Baseline Study Akelius Project
full-time
About Plan International Plan International is a global development and humanitarian organisation dedicated to advancing children’s rights and achieving equality for girls. With over 80 years of experience, we work alongside children, young people, communities, and partners to address the root causes of inequality and challenges facing vulnerable children. We operate in over 75 countries, combining service delivery with evidence-based advocacy to drive change at local, national, and global levels. Plan International Nigeria, established in 2014, focuses on empowering girls and young women through gender-transformative programs and strategic interventions. Our Country Strategy (FY2024-2028), titled "All Girls Standing Strong Creating Global Change," aims to ensure 20 million girls in Nigeria can learn, lead, decide, and thrive. We prioritise inclusive and quality education, youth employment and entrepreneurship, sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition, early childhood development, and protection from violence. Context and Background Nigeria faces a profound education crisis. According to UNICEF, the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria has reached 18.95 million, the highest figure globally. Entrenched poverty, armed conflict (especially in northern Nigeria), insecurity, and deeply rooted socio-cultural barriers, including early marriage, child labour, and gender discrimination, have left millions of school-aged children, particularly girls and children with disabilities, excluded from the formal education system. Northern Nigeria is disproportionately affected: UNICEF has noted that states such as Kano, Sokoto, and Jigawa together account for approximately 16% of Nigeria's out-of-school children. This educational exclusion carries severe consequences: low literacy and numeracy skills, diminished livelihood opportunities, and a perpetuating cycle of poverty and inequality. In response, the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) was introduced as a nationally approved accelerated learning curriculum developed by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and endorsed by the National Council on Education in 2019. ABEP compresses the standard basic education curriculum into three levels covering five core subjects, equipping over-age and out-of-school learners (approximately ages 10–18) with foundational literacy, numeracy, life skills, and civic education competencies needed to re-engage with formal schooling or vocational training. Through a condensed, accelerated learning curriculum, ABEP enables learners to complete primary-level education in a shorter timeframe and supports their transition into formal schooling or vocational training pathways. The European Union-funded project "Accelerating Basic Education and Livelihood Opportunities for Children and Youth in North Western Nigeria" is implemented under a consortium led by Plan International, Save the Children International (SCI), and other National Organizations. The project operates in Jigawa, Kano, and Sokoto States and targets approximately 324,000 out-of-school children and youth, 194,400 females and 129,600 males, including an estimated 32,400 persons with disabilities (PwDs), who have either dropped out or never enrolled in formal school. Within the ABEP project, Plan International Nigeria is piloting the Akelius Digital Language Learning Platform to augment ABEP’s English literacy sessions in select centres in Kano State. The Akelius platform is a digital tool for language learning, offering interactive, gamified, offline-enabled English literacy content for children and supporting facilitators in blended learning approaches. The Akelius project is a 12-month pilot and will be implemented in 12 ABEP learning centres in Kumbotso, Gwale, and Nassarawa LGAs of Kano, reaching around 2,400 out-of-school learners (10–18 years old) facilitated by 24 trained ABEP facilitators. The ABEP curriculum delivery remains unchanged; the Akelius platform is integrated as a supplemental tool during regular literacy classes to reinforce English language skills, not to replace existing pedagogy. Through structured teaching methods combined with digital interactive content, the pilot aims to enhance learners’ English literacy outcomes while maintaining fidelity to the ABEP model. This innovative approach aligns with national priorities on digital education and is expected to generate insights on how technology can support accelerated learning for marginalised children, including girls and children with disabilities. To begin the implementation of Akelius across the selected centres, there is a critical need to generate robust and credible evidence around the practicality, contextuality and acceptability of the system. Also, the study is essential to establish a clear and objective reference point against which changes in learner outcomes and program performance can be measured over time. Project Specific Objectives Evaluate how the Akelius platform fits within the ABEP programme by looking at curriculum alignment, learner language levels, ease of use, and cultural relevance. Specific Objectives: Establish baseline benchmarks on learners’ English literacy skills in the Akelius pilot LGAs. Assess the availability, accessibility, and use of learning resources that support English literacy acquisition among ABEP learners. Examine facilitator capacity, preparedness, and digital competency for effective delivery of the Akelius model. Assess the digital readiness of learning centres, including infrastructure, device availability, functionality, and other enabling conditions for digital learning. Analyse key contextual, socio-educational, gender, disability, and inclusion-related factors influencing learner participation and learning outcomes. Identify implementation enablers, gaps, risks, and barriers that may affect the effectiveness of the Akelius pilot. Generate practical and evidence-based recommendations to guide implementation improvement, adaptive programming, and future scale-up. Produce reliable baseline evidence that will serve as a reference point for tracking progress at endline stages. Key Questions The study will be guided by the following key questions (to be refined at inception): Who are the learners targeted for the Akelius pilot, and do they reflect the intended profile of out-of-school children, especially girls and children with disabilities? What is the current English literacy level of learners before exposure to the Akelius platform? What foundational literacy gaps must be addressed for learners to benefit from Akelius-supported learning? What is the current level of learners’ digital literacy and readiness to use tablets and the Akelius platform? What is the current capacity of facilitators to deliver English literacy instruction using learner-centred, gender-responsive, inclusive, and digital-supported methods? What training and coaching support do facilitators require before implementation begins? How well does Akelius content align with ABEP English learning outcomes, learner levels, and classroom delivery arrangements? Are the selected learning centres ready in terms of space, safety, storage, power, device use, and basic learning conditions? What gender, disability, safeguarding, and digital safety risks should be addressed before rollout? What barriers may affect learners’ attendance, retention, and participation before and during implementation? What is the current level of caregiver, community, CBMC, and government stakeholder awareness and support for the pilot? What operational systems are in place for attendance tracking, lesson logs, learning-hour tracking, device accountability, and platform usage monitoring? What contextual, operational, inclusion, or technical risks could affect the successful implementation of the Akelius pilot? Scope of Work The baseline study will be conducted in Kano State, covering the three ABEP implementation LGAs of Kumbotso, Gwale, and Nassarawa. Each LGA has 4 centres with an average of 12 learning facilitator managers in an independent class. Target population and Stakeholders Target Population: The primary population of interest is the learning facilitator and out-of-school children (ages approximately 10–18) enrolled in the ABEP program. The sample and analysis must include adequate representation and disaggregation by gender (girls and boys) and disability status, to assess differences in outcomes and experiences. Stakeholders: In addition to learners and ABEP learning facilitators, the study should engage key stakeholders to understand the broader context and perceptions, for example: Parents/Caregivers of ABEP learners Government/Education personnel Community leaders CBMCs Project staff Project partners These stakeholders should be consulted to gather insights on program implementation, challenges, and perceived changes/impact. The consultant should also consider reviewing any relevant documents (project records, ABEP monitoring data, etc.) to complement primary data collection. Users of the Baseline study include: Plan International Government education stakeholders Donor Communities and beneficiaries. Baseline Design and Methodology The consultant shall design and implement a mixed-methods and utilisation-focused baseline study for the Akelius pilot project in Kano State. The study shall establish benchmark values for key indicators while generating practical evidence on learner English literacy levels, facilitator capacity, digital readiness, platform usability, curriculum alignment, safeguarding, gender and disability inclusion, community/government engagement, and implementation readiness. Sampling Design The consultant shall propose a sampling strategy for primary data collection to address the baseline study questions, including how respondents will be identified. More specifically, the intended sample strategy shall include a description of the: Sample size respondent disaggregation (this will be provided to the consultant) Number and type of locations Sampling approach (stating the reasons for the approach selected) Safeguarding Children and Young People Plan International is dedicated to actively safeguarding children and youth from harm and upholding their rights to protection. The organisation is committed to fostering child-safe practices and preventing harm, abuse, neglect, or exploitation in all interactions with Plan International-supported interventions. Strict measures are taken to prevent child abusers from associating with Plan International in any capacity, and decisive actions will be implemented against any staff member or associate found guilty of abuse. All decisions and actions in child protection matters will adhere to the principle of prioritising the best interests of the child. Given that the study will involve data collection with young people, the consultant will ensure safe, inclusive, and non-discriminatory participation, with particular emphasis on capturing the voices of adolescent girls and young women. Processes should prioritise free, informed, and unforced consent, with the option to withdraw at any time, while maintaining strict confidentiality and anonymity for participants. Data collection environments and methodologies should be adapted to ensure the comfort of young people, with sufficient time and resources allocated to help adolescent girls feel prepared and confident to express their views. Questions should be framed in an age-appropriate manner, considering participants' literacy levels, age, and disabilities. Also, sensitive topics should be approached using trauma-informed practices to avoid re-traumatisation for respondents who may have experienced violence, discrimination, or the impacts of flooding, such as injury, loss, or displacement. Key Safeguarding Measures: Confidentiality and Protection: Ensure the confidentiality and best interests of all participants throughout the assessment. Data Protection: Implement secure procedures for the handling and maintenance of personal information. Informed Consent: Apply age-appropriate assent and consent processes. Survivor-Centred Approach: Provide emotional support during data collection and ensure non-discrimination based on gender, disability, or other identities. Gender-Specific Deployment: Assign enumerators based on gender, ensuring female enumerators engage with female respondents and male enumerators with male respondents as much as possible to enhance comfort and inclusivity. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Strategy The following considerations should be prioritised to promote gender equality and social inclusion, with a focus on girls and PwDs: Participant Ratios: Where applicable, the study should ensure a gender ratio of 40% males and 60% females. Gender and Disability-Sensitive Practices: Female facilitators should lead FGDs with women and adolescent girls’ groups to ensure a comfortable environment. Ethical Considerations The consultant should adhere to national and global ethical standards to safeguard participants and include a statement in the proposal showing how to ensure the integrity of the study. Key ethical commitments include: Risk Mitigation: Comprehensive projection of potential risks and subsequent planning and implementation of mitigation strategies. Informed Consent: Secure consent from all participants, including parental consent for adolescents, and uphold the right to withdraw at any point. Anonymity and Confidentiality: Ensure participant privacy and secure handling of all data. Ethical Approvals: Secure internal and external approvals from Plan International’s Global Hub or National/State Ethical Boards, as required. Inclusivity: Ensure equal and fair participation opportunities while protecting vulnerable groups. Quality Assurance The methodology should include measures to ensure data quality and validity, including training of data collectors with practice sessions; standardised procedures; continuous oversight through back-checks, spot-checks, and daily debriefing sessions; triangulation across sources; and documentation of any limitations. Plan International expects the methodology to be rigorous yet practical, yield credible evidence, and directly inform decision-making. The safety and dignity of participants, particularly children, are paramount in all methodological decisions. Key Deliverables Inception report including: an updated timeline a study matrix a detailed methodology, including draft sampling methodology and size draft data collection tools ethical and safeguarding considerations and risk assessment consent forms for any primary data collection draft methods for data analysis and quality control brief justification of the methods and techniques envisaged (including relevant underlying values and assumptions/ theories) with a justification of the selection made. Final data collection tools Final Sampling methodology (including unit of sampling and sampling frame) and size Draft baseline report, including cleaned data files (e.g. Excel, SPSS), transcripts of qualitative data syntax/ code books, etc. and completed consent forms (including for children and their caregivers and adults if any. Final baseline report including Executive Summary Baseline study brief in PPPT Submission Requirement. Technical proposal showing the approach to addressing the baseline study questions. Detailed Financial proposal with a breakdown of activity costs. At least 2 samples of past baseline or evaluation reports conducted (It should not be more than 5 years old) Reference/commendation letter from the past organisation you have worked with. Timeline/Schedule of Activities (Indicative) The consultant is expected to span approximately 6–10 weeks from start to final outputs. Bidders may propose the exact duration and work plan, but a tentative timeline of approximately two months is envisaged. Budget The Baseline study proposal should include a detailed budget breakdown, including fees, the number of working days, and all other output-related costs. The payment shall be in instalments and subject to the delivery of outputs and their formal approval by Plan International Nigeria Qualifications of Consultant(s) A proven track record of conducting high-quality baseline or evaluation studies in digital education or similar sectors, preferably in Northwest Nigeria. Minimum of 7 years of experience in coordinating, administering and leading digital baseline/mid-term/end-line studies, including gender-sensitive data collection and entry, Data management and storage, preferably for international non-profit organisations or multilateral/ bilateral agencies and multi-country studies; Demonstrated experience in facilitation and supervising data collectors/enumerators and data entry clerks to collect and enter data as per high-quality standards; Demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis; Knowledge and experience with education, especially girl child education. Knowledge of and experience in gender issues are highly preferred; Fluency in English and Hausa (spoken and written); Ability to produce high-quality work under tight timeframes; Ability to work jointly with Plan International Further information regarding this opportunity, including all relevant annexes to be completed, can be accessed via the link below: https://tinyurl.com/4cabwzz6