Public Tender nb. 83494010 - Short term expert (STE) as Training of Teachers (ToT) trainer for CBT modules in Internet of Things (IoT) - QuaVET

1. Context

a. Brief information about the project

The Multi-Donor Action “Improving the Quality and Attractiveness of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Lebanon for vulnerable social groups” is jointly co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The joint action is implemented by GIZ as a specific Action within the wider BMZ project “Improving the Quality and Attractiveness of TVET in Lebanon (QuA-VET)”. The aim of the action is to orient the vocational training towards the qualification needs of the labour market in sectors with sustainable employment potentials, therefore improving the employment capacities for poor and vulnerable social groups living in Lebanon. The implementing partner, the Directorate General for Vocational and Technical Education (DGVTE), requires further support in involving the private sector in vocational education and training. Thus, the project’s emphasis is placed on improving the partnership between vocational training institutions and the private sector. This includes developing modularized and practice-oriented training programmes in selected sectors, digitalizing e-Learning Lessons for the technical theoretical subjects of the promoted TVET programs and General Subjects and enhancing the quality of in-company training for employees and work-based learning for vulnerable individuals. The target groups of the project are vulnerable youth and young adults (aged 15-35), including Syrian and Palestinian refugees, individuals from hosting communities, TVET Lebanese students, unemployed or underemployed individuals (aged 17 to 35), and employees in Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) seeking to improve their employment prospects through relevant qualifications.

b. Background – The TS (Technicien Superieur) Curriculum in Internet of Things

As digital transformation accelerates, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become a key driver of innovation across sectors such as energy, agriculture, logistics, healthcare, and smart infrastructure — both globally and in Lebanon. In response, the demand for IoT-related competencies has increased, creating a pressing need to equip learners with the technical and practical skills required to thrive in emerging job markets.

In Lebanon, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system-led by the Directorate General of Vocational and Technical Education (DGVTE) under the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) - plays a central role in preparing youth for employment. However, existing training programs, particularly at the Technicians Supérieur (TS) level, offer limited opportunities for students to gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies such as IoT. This is partly due to the need for more up-to-date content, enhanced practical components, and stronger alignment with evolving industry requirements.

To address this gap, the QuA-VET project under GIZ, and with the support of the DGVTE, is facilitating the introduction of Competency-Based Training (CBT) modules in IoT at the TS level. These modules are designed as flexible, modular, and job-oriented add-ons that can be delivered in parallel with existing TS specializations. They aim to provide learners with targeted, hands-on experience in areas such as deploying IoT devices in physical environments, developing and analysing Python applications, connecting systems to the cloud, implementing cybersecurity measures and integrating devices into systems.

This initiative is part of broader national efforts to modernize the TVET sector, enhance youth employability, and promote digital skills development. The design and implementation of the IoT CBT modules will be informed by consultation with industry stakeholders, TVET instructors, and academic experts, ensuring relevance, quality, and sustainability within Lebanon’s vocational education landscape. 

Period of Assignment: From 15.08.2025 to 29.01.2027

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 includes, the guideline, the list of tools and materials, the formative assessment and the summative assessment related to each competence unit.

Training guideline: The training guideline 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 guideline includes the links to tutorial videos (at least two) that were used for the development of the guideline.

Tools and materials:       An indicative list of tools and materials to be purchased for each Copetence 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:

Highly competent and motivated TVET teachers are the backbone of any TVET system; capable of adjusting to changing technological environments and creating conducive learning environments for their students. In the frame of QuA-VET project, GIZ is planning to organize Training of Teacher (ToT) courses, aiming to fill the gaps of TVET teachers in the IoT sector to help them deliver quality competence-based training effectively and sustainably. This initiative responds to the current lack of standardized practical training procedures in essential IoT-related areas such as networking, programming, and cybersecurity. In general, the ToT course will enable the teachers not only to gain skills in dealing with new technologies prevailing in the labour market, but also to develop practical experience in making teaching and training more responsive to the needs of the trainees and the labour market. The approach adopted for the ToT is that teachers should go through all the practical activities and assessments that students will later be trained on by those teachers within the corresponding curriculum “Internet of Things (IoT)” at TS level:

a. Occupation 1: IoT Technician ISCO 3114, by:

• Deploying IoT devices in physical environments

b.Occupation 2: IoT developer ISCO 2512, by:

• Developing python applications for IoT Devices
• Connecting IoT systems to the cloud
• Implementing IoT cybersecurity measures
• Analyzing IoT data using python
• Integrating IoT devices into systems

The STE will review, prepare, and conduct ToT trainings according to the CBT curriculum provided by the project, for up to 16 IT teachers (up to 4 teachers per TVET public school – the same teachers can attend more than one training on different modules/topics).

The ToT will be conducted on a rotational basis across four different schools, selected at a later stage from the list below. Each selected school will host three ToT courses on different topics, with each lasting 10 consecutive days (4 training hours per day) and ending with an assessment (8 hours per day).

In case of any security concerns or other exceptional circumstances, sessions may be shifted to an online format upon agreement; however, a minimum of 8 hours in-person training at the school premises must still be ensured to fulfil the fixed total number of training hours (40 hours). This distributed approach aims to ensure regional representation, efficient use of available facilities, and broader participation from TVET educators, allowing them to be exposed to different modules within relevant IoT sub-sectors.    

Note: The selection of partner schools will be finalized from the list provided in the list below.

• Deir Ammar Technical Institute / Tripoli
• Baalbeck Technical Institute / Bekaa
• Orthodox Higher Vocational Institute / Akkar
• Nabatieh Technical Institute / South
• Douseh Technical School / Akkar
• Bednayel Technical Institute  / Bekaa

2. Tasks to be performed by the Contractor

The contractor is responsible for providing the following services:

Prior to Training:

• • Examination of relevant project documentation (curricula and other materials provided by the Project Team) including written comments on the curricula
  • Active participation in selection of tools and equipment including defining specifications and quantities, throughout the curriculum development process
  • Meeting with the Project Team for guidance on conducting hands-on practical training in IoT workshops, ensuring alignment with CBT methodology and technical setup
  • Conduct field visits to be more familiar with the training locations and with the job-related equipment, materials, and consumables
  • Preparation of the training material (PowerPoint presentation, study document, tests, etc.) under supervision of QuA-VET technical experts before the starting of the course, based on the given CBT curricula
  • Support and help setting the workshop during the delivery of equipment to the school, in coordination with the delivery of the material delivered by QuA-VET
  • Preparation of the daily training plans for the implementation of the ToT based on the given CBT curricula
  • Coordination with QuA-VET team for communication with the school(s) in advance for the list of necessary school supplies (Classroom with projector, white board…)
  • Coordination with the QuA-VET team and the schools to schedule the trainings

During Training:

• • Coordination with the project team to schedule a hybrid training modality if needed, ensuring the first and last sessions are held in person and the remaining sessions are delivered online per school (optional)
  • Adapt training materials and delivery methods to suit remote learning, ensuring content is accessible and engaging for online sessions
  • Organization the training sites in a way that tools and materials purchased by the project team are available as well as personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Delivery of the ToT training program applying the CBT model, using the curricula developed by QuA-VET
  • Recording the participants’ attendance to the ToT with the attendance sheets provided by QuA-VET
  • Implementation and documentation of the formative assessment of trainees as stated in the curricula
  • Provide real-time technical support to participants during online training sessions (optional, per school)
  • Support in managing and the proper use and storage of the training materials

After the Training:

• • Follow-up on the implementation of the training at the schools through coaching of the teachers
  • Ensure that all necessary activities are in place for the accomplishment of the required outputs / results
  • Write of mission report and required administrative deliverables
  • Available after the short term-mission through online communication tools for follow-up discussion

Recurring tasks (throughout the assignment):

• • Participation in structured meetings with Project Team Leader, Project Team Members, staff of the DGVTE and of other organizations involved in the project as considered necessary
  • Regular information and consultation with the Project Team members

Outputs/Results
The outputs / results requested from the Expert are:

Prior to training:

• Review the CBT modules developed, suggest modifications or additions on content (tools and materials, etc.)
• Coordinate with school directors to schedule and conduct visits for assessing IoT workshops (labs).
• Draft a short report of 2 pages maximum (per school) with recommendations and modifications on the setting up the IoT workshops, tools and materials at the school and sending it to the QuA-VET team for approval
• After the approval of the report from the QuA-VET team, conduct a second visit to the school and apply modifications of workshop in coordination with the school director
• Prepare a detailed daily training plan/agenda in coordination with the QuA-VET team
• Prepare and send to the QuA-VET team for approval the training documents (up to 6 modules) (ppt., list of videos, list of exercises…)

During training:

• Deliver up to 12 ToTs x 40 hours of training (4 hours for 10 consecutive days per training module) in the afternoon in Arabic for teachers in Information Technology (IT) of public TVET schools (locations to be defined by QuA-VET team)
• Follow-up on dropouts, document reasons, and inform the QuA-VET team
• Conduct formative assessment of the teachers for each unit of competence as defined in the Curriculum and document the assessments
• Fill all required administrative documents (Attendance sheet, formative assessment, etc.)

After the Training:

• Coordinate with the assessor on logistics and attend the summative assessment with the third-party assessor
• Ensure that at least 1/3 of the teachers attending the ToT course should receive the qualification certificate (summative assessment will be carried out by a professional third-party assessor selected by the project)
• Conduct coaching sessions equivalent to 6 working days or 48 hours per trained school at their premises to follow up the implementation of training incl. short report on observations & recommendations.
• Adjust (if necessary) and share training material (Videos used, ppt created incl. modifications)

Administrative Deliverables:

• A comprehensive end of mission’s report submitted to team leader for revision and approval following the structure:

• Scope and objectives of the mission (incl. preparation of training with the school and training itself)
• Approach adopted for conducting the mission
• List of outputs produced during the mission (including meetings and people met)
• Description of the outputs produced during the mission
• Problems and challenges encountered during the mission (incl. preparation of training with the school and training itself)
• Recommendations for the follow-up of the mission
• Recommendations for the improvement of project implementation
• All documents produced should be delivered in hard copy and in digital form using exclusively MS-Office applications

Certain milestones, as laid out in the table below, are to be achieved during the contract term: (Please check the Milestones table in the attached Annex 2 - Terms of references, Section 2 - Tasks to be performed by the contractor)

3. Concept

In the tender, the tenderer is required to show how the objectives defined in Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) are to be achieved, if applicable under consideration of further method-related requirements (technical-methodological concept). In addition, the tenderer must describe the project management system for service provision.

Note: The numbers in parentheses correspond to the lines of the technical assessment grid.

Technical-Methodological Concept

Strategy (1.1): The tenderer is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender (see Chapter 1 Context) (1.1.1). Following this, the tenderer presents and justifies the explicit strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible (see Chapter 2 Tasks to be performed) (1.1.2).

The tenderer is required to present the actors relevant for the services for which it is responsible and describe the cooperation (1.2.1) with them.

The tenderer is required to describe its contribution to promote scaling-up effects (1.5.2) under learning and innovation.

4. Personal Concept

The tenderer is required to provide their CVs suited to filling the position description (see Chapter 7), the range of tasks involved and the required qualifications.

The below specified qualifications represent the requirements to reach the maximum number of points in the technical assessment.

STE trainer for delivery of ToTs in Internet of things (IOT)

Tasks of the Short-term Expert

• • Overall responsibility for the advisory packages of the contractor (quality and deadlines)
  • Coordinating and ensuring communication with GIZ, partners and others involved in the project
  • Regular reporting in accordance with deadlines

Qualifications of the Short-term Expert

• • Education/training (2.2.1): University degree at least a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, electronics, telecommunication, information technology or any related technical field with a minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience  

Or alternatively a TS level or equivalent in Informatics, Electronics, Networks or any other relevant subject with additional 5 years of practical experience in the embedded systems or IoT-related fields.

• • Language (2.2.2): C1-level language proficiency in English language.

C2-level language proficiency in Arabic language.

• • General professional experience (2.2.3): 7 to 10 years of professional experience in IoT system development, embedded systems, automation, or related digital technologies, including experience with microcontrollers (e.g., ESP32/Arduino), sensor integration, and basic networking. Practical exposure to real-world applications across sectors such as agriculture, energy, logistics, or house automation is desirable.
• • Specific professional experience (2.2.4): At least 3+ years of experience in training educators, preferably in TVET settings and using Competency-Based Training (CBT) methodologies (practical teaching). Proven ability to plan and deliver practical, hands-on workshops on topics such as Python programming for IoT, sensor networks, cloud connectivity, and troubleshooting hardware/software components.
  • Regional experience (2.2.6): 5 years of experience in projects in MENA region, of which 2 years in Lebanon

Other (2.2.8): Experience with online and hybrid training delivery is preferred. Hands-on experience in setting up and validating IoT lab equipment (e.g., microcontrollers, sensors, motors, connectivity modules) is a strong asset. Familiarity with the Lebanese TVET system and the TS level is highly desirable.

5. Costing Requirements

Specification of inputs: Please refer to the Fee days table in the attached Annex 2 - Terms of references section 5- Costing requirements.

Note: the number of days is indicated as a total for the STE.

Important note: 1 working day is equivalent to 8 working hours. Transportation costs will not be reimbursed separately by GIZ. It should be included in the financial offer.

6. Inputs of GIZ and other actors

GIZ and/or other actors are expected to make the following available:

• The CBT curricula will be made available by the QuA-VET team after the signature of the contract.
• QuA-VET will provide the schools with the necessary equipment and tools as per the curricula.
• Participants (Trainees) to the ToT will receive a compensation fee for transportation delivered by GIZ.
• QuA-VET will provide the STE with the necessary contacts to coordinate the preparation and coaching with the schools in due time.
• The school directors will ensure access to the laboratories, workshop and classroom for the trainings as well as for the preparation