Updating Safe Learning Environment Gap Maps and Creating Interactive Evidence Pathways At Education Development Center

Statement of Work

Background

Education Development Center (EDC) is a leading US-based nonprofit research and development firm. EDC designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide. Collaborating with both public and private partners, we strive for a world where all people are empowered to live healthy, productive lives.

The Leading Through Learning Global Platform (Leading Through Learning) is a USAID-funded project within EDC’s International Development Division, with the aim to establish and expand a global education learning system for USAID and its partners. Through a network approach, Leading Through Learning brings together USAID DC and Mission education teams; US, international, and locally based implementing and research partners; donor and private sector partners; international and local representatives of other global/regional education networks; and partner country government and local representatives.

Leading Through Learning stakeholders build and share knowledge to address local needs while at the same time benefiting from and contributing to a global community of learning. Technical foci for LTLGP include higher education, as represented by the Higher Education Learning Network (HELN); education in crisis and conflict, as represented by the Education in Crisis and Conflict Network (ECCN); and foundational skills, as represented by the Global Reading Network (GRN). Learning network members collaborate and engage on the global and regional levels. Currently, learning networks have a dedicated focus in the Africa region and Latin America and the Caribbean region.

Activity Overview

This activity will sit within USAID’s Education in Crisis and Conflict Network (ECCN), which Leading Through Learning is managing. ECCN advances scholarship and thought leadership in education in crisis and conflict contexts, supports capacity development, engages members in peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and provides opportunities for professional development through formal tools, informal networks, and connection to mentors. In addition, ECCN supports generation, synthesis, translation, and usage of knowledge by identifying and engaging experts to advance adaptive and responsive learning agendas and questions regionally and globally. USAID Learning Networks like ECCN help to establish equitable structures for gathering and evaluating learning and emerging innovations regionally that feed into the global evidence and knowledge base, facilitating linkages between emerging topical areas.

In 2018, ECCN published four evidence gap maps on safe learning environments. The maps provide evidence-based resources to practitioners to support planning and implementation of programs and also help researchers identify gaps where new or further research is needed. The maps focus on safe learning environments in the following areas: internal threats (including gang violence that emanates from within the school and school-related gender-based violence); external threats (including school-related gender-based violence experienced on the way to and from school, gang violence, armed conflict, and ideological attacks on education); environmental threats related to physical health; and environmental threats related to various natural hazards.

The activity supports an update for the Safe Learning Environments (SLEs) Gap Maps created under the previous iterations of ECCN following website migration. ECCN published four maps in 2018 to provide an alternative way of exploring evidence-based literature around internal, external, and environmental threats to SLEs. The activity also includes creating new pathways based on the gap maps to contribute to the Education in Crisis and Conflict Interactive Evidence Pathways tool.

Rationale

The evaluation of ECCN encourages wider dissemination of the knowledge products created under the project as a path to more sustainable and effective outcomes. Members of the network and the ECCN Steering Group have specifically referenced these gap maps as an especially useful set of resources. As the ECCN website migrates to EduLinks, and at least two years have passed since research was collected for the gap maps, the time is ripe for an update. Working through the process of this update will also help the Leading Through Learning team design a process for developing additional resources to address topical priorities beyond safety and well-being, which include localization, equity and inclusion, and education systems resilience.

Objectives and Outcome

The objectives for this activity are to increase ECCN membership and member engagement and for ECCN members to share, access, and apply evidence, tools, and resources related to safety and well-being by using the maps to create safer learning environments. The intended outcome of this activity is for ECCN members to have access to updated evidence gap maps and interactive evidence pathways so they can share, access, and apply evidence, tools, and resources related to SLEs.

Approach and Methodology

The research question for this activity is: Given the additional evidence generated since 2018, what additions and revisions to the 2018 gap maps are needed to support ECCN members’ access and application of evidence-based tools and resources related to safe learning environments?

Leading Through Learning is committed to elevating the experience of diverse stakeholders by providing avenues for individuals in USAID partner and development country contexts to share their knowledge and experiences with global audiences. We explicitly seek ways to connect, listen, and learn from underrepresented and marginalized groups, including women, youth, people with disabilities, those who identify as LGBTQI+, and others. In so doing, we have identified the following equity and inclusion focal question for this activity:

• How are we incorporating voices with lived experience of the issues we are communicating?
• How are we welcoming and amplifying voices likely to be marginalized?
• How are we taking an intersectional approach in our communications messages, themes, and content?
• How are we engaging members who have less experience working through the lens of equity and inclusion?
• What accommodations do ECCN members need to share, access, and apply this tool effectively?
• Are all web materials Section 508 compliant?
• Is language used throughout materials inclusive and respectful of all backgrounds and affiliations? How do different populations describe and experience safe learning environments?

Review and Update Four Existing Gap Maps. The contractor will review and update existing evidence gap maps for SLEs. To accomplish this, the contractor will analyze the original study selection process and conduct a desk review to update the foundational research base. The contractor will work closely with the Leading Through Learning communications team on any necessary updates to the design and formatting of the maps.

Collect Feedback from ECCN Members. In collaboration with the advisory group consisting of ECCN Steering Group members and USAID subject matter experts, the contractor will survey ECCN members asking them to assess the utility of the original maps and suggest improvements and new resources, especially those published since 2018. This information will guide the revision process of the gap maps.

Create Interactive Evidence Pathways. To highlight promising practices, lessons learned, and case study examples, the contractor will work with the advisory group to create new interactive evidence pathways. This task will build on the existing Education in Crisis Interactive Evidence Pathways tool and create new pathways that will help USAID staff and implementing partners design contextually informed and evidence-based programs with safe learning environments. The contractor will work with the Leading Through Learning communications team on the design and formatting of the tool. The new pathways will reflect latest research and best practices incorporated into the gap map updates.

Lead Web Event. The contractor will lead one web event to share main findings from the research and promote the use of the gap maps and interactive evidence pathways. The audience for this event is USAID staff and implementing partners designing programs with SLEs.

Quality Assurance

The Offeror will conduct all studies in adherence with the eight principles of quality1 as described below. These principles provide a common framework on the quality of research and evaluation studies, codifying best practices in designing, implementing, and reporting on studies. The principles are intended for social science researchers and evaluators, commissioners of social science research and evaluation, and users of social science research and evaluation. The following questions, as relevant, will be used as part of the evaluation criteria:

1. Is the study situated within a theory, and does it acknowledge existing research and pose specific questions? (conceptual framing)
2. Is the study transparent about the design, methods, data, and limitations? (openness and transparency)
3. Does the study consider the local context in the design and data collection tools? (cultural appropriateness)
4. Does the study use designs and methods that are appropriate to the stated purpose and research questions? (robustness of methodology)
5. Does the study produce credible and accurate results? (validity)
6. Does the study use consistent approaches and produce consistent results? (reliability)
7. Does the study provide a clear and logical thread linking the purpose to the methods and data to the conclusions? (cogency)
8. Does the study adhere to the highest ethical standards, protect the human subjects involved, and do no harm to children, vulnerable populations, or study participants? (ethics)

Deliverables and Tentative Timeline

1. Develop detailed work plan:
   • Develop and maintain updated work plan with key milestones and corresponding dates. (Format: Word or Excel).
   • Due: May 2, 2023
2. Collaborate with advisory group:
   • Collaborate with an advisory working group made up of ECCN members via meetings and exchanges.
   • Due: Ongoing
3. Update four existing gap maps for safe learning environments
   • Review and update the four existing gap maps on safe learning environments using current evidence and research. Gap maps will be in easy-to-use formats to be posted to EduLinks for members to continue using effectively.
   • Due: June 1, 2023
4. Collect feedback from ECCN members
   • Survey ECCN members asking them to assess the utility of the original maps and suggest improvements. This will be done with support from the advisory group and with the ECCN lead.
   • Due: June 6, 2023
5. Develop interactive evidence pathways
   • Work with stakeholders to translate gap maps into action through interactive evidence pathways to promote evidence-based programming.
   • Due: July 10, 2023
6. Lead web event
   • Hold one web event to share main findings of the research and to promote the use of the safe learning gap maps.
   • Due: August 15, 2023
7. Finalize four safe learning environment gap maps and interactive evidence pathways
   • Finalize the four updated gap maps and interactive evidence pathways. Work closely with communications team on formatting and editing of the web-based tools.
   • Due: October 26, 2023
8. Dissemination plan
   • Contribute to the dissemination plan to ensure that the gaps maps and interactive evidence pathways produced in this activity reach stakeholders.
   • Due: November 1, 2023