As part of its activities and implementation in Laos, the SIMPLE project team is looking for a Coordinating partner of the SIMPLE project in Lao PDR from July 2025 to April 2027.

Introduction

SIMPLE (https://project-simple.eu/) is a collaborative project co-funded by the European Union from 2023 to 2027, designed to raise awareness of sustainable development among young audiences in the Lower Mekong countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam). The project aims to achieve this through the development, implementation and evaluation of educational programmes supported by activities in virtual reality, which enable young people to experience first-hand environmental issues and explore potential solutions in engaging games and interactive evidence-based simulations. 

The French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) is a public scientific and technological institution whose research, expertise, valorization and training activities aim at contributing to the economic, social and cultural development of the Global South. IRD is the leading partner in SIMPLE, through a team based in Hanoi, with Can Tho University (CTU) in Vietnam and the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) in Thailand. 

IRD is looking for a subcontractor to coordinate and support the implementation of SIMPLE in Lao PDR, from June 2025 to April 2027, in all its dimensions: project management and coordination, design of an educational programme, construction of scientific models, development of VR activities, and implementation in educational environments. It should be noted that potential academic and scientific partners have already been identified by IRD, and that the tenderer is expected to refine this choice, then support and coordinate their work as part of the project implementation. 

IRD provides the software and hardware infrastructures necessary for the implementation of the project, as well as expertise and support for the development of simulations, VR activities and the educational programme. The theme of the programme in Lao PDR is epidemiology and transmission of infectious diseases (to be detailed with the scientific partners).

Scope of work: main roles and responsibilities 

Pedagogical activities 

• Adapting and implementing the pedagogical approach (see Appendix A) in conjunction with the regional pedagogical coordinator and pedagogical advisor of SIMPLE.
• Mobilising key educational partners like schools or school networks and connecting them with the IRD team. 
• Ensuring the implementation of the VR-based educational programme by educational stakeholders. 
• Coordinating the use and maintenance of the equipment (two mobile laboratories equipped with six headsets, a server, a UPS, a wifi and a tablet) provided by IRD.
• Organising and following-up the impact evaluation (see Appendix A).

Scientific activities 

• Choosing academic partners to define the scientific subject, develop the messages to be conveyed, and validate the scientific aspects of the resulting educational program.
• Choosing academic partners to design models and simulations able to provide scenarios to support both the educational programme and the VR activities. 

Technical activities 

• Identifying and teaming up with relevant partners, preferably in Lao PDR, to develop the activities in virtual reality that can support the educational programme. 
• Regularly meeting with IRD and its partners to assess the technical and design choices of the virtual reality environments. 
• If necessary, adapting the equipment provided by IRD to the local conditions. 

Project management and coordination 

• Regularly meeting with the scientific and technical partners to gather information and the latest updates on developments and keeping the IRD team in Hanoi posted. 
• Organising and attending meetings or field visits with the Lao partners to stay updated, identify issues and discuss them with the IRD team to resolve them. 
• Submitting project deliverables that match quality requirements. 
• Preparing all required reports, including quarterly narrative and financial ones, with the support of the IRD team. 
• Sending communication content to the communication officer (Hanoi-based IRD team).
• Making sure project guidelines are respected, deadlines are met and activities remain within the available budget in the country of implementation. 
• Controlling and documenting the use of budget and expenses by the participants.
• Supporting events’ organisation and/or participation in countries of implementation. 

Key deliverables 

• Quarterly narrative and financial reports 
• At least two focus groups organized 
• Co-construction process with educational actors (at least two co-construction workshops) 
• At least one training of educational actors 
• A complete educational programme on the selected scientific theme, which can work with or without VR activities 
• At least two implementations in two different educational environments 
• Implementation of the evaluation process 
• Participation or organisation of at least four outreach events (awareness raising workshops, VR testing sessions, conference/symposium, roundtables, fairs, etc.) 

Expected calendar: 

• 07/25 to 09/25 : Organisation of focus groups 
• 09/25 to 03/26 : Co-construction of the educational programme
• 09/25 to 03/26 : Design of models and simulations to support the programme
• 09/25 to 03/26 : Design of VR activities to support the programme 
• 03/26 to 04/26 : Tests and training 
• 05/26 to 10/26 : Implementation and impact evaluation in the educational context chosen
• 11/26 to 12/26 : Analysis of impact evaluation data 
• 01/27 to 04/27 : Administrative wrap-up with the IRD team

Eligibility criteria 

• Experience in education to sustainable development or environmental protection.
• Active network/relationships with educational and academic stakeholders. 
• Experience working with the Lao youth and their empowerment. 
• Proven experience with the management of development and/or educational projects.
• Organisation based in Lao with the administrative capacity to manage the project and to subcontract some tasks to other organisations. 
• A team dedicated to the project, with the possibility to hire or assign a full time coordinator. 
• Proven reliability, responsiveness, rigorous organization.

Application process 

We will consider applications including a proposal with the following elements:  

• Your understanding of the requested mission; 
• A proposal regarding the development of the activities listed above; 
• A presentation of the team involved; 
• A budget breakdown; 
• A provisional timetable based on elements provided; 
• Examples of previous projects on related topics. 

The deadline to apply is March 31 2025. Selected proposals will then be invited for an interview, with the final answer provided mid-April.

Contractual arrangements 

Activities should start from July 2025 to December 2026. The maximum envelope for the implementation in Lao PDR is 150.000 euros, including subcontracting to other partners. 

Contact information

Applications should be sent in English to alexis.drogoul@ird.fr and jeanne.cottenceau@ird.fr, as a file entitled “SIMPLE_MPLaoPDR_2025_ApplicantName.pdf”. Appendices with additional material can be sent along or included in the same document.

APPENDIX A – SIMPLE pedagogical approach 

SIMPLE develops VR games tackling sustainable issues. The VR games are developed by scientists, engineers and game specialists. Each game comes within an educational programme that maximizes the learning impact of the VR game. An educational programme is a supportive framework for educators. It is made of several activities, among them the VR game developed by SIMPLE. It has one main pedagogical objective, and allows students to discover a scientific subject and learn step by step. 

One of the main roles of the tenderer is to design the educational programme on epidemiology (topic to be confirmed): 

• Integrate the VR game into a comprehensive and realistic educational programme that facilitates the use of VR for educational purposes 
• Develop open-source and free teaching materials and guidelines ready to use by educators 
• Evaluate the impact and adequacy of the educational programme and its materials. The impact evaluation assesses students’ knowledge, competencies and attitudes toward the environment. 

The SIMPLE pedagogical approach is divided into 5 steps:

Phase 1 – Consultation 

Goals: To understand the local school system, opportunities for implementation of extracurricular activities like the ones envisioned within SIMPLE and constraints to such activities by discussing with local educational actors. Based on this data, determine the main scope of the educational programme to develop (age of students, pedagogical goals, duration, connection with the curriculum, places of implementation (in or out schools), etc.) 

Tool: Focus groups with teachers, educators, curriculum designers, etc. 

Deliverables: Report on the main conclusions from the focus groups to lay the foundations of the educational programme to be set up. 

Phase 2 – Co-construction 

Goals: To co-develop with teachers, educators, scientists and game designers the educational programme and its materials. This educational programme must include the VR game designed by the SIMPLE team, and enable it to reveal its educational potential through knowledge input and related pedagogical activities. 

Tools: Online meetings, working sessions and tests in schools/with young people

Deliverables: Educational programme tested and ready to be used

Phase 3 – Training 

Goals: To train the teachers or educators who will implement the educational programme. The training should include sessions about the scientific topic tackled by the educational programme, the use of the virtual reality equipment, the different activities and learning approach developed. 

Tools: A several-day in-person training 

Deliverables: Training programme ; training materials (shared with the trained educators at the end of the training)

Phase 4 – Implementation 

Goals: To implement the educational programme in at least two different places. 

Tools: At least two sessions of implementation with two different groups of students

Deliverables: Report on the implementation and main recommendations to improve the educational programme and the VR game ; Pictures and testimonies

Phase 5 – Evaluation 

Goals: To assess the impact of educational programmes, including VR, in the development of students’ knowledge, competencies and attitudes toward the environment. 

Tools: Pre and post student surveys on LimeSurvey, teachers’ interviews and on-site observations (*) 

Deliverables: Report on the impact of VR on students’ knowledge, competencies and attitudes toward the environment ; Recommendations to improve the sustainability of the educational programme and the VR game in chosen educational environment.

(*) The evaluation process currently consists of the following actions, which may evolve in the future. The evaluation tools have already been developed (online surveys, interviews grid and observation guide).