Submitting a Helpdesk request

How to submit a request

Are you an FCDO Education Adviser or World Bank education staff member? You are eligible to submit a request for Helpdesk support. Learn more about eligibility criteria here.

After clicking “Submit a request”, you will be asked for a password. If you have not received a password from Ian Attfield (FCDO) or Mike Trucano (World Bank), please contact them. The Helpdesk can only accept requests submitted through this form.

When to seek Helpdesk support

The EdTech Hub provides support on primary and secondary education across three themes: learners, teachers, and systems. Requests related to tertiary education are usually out of our scope.

You should use the Helpdesk to inform COVID-19-related education responses, programmes and projects. This includes those led by FCDO, the World Bank, or other institutions with which FCDO or the World Bank are partnering, particularly government entities. These may include countries’ response plans, proposals for funding (such as, for example, GPE COVID-19 accelerated funding), operational manuals, or implementation plans, in the case that these plans involve the use of EdTech. See the Hub’s evidence library for examples of our Helpdesk responses to date.

Coordination with partners

FCDO advisers and World Bank staff working in or with countries eligible for Helpdesk support should try to coordinate requests for Helpdesk support.

If multiple requests are submitted simultaneously from one country, the Helpdesk may link those requests together. For each request submitted, you will be asked to share contact information and identify a request “lead,” or key point of contact with whom the Helpdesk will liaise.

Helpdesk services

The Helpdesk accepts requests on a rolling basis and undertakes responses as capacity allows. As much as possible, the Helpdesk will distribute support evenly across eligible countries seeking support.

The Helpdesk provides several types of services in response to requests. These include expert consultation, programme document reviews, topic briefs, curated resource lists and Q&A documents.

Expert Consultation

The Helpdesk offers phone or video-conference sessions with experts from the Hub and our Expert Pool of consultants who can provide advice and input on a variety of topics. EdTech Hub experts can consult directly with FCDO and World Bank teams, or join conversations with ministries of education and/or other development partners. They can also participate in webinars, panels, brown bag lunches, or other virtual convenings. Timeline: 1 – 5 business days.

Programme Document Review

Hub experts advise on EdTech issues by reviewing and making suggestions on key documents, such as COVID-19 response plans, concept notes, project appraisal documents, business cases, terms of reference for technical assistance, operational manuals, implementation plans, and more. Their feedback may focus on a targeted set of questions that you identify, or could include in-line edits or comments, or a cover email to summarise general points. Please note that the scope of Hub document review does not include copyediting. Timeline: 1 – 4 business days.

Topic Briefs

A topic brief is a 10 to 15-page document summarising the Hub’s best current evidence-informed thinking and practical guidance on do’s and don’ts for a particular topic. It draws on both the explicit and tacit knowledge of Hub experts and members of our Expert Pool to contextualise an issue and synthesise key considerations. It also may include a list of resources, including grey and academic literature, for further reading. While informed by evidence, topic briefs are not exhaustive literature reviews. See one example of an EdTech Hub topic brief here. Timeline: 10 – 15 business days.

Curated lists of resources

The Helpdesk provides curated lists of EdTech programmes, examples from low-and middle-income country contexts, innovative solutions, research papers, and more. These lists include context for the listed resources, including uses, strengths and limitations, cost information when available, and more. They are provided to requesters via a five to ten-page document. See examples of Helpdesk curated lists on EdTech research, initiatives, interactive radio instruction, and EdTech in fragile- and conflict-affected settings. Timeline: 10 – 15 business days.

Q&A Documents

Often linked to the questions raised during expert consultations or thematic virtual discussions, the Helpdesk also provides question-and-answer style documents to address frequently asked questions on particular topics. Please see examples on girls’ education, Nepal, and the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Timeline: 7 – 12 business days.

A combination of the above

In some cases, a combination of the above services may be most appropriate. For example, the Helpdesk might fulfill a request by first sharing an existing resource and conducting an expert consultation, and then following up to provide feedback on a specific programme document. Or, a Hub expert might review a programme document, and then provide a curated list of resources thereafter. While Helpdesk services can be combined and customised, if the scope of a request is large (e.g. there are multiple components or follow-on requests after the original), the Helpdesk team may separate out specific asks into distinct requests. Timeline: 5 – 15 business days.

Other support

Longer term or more intensive types of support can be discussed with the Hub team to explore what additional funding would be required and on what timeline the Hub would be able to deliver.