Call for External Evaluators

Terms of Reference

The MICROCASA project consortium searches for subcontracting an External Quality Expert (EQE) to provide an independent review, including recommendations, on the achievements of the project implementation and the overall performance against plans and objectives.

The Consortium will consider applications and proposals of individual experts or organizations specialized in monitoring and evaluating educational projects at the European level. The expert has to demonstrate the skills and experience required for individual EQE. The fee mentioned in this Terms of Reference is intended as maximum contract value for the engagement as EQE, being the contract assigned to an individual expert or an organization.

1. Summary of MICROCASA project

MICROCASA is the first international project aimed at bringing together Asian and European experiences and building institutional capacities in Southeast Asia to co-create, promote, and deliver short competence-oriented educational units leading to micro-credentials with the goal of solving various economic and social problems. Focusing on different aspects of micro-credentialing, for instance course content co-creation, educational technology, transparent quality assurance, technologies for issuance and verification of digital micro-credentials, the project builds a comprehensive set of competences and technical capacities in Southeast Asian Universities.

Leveraging the partner networks, as well as the links to the national educational authorities and regional initiatives, MICROCASA has an ambition to have a systemic impact on the ASEAN region as a whole. The project plan builds around the following groups of activities:

• • Regional Microcredentials Study and Roundtables, which will allow gathering factual data and experts opinions about the barriers and enablers for introducing micro-credentials into the regional HEIs, as well as to benchmark the regional approaches to the ones in the EU;
  • Microcredentials capacity building Program covering all above mentioned aspects of micro credentialing;
  • Pilot development, delivery and evaluation of the set of Digital Competences courses granting micro-credentials;
  • Targeted awareness raising and dissemination activities spreading the excellence beyond the project consortium.

On the European side, the project consortium includes the Italian NARIC Agency, a quality assurance expert company, and 3 European Universities with complementary competences and the EduTech Department at Saarland University taking project lead. The representative group of 6 Southeast Asian University includes central agenda-setting national Universities, as well as Universities with regional development missions.

2. Expertise and skills required for the external evaluator

Qualification

The candidate must have at least an MSc degree in any area, but Educational Sciences is preferable.

Skills and experience

EQE has to demonstrate some relevant skills, including:

• • Proven professional experience in the evaluation process and monitoring process of international collaborative projects (previous experience in EU-funded project is an asset);
  • Understanding of quality processes, expected activities, outputs, and quality review processes;
  • Knowledge of Erasmus+ projects, HE system, Quality Assurance (ESG);
  • Knowledge of the partner countries’ educational system and local conditions is an asset;
  • Language skills (advance knowledge of English);
  • ability to effectively communicate evaluation results and to provide a professional and independent review, the individual EQE shall not have any concurrent contractual engagement with the consortium members.

3. Tasks and Deliverables

Tasks

• • to review MICROCASA processes and products, according to the evaluation criteria of relevance and fulfillment of objectives, development effectiveness, impact, and sustainability, for project/program evaluation;
  • to prepare the intermediate (on Month 18) and final (on Month 36) external evaluation reports;
  • each 6 Months to provide feedbacks in the form of the online sessions on quality assurance processes and methodologies to the project consortium

Deliverables

• • Mid-term report about project implementation provides an external perspective to achievements so far reached and the overall performance of the Project against plans and objectives; it also provides recommendations on the various aspects of Project implementation, including quality of the deliverables, consortium working relations, internal communication, processes, results (deadline 31.08.24)
  • The final report ensures an external and professional perspective into project processes and results and captures the overall quality of the project in all its It also provides valuable lessons learned and good practices to inform partners’ work in further exploiting project results beyond its lifetime. (deadline 28.02.26)
  • A series of feedback sessions provided for the MICROCASA consortium members will strengthen the implementation of the project

Conditions for the service

EQE is provided full access to all project documentation to empower her/him to carry out a thorough assessment of the project. EQE undertakes to carry out the required service within the specified timeframe. EQE agrees to maintain the confidentiality of data generated or disclosed during the provision of the needed service.

4. Total Fee

The total fee for the engagement of the EQE is up to EUR 5.000,00, with all taxes included.

5. Deadline and requirements for the application

The deadline for presenting the application for the job is:

December 8, 2023.

December 31, 2023.

The application shall be sent by email at the address:

application@edutech.uni-saarland.de.

Applicants shall present their CVs, clearly demonstrating the skills, competencies, and experiences required in these terms of reference. In addition, the applicant has to submit a short memo/abstract on how he/she intend to perform the assignment.