U. S. Agency for International Development, USAID/Egypt, Directorate of Procurement (D/PROC), 6th Floor, Unit 64902, APO AE 09839-4902

U -- TRAINING SERVICES SOL RFP 263-97-P-029 POC Contact Point: Cynthia Judge, Contracting Officer, USAID/Egypt, Tel: 011-20-2-357-3257/58, Fax: 011-20-2-356-2932. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking the services of a qualified firm or institution to provide technical assistance for the $36.5m Integrated English Language Program II (IELP-II). The short term objective of this program is to provide Egypt with qualified English language teachers and providers. The longer term objective is to provide Egypt with a system which will supply quality education to future English language teachers and which will meet the needs of specific occupational areas. This program seeks to transfer and institutionalize technological and methodological instructional/communicative approaches that will enhance the quality of instruction and student proficiency as well as advance the English language teaching profession to sustainability in Egypt by Egyptians. In addition, institutional reform of the English language testing and evaluation system in the Ministry of Education and Faculties of Education are critical to the sustainability of new interactive/communicative language approaches. The program draws upon the knowledge and experience of institutions involved in designing, implementing and evaluating English language training programs for non-native English speakers. The program description involves working with the USAID/Cairo Office of Education and Training, private language providers, Faculties of Education, the Ministry of Education and primary preparatory and secondary schools as well as other donor financed contractors working in the English language training field. The contract offered through this Request for Proposals (RFP) is expected to be structured as a "results package" under strategic objective one, " Increased Private-Sector Led, Export-Oriented Economic Growth" and in accordance with USAID's new management systems. Offerers under this RFP will be required to develop a compelling strategy designed to achieve the result of an "Increased number of qualified English language providers," as well as three related intermediate results, defined in the strategic framework developed by USAID/Egypt. This strategy must also include a testing or other evaluative mechanism that can be used as a qualitative and quantitative measure to verify skill acquisition of trainees under each of the various training programs. In addition, it should include a strategy for institutional strengthening which will lead to sustainable quality English language training after the project has concluded. Target numbers of English language teachers and trainers have also been proposed under this framework as quantitative indicators. Both the qualitative and quantitative indicators will be incorporated into the monitoring plan and the contract as a means of tracking and verifying progress towards achieving the intended results. The total life of the IELP-II activity is expected to be six years. It is anticipated that a resulting contract will be for a four (4) year period with a two (2) year option period. Services will be performed in Egypt and in the United States. U.S. organizations interested in submitting offers for this solicitation may request a copy of the Request for Proposals (RFP) No. op/PUB/RFP26397P029/26397p028.rfp by submitting a written request along with three self-addressed mailing labels. Do not send self-addressed envelopes. Requests for the RFP should be sent to Cynthia Judge, Contract Officer, USAID/Cairo, Unit 64902, APO AE 09839-4902. Courier Service requests should be sent to: Cynthia Judge, Contract Officer, U.S. Agency for International Development, 106 Kasr El Aini Street, Cairo Center Building, 6th Floor, Cairo, Egypt. The RFP will be issued at least fifteen days from the date of publication of this notice. The deadline for receipt of proposals will be approximately 60 days after the date of the issuance of the RFP. This CBD notice can be viewed and downloaded as well as the RFP once issued from the Agency website at http://www.info.usaid.gov. Receipt of the RFP through INTERNET must be confirmed by written notification to the contact person noted above. It is the responsibility of the recipient of the solicitation document to ensure that it has been received from the INTERNET in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. (0037)

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