Consultancy for Translation of Professional Development Module to Improve Blended Courses

SCOPE OF WORK

Translation of Professional Development Module

to Improve Blended Courses 

I. BACKGROUND

The Partnership for Higher Education Reform (PHER) is an initiative to help strengthen Vietnam's leading public universities. The project activities are funded by USAID to support targeted reforms to improve institutional leadership and administrative capacity, improve teaching practices to enhance the University of Da Nang's learning outcomes, elevate university research capacity to international standards, network Vietnamese researchers to maximize access to global knowledge, enable university graduates to better engage with the labor market, and help university faculty leverage their research for innovation. 

To achieve these objectives, PHER activities focus on:      

• Governance: This pillar supports the building and strengthening of institutional performance management systems based on agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) supported by a comprehensive Management Information System (MIS) that provides consistent, reliable data for decision making and for accreditation of institutions and programs. This includes the establishment of a robust internal quality assurance (IQA) system at each of the target universities. Improved governance will help the leadership of public universities in Vietnam make better informed decisions as they exercise greater autonomy and focus on academic quality.  
• Teaching & Learning: This pillar supports the expansion of faculty capacity to design state-of-the-art courses, digitize curricula, support the development of priority online courses and programs, improve student learning assessment techniques, and develop graduate students in the teaching profession. This pillar will also support technical assistance to help prepare faculty and administration for international accreditation reviews of academic programs and institutions. The objective is for improved teaching and learning at Vietnam’s public universities to increase learning outcomes, enhance recognition of high-quality academic programs, and improve the employability of graduates. 
• Research & Innovation: This pillar supports the enhancement of research capacity so that the scientific outputs of public universities in Vietnam meet international standards, increase knowledge sharing among specialists, grow the number of publications in recognized journals, and align research activities to the social and economic needs of the country.  This will take place through faculty exchanges, visiting scholar programs, research conferences, webinars, workshops, and short course training on research methodologies and academic specialties. The key vehicle for this pillar is the establishment of Vietnam International Academic Networks (VIAN) to help scientists across Vietnam connect more readily with fellow experts from around the world. The objective is for VIAN activity to lead to greater knowledge sharing, a broader promotion of research taking place in Vietnam, and enhanced opportunities for joint research and publications with partners abroad. 

The PHER project also seeks deeper exploration of policy areas vital to the improvement of Vietnamese public higher education by supporting analytical work on the areas of technology and digitization, as well as gender equity. These cross-cutting policy areas are essential to success across the four pillars and to supporting the long-term sustainability of higher education reforms in Vietnam.

PHER focuses on reforms at three major Vietnamese public universities, their member universities, and respective institutes and academic programs: 

• Vietnam National University-Hanoi (VNU), 
• Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City (VNUHCM), and 
• The University of Danang (UD)

OBJECTIVE OF ASSIGNMENT

PHER seeks a translation company/team/individual to translate the Professional Development Module to Improve Blended courses (Module) in English into Vietnamese. The translation provider will deliver responsibilities and tasks listed in the following section to contribute to achievement of the PHER goals. The work of this assignment is to be conducted in Vietnamese. All activities should ensure equitable treatment, irrespective of gender, disability, or ethnic background. 

Introduction to the Module

The Module provides instructors with an overview of the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required to design, develop, and deliver blended courses effectively. The Module is designed to be hands-on and highly practical, offering participants access to applicable tools and resources that they can readily implement and use in their blended course development and instruction. After completing the Module, participants will be able to gain an understanding of blended learning principles, design a well-aligned blended course that optimizes student learning, and apply technology to teaching practice and enhance student learning experiences in blended courses.

The Module has introduction, conclusion parts and  8 chapters. Each chapter consists of carefully vetted resources, such as helpful guidelines, ready-to-use templates, practical resources, and research-based articles. Considering the hectic schedules of most instructors, this course utilizes a micro-learning strategy that allows learners to engage with the material in manageable sessions, enabling them to easily enter and exit a chapter. Additionally, the course is designed with a modular framework, allowing learners to navigate through the material in any order. In summary, this course is both practical and applicable, integrating proven methods with the latest resources. We aim to equip you with all you need to successfully build your own blended courses.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

The company/team/individual will be in charge of, in close collaboration with the USAID PHER team, to translate the Module in English into Vietnamese, making sure to maintain their original meaning, format and tone. The assignment is aimed at completing the following main objectives:

• Provide high quality and accurate translation of 01 online professional development module (8 chapters plus introduction and conclusion) from English into Vietnamese;
• Undertake thorough linguistic verification with regard to terminology ensuring use of the the most appropriate range of vocabulary and commonly accepted or established terms of style;
• Edit and proofread the translated material for accuracy of meaning, grammar, and syntax with an eye toward maintaining its original format (e.g. font and structure);
• Finalize and complete the assignment without error and promptly by the delivery date;
• Collaborate with the PHER team through the translation assignment;
• Provide trouble-shooting support for any technical issues identified to the PHER team to guide the module developers on any necessary improvements.

TIME AND LOCATION

The work is expected to commence in August 2024 and be completed in September 2024. The assignment will be conducted virtually.

TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

BUDGET

The IU PHER grant will allocate a budget agreed with the selected company/team/individual to complete the translation tasks and all deliverables per the SoW above.

SUPERVISION AND REPORTING

The expert will work under the supervision of the USAID PHER

REQUIREMENTS AND SKILLS

The service provider should have:

• a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in translation
• prior experience working in higher education
• excellent proofreading skills
• experience in and comfort with translating websites and video subtitles in addition to traditional text.

APPLICATION

Submit capacity package including:

• Letter of Interests
• CV(s) of translator(s) who involve(s) in the project
• Appropriate degrees and qualifications
• Sample of a translation work
• Translation quotation

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled.  We sincerely appreciate your interest in this job opportunity, but only shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview.

Application documents should be sent to [email protected] titled “Application: Translation of Professional Development Module” by July 20, 2024.