Overview : The activity covers the development of a Financial Education curriculum providing targeted and comprehensive Financial Education learning within the three RTCs to as many students as possible in a sustained manner. The curriculum will be responsive to areas of weakness in financial competencies at the national level. The development of the curriculum, will be followed by resource development, rigorous teacher training, implementation and review. A set of comprehensive assessment and impact tools will be designed, to be administered and monitored during the piloting and implementation stages. Reporting will be required over the duration of the initiative. 2.2 The activity involves firstly, a stocktake of Financial Education across the existing TVET/RTC curriculum for the subjects being taught at the three RTCs and documentation and classroom materials available within the three RTCs. 2.3 The activity involves, secondly the development of a complete set of detailed framework of learning outcomes, the identification of the method and means of introduction and the embedding within curriculum documentation and documents. The learning outcomes must be worded in the appropriate language for introduction taking into consideration existing curriculum documents and be developed using a consultative approach. How such an initiative would be replicated/introduced beyond the three RTCs must also be considered when designing the framework of learning outcomes. 2.4 In order to prepare the detailed framework of learning outcomes for the three RTCs, the broad areas of review and assessment will include, but will not be limited to: (i) National policy, vision, and expectations of Financial Education; (ii) A review of the current education curriculum of the three RTCs and the proposed and approved Financial Education curriculum design pre-established under prior PFIP activity with MEHRD; (iii) Teaching and learning resources available at the three RTCs; (iv) Processes for introducing or integrating new learning into the curriculum of the three RTCs; and (v) Financial and budgetary situation of the three RTCs, the ACOM Educational Board and the ACOM to support this initiative in the medium to long term. 2.5 In undertaking curriculum design and development, the following must be seriously considered and appropriate strategies designed to enhance opportunities and to mitigate risks: (i) To make available Financial Education learning to as many students as possible (regardless of subject streaming) over a sustained period; (ii) The existing human capacities and institutional structures within the three RTCs and available to the three RTCs; (iii) Ensure sustainability; (iv) Optimize ownership and buy-in by the three RTCs staff members, provincial administration, students, parents, the private sector, and other key stakeholders; and (v) Address national financial competency areas of weakness. 32 2.6 The third aspect of the activity involves the development of a suite of contextualised, sustainable, user-friendly and pilot-tested teacher and student resources with which to deliver the Financial Education learning. A consultative approach to the development of resources must be used. Where translation of these resources may be needed, these must be factored into the teacher and student resources development timelines and costing. 2.7 The fourth aspect of the activity is the development and application of a set of easy to use, sustainable and comprehensive student impact assessment and monitoring and evaluation tools, which will be used to respond to assess the effectiveness of the initiative on an ongoing basis. The set of tools must be developed in consideration of national financial competency areas of interest. During the period of the activity, the set of tools must be developed, used, results reported on an ongoing basis and at completion a revised set of tools must be handed over to the three RTCs and the ACOM Education Board on behalf of the ACOM. 2.8 The fifth aspect of the activity is the development of and conduct of a series of teacher familiarisation and teacher training workshops for all relevant teachers at the three RTCs. Teacher familiarisation will assist with the consultations on curriculum and resource development, whilst the teacher training is to ensure that the teachers are able to effectively use the teacher resources to meet Financial Education learning objectives. The successful tender will be responsible for the necessary approvals for the teacher familiarisation and teacher training workshops. 2.9 A key part of the activity is a six-month pilot across all areas of introduction, this piloting activity will inform curriculum edits, teacher and student resource edits, the set of tools to measure effectiveness and the teacher training and familiarisation. Learning from the six-month pilot will result in the review of the aforementioned areas for full scale implementation in the three RTCs thereafter. Reporting during this pilot period must be made directly to the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) as well as to three RTCs and the ACOM Education Board on behalf of the ACOM. 2.10 The seventh aspect of the activity is the provision of Technical Assistance to the three RTCs to facilitate the three RTCs to move forward independently with the Financial Education teaching and learning, which it may also be interested in providing in an amended form via short courses to their wider community. 2.11 The successful tenderer will consult with, but is not limited to, the following stakeholders: (i) The ACOM and the ACOM Education Board; (ii) The three pre-identified RTCS; (iii) The formal education sector, i.e. MEHRD’s TVET section and other bodies to be implemented under the recently approved TVET Education Bill; (iv) Education and training services providers in Solomon Islands; (v) The Central Bank of the Solomon Islands and stakeholders working on the agenda of Financial Education; (vi) Financial service providers providing and potentially providing services to students at TVET institutions/RTCs, in schools and/or who currently provide financial literacy training. 33 2.12 Optimal consideration must be given to the teaching of financial literacy to the female student, and to make lessons accessible and appropriate to female students at all levels – without reinforcing traditional gender roles. The consultants will be also guided by cultural considerations, which can be understood through interactions with the three RTCs and other local stakeholders. 2.13 A multi-stakeholder meeting will be organized towards the end of the meeting to be held in Honiara for the successful tenderer to present the final outputs and outcomes of the activities within the initiative. The Central Bank of the Solomon Islands, with support from the ACOM and PFIP, will assist in organizing this consultative meeting. |