International Consultancy to Support a Situation Analysis and Development of a Project Proposal for UNJP "Transformation of Social Service Delivery: Implementing Human Rights-Based Approach for Children, Youth and Women with Disabilities in Uzbekistan".

Job no: 539249

Position type: Consultancy

Location: Uzbekistan Division/Equivalent: CEE/CIS

School/Unit: Republic of Uzbekistan

Department/Office: Tashkent, Rep. of Uzbekistan

Categories: Health, Consultancy

Background

One of key priorities of the new Uzbekistan United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2021-2025 years (UNSDCF) is to enhance access of the most vulnerable including persons with disabilities to gender-sensitive quality public services. A Thematic Group on Human Rights and Inclusion (UNHRIG) has been established to ensure coordinated and coherent UNCT approach to disability programming, implementation and quality assurance across the joint work of the UNCT in implementing UNSDCF.

The UNCT, including UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA and OHCHR joined efforts to attract more resources for transformation of social service delivery for children, youth and women with disabilities in line with human rights-based approach. Within the fourth call for proposals of the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Multi-Partner Trust Fund (UNPRPD MPTF) Uzbekistan's expression of interest was selected for submission of a full-fledged proposal.

To support the proposal development, UNPRPD MPTF allocated budget to successful country teams to conduct a Situation Analysis of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SitAn) and to develop a joint full-fledged proposal. A multi-sector, multi-stakeholder analysis is required to understand what is the most catalytic force? at the country level and identify bottlenecks for implementation of the Convention on the Right of Person with Disability (CRPD) and the assurance of equal rights for persons with disabilities. It also supports better understanding for the mainstreaming disability in the implementation of national development plans, UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and other processes.

Findings from this SitAn will be used to generate recommendations with all stakeholders and to identify key priorities where PRPD program funding can provide the biggest impact in accelerating the CRPD implementation. These recommendations will shape the PRPD program design process.

UNPRPD MPTF provided a Guiding Document for Conducting a Situational Country Analysis of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD MPTF Guiding Document), which is designed to help shape the approach of the country analysis, without overly prescribing how the process should take place at country level. The analysis should pay particular attention to the preconditions for inclusion and cross cutting issues - as these aspects are of inter-sectoral importance and should cut across all agencies in the PRPD partnership. A more in-depth sectoral analysis can also be conducted as relevant to local priorities and entities involved, which should be further determined as part of the Country Analysis Planning process. Like the core analysis of pre-conditions, a set of additional questions for the sectoral (e.g. health, education etc) analysis provided as a sample guide.

A previous Situation Analysis of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was conducted by UNCT in 2018, capturing situation of children, women and men with disabilities and following the structure of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The analysis was informed by five research streams: a legal review, an institutional review, a statistical capacity assessment, a KAP Survey and a needs-assessment study (n=3,049 households with a person with a disability; n=1,782 households with persons without disabilities). A mixed-methods approach was undertaken to generate a comprehensive picture. First-person accounts from people with disabilities, their families and disability advocates were also included, gathered in the form of interviews and statements.

While 2018 Situation Analysis provided a comprehensive picture, since then there have been significant developments in the country, including an adoption of the new Law On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2020 and The Presidential Decree No. UP-5270 "On comprehensive measures for further improvement of the system of support for persons with disabilities and strengthening guarantees for the protection of their rights and freedoms" in 2018. A role of national OPDs in policy decision making has been also enhanced significantly. All these recent developments should be also captured in this 2021 SitAn.

In view of the above, UNICEF Uzbekistan CO is seeking the services of an international individual consultant to develop the SitAn report based on UN PRPD guidance for conducting a situational country analysis of the rights of persons with disabilities and to develop Joint Programme and UNCT Disability Strategy for 2021 - 2025 , while paying due consideration to the nationalized Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda, national development plans, UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, other national and global priorities.

SitAn objectives

The objectives of the SitAn is to identify bottlenecks in progress of implementation of the CRPD and the realization of equal rights of persons with disabilities and to understand what is the most catalytic force at the country level. Findings from this analysis will be used to generate recommendations with all stakeholders and to identify key priorities where PRPD program funding can provide the biggest impact in accelerating CRPD implementation. As such, the SitAn will be utilized to:

  • Get a high-level overview of legislative and policy context regarding persons with disabilities and non-discrimination, including coordination mechanisms, accountability and monitoring; accessibility; access to disability support services and assistive devices and technology; disability assessment and determination processes; referral systems; collection and use of disability data; CRPD aligned budgeting and a stakeholder analysis.
  • Conduct a high-level analysis of outcome inequality between persons with and without disabilities across a range of areas. A list of suggested indicators is included in the framework.
  • Provide enough information and recommendations to inform PRPD country programming and to recommend further, in depth analysis where needed.
  • Support UN actors and OPDs and other relevant stakeholders to come together to get a high-level understanding of critical issues around the implementation of disability inclusive SDGs, policies, gaps and opportunities and build a base of mutual understanding to co-design programs.
  • Support working relationships between government, UN, organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and other civil society organisations, as well as the private sector and academia, working on the rights of persons with disabilities, and build a joint understanding of critical issues and priorities
  • Strengthen the capacity of above stakeholders in analysing issues impacting upon persons with disabilities from a CRPD perspective.

Scope and focus:

The core part of the analysis should focus on the essential pre-conditions and building blocks for inclusion while ensuring cross-cutting approached are respected. The analysis also should include optional, sector-specific components, which can be included depending on the priorities identified by UNCTs in the PRPD Country Planning Expression of Interest and the entities involved.

Exercising the rights of girls and boys, women and men with disabilities is expected to be analyzed by geographical, gender, age and type of disability breakdown. Special focus should be done on the most underrepresented groups of persons with disabilities, such as children and youth with disabilities, especially living in residential care institutions, and with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities; and women with disabilities especially those who are survivors of GBV and living in residential care institutions.

The key thematic areas of SitAn will be structured in line with UNPRPD MPTF Guiding Document and should include among others (to be further refined in consultation with UNCT, OPDs and other stakeholders):

  • Stakeholder and coordination analysis: Understanding the roles taken by a variety of stakeholders and the coordination mechanisms in place is essential to identifying progress, where further investment and analysis is required and with whom PRPD programs should be working and on which issues. Government mechanisms and processes for coordination on disability rights. Exisitng? Legal framework for civil society engagement and consultation.
  • Equality and non-discrimination legal and policy analysis: Perspectives regarding the rights of persons with disabilities within national development planning, human rights processes and humanitarian or emergency coordination and programming.
  • Service delivery, disability assessment and referral systems, disability support services, mainstream services: outcomes of persons with disabilities (compared to persons without disabilities) drawing from and supplementing existing data on: poverty; social protection; employment; health; education; violence and abuse; institualization; justice; DRR and emergency management. Legal and policy framework. Progress.
  • Accessibility: monitoring, enforcement, advocacy and accountability re: accessibility (formal government monitoring data and non-formal e.g. OPD audits, advocacy and accountability). Accessibility standards, regulation and enforcement mechanisms. Progress of implementation.
  • CRPD-compliant budgeting and financial management: National and international contributions to fostering rights of persons with disabilities. Both disability specific budget allocations and budget allocations within mainstream budgets.
  • Accountability and governance, inclusive evidence and data gathering systems, national accountability systems: Participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in monitoring and accountability measures. Disability within standard data collection processes of surveys, census, administrative data, UN SDG data bases etc. (collection, use and availability of data). CRPD reporting. SDG Voluntary reporting and reviews. Independent human rights monitoring institutions and legal framework. Complaints mechanisms and independent monitoring. National CRPD oversight and implementation (national focal points etc.)

Methodology

Overall, the consultancy and its approach will be informed by UNPRPD MPTF Guiding Document which will be shared by UNICEF.

The study will consist of four key phases:

  • Inception phase. Consultants, OPDs and UNCT jointly refine and finalise the country analysis plan and scope. The plan should draw from UNPRPD MPTF Guiding Document but should be adapted to country level context and priorities. It should:
  • Describe how the analysis will address country priorities - e.g., identify sectoral focuses that should be incorporated alongside the essential pre-conditions for inclusion and any additional areas necessary for planning beyond what is included in this guidance.
  • Draw from the guidance's suggested questions and data sources.
  • Conduct? data collection and analysis approaches, methods and tools.
  • Main data collection and analysis phase. The final methods and approaches to data collection would be decided as part of the country analysis planning within this consultancy and according to the local context. Here are some suggestions of approaches and methods that can be used:
  • Desk review/literature review - including formal and non-formal data and sources of information. UNCTs should use connections and networks to access formal data sets and where feasible/relevant analyse data from these. Data and information collected during the UN Common Country Analysis or other sectoral plans can be good resources. CRPD state reports and SDG reporting by countries and non-governmental actors, and CRPD committee concluding observations should be considered as the international experience, noting year? of reporting and using other methods to follow up on issues, consider progress etc. Other country reports for CEDAW, Child Rights Convention, etc. could also provide useful information. Non-formal data should also be considered, with clear reference to sources. This should include program evidence and analysis, grey literature and studies.
  • Focus group discussions, including with: organisations of persons with disabilities representing age and gender and diverse groups of persons with disabilities (or self-help groups or individuals if formal groups are not representing all diverse groups), government stakeholders at central and local levels, public service providers, other relevant civil society organisations and NGOs, UN agencies and programs, relevant donors or development banks in the country etc.
  • Key informant interviews (with above stakeholders as relevant).
  • Stakeholder mapping and coordination mechanisms.

Following the completion of the fact-finding stage, the analysis should be developed in constant interaction between the researchers and the commissioning team to allow full alignment of the research exercise with the desired scope and focus of the analysis. During potential COVID-19 restrictions usual participatory methods might need to be performed online or over the phone; ensuring accessibility for participation should be considered.

  • Multi-stakeholder validation workshop: once the analysis is finalised, a workshop should be held with all concerned stakeholders to discuss the gaps analysis and validate and recommendations for the next step, the programming phase. A pre-workshop with OPDs should be conducted to discuss and explore the findings and generate OPD priorities and recommendations for future PRPD programming.
  • Reporting phase. The final report should be submitted incorporating feedback suggested.
  • Prioritization Workshop and ToC development. A priority workshop (workshops) with the UNHRIG, government partners, OPDs and other stakeholders should be organized that will conduct the programming. Summarizing up SitAn findings and identifying key gaps, causalities and priorities to develop ToC.
  • Preparation of a Joint Programme Document and UNCT disability strategy including UN and UNICEF ToC.

Engagement with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities

Persons with disabilities and their representative organisations (OPDs) are pivotal to gaining a nuanced understanding of the rights of persons with disabilities and can provide unique insights and expertise. As the leading organisations advocating to progress the rights of persons with disabilities, PRPD programs should complement, amplify and support the work of OPDs. Collaborative analysis between OPDs and UNCTs allows the UN to develop an understanding of the local disability context, develop and/or strengthen working relationships, and understand the operational realities, strategies and priorities of persons with disabilities. This is important for informing the focus and design of PRPD programs, which are built on partnership with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations.

What this means for the process:

  • OPDs are core partners to the process - as rights-holders they are working on analysing and progressing the rights of persons with disabilities well beyond the PRPD analyses and programs. Their involvement should extend far beyond being only consulted.
  • Communication with OPDs about the country analysis should start as early as possible. OPDs should be involved in deciding how the analysis will proceed, and their role in this.
  • Information, communication, meetings and processes should be accessible to all, and reasonable accommodation provided where required. This will require budget.
  • Clear expectations for OPD engagement should be set with all analysis partners, including consultant teams. OPD engagement, accessibility and provision of reasonable accommodation should be requirements within consultant/project partner contracts.
  • OPDs should be recognised for their expertise, networks and the important role they play in the analysis and should be resourced to participate in the process.

For more detail on OPDs, minimum requirements for engagement, potential roles to explore with OPDs and tips for engagement throughout the country analysis process, more detailed guidance will be provided by the commissioning team.

Management

It is expected that SitAn will be conducted by an international consultant paired with a national consultant, who will work in compliance with the present Terms of Reference and UNPRPD MPTF Guiding Document. Both consultants will work under overall supervision of the Chief of Child Health and Development, in close cooperation with Gender and Social Inclusion Officer and under the guidance of UNHRIG. Roles and accountabilities should be as follows: The

international consultant will lead the process in all stages; coordinate with the national consultant when required and provide agreed deliverables and inputs for discussion to UNICEF. The international consultant will lead the analysis as well as will be in charge of the development of recommendations, UN and UNICEF ToC and Joint Programme Document.

The

national consultant will be hired by UNICEF and work under the guidance of the International consultant and overall supervision of the Education Officer. The national consultant will support the adaptation of the design, the implementation of the data collection phase, and quantitative and qualitative analysis of secondary information, especially when in national language, by bringing in specific expertise and knowledge of the local context and facilitate interviews/FGDs/workshops as required.

Coordination of activities of this ToR with other UN entities, Government and OPDs will be ensured through UNHRIG.

Timeline: The assignment timeframe is 50 working days in the period of April - June 2021

Resource requirements

The assignment may require one in-country visits (Tashkent, Uzbekistan). According to UNICEF policy, the final fee will be set up based on the "best value for money" principle.

50 working days are allocated for accomplishment of all tasks and deliverables within the period of April - June 2021. The Consultant fee will be paid upon successful completion of each deliverable and certification by supervisor.

The consultancy will be paid by bank transfer and upon acceptance of deliverables in accordance with the following payment schedule:

  • Detailed workplan with a list of meetings/FGD to be organized and SitAn methodology are approved by UNHRIG. Draft SitAn report approved by UNHRIG - 50%
  • Final SitAn report and ToC approved by UN HRIG - 20%
  • Project proposal for a Joint Programme and UNCT Disability Strategy approved by UNHRIG - 30%

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

  • Master's or PhD degree in social sciences (sociology, anthropology, economics, development studies, etc.)
  • At least 5 years of experience in policy and data analysis and report writing on development issues
  • Excellent report writing skills (Examination of a previous sample report in English)
  • Proven experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis (Previous projects/assignments when coordinating and/or leading on qualitative/quantitative data collection and analysis)
  • Experience in Disability Programming
  • Experience in project proposal writing (Project proposal development in previous assignments)
  • Previous experiences in facilitating trainings/workshops
  • Experience working for UNICEF or UN agencies is an asset
  • Previous experience in conducting SitAn is an asset
  • Experience working in Uzbekistan or CEE/CIS region is an asset
  • Fluency in English. Fluency in Russian is an asset.

The candidates are requested to submit CV/Resume that should include details of specific experience with similar assignments in the past, experience in facilitating trainings/workshops, experiences in leading/coordinating data collection/analyses and disability programming and any other relevant evidence in the form of contracts and/or references. The candidates are also requested to provide a sample of similar assignment/project report implemented in the past or its web link.

Procedures and Working Conditions

Overall, one in-country mission might be required, depending on epidemiological situation. Travel expenses (terminal, DSA, air fare) will be funded by UNICEF and according to its rules and procedures. Obtaining entry visa to Uzbekistan and visa related costs (if any) will be the responsibility of the individual consultant, however UNICEF, within its means, shall facilitate the process. During in-country visit, individual consultant will be provided with office space and logistic support for meetings. Laptops or computers will not be provided.

Reservations

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if deliverable(s) incomplete, not finalized or for failure to meet deadlines. UNICEF will reserve copyright of all developed materials and own primary data collected through this assignment. The materials cannot be published or disseminated without prior written permission of UNICEF. UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future. The contractor must respect the confidentiality of the information handled during the assignment. Documents and information provided must be used only for the tasks related to these terms of reference. UNICEF undertakes no liability for taxes, duty or other contribution payable by the consultant on payments made under this contract.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered "staff members" under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF's policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

Advertised: Mar 30 2021 West Asia Standard Time Application close: Apr 13 2021 West Asia Standard Time

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This vacancy is archived.

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