USAID/Macedonia Grant for Teacher Career and Professional Development Project

USAID/Macedonia intends to issue a Request for Applications (RFA) for the award of a thirty-month Cooperative Agreement to a Macedonian indigenous organization, in support of a new Teacher Career and Professional Development (TCPD) Project within the next thirty days.

BACKGROUND
The purpose of the TCPD is to assist the Government of Macedonia (GoM) in strengthening the national education and training system by identifying necessary interventions that would best support national policy regarding continuous professional and career development of teachers. This activity aims to contribute to creating a transparent and functional TCPD system in Macedonia by helping to further develop existing structures. Continued professional development opportunities are crucial to maintain a skilled and motivated teaching cadre in Macedonia. USAID Macedonia envisions this endeavor as one which will, in collaboration with the active participation of national authorities, improve the institutional framework for teacher career and professional development in Macedonia.
The new project will be comprised of three complimentary components and carried out in three phases. Three intermediate results (IR) will lead to the successful realization of the development objective: Improved Institutional Framework for TCPD. These three core components are: ensuring that a comprehensive legal system is in place, enhancing financial schemes related to TCPD and developing standards for teacher competencies. The efforts of this project should result in creating and institutionalizing structures and processes that guide and inform TCPD in Macedonia.

IR1: Comprehensive Legal System in place
The objective of IR1 is to enhance the basic regulative frameworks (by-laws) of a system for continuous professional development for teachers, as well as help develop a career advancement system with procedures and criteria for all teachers.
IR2: Enhanced Financial Schemes
The objective of IR2 is to conduct a comprehensive review of budgeting for TCPD nationally and present the GoM with funding scenarios for ongoing support.
IR3: Standards for Teacher Competencies Developed
The objective of IR3 is to inventory and further develop clear standards of expected teacher competencies and professional development opportunities along with the tools for evaluating progress in those areas.
The primary target beneficiaries of the assistance provided through this project will be in-service public school teachers in Macedonia. Advisors from the BDE, the VET Center and education inspectors at the state and regional/local level will also benefit from assistance. Due to the nature of this project, it is very important to work on a local/school level and get all relevant stakeholders involved: teachers, school management, school boards, and parent councils, mayors, municipal councils and students.
FUNDING AND BUDGET
USAID currently believes between $850,000 to $950,000 may be available to support this project over the life of the award.
EXPECTED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
USAID anticipates that this activity will be designed as a thirty-month effort, estimated to begin in October 2012.
USAID anticipates awarding one grant to a local Macedonian organization who will act as Prime implementing partner. Given the size and scope of this project, it may be necessary for organizations to partner together to submit a joint proposal that would include all the necessary package of skills to successfully implement such a project. In such a case, one organization would act as the Prime organization and the others as sub-grantees of the Prime. The Prime organization would submit the joint proposal on behalf of the partner organizations.