Terms of Reference(TOR) for Impact of COVID Research, Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)

1. Introduction
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of private not-for-profit, non-denominational international development agencies, institutions, and programs that work primarily in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia to improve the quality of life of communities in remote and resource-poor areas. Globally, AKF seeks sustainable solutions to long-term problems of poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and ill-health, with special emphasis on the needs of rural communities in mountainous, coastal, and other resource-poor areas. In East Africa, AKF works with partners to improve the quality of life by promoting and developing innovative solutions to the challenges of development in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Reflecting the complex and multi-faceted nature of development, AKF operates a multi-sectoral portfolio that includes programming in Education, Economic Inclusion, Civil Society, Health, and Early Childhood Development.

2. Background

In 2020, AKF led a diverse consortium of partners to generate media content to elevate the importance of reading for enjoyment and learning through play. These included, but were not limited to, Night-Time Tales, Bena and Kena (both aired on NTV), and Play kits with videos and posters (See akflearninghub.org/). Based on the success and learning from these, AKF is looking to expand this partnership to increase the reach and impact of reading and play content across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. In 2022, AKF will be engaging in a research study on the impact of Covid-19 on the ability of teachers to implement Learning through Play in their classrooms. Through this, AKF aims to understand the impact of Covid-19: i) on teachers’ pedagogies; ii) on teachers’ abilities to share games and playful activities to enable children to further their engagement with the content and the overall experience, and iii) on teachers’ ability to engage children and their parents to actively contribute to content creation.

3. Consultant scope of work

AKF is seeking to engage partner organizations to work as part of a diverse team to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on the ability of teachers to implement Learning through Play in their classrooms. The scope of work includes:

• Develop a research proposal and methodology to engage in the research study
• Identify the critical assumptions to test and potential data sources
• Develop the necessary tools and methods for data collection and analysis
• Engage in data collection and analysis in the appropriate geographies in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda
• Producing a report and materials of findings

4. Key deliverables

At a minimum, the deliverables include:

• All tools developed and data collected through the research process
• Finalized written report evaluating the impact of Covid-19 on teachers’ ability to implement Learning through Play in each target geography in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda
• Finalized presentation and graphics of findings
• Presentation of all findings to the AKF team

5. Work Plan

The applicant can recommend different ways to ensure how the deliverables are achieved. However, the below timelines are non-negotiable: Product/Date:

• The initial meeting on research proposal -7th March 2022
• Presentation of initial findings- 4th April 2022
• The final presentation of research findings-15th April 2022
• Submission of the final report, presentation, and other materials- 22nd April 2022