Professional Local Expert (Independent/Body) for Training and operation manager for TOEIC Program

I. Introduction

The Municipality of Tripoli received on the 15^th of January 2016 a grant from the European Union (EU) to realize the project” Improvement of Development Process and Local Governance in the Municipality of Tripoli” over a period extending to 48 months that included 2 extension periods of 6 months each. The overall objective of the project is to improve the institutional and operational contribution to governance and development process in the Municipality of Tripoli. The Specific objectives of the project are to improve access in Bab El Tabbane, Jabal Mohsen and El Ghouraba to basic and adequate social services on a sustainable basis. All three communities will benefit from a positive impact on different levels especially on Health, Education, Job Creation and awareness levels. Five Expected results derive from the project.

II. The project

The project derives from four basic facts advanced by the Municipality of Tripoli:

1. The local authority and civil society are in need for capacity building,
2. Health is a fundamental human right and should be available to all people regardless of gender, social class, ethnicity and age,
3. Job opportunities are very limited due to the deficiency of educational skills,
4. Recreational activities allowing the cohesion of the dissimilar zones allow a better synergy.

One of the most requirements on the Job market in Lebanon is the language especially the English language and as we know that unemployment is the most dangerous problem in the rising of crime rate. In the area of intervention large number of youth are not qualified in the language especially in English, and not educated which pushed them to potential risks such as extremism, terrorism, etc. The high rate of unemployment in the project areas reaches 65% among the labor forces, exceeding 30% for men and 91.5% for women.

The above issue originates from the fact that the public schools in Bab El Tabbaneh, Jabal Mohsen and Ghoraba do not focus on language, and students in this area don’t have enough money to pay the high cost of the private English centers. 

A main component of the project consists of equipping the existing educational centers and vocational centers with equipment and programs including a business English language (“TOEIC Bridge”) given by AMIDEAST.

The certification will allow better employment opportunities, increased confidence through achievement of an internationally recognized standard, increased productivity, fostered creativity and innovation, and optimized return on investment in technology.

As for “TOEIC Bridge” program managed by AMIDEAST, it will be implemented in two phases:

1. The first phase consists of TOEIC /bridge Specialized Semi-Private Teacher Training, purchasing the TOEIC Bridge Test Preparation Book, and administering the Standardized Pre-Course Placement test.

2. The second phase consists of Exam and Institutional Score Roster after the expert who is recruited by the Municipality completes the training for the students.

The stakeholders, mainly Vocational and Technical General Directorate of Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) as well as social-oriented CSOs working in the targeted areas, will be involved in the planning phase of the project and they will play an important role to ensure a proper sustainability of the whole provided services.

The project plans to finance the purchase of equipment and supplies, the teachers’ fees and the students’ exams fees and tool kits. 

To tackle the handicap which is facing the graduated students to access the labor market, represented by lack of foreign languages especially in English, the proposed action, through the AMIDEAST “TOEIC Bridge” program will provide students and people in need with the tools, materials, methodology and certificates. AMIDEAST will prepare the teachers so they can teach according to the methodology and curriculum set by them.

The participants in this program from Jabal Mohsen, Tabbaneh, and Al Ghoraba will benefit from the previous services without paying any fees.

A first session for TOEIC was realized previously during the project implementation. The project was extended for an additional six-month where another session for TOEIC will be realized.

III. Tasks

For this purpose and according to the stipulations of article 3.2.3 of the “Practical Guide” for European Union external actions “applicable from 15/07/2015, the Municipality of Tripoli is seeking to contract a short-term local expert to act as a manager for TOEIC program and to perform the following tasks in coordination with the project team:

• Coordinate about all training and testing program components and follow up any needed modification
• Coordinate with the project team and the teacher in elaborating the training schedule and all the phases of implementation, especially in setting the dates of the placement test and the final test and for ordering the books before 4 weeks
• Prepare the final training schedule 
• Prepare an excel sheet containing the name of the candidates, phone numbers and addresses.
• Ensure that all required documents for registration are provided by each trainee when applicable.
• Organize the training sessions and all the logistics arrangements and any material needed to be provided for the trainees.
• Coordinate with the manager of the vocational training center.
• Make sure the venue is reserved and ready to receive the trainees (sound, lighting, table, etc.)
• Ensure that the books are provided to the trainees and prepare a list of received books by the trainees signed by the trainees, the trainer and the manager.
• Take the attendance of the trainer and the trainees, and provide it to the project team after the ending of the course. Each attendance sheet should be signed by the trainees, the trainer and the manager.
• Prepare a list of the trainees who realized the placement and final tests that should be signed by them and the manager.
• Follow up with the trainer and the trainees in case of any absences.
• Manage efficiently the implementation of the training program.
• Assist in the registration all participants interested in enrolling in the trainings.
• Elaborate an evaluation report after finishing the TOEIC that includes all the required documents such as the candidates’ names, placement tests taken by the participants, final table summarizing the test taken by the trainees with the grades, a comparison table for the trainees that realized the placement and final test, the attendance sheets of the participants and photos to give an overview about the program’s implementation.
• Elaborate a wrap up report for future capitalization that includes evaluation of the impact of the training program in coordination with the trainers, including the attendance of the participants and if there are any recommendations. 
• Assist and participate in the closing ceremony of the program.

IV. Contract duration and contract ceiling

The contract duration is 60 days and will start after its signature with the Municipality of Tripoli and after coordination with the project team. The maximum amount allocated to the contract is: 1800 Euros

V. Evaluation of proposals and award of the contract

Proposals will be evaluated by the concerned committee. Methodology and CV will have a grade over 80 and the financial offer will have a grade over 20.

VI. Dependence

The expert will communicate with the Project Coordinator along the way to make sure the project gets all positive chances to end up successfully and shall feed the steering committee with all needed info to make sure the program is being run in a transparent manner.

VII. Deliverables

The following deliverables are requested from the local expert:

• A work sheet showing the final training schedule including the dates for the placement and final tests 
• An excel sheet containing the name of the candidates, phone numbers and addresses.
• Attendance sheets signed by the trainer, the trainees and the managers
• The list of received books by the trainees signed by the trainees, the trainer and the manager.
• An integrated evaluation report that includes all the required documents such as the candidates’ names, placement tests taken by the participants, final table summarizing the test taken by the trainees with the grades, a comparison table for the trainees that realized the placement and final test, the attendance sheets of the participants and photos to give an overview about the program’s implementation.
• A wrap up report for future capitalization that includes evaluation of the impact of the training program in coordination with the trainers, including the attendance of the participants and if there are any recommendations. 
• A list of signatures of trainees who took the placement and final tests
• A wrap up report for future capitalization that includes evaluation of the impact of the training program and any recommendations. 

All above deliverables should be presented in English as hard copy (2 copies) and soft copy. A synthesis (summary) in Arabic of the deliverables should be presented as well to the Municipality.

VIII. Education/Professional experience and skills

The candidate should have:

• An academic formation in a related field.
• Previous experience in managing and organizing training sessions.
• Arabic language, fluency in English is a must (Fluency in French is an additional asset)