Terms of Reference (TOR): Development of Strategy for Behavioral Change of Teachers and Education Stakeholders

Terms of Reference: Development of Strategy for Behavioral Change of Teachers and Education Stakeholders

1. Introduction of Ujyalo Nepal

Ujyalo Nepal, established in 2078 BS, is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering community development and empowerment. Its core focus areas include Health, Education, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Disaster Risk Reduction, and Infrastructure Development. Since its inception, Ujyalo Nepal has actively supported marginalized communities by rebuilding schools, toilets, and homes post-earthquake. The organization has conducted health camps, distributed wheelchairs to individuals with disabilities, provided teacher training programs, and supplied essential school materials such as ICT tools to enhance digital learning. Additionally, it has improved drinking water facilities and constructed community centers to strengthen local infrastructure. These initiatives have positively impacted communities in Dolakha, Ramechhap, and Kavrepalanchowk districts.

2. Introduction to the project

The project titled Bridging Educational Gaps and Enhancing Academic Success is being implemented in Panchkhal Municipality, Kavre District, Nepal, from January to December 2025. As a pilot initiative addressing low pass rates among students in grades 8 to 10 across three secondary schools, the project is supported by Childaid Network (Germany) and Lichtblick Germany. It aims to reduce educational disparities through a multifaceted approach:

• Engaging parents via awareness programs.
• Providing supplemental classes to regular schooling. 
• Offering long-term professional development opportunities for teachers. 

By fostering sustainable pedagogical changes among educators and enhancing parental involvement, the project seeks to create a supportive learning environment that boosts students' education quality.

3. Objective of the study

The main goal of this assignment is to develop a behaviorally-informed strategy that improves teachers’ motivation and teaching practices, while also strengthening the engagement and attitudes of other key education stakeholders. The strategy should help bring about long-term, positive behavior changes among teachers, school leadership, local government, parents, and the wider community. These changes should lead to a more supportive and effective learning environment for students in grades 8 to 10 in Panchkhal Municipality.

To do so, the consultant or firm will examine how behavioral factors—such as mindsets, habits, social norms, and institutional incentives—affect teaching quality, student participation, and stakeholder involvement. Based on these insights, the strategy should propose practical, context-sensitive, and sustainable interventions that:

• Boost teacher motivation and accountability
• Encourage student-centered teaching approaches
• Improve meaningful parental and community participation in education
• Strengthen coordination and commitment among schools and local government actors

4. Methodology

The consultant or firm will use a participatory and practical approach to understand the current situation and design a strategy that leads to real behaviour change in schools and among education stakeholders. The work should focus on what motivates people, how they act in everyday school settings, and what support they need to improve.

Review and Context Understanding:

• Review international best practices and evidence-based approaches that link teacher motivation, professional development, and stakeholder engagement with improved student academic performance, especially in low-resource settings.
• Map existing teacher support programs in schools and the municipality to identify what’s working and what’s missing.

Stakeholder Discussions:

Talk to the people directly involved through interviews and group discussions, including:

• Subject teachers (especially Math, Science, and English)
• Head teachers and school management committee members
• Municipal and ward-level education officials
• Parents and guardians of students in grades 8–10
• Students (girls and boys, separately if needed)
• Youth or recent graduates
• Community-based education influencers.

Classroom and School Observations

• Visit classrooms to observe teaching methods, how teachers and students interact, and the overall learning environment.
• Observe teacher meetings and how they work together and support each other.
• Identify behavioral challenges—like unclear roles, lack of feedback, low confidence, or missing recognition—that may reduce motivation and performance.

Strategy Design for Behaviour Change

Develop a simple, practical strategy to improve behavior and motivation among teachers, parents, school leaders, and government stakeholders.

The strategy should include:

• Motivation: How to inspire and keep teachers committed to improving learning.
• Capacity: What routines or habits help teachers use good teaching practices.
• Opportunity: How schools and local systems can make it easier to teach well and stay engaged.

Suggest easy-to-apply and low-cost ideas like small reminders, peer support groups, recognition tools, and ways to involve parents more. 

Include a basic plan for how to track changes in behaviour using simple indicators.

5. Deliverables

Inception Report

Purpose: Lay the groundwork for the project by setting expectations and ensuring alignment with stakeholders (not more than 5 pages).

• Confirmation of project scope, deliverables, and timelines based on the kick-off meeting.
• Evaluation of study objectives, potential challenges, and adjustments needed.
• Study design including data collection methods (interviews, observations, FGDs).
• Stakeholder list with clear participation details.
• Detailed work plan with milestones, timelines, and field visit schedules.
• Identification of support needs from Ujyalo Nepal, local authorities, or others.

Stakeholder Insights and Classroom Observations Summary

Purpose: Provide clear, digestible insights from stakeholder consultations and classroom observations to guide strategy development.

• Stakeholder consultation findings: Key insights from interviews with teachers, parents, students, and education officials.
• Classroom observations summary: Behavioral and motivational barriers identified through direct observation of teaching methods, teacher-student interactions, and overall school environment.
• Key challenges and opportunities: A concise list of the most critical barriers affecting teacher motivation, stakeholder engagement, and student participation.

This will highlight immediate issues and opportunities for intervention in a practical, straightforward format (not more than 5 pages)

Behavior Change Strategy Document

Purpose: Provide a practical, action-oriented strategy for behavior change among teachers, parents, and education stakeholders (not more than 10 pages)

• Clear goals: Specific and achievable targets for teacher motivation, accountability, and stakeholder engagement.
• Practical interventions: Simple, cost-effective behavior change strategies such as nudges, peer support networks, recognition mechanisms, and parent engagement initiatives.
• Tailored recommendations: Focused suggestions based on classroom observations and stakeholder feedback, aimed at improving teacher development and engagement.
• Monitoring framework: A lightweight system for tracking behavioral changes over time with simple indicators, ensuring easy implementation and tracking.

This will provide actionable steps for improving the education system with a focus on scalability and sustainability.

Final Presentation and Discussion

Purpose: Share the strategy and engage stakeholders in discussions about next steps.

• Summary of key findings and strategy: An overview of the behavior change strategy, insights from consultations, and suggested interventions.
• Discussion on next steps: Collaborative planning for implementation and monitoring, addressing any remaining concerns or questions.

This presentation will ensure alignment on the final strategy and foster a collaborative approach for implementation.

Final Report

Purpose: Present a consolidated, well-structured document for stakeholders, focusing on clarity, actionable recommendations, and practical applications.

• Executive summary: A concise overview of the study, including findings and actionable recommendations.
• Methodology: Simple explanation of the approach and data collection methods used.
• Findings: Key insights from stakeholder consultations, classroom observations, and behavioral analysis.
• Recommendations: Actionable steps for improving teacher motivation, accountability, and stakeholder engagement.
• Annexes: Supporting materials, such as raw data, observation notes, or interview transcripts, provided separately for transparency.

This final report will be under 30 pages, ensuring it is digestible and directly aligned with stakeholder needs and expectations.

Summary of Deliverables:

• Inception Report: Aligns project scope, confirms timelines, and outlines study methods.
• Stakeholder Insights & Classroom Observations Summary: Condenses key observations into actionable insights.
• Behavior Change Strategy: Focused on practical, scalable interventions with a monitoring framework.
• Final Presentation: Engages stakeholders with strategy highlights and next steps.
• Final Report: Consolidates findings and recommendations in a clear, structured format.
• By focusing on practical insights and outcomes, these deliverables are designed to be immediately usable, ensuring efficient implementation and effective stakeholder engagement.

6. Consultancy Work Plan

Phase 1: Kick-Off and Contextual Understanding (up to 4 Consultancy days)

• Kick-off meeting with Ujyalo Nepal and funding partners to confirm requirements, clarify deliverables, and align expectations.
• Context review: Review international best practices on teacher motivation, professional development, and stakeholder engagement in low-resource education systems.
• Map existing teacher support programs in schools and municipalities to identify gaps, strengths, and opportunities.

Phase 2: Stakeholder Consultations (up to 6 Consultancy days)

• Interviews with key stakeholders:
  • Subject teachers (Math, Science, and English)
  • Head teachers and school management committee members
  • Municipal and ward-level education officials
  • Parents and guardians of students in grades 8–10
  • Students (gender-segregated, if necessary)
  • Youth or recent graduates
  • Community-based education influencers
• Facilitate Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with parents, teachers, and community stakeholders to gather insights on challenges, motivations, and opportunities for improvement.

Phase 3: Classroom and School Observations (up to 10 Consultancy days)

• Classroom observations to assess teaching methods, teacher-student interactions, and the overall learning environment.
• Teacher meetings observations to analyze collaboration and peer support mechanisms.
• Behavioral mapping to identify bottlenecks (e.g., unclear roles, lack of feedback, low confidence, insufficient recognition).

Phase 4: Strategy Development for Behavioural Change (up to 10 Consultancy days)

• Behavioral analysis: Analyze data from stakeholder consultations and classroom observations to identify behavioral patterns and barriers to change.
• Strategy development: Create a behavior change strategy with clear goals and practical, scalable interventions. Focus on:
  • Boosting teacher motivation and accountability
  • Encouraging student-cantered teaching approaches
  • Improving parental and community involvement
  • Strengthening coordination between schools and local government
• Behavioral interventions: Suggest low-cost, practical interventions like nudges, peer networks, recognition systems, and parent involvement models.
• Behavioral monitoring framework: Propose a simple system to track changes in teacher and stakeholder behavior over time.

Phase 5: Final Presentation and Reporting (up to 2 Consultancy days)

• Final presentation of the developed behavior change strategy to Ujyalo Nepal and key stakeholders.
• Discussion on implementation, challenges, and monitoring the success of the strategy.

The consultancy period will run from May 2025 to July 2025 for up to 32 days.

7. Essential Criteria of Qualification 

The consultant must meet the following criteria: 

• Master’s degree in Psychology, Behavioral Science, Behavioral Economics, Human-Centered Design, or a related field. A background in education is an added advantage if combined with strong behavioral expertise.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience applying behavioral insights and nudging approaches to design and implement behavior change interventions, preferably in low-resource, public sector, or development contexts.
• Proven ability to translate research and behavioral findings into practical, scalable interventions that improve motivation, accountability, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience conducting behavioral diagnostics to identify psychological, social, and contextual drivers of behavior and designing, testing, and adapting small-scale behavioral interventions (e.g., nudges, prompts, feedback loops) using iterative, user-centered approaches and proven experience in applying behavioral change theories and models (e.g., COM-B model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Social Cognitive Theory).
• Skilled in designing strategies that target individual behaviors and transform institutional and community practices (e.g., school management, parental involvement, government support) to sustain these changes. Experiences in addressing systemic barriers to behavioral change in education, such as school policies, resource allocation, and institutional norms, is an asset.
• Strong ability to work collaboratively within school systems while fostering trust among educators and community stakeholders and advising public institutions, civil society actors, or education systems on behavior change is a strong asset.

8. Application Process: 

Interested candidates or firms must submit: 

• A detailed CV/profile highlighting relevant experience. 
• A proposal outlining their approach to fulfilling ToR. 
• Two references from previous similar assignments (with contact details). 
• For firms: Copies of firm registration certificate, VAT registration certificate, latest Tax clearance certificate (or tax exemption certificate if applicable). 
• For individuals (Nepalese): Copies of citizenship certificate and VAT registration certificate. 
• An application letter including remuneration requirements (daily rate) and total cost for the stated task. 

Applications missing any required documents will not be reviewed.

9. Submission Details:  

Qualified candidates/firms are requested to submit their application letter along with proposals via email: ujyalonepal759@gmail.com

Posted date: 12 April, 2025

Apply before: 26 April, 2015

Note: The sub-contract from the consultant for the services is not acceptable.