Diagnosis of the causes of non-affiliation in the transition from secondary to upper secondary education (EMS) and early disaffiliation from EMS, identification of best practices, evidence and public policy recommendations

Description

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) invites specialized consulting firms to submit their proposals to produce a comprehensive diagnosis of the causes of non-affiliation in the transition from secondary school to upper secondary education (EMS) and early disaffiliation during the first year of EMS in Mexico.
The main objective of the study is to identify the structural, institutional, school, territorial and personal factors that condition school dropout, to systematize the best national and international retention practices, and to formulate public policy recommendations prioritized by their implementation horizon and expected impact.

1. Scope of services and methodology
- Analytical and geographical approach: Applied research services in remote mode, with virtual fieldwork in selected states in coordination with the Undersecretariat of Higher Secondary Education (SEMS).
- Quantitative analysis of secondary sources: Statistical evaluation of trends (2018–2026) on key indicators: enrollment, absorption, coverage, dropout, failure, terminal efficiency, and retention.
- Population disaggregation: Analysis differentiated by gender, socioeconomic level, territory, type of locality, ethnicity and disability condition.
- Qualitative and quantitative survey: Design and application of surveys and virtual focus groups aimed at secondary and EMS students, their families and teaching/educational staff.

2. Product Timeline and Milestones (July 2026 – July 2027)
- Output 1 (July 2026): Detailed work plan, schedule of activities, methodology and instruments for secondary diagnosis.
- Output 2 (October 2026): Diagnosis of secondary sources of EMS with statistical analysis of trends 2018–2026 and characterization of gaps.
- Output 3 (Fieldwork: November 2026 / Delivery: February 2027): Report of the study of permanence in the EMS (surveys, focus groups and hierarchical recommendations).
- Output 4 (Fieldwork: April 2027 / Delivery: July 2027): Report of the secondary transition study–EMS (surveys, focus groups, and proposals to strengthen membership).
- Cross-cutting activities: Periodic follow-up meetings with the SEMS-SEB technical team and the IDB, accompanied by workshops to socialize preliminary findings throughout the cycle (July 2026–July 2027).

3. Consulting Firm and Key Team Requirements
- Signature experience: Prove at least 5 years of experience conducting research or studies for the education sector in Mexico.
- Project Coordinator: Master's or Doctorate in Economics, Education, Public Administration or Sociology, with a minimum of 5 years leading teams in educational research and verifiable history in EMS studies or school dropout.
- Specialist in Statistics/Data Analysis: Master's Degree in Economics, Econometrics or Statistics, with at least 3 years of experience in educational quantitative research and mastery of official Mexican databases (SIGED, 911, SIGE, SEP).
- Specialist in Pedagogy/Education: Master's degree in Educational Sciences or Educational Policy, with at least 3 years of experience in qualitative research and field instruments.
- Survey and Fieldwork Specialist: Minimum 2 years of experience in design/application of educational surveys and implementation of digital virtual data collection platforms.

Note: Interested companies should review the requirements on the BEO Bidder Portal.