Open Call for an External Evaluator
of the ERASMUS+ Project “Introduction of part‐time and short cycle studies in Serbia” 561868-EPP-1-2015-1-EE-EPPKA2-CBHE-SP
We are inviting interested candidates to apply to conduct the external evaluation of the above mentioned project – Grant Agreement no. 2015-3431/001-001
Project background
The Strategy on Education Development till 2020 in the Republic of Serbia identified the need for part-time (PT) and short cycle (SCHE) studies and the appropriate action plans to be adopted. The project aims to implement these action plans needed for establishment of PT&SCHE studies in Serbia, by providing necessary and proven legislation framework. Project outcomes will contribute to accomplishment of Strategy’s goals, such as widening access to HE education, and making HE more relevant and adaptable to the labour market. The project main objectives are:
- Define the legal framework supporting the development and implementation of part‐time (PT) studies and short cycle (SCHE) studies in higher education in Serbia, as there is no legislation for PT studies nor studies at the EQF Level 5 in Serbia. The proposed legislation framework should help the authorities to implement two action plans specified for these studies in the Strategy on Education Development till 2020 in the Republic of Serbia.
- Adopt and develop online and face‐to‐face learning methodologies and technologies for PT & SCHE, suitable for adults and working students, who are expected to be the most interested to attend these studies.
- Set pilot implementations of five PT&SCHE online and face‐to‐face programs to test project outcomes. After one year of pilot implementation, an analysis of the effectiveness of the proposed legislation, adopted pedagogical and technological solutions will be generated, together with the guidelines to designers of PT & STHE studies based on gained experience.
Five HE institutions from Serbia (UBG, UNS, UNIKG, BMU, VISER) are involved as partners who will implement most of project activities with project results of national significance. The partners are well balanced including major state universities (UBG, UNS and UNIKG), one private university (BMU) and one College of Applied Studies (VISER). Pilot implementations of the proposed concepts for PT&SCHE studies in Serbia are assigned to the last two HE institutions which are most experienced in conducting these types of studies. VISER is the largest HE school for applied studies in Serbia, offering numerous programs and courses. BMU is the leader in online education in Serbia and with experience dealing with employed students, mainly in computing. EU project partners are chosen on the basis of their experience in implementing short cycles and part-time studies adopted for part-time students. These partners will analyse different concepts, implementations and legislations of PT&SCHE studies implemented in EU countries and give their suggestions and advise. On the other side, the consortium will consult representatives of all identified stakeholders in Serbia and analyse their needs, expectations and requirements for PT&SCHE studies.
Purpose of the external evaluation
The main purpose of the external evaluation will be to support the project consortium to assess the implementation of the project activities from a content-wise perspective over the three years.
It is expected that the evaluator, in contact with the Project Coordinator and the Project Steering Committee, will contribute to the projects evaluation and assessment by raising issues as to its progress and by providing an external perspective on the project contents.
The main purpose of the external evaluation will be to help participants and stakeholders to widen their perspective on the issues dealt with, to improve the projects results and to learn from the experience of the project.
Description of the external evaluation tasks
The external evaluator(s) shall perform the following tasks: the evaluation of the overall project management and the quality of delivered outputs and the evaluation of the content and implementation of pilot short cycle and part-time studies. The evaluation shall be performed using the PT&SCHE project platform with the access to produced deliverables, as well as by visits and on-site and virtual discussions with the project coordination team, as well as with other stakeholders, if necessary (teachers, students..).
The external evaluator(s) shall be responsible for giving feedback to the partnership consisting of the reports on the produced deliverables, as well as of the reports from the site visits and for making recommendations that can be used for corrective measures and upgrading of the quality of project results.
The external evaluator(s) shall produce two Evaluation Reports until the designated date. One report shall focus on the external evaluation of the overall project management and the quality of produced deliverables. The other shall focus on the external evaluation of the content and realization of the piloting PT & SCHE courses.
Call for external evaluator will be opened until 25.01.2019. at noon.
Profile of the external evaluator
The candidates should hold a university degree and have a strong background in project related topics and objectives. It should be familiar with development and implementation of part‐time and short cycle studies in higher education. He/she should demonstrate in his/her application that he/she has sound knowledge and understanding of the project topic and field of activity. Prior involvement in the implementation of EU-funded projects and past experience conducting external evaluation or as reviewer are highly appreciated. A candidate should also have excellent knowledge of English and Serbian language (both verbal and written). External evaluation assumes that the candidate comes outside the project consortium.
Evaluation budget
The project allows a maximum contract price of EUR 2 x 6.000 (incl. all related costs) for the external evaluation. This call is transparent, fair and based on principles of equal treatment, which means that the candidates are able to propose different evaluation methods, but all candidates are expected to specify at least the following items in their offer: (1) planned working days for external evaluation of the overall project management and the quality of produced deliverables with proposed budget (2) planned working days for the external evaluation of the content and realization of the piloting PT & SCHE courses with proposed budget (3) planned onsite and virtual meetings with coordination team, teachers and students with proposed budget.
Selection
The contract will be awarded to the candidate offering best concept and value for the money (best price-quality ratio), as selected by the project Steering Committee.
Proposals including a CV and a concept note with proposed budget (max. 3 pages) should be sent until 25.01.2018. by e-mail to the project coordinator Vladimir Tomberg, University of Tallin, Estonia (vtomberg@tlu.ee) and the project quality manager Žan Dapčević (zan.dapcevic@academia.si).
For further information, please contact the PT&SCHE project website:
