Terms of Reference (TOR): Consultancy to Revise the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Pocket Guide in Rwanda

Background and Context

Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the earliest years of life lays the foundation for a child's lifelong health, learning, productivity, and overall well-being. Global evidence demonstrates that investing in early childhood yields substantial social and economic returns.

An estimated 250 million (43 percent) of children under five in low- and middle-income countries are at risk of not reaching their full developmental potential due to extreme poverty, malnutrition, and exposure to violence. Investments in ECD are among the most cost-effective development interventions: for every US$1 invested, the estimated return ranges between US$6 and US$17. These benefits include:

• Improved health outcomes
• Enhanced cognitive and educational achievement
• Higher future earnings and productivity
• Reduction in the intergenerational transmission of poverty and malnutrition

Rwanda's ECD Progress

The Government of Rwanda has made significant strides in advancing ECD over the past decade, guided by the 2016 National ECD Policy and subsequent strategic frameworks. Through strengthened multisectoral coordination, expansion of ECD services, increased community engagement, and sustained investment in early learning and child protection systems, the country has positioned ECD as a national development priority.

Since the adoption of the 2016 Policy, important institutional, demographic, and sectoral shifts have occurred:

• Establishment and operationalization of NCDA as the lead coordinating institution for ECD
• Expansion of integrated ECD service delivery models
• Increased emphasis on quality assurance, standards harmonization, and results-based programming
• Alignment with global frameworks such as the Nurturing Care Framework (2018)

About the ECD Pocket Guide

The ECD Pocket Guide was developed to provide simplified, practical guidance to stakeholders in early childhood development.