Training Specialist

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Individual Consultancy

Training Specialist- Rehabilitation in Inclusive Education Settings 

Under the AC-5 project “Facilitate an equitable access to education and work opportunities for persons with disabilities in Palestine”

• BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Handicap International is running its projects under the new name of Humanity & Inclusion (HI). Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and by vulnerable populations, we aspire to a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences, where everyone can live in dignity. HI is an international, independent and impartial non-profit organisation that intervenes in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. Working alongside persons with disabilities and vulnerable populations, HI takes action and takes notice, to meet their basic needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

HI in Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt):

Since 1996, HI has implemented various actions with local partners in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In a territory beset by chronic crises, political instability, and a declining economic and social situation since the second Intifada in 2000, HI aims to respond to the needs of persons with disabilities and to make structural improvements to their lives. 

Context:

The project global goal is to facilitate an equitable access to education and work for persons with disabilities in Palestine.  This will be achieved through three main expected results:

Expected result 1: Improved disability inclusive practices among education service providers and employers leads to better life of beneficiaries

Expected result 2: Decision makers work towards an equitable access to holistic specific and essential services for persons with disabilities.

Expected result 3: The specific needs of children and adults with disabilities are addressed to support their access to rehabilitation, education and socio-economic services.  

Under these results, the project aims at supporting adaptation of mainstream schools to enhance inclusion of students with disabilities in the Ministry of Education South Hebron directorate office, including accessibility as well as the provision of specialized educational materials and equipment in mainstream schools. The action aims as well at training and coaching of mainstream education staff and counsellors on disability and adapted learning strategies in mainstream environment. In addition, capacity building of the rehabilitation staff in the resource centers for addressing the needs of children with disabilities in school settings. 

• DESCRIPTION OF THE REQUIRED SERVICE PROVISION:

Within the framework of the current project “Facilitate an equitable access to education and work opportunities for persons with disabilities in Palestine” and in order to reach the project’s objective, a number of training modules will be implemented targeting the resource centers’ mobile rehabilitation teams in the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE). The rehabilitation professionals of the two teams are occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech language pathologists, special education teachers, and social workers. This training will provide the professionals with an understanding of evidence-based behavioral interventions for children in school setting considering that behavioral disorders pose a challenge for professionals and educators to accurately address. 

The consultant will work closely with HI rehabilitation technical specialist to support the capacity building of the resource centers’ mobile rehabilitation teams. He/she will design the training material and the lesson plan for the training as well as implement the training. The work will be realized, keeping in mind the general objective of the project and HI’s philosophy and training approach. 

• OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of the consultancy is for professionals to learn about assessment tools and intervention practices that can be integrated within a comprehensive, evidence-based behavioral intervention program. These tools and practices shall involve multiple levels of interventions, including schoolwide, class wide, small-group, and individual behavioral support. This training module aims at helping rehabilitation teams in collaboration with educators to appreciate that to be effective, an instructional environment integrates a continuum of academic and behavioral interventions that are evidence-based and accommodate the needs of such student in the class and school. It would enable the professionals to transfer such knowledge and skills to educators to create effective, positive, and productive classroom instructional environments for all students, including students with disabilities and their non-disabled classmates. 

Learning objective: acquisition of professional competencies- theoretical knowledge and practical skills which are necessary for professionals in working with and providing services for children with disabilities in school settings. 

Learning outcomes: 

On completion of the module, participants will be able to:

• Have an overall understanding on the updated diagnostic criteria for behavioral disorders, their clinical course, comorbid disorders, and risk factors.
• Understand the impact of behavioral disorders on the child, family, school performance, and inclusion.
• Develop knowledge and skills related to best practice guidelines in the assessment of children with behavioral problems 
• Develop knowledge and skills related to best practice guidelines in the academic and behavioral interventions that produce high-rate response. 
• Develop knowledge and skills related to the application of a multidisciplinary approach to assessment and intervention of children with behavioral disorders in the local context. 

METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH 

The service should consist of 5 phases:

 Training needs assessment: 

Following the basic training needs assessment’s four-step process. Those steps are:

• To identify a clear goal that the training would support based on the trainees’ needs.
• To determine the tasks the professionals need to perform so the resource centre can reach that goal
• To determine the training activities that will help the professionals learn to perform the tasks
• To determine the learning characteristics of the professionals that will make the training more effective  

Module content and related activities, strategies and methods development:

Creating the training materials and a training program keeping in mind the adult learning principles, considering that adults:

• Are self-directed
• Bring a lifetime of knowledge and experience to training
• Are goal-oriented
• Want training to be relevant and task-oriented
• Learn when they are motivated to learn
• Like to be and feel respected

Theoretical training sessions’ delivery:

The theoretical training shall address sufficiently the main and core concepts and skills needed, such as behavioural management strategies in inclusive settings, in-school interventions, coping with challenging situations, parental involvement, parental education, family therapy, social training, anger management, encouragement, support for associated problems, and implementing a multidisciplinary collaborative approach of teams of professionals working with teachers through a consultative approach. 

It is expected that the training consultant will develop pre/post tests, the pre-test to evaluate the level of the participants on the training module in the beginning of the training, and post-test to evaluate the training impact on the participants at the end of the training. The evaluation processes will not be limited to the above mentioned tools but also the training consultant is expected to evaluate the ongoing process throughout the training sessions. 

Coaching sessions; on job training:

The aim of this stage is for trained professionals to immediately transfer the knowledge and skills acquired to the work setting to improve practices, hence, under the direct supervision of the training consultant. Therefore, it is expected from the training consultant to draft a follow-up coaching plan where it will be agreed on with HI. 

Draft and submit reports:

Two reports are required for this consultancy.

The first one is on the theoretical training days, where it would include:

• Table of contents
• Executive summary (that can be used as a stand-alone document).
• Objectives of the assignment
• Methodology and approach used
• Discussion on the input
• Results of the pre/post test
• Challenges encountered and obstacles resolved.
• Conclusion (training output)
• Recommendations
• Attachments  

The second report will be on the coaching phase, and it would include:

• Table of contents
• Executive summary (that can be used as a stand-alone document).
• Objectives of the assignment
• Methodology and approach used
• Discussion on the input
• Results of the coaching sessions
• Challenges encountered and obstacles resolved.
• Conclusion (coaching output)
• Recommendations
• Attachments  

DELIVERABLES

The training consultant shall submit the training package, one week before the start of the training days, that contains at least:

• Training manual and handouts
• Training plan and activities (on-job and off-job)
• PowerPoint slides
• Quick reference guide

First report is to be submitted one week after the end of theoretical training sessions’ delivery phase.

Second report is to be submitted on week after the end of the coaching sessions phase. 

• LANGUAGE

Language of training delivery and coaching is Arabic, while reporting language is English. 

• LENGTH OF ASSIGNMENT

Providing services is expected to be within the period from 20th August till 30th November, 2019.

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TRAINING CONSULTANT’S PROFILE

• Higher education in the field of rehabilitation or closely related field (MSc or Phd).
• Five years of relevant work experience, preferable in the field of research and education.
• Knowledge and experience on training professionals on intervention approaches to behavioral disorders in inclusive school settings. 
• Good social and communication skills, able to respect confidentiality.
• The trainer is expected to have a sense of personal security, be aware of the security situation and take respective action, especially when approaching check point
• Excellent English language skills (reading, writing and speaking).