TERMS OF REFERENCE
(ToR)
PROJECT BASELINE SURVEY
Strengthening Access to Quality Primary Education in Assam
Issued for External Agencies / Consultants/Firm
Aide et Action,
Guwahati Regional Office, Guwahati
House No.1, Sankar Nagar, Lakhimi Path, Beltola Tiniali Guwahati, Assam-781028
AIDE ET ACTION (INDIA)
Aide et Action (India) is a secular, apolitical, not-for-profit organization, operational in India since 1981. It is registered under Section 25 of the Indian Companies Act (now Section 8). Aide et Action envisions “Changing the world through Education.” And it’s mission is to “Ensure access to quality education for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, especially children, empowering them to shape their own development and contribute to a more peaceful and sustainable world.”
The core program priorities include Early Childhood Care and Education, Access & Quality Education (Primary & Secondary), and Lifelong Learning & Vocational Training. We are committed to Women Empowerment and Education, and Inclusive Education, while also addressing critical issues such as climate change, peace education, and migration. Our programmes are spread across the country impacting the lives of the most underprivileged sections.
1.Background and introduction of the project
Aide et Action initiated a Project - Strengthening Access to Quality Primary Education in Dhemaji District Assam for the period March 2026 – May 2029 in Murkongselek block, situated in the Jonai co-district of Dhemaji district in Assam. It is one of the blocks identified under the Aspirational Block Program of NITI Aayog. Located in the easternmost part of Assam and bordering Arunachal Pradesh, it forms part of one of the most flood-prone regions of the Brahmaputra valley. Seasonal floods and riverbank erosion persistently affect agriculture, livelihoods, education, and infrastructure.
As an Aspirational Block, Murkongselek is a priority geography for convergent government programs focused on health, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, and basic infrastructure. Strategic investments in this block can strengthen resilience, improve human development indicators, and support the Aspirational District goals in Dhemaji. Despite vulnerabilities, Murkongselek has socio-economic importance, with a predominantly rural population and diverse ethnic communities, including Mising and Bodo tribes, along with other marginalized groups. Agriculture, livestock rearing, and traditional livelihoods are dominant occupations.
To address the learning challenges in the block, the proposed intervention will adopt a multi-pronged strategy designed to strengthen foundational learning and create a sustainable support ecosystem for teachers, schools, and communities. The project will focus on the following core pillars:
- Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for teachers of primary grade schools with support of District Institute of Education & Training, Dhemaji, with an emphasis on multilingual pedagogical approach and activity-based learning
- Structured follow-up and academic mentoring, including onsite classroom support and model learning sessions to improve students learning outcomes around literacy and numeracy.
- Development of multilingual learning resources through DIET Dhemaji, especially in the Mising language, to support mother-tongue-based learning in early grades.
- Strengthening community engagement by activating School Management Committees (SMCs), Mothers’ Groups (MGs), to improve school environment.
- Supporting children to continue learning during floods.
DIET Dhemaji’s recognition as a Centre of Excellence under NEP 2020 presents an opportunity to demonstrate a context-responsive model for multilingual teaching. This approach will build teacher competency, enhance student engagement, and foster meaningful school-community partnerships. By closing systemic gaps in teacher mentoring, multilingual resource availability, and community involvement, the intervention aims to improve foundational learning outcomes and establish a scalable and resilient model. Through this approach, 12000 children across 250 primary schools will gain stronger foundations in literacy and numeracy, teachers will be better equipped to manage multilingual and multi-grade classrooms, and communities will be more actively involved in children’s learning. By aligning with the mandate of DIET and the state’s priorities, the project will help reduce the gaps in learning and create a model that can be expanded to other parts of the district.
Project Goal
The goal of the project is to strengthen the quality of primary education in the Murkongselek block of Dhemaji district by ensuring that children in the early grades build strong foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
Objective 1:
500 primary school teachers in 250 schools are capacitated through DIET Dhemaji to improve classroom practices and deliver quality education.
Objective 2:
12000 lower primary students in 250 primary schools improve their foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
Objective 3:
Promote culturally relevant and multilingual teaching-learning resource materials through DIET Dhemaji, Assam
Objective 4:
Improved Learning environments in 250 schools through strengthened capacities of community stakeholders – SMCs and Mothers Groups and involvement of cluster and block education authorities to foster convergence and collaboration
11. Application Procedure
The consultant/firm is required to submit the following:
- Letter of interest
- CV with at least two references
- At least two samples of previous work related (Preferably Assam/North East, India) to the requirements of this ToR.
- Financial proposal indicating a consultancy fee and a breakdown of expenses as per the term of deliverables.
- Copy of PAN/GST registration certificate
For detailed information, please check the complete version of the RFP attached below.