Team Leader for Disability Study

Job Description

Purpose of the Assignment

With support from the UNPRPD, UNDP has planned to conduct a comprehensive situation analysis on the conditions of people with disabilities in Nepal prior to COVID-19 and the impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities. The comprehensive study about persons with disabilities will focus on women and representatives from marginalized groups and aims to inform policy and programmes of the Government, UN agencies, and the development partners.

The study will be conducted in collaboration with the other UNPRPD participating UN agencies, the National Federation of the Disabled Nepal (the umbrella organization), other Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPD’s), and relevant line ministries responsible for disability inclusion in Nepal. The study will provide evidence-based recommendations and guidance and will also come up with the advocacy tools/checklist to promote the rights of the persons with disabilities in Nepal. The assessment will draw on an analysis of the pre-COVID-19 situation of persons with disabilities, including existing inequalities, discrimination, access to services, systems to ensure accessibility and overall system strengthening.

Scope of the Work

The scope of the work includes:

The assignment aims to develop a high-level analysis of the legislative and policy context regarding disability, and the outcomes for persons with disabilities in the pre and postCOVID-19 context. The consultant will be expected to:

• Review and summarise the pre-COVID-19 situation of persons with disabilities, including: legislative and policy framework, pre-COVID-19 investment in disability, required foundations for inclusion - non-discrimination, access to support services, and accessibility (using guidance and support from the technical secretariat) as a basis of analysing the impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities. The study should take an intersectional approach, recognising the compounding experiences of discrimination of persons with disabilities from historically marginalised groups.
• Conduct an in-depth analysis of the realisation of the rights and outcomes for persons with disabilities in the pre and post COVID-19 context. This should include access to justice, social protection, education, employment, health, political rights, rehabilitation, and disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action. Provide concrete recommendations for policy and programme interventions on enhancing the realisation of the rights and improving the wellbeing of persons with disabilities.
• Assess the information available and mechanisms for information dissemination, particularly on COVID-19 and its accessibility to the persons with disabilities.
• Identify the specific impact on women and girls with disabilities including intellectual and psychosocial disabilities.
• Conduct consultations and validation meetings with the relevant stakeholders, including relevant line ministries, UN agencies, the National Federation of the Disabled Nepal, and other Organizations of Persons with Disabilities representing various types of disabilities particularly working in invisible disability and other civil society organizations working on disability inclusion, private sectors to collect the inputs and refine the draft findings.
• Based on the study’s findings, develop advocacy tools, and checklists to take forward the recommendations by various stakeholders, including OPDs.

Expected outputs and deliverables

The team should submit the following deliverables:

• Inception report with detailed methodology (including both qualitative and quantitative) approach), work plan in response to the TOR, and drawing on the UNPRPD guidance for conducting an overview analysis of the rights of persons with disabilities. The inception report should also include a proposed schedule of the task, methodology, activities, and deliverables.
• Conduct an in-depth analysis of the situation pre-COVID-19 and impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities, referring to the guidance from the UNPRPD secretariat. This should include analysis of the overarching legislative and policy issues that impact on disability inclusion, as well as analysis of the access to rights and outcomes to social protection, legal, education, employment, political participation, health, and rehabilitation, disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action; through the review of documents, consultations, interview of different stakeholders, OPDs representatives, etc.
• Conduct meetings with the relevant stakeholders, including the relevant line Ministries, UN agencies, the National Federation of the Disabled Nepal, Organizations of the Persons with Disabilities, CSO’s to better understand the situation before and after the COVID-19.
• Based on the findings, provide concrete policy and programmatic recommendations within close consultations with persons with disabilities.
• Develop and submit the advocacy tools and checklists that OPDs and other stakeholders can use for disability inclusion.

REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

I. Academic Qualifications:

At least Master’s degree in social science, social work, economics, political science, economics, public administration, international development, or any other relevant field, including gender studies, inclusion, disability inclusion, and human rights.

II. Years of experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant working experience in research and analysis assessment in the disability sector with demonstrated success in policy recommendations.
• Experience and knowledge of gender and inclusion issues.
• Previous experience of development of advocacy tools and checklist
• Knowledge of the regional and national political, cultural, and economic context and knowledge of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and experience in working with organizations of persons with disabilities.
• Experience of working in UNDP and/or other UN agencies is an added value.

III. Competencies:

• Excellent interpersonal, teamwork, and communication skills.
• Good facilitation and presentation skills.
• Ability to work with people from different backgrounds to deliver quality products.
• Experience in conducting a gender-responsive study.
• Flexible and responsive to changes.
• Client-oriented and open to feedback.
• Respect and displays cultural, gender, religion, race, disability, and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Excellent analytical and report writing, presentation, and editing skills in English

Proposal should be submitted by email to procurement.np@undp.org not later than 1730 hours (Nepal Standard Time) on 3 November 2020 mentioning reference No. UNDP/PN/44/2020 – International Individual Consultant for Disability Study.