Host:

Rebecca Leege, Project DirectorAll Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for DevelopmentWorld Vision US

All Children Reading Round 2 Full Application Advice

Partners:

By the end of this webinar, we hope you will:• Understand the key elements and overall aims of All Children Reading: A Grand

Challenge for Development• Have a more complete understanding of Full Application requirements• Have a clear understanding of the ways to improve your Concept Note• Understand the RFA Evaluation Criteria• Ask questions!

Objectives

General Comments

1. Before beginning your Full Application, take a moment to write a short, clear summary of WHO the project is for, WHERE it will be implemented, WHAT will be done, and HOW it will be accomplished. This should be articulated in the Executive Summary.

2. Cost-effectiveness – All innovations must be appropriate for, and sustainable in, low-resource settings.

3. Gender (RFA Section 6.7)– Full Applications must include a gender analysis to help inform the design of the project. Applications should demonstrate a strong understanding of the root causes of inequality between men and women/boys and girls in the context within which your projects plans to work and also contain sex-disaggregated data.

4. Inclusivity (RFA Section 6.8) – Applicants must describe how their project will either directly or indirectly support all children in the community, including out-of-school children and those with disabilities.

PartnersGeneral Comments

5. Scalability – (RFA Section 4.1 & 4.2) ACR GCD is looking for innovations that can be scaled up within a country and replicated in other countries. Full Applications should describe how this will be done with your innovation.

6. Letters of Support (RFA Section 8.0)– Clarify the depth, roles and responsibilities of all implementation partners/participants (e.g. have teachers agreed to do the work that the proposal suggests they’ll do, etc.). Letters of support are required from all intended collaborators.

7. Pedagogy – Describe in detail all “pedagogy” models proposed.

8. When proposing a mobile tool, please describe the benefits and limitations of the tool.

9. Describe role of students and end-users in proposed projects.

PartnersInnovative Viability

Innovative Viability (35 points)

A. The extent to which the innovation is likely to improve reading scores among targeted beneficiaries; B. The extent to which the innovation is reflective of demand substantiated by original evidence or

secondary research (needs assessment, market research etc.); C. The extent to which the innovation addresses one of the problems articulated in Section 3; D. The extent to which the innovation can be monitored for success; E. The extent to which the innovation is cost effective (financially sustainable); and F. The extent to which there is potential for wide-scale impact on targeted

beneficiaries.

PartnersInnovative Viability

1. Demonstrate that a needs/market assessment was conducted and that there is demand for the proposed innovation, within the proposed context (describe why region/district/village and particular group of children were selected).

2. Describe the innovation’s potential for wide-scale impact on targeted beneficiaries? Some factors to consider:• Is the innovation feasible? Affordable? Dependent on constant electricity or internet access? • What type of capacity building is needed to adopt/integrate the technology?• Does the technology effectively support the education system? (Do teachers have the capacity, time and

willingness to support the innovation)?3. If the proposed project builds off of previous project results, please address lessons learned and how

challenges are being addressed.

PartnersApplication and Sustainability

Application and Sustainability in Developing or Emerging Countries (35 points)

A. The extent to which the innovation addresses the Problem selected and the proposed theory of change is clear and logical; B. The extent to which the innovation appropriately addresses the characteristics of end-users/beneficiaries (i.e. language, reading level) and the needs of the education system; The extent to which the intervention is market appropriate and responds to demand; D. The extent to which the innovation demonstrates an understanding of the constraints and opportunities that may result in different outcomes for girls and boys and how the project meets the needs of all children; E. The extent to which there is support from families, the education system and/or engagement of local/national/regional partners in project design, implementation, and evaluation; and F. The extent to which a sustainable model is clearly and logically defined.

PartnersApplication and Sustainability

1. Clearly articulate how project activities will directly improve children’s reading outcomes.2. Describe how projects may build on existing, successful infrastructure in schools, families and

communities, if applicable.3. Consider how a technology could address additional elements other than literacy. 4. Describe the process to ensure open-source materials are culturally relevant.5. Articulate how the project will engage parents with low literacy rates, if applicable.6. Parental and volunteer engagement and advocacy requires training and support. Describe training,

supervision, monitoring of messaging and general implementation protocols, and proposed methods to ensure continued motivation post-project.

7. Ensure that teacher professional development is accounted for, if the application is to be used by them or complemented by their instruction.

PartnersApplication and Sustainability

8. Sustainable Model– should be included as a part of each application. Consider the following illustrative examples:• What technology requirements are necessary for the project to work (ie. phone quality, speakers,

volume, etc.)• Who will provide hardware, electricity, internet once project ends? • Who will manage regular updates? Maintain/repair the devices once project funding has ended?• Who will generate content for messaging/follow-up training?

9. Explore ways that the proposed activities could be applicable beyond the intended population, increasing access and participation for all.

10. Discuss more thoroughly and indicate if the project is expected to be financially sustainable, programmatically sustainable, and at what level.

PartnersMonitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and Evaluation (20 points)

A. The extent to which the approach to implementation, and monitoring and evaluation is appropriate, clear, and logical; B. The extent to which the M&E plan demonstrates a clear link to the overall goal to improve literacy for students in early primary education and the extent to which results are measureable and attributable; and C. The extent to which the proposed indicators are linked to Outcome 1 and Output 1, and are realistic, logical, and appropriate within the budget and time period allocated.

PartnersMonitoring and Evaluation

1. All M&E Plans must demonstrate a clear linkage from the project activities to Outcome 1: Improved reading scores for students and Output 1: Increased use of ICT for improved reading.

2. The M&E Plan, must describe the Reading Assessment to be used for baseline and end line data collection (if applicable, please provide a sample). Specific details must be provided on the number of students to be assessed, number of schools, training necessary to conduct the assessment, any MOE approval necessary and the budget implications. (If the reading assessment being proposed is not approved by the MOE, then a plan must be included to develop, pilot and get the assessment approved)

3. When determining targets, ensure that reading level achievement targets are reasonable within the time period, and appropriate for what is possible within the country context.

4. M&E plans must include end-user feedback.5. If the project requires self-reporting of any kind, please explain how these results will be verified.

PartnersMonitoring and Evaluation

6. Detailed plans for baseline and end line data collection must be included in the Work Plan.7. Discuss how objectivity will be maintained in the assessment.8. How will Treatment Groups be selected? Clarify criteria (e.g., Based on % of population with access to %

of phones? % of population with phones capable of downloading the applications? Consistent and reliable electrical supply?)

9. Cite evidence that a large enough sample size will be selected to accommodate proof of concept. 10. Describe mitigation challenges to scaling in rural areas, if working in both urban and rural settings. 11. Describe cost per-pupil as appropriate for scale and replication.

PartnersOrganizational Capacity

Organizational Capacity (10 points) The Concept Note and Full Application will be evaluated on the extent to which the Applicant’s past performance indicates the potential for success in this project. The following factors will be taken into account in the evaluation of this criterion: A. The Applicant’s prior experience and success in implementing, managing, and evaluating similar activities; and B. The Applicant’s record of collaborating closely with various levels of host country governments; stakeholders in the development, implementation, and evaluation processes; and/or other public and/or private sector partners.

PartnersOrganizational Capacity

1. Describe your organization’s capacity to manage the proposed project, including proposed partners, and specify the personnel who will be involved, their roles and responsibilities.

2. Clear roles and responsibilities between stakeholders and implementing partners must be articulated.

3. Include Letters of Support from all partners, in addition to documentation of access to schools/students and cooperation of the Ministry of Education.

PartnersQuestions

1. Budget Template2. Extension3. Required Certifications4. Marking Requirements5. Full Application Requirements

Any additional questions will be accepted via email to acrgcd@worldvision.org until 5pm (EDT) on Thursday July 10, 2014. All responses will be posted on the OmniCompete website.

PartnersWhat’s Next?

A recording of this webinar will be available at www.omnicompete.com/acrgcd. Any questions regarding your Omni Compete account or technical difficulties with submitting your application should be directed to grandchallenges@innocentive.com.

Full Applications Due: July 31, 2014 at 2pm (EDT)Award Decisions: September – December 2014