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Background:Main data source on the number of persons with disabilities in Georgia are administrative sources on recipients of disability pension, which significantly underestimates the number of people experiencing various forms of disability, e.g. approx. 125,898 persons with disability (PwDs)are registered as recipients of disability pensions in 2019, of which 49,916 women and 10,969 children. This constitutes about 3% of the total population of Georgia which is well below the WHO global prevalence estimates. The official figure is particularly low for children and contradicts the figure from the latest national census. The lack of data on the incidence of different types of disabilities makes it impossible to discern the real extent of the problems and accordingly, the specific needs of PwDs and their families. The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by the National Statistics Office of Georgia in 2018, with support from UNICEF,[1] indicates that the percentage of children age 5-17 years with functional difficulty in at least one domain is 9.5%, children age 2-4 is 1.8%, adult women is 8.9% and adult men is 6.8%.
Georgia relies on the outdated "medical model" for determining the disability status. The legislation[2] outlines the diagnoses qualifying children and adults for disability status and does not take into consideration the overall state of health of a person. The assessment process is conducted only by physicians and seeks to identify only health-related needs.[3] Similarly, the current assessment system ignores some developmental disabilities of infants and deprives them from accessing disability benefits. Moreover, the assessment process does not consider the needs for utilization of assistive technologies and social services or barriers to participation.
Despite some recent progress, the majority of PwDs, especially adults, do not have access to essential support services. This problem is particularly acute in rural locations where some municipalities have no social services for PwDs at all.
PwDs are covered by state medical insurance, but women and young persons with disabilities, especially those with mental health-related disabilities, do not have access to disability-sensitive health and social services.
UNICEF Georgia is supporting the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs (MoIDOTPLHSA) to pilot a social model of disability assessment and status determination system which incorporates functional and social profile assessment in conjunction with the medical diagnosis. Social model envisages the crucial role of the society/government in ensuring that PwD's functional limitations are being addressed and the environmental barriers are removed to ensure full inclusion of PwD into society. It was piloted in one region of the country and the preliminary results have already been taken into consideration in rolling out the model to another region of the country with support from a different organization.
In January 2020, UNICEF with 5 other UN agencies started implementation of the project "Social Protection of Persons with Disability". This two-year project is built around the concept of the social model of disability. UNICEF plans to develop mechanisms to ensure sustainable roll-out of the pilot, test the system in one more region of Georgia and support the Ministry to develop new social entitlement planning (cash, services, adaptive technologies) for children with disabilities based on the results of their assessment through the new model.
Tasks and responsibilitiesUNICEF is seeking to hire an international consultant to assess the approach and results from the pilot of the new status determination system in Adjara region and provide recommendations for roll out, ensuring sustainability. Furthermore, the consultant should advice UNICEF on the approaches for revision of the social entitlements for children with disabilities.
The assessment should be made against good international practices for a disability status determination system based on International Classification of Functioning and Disability and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The assessment should provide analysis to whether the selected approach is based on human rights and would it ensure a transformation based on the social model of disability. Although this is not an evaluation, consultant should use the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria and assess the pilot against its: relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability.
Assessment should review the approaches, activities and actions undertaken by UNICEF for:
Assessment instruments and procedures; Institutional set up; Capacity building; Monitoring process; Ensuring consultation and participation of persons and children with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities.The consultant will be expected to perform a desk review and conduct interviews and group discussions with key stakeholders (MoIDPOTLHSA, USAID, UNICEF staff and consultants, Georgian Association of Social Workers, Adjara Government, health clinics, staff involved in the assessment process, service providers, parents, persons and children with disabilities).
The consultant is expected to develop an assessment methodology to define scope, conceptual framework, research questions, and the data collection methods.
On the basis of the assessment, the consultant will provide recommendations to UNICEF and MoIDPOTLHSA on:
Improving the model; Gradual roll out; Sustainability of the model and actions.In addition to assessment, consultant will also advice UNICEF on international experience for determining and planning the social entitlements for children with disabilities. Consultant will advise UNICEF on the approaches and steps on how to proceed with developing the social entitlements of cash benefits and social services for children using the new social model - assessment of needs, identification of entitlements that respond to needs, planning at national and local level.
Deliverables Proposed assessment methodology; Draft and final report with analysis of the pilot model; Recommendations for modification, roll out and sustainability of the pilot disability status determination system; and Recommendations for the process of planning the system of entitlements for children with disabilities. Ethical issuesThe consultant shall comply with UNICEF's Procedures for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation and Data Collection and Analysis (Annex 1).
The consultant should identify relevant potential ethical issues and mitigation strategies relating to potential harms and benefits, informed consent, privacy and confidentiality. Before commencement of the field work ethical review of the full research protocol (that includes all data gathering tools/instruments and methods as well as information on how ethical issues will be dealt with) may be performed by an independent and impartial ethics review board as per UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation, Data Collection and Analysis. This can be performed by internal ethics review board or by the UNICEF Ethical Review Board (ERB).
The decision upon the necessity to perform independent ethics review would be based on the proposed methodology and will be done using the attached check-list (see Annex 2).
Before issuing approval, the ERB must determine that the following requirements are satisfied:
informed consent is sought from each subject or the subject's legally authorized representative; the proposed research design is scientifically sound and that risks to subjects are minimized; any risks to subjects are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits; subject selection is equitable; safeguards are included for subjects likely to be vulnerable to undue influence or coercion; subjects' safety, privacy, and confidentiality are maximized. Time/duration of the assignmentThe consultant will be hired for up to 25 days in the period 15 May -15 July 2020. Consultant will be expected to have 2 missions to Georgia for data collection and validation of assessment report and recommendations of up to 10 days. Start date may be postponed depending on the COVID-19 pandemic evolvement and imposed prevention and response measures.
Remuneration and entitlementThe consultant will be paid a daily negotiated fee against provision of deliverables and written approval by the Supervisor. Costs for field visits should be indicated separately in the offer of the applicant and included as a lump sum in the contract.
The consultant has no entitlement for annual leave, sick leave, maternity, adoption or paternity leave or any other kinds of special leave. UNICEF will not undertake any liability for tax, duty or other contribution payable by the manager on payments made under this contract. UNICEF will not issue a statement of earnings.
Health InsuranceUNICEF does not provide or arrange health insurance coverage for this position. The consultant will be required to provide a proof of health insurance for the duration of the contract.
Qualification requirements University degree in public policy, social policy, medicine, social sciences or other relevant fields; At least 7 years of experience in social policy programmes related to inclusion of children and persons with disabilities; Expertise and experience in public reforms introducing the social model of disabilities at national and international level; Expertise and experience in disability status determination system and social entitlements for persons and children with disabilities; Extensive understanding of the rights of persons and children with disabilities, child rights and international standards; Fluency in English; Excellent analytical skills; Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, partnership building; Excellent planning and organizational skills; and Excellent writing skills Performance indicatorsThe performance of the consultant will be evaluated against the following criteria: timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, and quality of the products delivered; also drive for results and a willingness to work within a team environment will be essential and will contribute to the performance evaluation.
SupervisionThe consultant will work under the supervision of the UNICEF Chief Child Protection and Social Policy Specialist.
Application documents
The application must include:
Cover letter including the applicant's motivation to apply to this position; Curriculum vitae; Proposed work plan; Proposal of the daily consultancy fee and the cost of two visits to Georgia; Names and contact details (email and tel. number) of three professional references.[1] See the report at: https://www.geostat.ge/ka/modules/categories/625/mravalindikatoruli-klas...
[2] Law of Medical-Social Expertise and Ministerial Orders #1/N and #62/N
[3] https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/15772?publication=11 Article 10
Application deadline: COB 30 April, Georgian time
Annex 1
UNICEF PROCEDURE FOR ETHICAL STANDARDS IN RESEARCH, EVALUATION, DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
UNICEF Procedure.pdf
Annex 2
Criteria for Ethical Review Checklist
Check-list.docx
This vacancy is archived.