USAID IMPROVED LEARNING OUTCOMES IN PRIMARY EDUCATION (USAID SABER)” | RFI 72065620

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI 72065620

USAID/Mozambique released a planning notice for an anticipated education activity tentatively titled "USAID Improved Learning Outcomes in Primary Education (USAID SABER)." This announcement is not a grant competition or a request for proposals. It is a Request for Information (RFI) meant to gather market feedback and practical comments on a draft Statement of Objectives (SOO) so USAID can refine the project design before issuing any future solicitation. USAID emphasizes that it does not intend to fund anything based on this RFI, will not pay for the information provided, and will treat all submissions as informational only under FAR 52.215-3. Responses are intended to help USAID understand what approaches are feasible, cost-effective, and context-appropriate in Mozambique, especially for early grade literacy and bilingual education.

The RFI is open to both U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, with unrestricted eligibility at this stage because it is only a request for comments. USAID is specifically seeking insights on current trends, lessons learned, implementation opportunities and pitfalls, and ideas for what might or might not work in the Mozambican primary education context. Respondents are encouraged to comment not only on technical approaches, but also on design choices that shape procurement later on, such as whether the eventual mechanism should be acquisition or assistance, which geographic areas are likely to have the greatest need, possible NAICS code alignment, and other market considerations. USAID notes that this is not a formal Q&A period and the government does not plan to issue direct responses to submitted questions; instead, the input will be used internally to strengthen the eventual SOO and solicitation package.

Submissions must be emailed (no hard copies) by the stated closing date (October 6, 2020) to the listed USAID contacts: Mr. Jean-Jacques Badiane (jbadiane@usaid.gov) and Ms. Judite Caetano (jcaetano@usaid.gov). Responses must be written in English and follow strict formatting and length rules. Each submission must include: a one-page cover sheet with basic organizational and contact information plus self-certification of business size and socio-economic status; up to four pages of comments and questions responding to the draft SOO and USAID's design questions; and a capability statement section that applies only to U.S. small businesses. The total page limit is five pages including any attachments, using single spacing on 8.5 x 11 inch pages, with Times New Roman 11-point font (or similar), in MS Word or PDF.

In terms of technical focus, USAID frames the activity around improving primary education outcomes, with strong emphasis on early grade reading and bilingual instruction. The RFI highlights several persistent constraints observed in Mozambique and asks respondents to propose workable, cost-conscious solutions grounded in evidence and field experience. One set of questions centers on classroom instruction: what has proven cost-effective in low-resource environments for boosting early grade reading, particularly where bilingual programs are being rolled out. Another major issue is absenteeism. USAID cites 2019 midline EGRA findings linking high rates of school director and teacher absenteeism to student absenteeism and chronic tardiness that disrupts lesson implementation. Respondents are asked to suggest strategies to reduce absenteeism among teachers and school leaders and to recommend remediation approaches that help students recover learning time after missing school days.

The RFI also calls out gaps in translating gender and inclusion policies into day-to-day teaching practice. While teachers may have general guidance, USAID notes that guidance often stops at basic participation parity (for example, seating arrangements or calling equally on boys and girls) and does not fully address broader gender equality and inclusion. The low proportion of female teachers is identified as another structural barrier. USAID asks for ideas on how bilingual education training and monitoring can better operationalize gender approaches in practical terms, meaning what teachers should do and how they should do it, and how supervisors can observe and support those behaviors consistently.

Another set of questions focuses on student learning outcomes beyond the classroom, based on EGRA findings that much of the variation in reading performance is explained by factors outside school. USAID highlights a specific context challenge: many children do not see written forms (scripts) of their first language until they arrive at school for the first time. Respondents are asked to propose intervention designs that help children learn to read in their own language by leveraging what they already know from home, even when print exposure is minimal. USAID also asks for concrete suggestions on home and community support, including ways to help parents and caregivers engage children in reading-related activities at home, recognizing that strengthening literacy environments outside school may be essential to improving outcomes.

A third theme is strengthening teacher professional development, especially for bilingual literacy instruction. USAID references EGRA findings that many teachers themselves have very low oral reading fluency in students' first languages. Teacher oral reading fluency in national languages is reported at roughly 40 to 50 words per minute when 90 words per minute would be considered strong, implying that many teachers may not be well positioned to teach reading effectively without targeted support. USAID is therefore seeking innovative, cost-effective coaching and ongoing professional support models, particularly in contexts where coaches or supervisors may not share the same language as the teacher or the learners. The RFI also raises the prevalence of multigrade classrooms, asking what bilingual pedagogical approaches and instructional materials are necessary for teachers managing multiple grades, ages, and ability levels simultaneously.

Finally, USAID addresses linguistic mismatch between teachers and students. Although one cited conclusion suggests that having a teacher who is not a native speaker of the students' first language may not be the dominant factor given overall low results, the RFI notes that language mismatch does affect achievement and asks for creative approaches and incentive structures that could help students learn to read and write despite these constraints. Overall, the document signals that USAID is aiming to shape a future primary education activity that combines practical classroom-level improvement, stronger teacher capacity and coaching, gender and inclusion that goes beyond policy statements, and intentional engagement of families and communities to support literacy development.

• The Mozambique USAID-Maputo in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "USAID IMPROVED LEARNING OUTCOMES IN PRIMARY EDUCATION (USAID SABER)”" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-09-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-10-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for RFI 72065620

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