Consultancy: Cost-Per-Child and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of a TaRL Education Program in Côte d’Ivoire

1. Introduction and Context:

The learning crisis affecting many countries around the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, has not spared Côte d’Ivoire. Despite very high enrolment rates, many Ivorian children fail to acquire fundamental skills in the early years of schooling, and struggle to catch up thereafter. The Confemen Programme d’Analyse des Systèmes Éducatifs (PASEC 2019) reports that many finish elementary school with significant gaps in French (59.5% of children lack basic skills) and mathematics (41.2% lack basic skills). The lack of quality primary education for all children has profound consequences particularly on marginalized groups including females and poor rural children, leaving them at a severe economic and social disadvantage including child labour.

To respond to this situation, since 2014, the CIV government has explored and implemented programs and approaches that can improve teaching quality and learning outcomes. As part of these efforts, the Ministry has also undertaken a number of research projects, such as the SEME (Soutenir les Enfants à la Maison et à l’École) study, which tests an innovative education intervention incorporating targeted instruction (“Teaching at the Right Level”) with adaptive technology (DIA) for impact. The organizations responsible for the execution of the SEME study were: the IIvorian Ministry of Education, Jacobs Foundation (funder), TaRL Africa (technical partner with a focus on TaRL approach and electronic intervention/DIA), Innovations for Poverty Action (collecting data in the field within schools and families) and Principal Investigators from American, Canadian, European, and Ivorian universities.

The SEME study was implemented as a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) over two academic years from the 2021-2023. While the impact evaluation is complete, TaRL Africa is seeking a consultant to conduct additional costing analysis to complement the study. Cost data will be provided by TaRL Africa and outcome data is available from the research team. This analysis will offer important understanding of value-for-money and contribute to the knowledge about TaRL in sub-Saharan Africa.

2. Objectives:

The primary objectives of this consultancy are to:

• Calculate the average cost per child reached by the TaRL education program during the two-year RCT period, utilizing detailed cost data.
• Conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of the TaRL program, comparing its costs to the observed educational outcomes measured within the RCT over the two-year period and relative to the control group in the RCT.
• Identify key cost drivers and their relationship to the observed educational impacts.
• Provide actionable recommendations based on the cost and cost-effectiveness findings to inform program improvement, resource allocation, and potential scale-up, considering the evidence from the RCT.

3. Scope of Work:

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Data Collection and Review:
  • Collaborate with TaRL Africa to obtain and thoroughly review detailed financial data collected during the two-year RCT implementation, including program budgets, expenditures (disaggregated by activity, intervention and control groups, and input), and in-kind contributions.
  • Obtain and review the complete dataset of educational outcomes measured within the RCT for both the intervention and control groups over the two-year period (e.g., assessment scores, learning gains, progression rates).
  • Gather detailed information on the program’s implementation model within the RCT, including specific activities for the intervention and control groups, teacher training protocols, materials provided, mentoring and monitoring, and program review processes.
  • Understand the sample size and characteristics of both the intervention and control groups within the RCT.
  • Review the RCT design and any potential factors that might influence the interpretation of cost and outcome data.
• Cost Analysis:
  • Develop a clear methodology for calculating the average cost per child in the intervention group during the RCT, considering both direct and indirect program costs attributable to the intervention.
  • Analyze cost variations across the intervention group (if any).
  • Identify key cost drivers within the TaRL intervention as implemented in the RCT.
• Cost-Effectiveness Analysis:
  • Develop a robust framework for the cost-effectiveness analysis, clearly defining the educational outcomes of interest measured in the RCT (e.g., learning gains in literacy and mathematics measured by ASER and EGRA/MA).
  • Calculate the difference in educational outcomes between the intervention and control groups over the two-year period (the “treatment effect”).
  • Calculate relevant cost-effectiveness ratios, such as the cost per unit of learning gain attributable to the TaRL intervention (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio). This will involve comparing the additional cost of the intervention group to the additional benefit observed compared to the control group.
  • Conduct sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of the cost-effectiveness findings to variations in key cost and outcome parameters.
  • Discuss the statistical significance and practical significance of the cost-effectiveness findings in the context of the RCT results.
• Reporting and Recommendations:
  • Prepare a clear and comprehensive report detailing the methodology, data sources, assumptions, findings, and limitations of the cost-per-child and cost-effectiveness analyses.
  • Clearly present the cost per child for the intervention group and the cost-effectiveness ratios, including confidence intervals where appropriate.
  • Provide an interpretation of the cost-effectiveness findings in light of the RCT results and the specific context of the program.
  • Discuss the implications of the RCT design and findings for the generalizability of the cost-effectiveness results.

4. Deliverables:

The consultant will be responsible for delivering the following:

• Deliverable 1: Inception Report: Within one week of the commencement of the consultancy, the consultant will submit an inception report outlining the detailed methodology for the cost-per-child and cost-effectiveness analyses using the RCT data, a clear work plan with timelines, and a detailed list of data requirements specific to the RCT.
• Deliverable 2: Draft Cost and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Report (RCT Data): Within two weeks of the commencement of the consultancy, the consultant will submit a draft report presenting the calculated cost per child for the intervention group and the results of the cost-effectiveness analysis based on the two-year RCT data, including key findings, limitations, and initial recommendations. This report should clearly present the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.
• Deliverable 3: Final Cost and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Report (RCT Data) and Presentation: Within two weeks of receiving feedback on the draft report, the consultant will submit a final report incorporating feedback from stakeholders. This deliverable will also include a presentation (Powerpoint) summarizing the key findings, cost-effectiveness ratios, and recommendations for dissemination to relevant audiences. The presentation should clearly articulate the value for money of the TaRL intervention based on the RCT evidence.

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