Consultancy Opportunity – Grade-wise Analysis of Catch Up Results in Zambia
Reference: VVOB ZM-2025-09-01
Deadline: 5th December 2025, 17:00 CAT
Estimated Start Date: January 2026
Contract Duration: Up to December 2026
Budget Range: Maximum of €70,000 (VAT and all costs inclusive)
Background
VVOB – education for development, is a non-profit organization with over 40 years of experience improving education systems from a rights-based perspective. In Zambia, VVOB works with the Ministry of Education and partners to strengthen the capacity of teachers and school leaders to enhance learning outcomes through programmes such as Catch Up – a remedial education initiative based on the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach.
Catch Up has successfully improved foundational literacy and numeracy skills among learners in Grades 3–5. However, data show that many learners remain at lower competency levels even after several years of participation. To address this, VVOB seeks to commission a qualitative study to better understand the factors influencing learner progression to higher competency skills.
Objective of the Consultancy
The study aims to:
- Explore perspectives of teachers, learners, and other stakeholders on factors influencing progression from lower to higher competency levels within the Catch Up programme.
- Examine how variations in programme implementation affect learner outcomes.
- Identify learner, teacher, school and community-level barriers hindering progression despite continued participation in the Catch Up programme
Scope and Methodology
The consultant is expected to propose a qualitative exploratory research design and may utilize existing learner assessment data collected under the Catch Up programme. The study will be conducted in Central Province and will include:
- An inception phase with a rapid literature review on learning progression in Grades 3–5.
- Primary data collection with key stakeholders.
- Data analysis, synthesis, and reporting.
- Production of final reports and dissemination products (e.g., policy brief or infographic).
Deliverables and Timeline
Key deliverables include:
- Inception Report (including methodology, sampling, and literature review)
- Ethical clearance documentation
- Data management and protection plan
- Data collection tools and cleaned dataset
- Draft and final research reports
- Knowledge dissemination product(s)
Timeline: January 2026 – December 2026
Required Qualifications and Experience
- Proven track record (at least 3 similar assignments in the past 5 years) conducting qualitative research in the education sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Demonstrated experience conducting research with teachers and learners in primary schools.
- Strong understanding of Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) or similar remedial education approaches.
- Expertise in data collection, analysis, and ethical research practices.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (knowledge of local languages such as Bemba or Tonga is an asset).
Submission Requirements
Interested consultants or research firms should submit:
- Administrative section – company profile, registration details, proof of tax compliance, and declaration of honour (Annex B).
- Technical proposal – detailed methodology, work plan, team CVs (max 3 pages each), and record of similar assignments.
- Financial proposal – all-inclusive quotation (in Euros) using the format provided in Annex A.
For more information and materials download the documents from Grade-wise Analysis Project - Google Drive
Submissions must be emailed to:
procurement-zm@vvob.org
with copies to Theresa.Lubozha@vvob.org and Sharon.Schroen@vvob.org
Subject line: Quotation – VVOB ZM-2025-09-01
Important Notes
- Only one quotation per applicant will be accepted.
- No subcontracting is allowed.
- Late submissions will not be considered.
- VVOB reserves the right not to award the contract.
