The Bid Opening & Evaluation Committee (BOEC) constituted by the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training (MOFE&PT) for the project of “National Institute of Excellence in Teachers Training (NIETE)” raised multiple objections and observations regarding the proposal submitted by the M/S Orenda/Taleemabad.
Professor Muhammad Ihsan Ul Haq, member of the committee who was also the Principal and project director of the Federal College of Education (FCE) representing the BOEC, expressed concerns over the quality and efficacy of the vendor’s offering.
He and some other members of the committee identified multiple deficiencies in the proposal, which included a lack of objective evaluation criteria and an inadequate Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (M&EF) that failed to meet their expectations.
Despite claiming third-party validation from reputed institutions like LUMS and NUST, the vendor’s proposal lacked a concrete framework for assessing the level of embodied pedagogical skill.
One critical observation made by the members was the absence of any mechanism for formative assessment in the vendor’s project proposal.
The lack of details regarding the question bank, quality of questions, and the process of question development raised serious doubts about the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed teacher training program.
The MOFE&PT had invited proposals in June from qualified and registered entities to undertake the crucial task of teacher training under the NIETE project.
However, eyebrows were raised as the tender conditions seemed to heavily favor one particular vendor, M/S Orenda/Taleemabad, leaving it as the sole bidder. Allegations have surfaced, suggesting that other firms were restricted from participating, casting doubt on the fairness of the selection process.
The accusations of an unfair tender process, coupled with the Bid Opening & Evaluation Committee’s reservations about the vendor’s proposal, have cast a shadow on the integrity of the NIETE project.
A teacher at FCE on the condition of anonymity told APP that there were determined efforts by some officers to award the contract to Taleemabad, lacking experience in running teacher training programs.
Moreover, there are concerns that Taleemabad intends to accommodate a significant number of its staff within the premises of FCE for operational purposes which will be an undue favour to a private firm.
He suggested that the existing college could be upgraded without the involvement of private firms. The college has the capacity to take up teachers training projects as it did in the past. However, by directing budgetary resources towards improving infrastructure and human capital within the college, the impact of investments in the teachers training can be maximized, leading to more sustainable and effective results.
As education is a vital pillar for national progress, it is imperative that such crucial projects are executed with the utmost transparency and scrutiny, he added.
