1.  INTRODUCTION

The Aga Khan Foundation, Pakistan (AKF (P)) is seeking a consultant(s) to conduct an independent assessment of its School Improvement Programme (SIP) in the mountainous regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral (GBC). Launched in 2016 with 60 schools, SIP now expanded to 522 government and community schools across seven districts in GBC. Building on Phase II annual baseline studies for each new cohort, this assessment will evaluate progress, measure impact, especially students learning outcomes, and identify areas for enhancement. The results of the assessments will: 

• Inform programme improvement 

• Promote the replication of successful SIP interventions within the government systems.

• Guide policy dialogue at regional and national levels 

2. BACKGROUND OF PROJECT

The SIP aims to improve the learning outcomes of children in government and community schools and communities in the designated geographical areas in GBC. It is designed to address key priorities outlined in the Gilgit-Baltistan Education Strategy (2015-2030) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Sector Plan 2020-2025, including access and equity; quality and relevance; and governance and management. 

The SIP model, created by AKF, applies a whole school, child-centered, participatory approach that builds the capacity of all stakeholders, teachers, head teachers, parents, school management committees and education officials. It aligns with national commitments and global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG4: Quality Education. Key features of SIP include a) focus on school readiness, increase access and retention, and supportive families and systems; and b) multi-level interventions at classroom, school, community and system levels. The programme is being implemented by the technical support of the Professional Development Centres in Gilgit (PDCN) and Chitral (PDCC) of the Aga Khan University–Institute for Educational Development and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) as an implementing partner for providing ongoing mentoring and field support to schools.

AKF is commissioning this independent assessment to determine SIP’s contributions to: 

• Equitable access to quality education 

• Improved teaching and learning environments 

• Improved students learning outcomes 

• Improved teachers and educators’ capacity 

• Strengthened ownership by local authorities and communities 

3. PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE ASSESSMENT STUDY

 3.1 Purpose 

To conduct an inclusive, gender-sensitive, and mixed-method assessment of SIP to evaluate progress, outcomes against the expected outcomes and to provide actionable recommendations for programme refinement, replication and scale-up.

3.2 Objectives

The assessment will: 

1. Measure progress and impact against Learning Outcomes and LFA indicators.

2. Identify lessons learned and best practices.

3. Assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and sustainability of SIP strategies.

4. Provide recommendations for programme adaptation, scale-up, and integration within government systems.

3.3 Scope

• Geographical coverage: All seven SIP districts in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral (detailed list to be provided).

• Timeframe: The evaluation will review progress since inception (2016) with a focus on results achieved during Phase II (2019–2025).

• Thematic focus: Learning outcomes, teaching quality, governance, gender responsiveness, equity, and sustainability.

4. SPECIFIC EVALUATION QUESTIONS 

The assessment will be guided by the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, and equity). Key questions include:

• Relevance: How well does SIP align with local education strategies, community needs, and global SDG 4 targets?

• Effectiveness: To what extent has SIP improved student learning outcomes, teaching practices, and school governance?

• Efficiency: Were resources (financial, human, technical) used optimally to achieve results?

• Impact: What measurable changes have occurred at child, teacher, school, community, and system levels?

• Sustainability: To what extent are SIP interventions likely to be sustained and/or scaled within the government system?

• Equity & Inclusion: How effectively has SIP addressed gender, disability, and marginalization?

(A detailed table of sub-questions linked to LFA indicators and baseline studies should be annexed.)

5. KEY ACTIVITIES AND DELIVERABLES

5.1 Activities 

• Recruitment of qualified study team

• Desk/document review 

• Inception meeting and inception report 

• Enumerators recruitment and training (including ethics and safeguarding)

• Field data collection (quantitative and qualitative)

• Data cleaning, synthesis and analysis

• Validation and reflection workshops with stakeholders 

• Draft and final report submission

5.2 Key Deliverables 

• Inception Report – methodology, tools, implementation plan, quality assurance mechanism

• Field Data Collection Outputs – datasets, transcripts, field notes.

• Reflection Workshop – participatory presentation of findings with stakeholders 

• Draft Report – detailed findings, lessons learned, and preliminary recommendations 

• Final Report – refined based on feedback, with an executive summary, case studies, visual data, and a recommendations matrix (short-term, medium and long-term) 

• Presentations to AKF, implementing agencies and government stakeholders - power point and policy brief summarizing key findings. 

6. QUALIFICATIONS OF CONSULTANT(S)

The consultant/team should demonstrate:

• Master’s or equivalent relevant qualification in education, development studies, public policy, economics or related fields.

• Minimum 15 years professional experience, including at least 10 years in education evaluation in developing contexts. 

• Proven experience in mixed method evaluation, impact assessments and large-scale data collection. 

• Experience in school development, teacher professional development and education governance. 

• Experience in conducting impact assessments, evaluations, and reviews for UN agencies, international education development organizations, government and NGOs.

• Credible records and references of previous consulting experiences in Pakistan.

• Strong analytical, writing and facilitation skills.

• Fluency in English language, knowledge of local languages is an advantage. 

7. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Interested applicants should submit technical and financial proposals by August 31, 2025 email to: [email protected]. 

Technical proposal must include: 

• Consultant/s profile, CV and relevant experience. 

• Detailed methodology and conceptual framework 

• Workplan and timelines 

• Proposed team composition and roles

• Quality assurance and risk mitigation plan 

Financial proposal must include lump-sum cost with breakdown (fees, travel, logistics, number of working days).

8. ETHICS and SAFEGUARDING

• All activities must adhere to AKF’s safeguarding policy, child protection guidelines, and ethical research standards.

• Informed consent must be obtained from all participants.

• Data confidentiality and secure storage must be ensured.

• Mandatory training will be provided to the selected consultant(s)