Project Title & Description Location Deadline for expressions of interest Timeline for study: A Library Landscape Assessment of Bangladesh A nationwide research project requires a Library and Information Services (LIS) professional for an advisory and oversight consultancy UK and Bangladesh 23 March 2015 Contract awarded by 30 March 2015. 32 days work over 3 months. Consultancy to be completed by 1 July 2015. Overview 1. The British Council in Bangladesh wishes to engage an independent consultant to provide oversight and advice to an ongoing research and advocacy project - the Library Landscape Assessment of Bangladesh. 2. The Library Landscape Assessment of Bangladesh is a series of interconnected pieces of desk and field research that together will create the data needed to fully understand the information needs of the people of Bangladesh and the current LIS provision within the country. The research will make a major contribution to aligning and mobilising key stakeholders in LIS provision in Bangladesh, who in turn will be instrumental in supporting, prioritising and delivering sustainable interventions that improve access to information across Bangladesh. 3. The Library Landscape Assessment began in September 2014 and is funded through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation s Global Libraries initiative. The Institute of Informatics and Development (IID), an independent research institute and policy think tank based in Bangladesh, were contracted by the British Council to carry out the main research phase of the project. Intensive desk and field research is ongoing, and a draft report on the findings by will be ready for review in late March 2015. 4. The British Council plans to hold a high-level symposium in Dhaka in early May 2015 to discuss the findings of the draft report and unlock the potential for a major investment into LIS at a national level. This symposium will last 1.5 days, attracting national and international delegates and key policy makers. 5. The British Council has formed a Steering Committee of key local stakeholders to guide the research team, contribute to the planning of the Symposium and to build the trust and confidence needed for the implementation of a successful, large scale programme to address Bangladesh s LIS needs. Representatives from the Government of Bangladesh, BRAC and the Bengal Foundation contribute to this committee. Background and Context The British Council 6. The British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide. We call this cultural relations. We are on the ground in six continents and over 100 countries bringing international opportunity to life, every day. Each year we work with millions of people, connecting them with the United Kingdom, sharing our cultures and the 1
UK s most attractive assets: English, the Arts, Education and our ways of living and organising society. We have 80 years experience of doing this. 7. We have been operating libraries in Bangladesh for 60 years. We currently have libraries and resource centres in Dhaka (Fuller Road and Uttara) and Chittagong. We will open a new library in Sylhet in early 2016. Our current libraries have just completed a process of major refurbishment, receiving new investment in book collections and resources, and redesigned to include a cultural convening space. They are providing a new benchmark for library design and provision in Bangladesh, and as a result, by 2016 we aim to have doubled our library membership to over 15,000. Bangladesh country context and current LIS provision 8. Bangladesh is a free-market economy, which has achieved annual growth of 5-6% for the last two decades; Goldman Sachs has named Bangladesh as one of its next 11 emerging economies. However there continues to be very high rates of poverty and illiteracy, especially in rural areas some statistics: The total population is 162 million. 51.8% of the population is under 25 years old; 32.8% is under 10. Illiteracy rate is 43.2% of total population, with disproportionate number female. The 15-24 age group (30 million according to World Bank, 2013) enjoys the highest literacy rate in the country (58%), followed by children between 11-14 years, of whom 56% are literate. One-third of the population remains at or below the national poverty line and nearly 80% live on less than $2 a day. 80% live in rural areas, where access to information is very low. 100% of the population speaks Bangla (with English widely used in cities as a second language). 9. In this context, there is an urgent need for greater access to reliable information for all citizens, including survival information related to health, family planning and sanitation, housing and income support together with opportunities to develop literacy, acquire skills for employability, build political and social awareness, and participate in collective educational and cultural activities. 10. As part of its planning to address these issues, and for the country to achieve middle income status by 2023, the Government of Bangladesh has established policy to improve provision of public libraries and access to information for the entire population, including plans for digital inclusion. 11. Our preliminary research shows that: There is scope for majorly developing the current provision of libraries and information services, both governmental and non-governmental. There are gaps between plans for public libraries and information centres and the number that are actually required; and between the planned information services and the real needs of the people. Existing facilities have basic ICT equipment. Staff and leadership for library and information services require more professional training. A major improvement in professional management, customer service, marketing and organizational structure for public libraries is required. The current policy framework could be strengthened in order to prioritise action for further, effective improvement of LIS. Digital access in rural areas remains at a very low level; there are hardly any internet services offered by ISPs in rural areas. 2
12. The current provision can be briefly illustrated by the following statistics: There are 68 Government Public Libraries, all in urban areas aligned with the national administration structure of Divisions and Districts. There are around 1000 Non-Government Public Libraries, which are in need of development; around 250 in urban areas, 750 in rural. BRAC has a network of 2650 Gonokendros (multi-purpose community learning centres), mostly located in villages; 50% have basic ICT equipment, 10% have internet connectivity. Union Information and Services Centres (UISC) are newly established one-stop service outlets operating in all 4,547 Union Parishads (UP, lowest tier of local government) of the country; these provide limited public internet access. There are over 35 million Internet users, mostly urban; internet penetration is 22%, which is about 10% less than the global average; 3G Networks are currently available to less than 0.2% of Bangladesh population. About 95% of these users access the Internet through mobile phones, while the rest use broadband Internet from Internet Service Providers (ISPs), which carry out their operations only in major cities. 95% of families have and use mobile phones; there are 114 million active mobile phone subscribers. The purchase of smart phones has increased dramatically, with a 3,074% growth rate in 2013 as compared to 2012. 13. For this study, we are using a definition of LIS that includes: physical and virtual spaces for accessing books / other print and digital content / information public information centers with digital capacity and access educational and cultural centers with community convening space physical and virtual infrastructure and content resources that can be accessed by the public professional staff that manage the resources and facilitate public access Objectives of the consultancy 14. The British Council in Bangladesh wishes to engage an independent consultant to oversee and advise the Library Landscape Assessment project and research team as the initial phase draws to its conclusion in July 2015. The overall objectives of the consultancy are as follows: To provide expert input and detailed feedback to both the draft and final reports produced by IID To assist and advise in the design of a major symposium on the research findings, which will attract LIS professionals and governmental and non-governmental stakeholders in Bangladesh To attend the symposium on 11-12 May 2015 in Dhaka and produce a report on the key outcomes, learning points and recommendations Activities 15. In order to meet these objectives, the consultant will undertake the following specific activities: Review all of the relevant contextual and project documentation provided by the British Council Review the draft research report produced by IID 3
Provide detailed written feedback on the draft report, identifying strengths and areas needing improvement Provide detailed advice on the structure and design of a national-level Symposium Field visit to Bangladesh to meet with the research team, the Steering Committee members and other stakeholders Attend the Symposium, taking place 11-12 May in Dhaka (tentative). Produce a report on the Symposium, highlighting the key outcomes and learning points, along with any challenges, priorities and recommended next steps. Review the final and consolidated report from IID, based on feedback from the draft report and outcomes of the symposium Provide detailed written feedback on the final report Timeline and outputs 16. Activity Dates Terms of Reference published 11 March 2015 Deadline for receipt of Expression of Interest (EOI) 23 March 2015 Contract issued 27 March 2015 Documents review 30 31 March 2015 Review of draft report 1 8 April 2015 Submission of written feedback on draft report 9 April 2015 Advise on Symposium design 13 24 April 2015 Field visit to Bangladesh and Symposium attendance 3 May 14 May 2015 Symposium report 18 27 May 2015 Submission of Symposium report 28 May 2015 Review of final report 8 18 June 2015 Submission of written feedback on final report 19 June 2015 17. The consultancy will result in three written reports: two feedback reports and one report on the outcomes of the symposium. 18. The consultant will provide regular progress updates to relevant members of the British Council team. 19. The above timeline is subject to change in the event of any unforeseen delays. British Council role 20. The British Council will work continuously with the consultant at each stage of the work, providing input and on the ground support, making this a collaborative process as much as possible. 21. The British Council will provide appropriate support for travel and logistics during visits to Bangladesh. 22. The British Council already has good working relationships with most of the key stakeholders in LIS, derived from 60 years of working in Bangladesh and our established libraries in Dhaka and Chittagong. These stakeholders, including BRAC and the GoB, will also be able to provide appropriate support, with prior consent. 4
Terms of agreement 23. The consultant will be required to confirm that they are legally entitled to deliver the services required as part of the agreement and that they will accept all liabilities outlined in the consultancy agreement with the British Council. A sample consultancy agreement is available on request. Expressions of Interest 24. We expect consultants to provide a thorough Expression of Interest, including: Personal and/or organisational profile and up-to-date CV A statement describing your relevant knowledge and experience, including any evidence of: - Experience in providing library, ICT and research consultancy services (essential) relating to South Asian contexts (desirable) - Professional librarianship qualifications (desirable) - Experience of advising governments, donor organisations, foundations and non-profits on public library and access to information strategies (desirable) - Experience of qualitative and quantitative research analysis (essential) and preparation for donor-funded initiatives in developing countries (desirable) How you propose to achieve the stated objectives An all-inclusive fee with breakdown 25. Depending on the level of interest, we may request that consultants are available for a short Skype or telephone interview during w/c 23 March 2015 as part of the assessment process. 26. Expressions of Interest should be sent to Tomas Doherty (Assistant Director, Programmes) at tomas.doherty@bd.britishcouncil.org, also copying dhaka.procurement@britishcouncil.org, by 12pm GMT on 23 March 2015. Please give the subject of the email as: Library Landscape Assessment Consultancy. Please note, we can only respond to shortlisted or successful candidates and will award the contract within four working days of the application deadline. For further information or queries, please contact Tomas Doherty (as above). 5
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