EoI nb. 83405257 Expert to develop a vocational model for skills development in Health Inspection & Food Safety -18.2208.9-001.00 QuA-VET

Brief information on the project

The project "Improving the Quality and Attractiveness of Vocational Education and Training in Lebanon" aims to increasingly align vocational education and training in sectors with sustainable employment potentials with the needs of the Lebanese economy.

Emphasis is placed on improving the partnership between vocational training institutions and the private sector, strengthening human resource capacity in vocational training institutions, and developing practice-oriented training programs. The target groups of the project are young people, unemployed and underemployed adults who want to improve their employment prospects through qualifications relevant to the labor market.

The implementing partner is the Directorate General for Vocational and Technical Education (DGVTE), which lacks capacity at various levels to involve the private sector in vocational education and training. This concerns curriculum development, teacher training and the expansion of practical elements in teaching. The project's advisory approach includes establishing and advising coordination bodies with representatives of the state vocational training sector and company representatives at the macro and steering levels, piloting cooperation models between vocational training institutions and the private sector, systematic human resources development in public vocational training institutions and testing competency-based, modularized training programs.

Context 

Background – The TS ( Technicien Supérieur) curriculum

The public technical schools have existing BT and TS programmes, but the curricula are outdated and do not present a consistent content in terms of hour distribution and type of subjects. Recently a tentative of standardisation was carried out by GIZ in the frame of the ProVTE project, setting common general education subjects in BT1 and BT2 for all programmes and stating the number of hours for theoretical subjects and practical activities (Travaux Pratique). The TP is delivered in a school workshop where the trainees practice the use of tools and materials typical of the occupation.

Currently there are only 105 hours a year for TPs, meaning 2 TPs for each year in the TS, which is not sufficient to develop the practical competences of the students. The aim is to propose a model to the DGVTE containing 2 to 4 in a year with 50 to 80 hours per TP.

The curriculum of a TP is designed in a way that the same curriculum can be used to deliver a short-term course (named CBT module) in the frame of continuous education

Background – The curriculum of a CBT module

A CBT module is a short-term course with 40 hours in the workshop in a school where the trainees practice the use of tools and materials typical of the occupation, the curriculum adopted is the same of the corresponding TP. At the end of this first in-school training a written assessment is carried out to issue a DGVTE certificate. Passing trainees will attend 80 hours of on-the-job training in a working site where they can practice in a working environment the skills acquired in the previous part of the course. At the completion of the experience in the workplace trainees’ skills are assessed by and a professional certificate is issued.

The curriculum of a CBT module is composed of the following documents:

Occupational standard:        A4 page describing synthetically the processes to be carried out by the job holder.

Competence standard:        A4 page defining learning outcomes grouped in competence unit (indicatively 4 Competence Units (CUs) per CBT module).

Assessment standard:         A definition of the conditions and the criteria for the assessment of the learning outcomes of each Competence Unit included in the qualification standard. The certification of competences is provided on the base of the verification of the criteria stated in the standard by an external professional assessor.

Education standard:            The document describing synthetically the topics covered in each classroom lesson (if any) and the practical activities in the workshop and in the workplace (internship) carried out by the trainee with the timing planned for each of them.

Training standard:               The training standard is a guidance for the teacher and the trainer to deliver the lessons. The training standard is defining the topics covered in the lessons with some description for each topic and at the same time set the working procedure that are in line with best practice that should be implemented during the training program. The training standard includes for each competence units the links to tutorial videos (at least two) that were used for the development of the training standards, the list of tools and materials, the formative assessment and the summative assessment.

Tools and materials:            An indicative list of tools and materials to be purchased for each Competence Unit to conduct the CBT training with a brief description and picture of the items, the quantities required per trainee, workshop, or CBT module edition, along with any further comments.

Formative assessment:        A definition of the conditions and the criteria for the assessment of each learning outcome of each Competence Unit included in the competence standard for improving the performances of the trainees.

Summative assessment:      A definition of the conditions and the criteria for the assessment of each learning outcome of each Competence Unit included in the competence standard to provide the trainees with the certification of competences on the base of the verification of the criteria by an external professional assessor.

 Outline of the mission

He/she will exchange with representatives of sectors relevant to Health Inspection and Food Safety in order to develop a training needs analysis complemented by a desk research to collect information on similar vocational courses at secondary technical and vocational education as well as in the frame of continuous training in similar contexts.

The STE will identify and outline the content of defined occupational standards in Health inspection & Food safety to be submitted for preliminary validation to employers.

Based on the findings the content of at least 6 TPs will be outlined in order to be included in the TS programme addressing the identified occupations.

Furthermore a proposal for a revised TS programme in Health Inspection & Food Safety will be developed and submitted for preliminary validation to DGVTE officials containing more practical training parts than the current one.

-GIZ shall hire the contractor for the anticipated contract term,

from 08/04/2022 to 30/06/2022.

-The contractor shall provide the following work/service:

• Prepare and document the mission by:
  • Critically examine of relevant project documentation.
  • Revise and examine critically the current TS Curriculum
  • Organise and conduct structured meetings with Project stakeholders.
  • Inform and regularly consult the AV of the project.
  • Carry out all activities necessary for the accomplishment of the required outputs / results and be flexible to any arising task that will serve the purpose of the mission.
  • Write end of mission report and provide the required administrative deliverables.
  • Be accessible after the short-term mission for follow-up discussions.
• Develop proposal for new TPs in Health Inspection & Food Safety (TS) by:
  • Conduct a desk research and a training needs analysis with industry representatives on occupational and qualification standards related to health inspection & food safety adopted by other TVET systems
  • Identify and outline the content of at least 3 occupational standards in health inspection & food safety to be submitted for preliminary validation to employers
  • Identify and outline the content of at least 6 TPs to be included in the TS programme in health inspection & food safety addressing the identified occupations
  • Outline a TS programme in Health Inspection & Food Safety to be submitted for preliminary validation to DGVTE officials containing more practical training parts than the current one

Tender requirements

 General qualifications

Minimum requirements:

• University degree at least at bachelor level in Food science, Food safety, Public health or health management (minimum requirement)
• Proficient in use of Microsoft Office or equivalent open-source packages
• At least 5 years (1’000 working days) working experience in quality assurance, food inspection at a production facility, farm, or other food facilities (minimum requirement)

Preferred requirements:

• 2 years of working experience in teaching subjects related to food processing and production, food safety or similar (preferred requirement)

Specific professional experience:

• 2 years of experience in understanding, abiding and/or reporting GMP/HACCP principles and best practices in the workplace (preferred requirement)
• Development of at least one curriculum related to Health inspection and food safety (preferred requirement)

Experience in the region/knowledge of the country

At least 2 years working experience in MENA region (minimum requirement)

Language skills - business fluency in:

• English (minimum requirement)
• Arabic (minimum requirement)