GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE

Republic ofArmenia

EDUCATION QUALITY AND RELEVANCE PROJECT /APL II/

The Republic of Armenia has   received a Credit from International Development Association (IDA) in the amount SDR 17,000,000.00 towards the costof the Second Education Quality and Relevance (EQ&R) Project.   The Project will be co-financed by the Government of Armenia.

The goal of the Second EQ&R   Project is to support the Government of Armenia (GoA) reforms in general and higher education. More specifically theProject has the   aim of raising the quality of general and higher education and ensuringits relevance to the new economy and knowledge society needs.

The Project will include the followingcomponents:

Component 1.  Enhancing the Quality of General Education

Sub-component 1.1. Promoting School Readiness and equal opportunitiesat the start of GeneralEducation. This subcomponent will finance provision of Technical Assistance (TA)for the implementation, monitoring andevaluation of micro-projects directed to organization of preschool education for children at schoolsor other education institutionsin the communities where no pre-school services are available.

Sub-component 1.2. Supporting further improvements in the quality of education through improved teacherin-service training and professional development. This subcomponent will finance provision of TA for the developmentof  a new Teacher Professional and Carrier Development (TPD) Scheme, including set ofpolicies for transparent and merit-based selection and recruitment of teachers, new regulations for continuous teacher professionaland carrier development; as well as provision of TA for development of school principal training program, methodologies, materials.The sub-component also anticipate provision of support for conducting studies including impact evaluation and monitoring of new TPDprocesses.

Sub-component 1.3. Continuing support to the integration of ICT in teaching and learningprocess. This subcomponent will finance the procurement of hardware and software for all schools to support thecomputerization of basic school administrative tasks, especially those related to school internal management issues and datacollection; provision of TA for development of educational platform (for ensuring accessibility to open educational resources) withrelevant electronic materials and extension of  the existing school network.

Sub-component 1.4. Supporting the implementation of high-school reform. This subcomponent willfinance provision of TA for the development of  high school   librarians and principal training program, methodology, materials, as well as procurement of   software, modern computers, audio-video and office equipments, furniture, books and othere-materials for creation of modern school  resource centers/ libraries.

Component 2. Supporting tertiary education reforms in the contextof Bologna Agenda

Sub-component2.1: Establishment and Strengthening of the National Quality Assurance System

This subcomponent will finance provision of TA to strengthen   capacity of the   National Center forProfessional Education Quality Assurance (ANQA) and   carrying on pilot evaluation and accreditation of Higher Education institutions (HEIs). Thissubcomponent will also provide finance for   training of   the main actors involved in the Universities' Internal Quality Assurance(IQA) and External Quality Assurance (EQA) processes. This subcomponent will finance     provision of grants   to   HEIs to develop IQA units and mechanism.

Sub-component2.2: Developing a Tertiary Education Management Information System (TEMIS)

This subcomponent will finance provision of TA for conducting baseline study to identify local information needs ontertiary education and developing the TEMIS software technical specifications. The sub-component will also finance procurement ofthe TEMIS software including training of   relevant specialists from Ministry of Educationand Sciences (MoES),National Center for Educational Technologies (NaCET), universities and colleges.

Sub-component2.3: Strengthening the Capacity to Implement a Sustainable Financing System

This subcomponent will finance provision of TA fordevelopment of overall financing strategy of Higher Education, design of a Student Loan (SL) Scheme and Competitive Innovation Fund(CIF) for Armenia. The sub-component will also provide TA for conducting surveys on the demand of SL, labor market demands andgraduate tracer, as well as training ofspecialists involved in the SL scheme. This subcomponent will financepilot of SL scheme andit's evaluation after piloting.

 Sub-component 2.4: Reforming Pre-service Teacher Education.   This subcomponent will finance provision of TA for supporting the teacher education reform in Armenia,particularly will support establishing partnership between selected European University and Armenia StatePedagogical University(ASPU). The European University will assist ASPU in reforming teacher education in the context of Bologna Process. Thesub-component will finance provision of equipment, furniture and laboratory equipment to Pedagogical Universities ofArmenia.

Component 3: Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation 

This component will finance provision of office equipment and furniture; vehicles;local TA; training and study tours; and incremental operating expenses.

Under International Competitive Bidding (ICB) procedures furniture, electroniclearning materials, computer equipment, as well as network equipment for widening of existing school network to establishmentinterschool wide area network will be procured.

Procurement of Goods financed by the Credit will be conductedthrougth the procedures as specified in the World Bank's Guidelines: "Procurement under IBRDLoans and IDA Credit"   (May 2004, edited in October 2006) and is open to all eligiblebidders.

Consulting services will be selected in accordance with theWorld Bank's Guidelines: "Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers(May 2004 , edited in October 2006).

Specific Procurement Notices (SPNs) for the assignments under  ICB procedures and for consultants' contracts will be announced , asthey become available, in UN Development Business, dgMarket and in local newspapers.

Interested eligible bidders who wish to be included on themailing list to receive invitations to bid under ICB procedures, and interested consultants who wish to receive a copy ofadvertisement requesting expressions of interest for consultants' contracts or those requiring additional information, shouldcontact the address below.

Center for Education Projects

Attn: Ms. Hasmik Ghazaryan, Procurement Officer

73 S. Vratsyan St

Yerevan, 0070, Armenia

Tel: (374 10)575690, 575667

Fax: (374 10) 559750

E-mail: cfep@arminco.com