder groups and/or communities

consulted List of supporting documentation reviewed

Research instruments: questionnaire, interview guide(s), etc. as appropriate Specific monitoring data, as appropriate

Short biographies of the evaluators.

Technical Evaluation Criteria 1. Background:

The technical proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the Technical Evaluation Criteria

set forth below. Technical evaluation of applications/proposals will be based on the extent and

appropriateness of proposed approaches and feasibility of achieving the set objectives, in

accordance with the following criteria.

A Technical Review Committee designated by the Chief Executive Officer will review the Impact

study proposals /applications. This Committee will short list and submit its recommendations to

the Chief Executive Officer, using the criteria shown in this Section. CEO will review and approve

the selection.

2. Technical Evaluation: The relative importance of each criterion is indicated by the number of points assigned; a total of 100 points is possible.

Technical Evaluation Criteria Weight

i. Technical Approach 35

ii. Organizational Capacity 30

iii. Relevant Experience 35

Total possible technical evaluation points 100

i) Technical Approach – 35 points

Particular attention will be given to evaluating the applicant’s responsiveness to the work orientation, results achievement and realistic linkages between expected results and the applicant’s proposed methodology. Applicants must demonstrate understanding of Impact study methodology, approaches to be adopted to achieve the set objectives. Monitoring mechanism and work plan must consist of a clear and concise description of how internal management plans, organizational structures (proposed for this study), and activities to be undertaken are integrated.

ii) Organizational Capacity – 30 Points

This area of organizational capacity is further divided into four sub-areas including experience, HR /staff, out-reach and financial capacity. Details are given below. A. Total Experience of Firm/Organization- The period of experience considers from the

year/date of registration of the Firm/Organization. A copy of registration certificate would also be required / annexed with the proposal.

B. HR (staff/employees) - This includes staff/employees those are presently on pay roll of the Firm/organization.

C. Out- Reach (offices in Pakistan) - Mention the number of offices (operational) along with detail of districts/ regions where these offices are located.

D. Financial Capacity- Annual Turnover: Firms/Organizations should have to submit its Audited financial statement or Income Tax Return along with proposal.

iii) Relevant Experience – 35 Points

Special weight-age will be given to past experience/ achievements as evidenced by verifiable success in completing similar assignments/projects (Education and other Sectors). This part of evaluation will cover relevant experience of organization and as well the team (Team leader/Manager) to be engaged in this assignment. In this regard relevant reports/ certificates/CVs will be considered as evidence.

3. Qualification for financial evaluation

a) Technical proposals must score a minimum of 65 points out of 100 for consideration of

financial evaluation. b) Technical score evaluated will comprise 80 percent of the overall aggregate score for

selection. c) Proposed budgets/financial costs will be given 20 percent weight to the aggregate weight-

age of the evaluation.

4. Decision Award will be made to the firm with the maximum aggregate score in the Technical and Financial proposals.

The financial proposal should give the overall cost but with as much breakdown of costs as possible to allow analysis of reasonableness of the offer.

Evaluation form- Impact study of PEEF Scholarship Program

Criteria Points Points Points

1.TECHNICAL APPROACH& METHODOLOGY (35)

A. Relevance of the approach presented to carry out the assignment (20)

1-20

B. Methods presented to collect and analyze data/information (5)

1-5

C. Proposed monitoring mechanism to ensure accuracy of data collection and digitization (5)

1-5

D. Presentation of Work Plan -consistent with the technical approach and methodology & showing clear understanding of the TORs (5)

1-5

2.ORGNAZATIONAL CAPACITY (30)

A. Total experience of Firm/Organization in years (5) 1-5 (Years) 5- 10 (Years) More than 10

(Years)

Scoring 1 3 5

B. Human Resource (Staff/ Employees) – (10) 100-200 Staff 201-300 Staff 300 Plus Staff

Scoring 5 10 15

C. Out-Reach(offices) – in Pakistan –(5) 1

office

2

offices

More than 2

offices

Scoring 1 2 5

D. Financial Capacity – Annual Turnover (10)

(Audited financial statement/ Income Tax Return)

200- 500

(PKR Million)

501- 850

(PKR Million)

850 plus (PKR

Million)

Scoring 2 5 10

3. RELEVANT EXPERIENCE(35)

A. Experience of Organization/Firm in conducting similar

studies - in Education sector only (20)

(Impact Assessment, Program Evaluations, Performance

Audits, Implementation Reviews& Program Assessments)

1-2

Projects

3

Projects

4 and more

Projects

Scoring 10 15 20

B. Experience of Organization/Firm in conducting similar

studies - in other sectors (10)

(Impact Assessment, Program Evaluations, Performance

Audits, Implementation Reviews & Program Assessments)

1-3

Projects

4

Projects

5 and more

Projects

Scoring 3 5 10

C. Experience of Team ( Team Leader/Manager) in

conducting similar studies - Education and other sectors (05)

(Impact Assessment, Program Evaluations, Performance

Audits, Implementation Reviews & Program Assessments)

1-2

Projects

3

Projects

4 and more

Projects

Scoring 2 3 5

TOTAL SCORE 100