Architect Engineer

Individual Consultancy

Architect Engineer

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 people 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 involve public and private economic actors to promote the rights of persons with disabilities to access decent work.  This will be achieved through two main expected results:

Expected result .1: Persons with Disabilities have increased access to job opportunities and employers are able to accommodate their needs through a supported employment scheme.

• The support to persons with disability and employers in parallel through a systematic process which includes:
• Identify PWDs job seekers.
• Evaluate their employability skills through specialized assessment tool.
• Preparation job seekers for work placement.
• Follow up new PWDs employee in work placements for psychosocial support and facilitate adaptation to work.
• Mobilize employers
• Provide employers with technical support to be more accessible and more inclusive to PWDs.
• Support employer’s staff to adapt their attitude toward employees with disability through intensive trainings and razing awareness.  

Expected result .2: Private and public sector actors are increasingly aware of the barriers faced by People with Disabilities in employment/self-employment and their obligations according to the disability law and share experience and practices towards the promotion of a more inclusive economic sector.

Under this expected result the project will focus on the advocacy part of the project, in addition will address the barriers facing PWDS to access decent work through participatory study. Where this activity is supporting and promoting the activities in expected result 1, the notion of this expected result is the establishment of mutual dialogue among the main actors in the project including the decision makers, private sector, and PWDs/DPOS which will reveal in collective efforts toward change the current legislations related to the economic inclusion of PWDs. Disability inclusion in corporate social responsibility will be promoted through both the Multi-Stakeholder Working Group (MSWG) approach as well as through the participation of partners and inclusive employers in employment forums and job fairs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REQUIRED SERVICE PROVISION:
The architect engineer will work closely with HI technical officer to:

• Conduct site visits to assess the needs of physical accessibility requirements within the employer’s premises upon the needs identified by the employee/intern person with disability and the employer with the support of HI. This may include reconstruction/adaptation of building entrances, toilets, ramps and accessible pathways.
• Prepare Bills of Quantities, and construction drawings according to assessment results and after agreement with the employer and the employee/intern person with disability on the actual needs.
• Contribute to the evaluation of the offers by construction suppliers and support HI team in the selection of the winning candidate/s.
• Review the construction proposals including BoQs and technical specifications offered by the construction suppliers and conduct on site visits to the facilities to ensure that materials and prices are proposed adequately.
• Monitor the progress of rehabilitation works, by developing monitoring tools, and making regular follow up visits to the rehabilitation sites in order to ensure that the works are performed duly and within the agreed deadlines
• Ensure liaison with employer, employee/intern person with disability, and DPOs volunteers, and HI focal point.
• Submit progress reports to the Project Manager  (PM) detailing the activities and progress of the rehabilitation works. The reports shall include the service provider recommendations and suggestions and any current or foreseeable issues.
• Evaluate the construction modifications implemented by the suppliers, and report to PM.
• Provide technical oversight and support to ensure that the adaptation works at the employers building meet the required standards as identified and recommended by HI Reconstruction Specialist and Reconstruction Assistants.

METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH

HI focal person will communicate with the selected architect Engineer upon call; whenever an accessibility work has identified within the targeted employers.

The service should consist of 4 phases:

     Introductory phase:

• Review the relevant documents including the Accessibility Assessment Results, and analysis report and HI accessibility standards.   
• Implement needs assessment through visiting employers building and interviewing project stakeholders including people with disabilities, employers, and their staff.
• Developing ideas and drawings for construction and adaptation works.
• Develop bill of quantities (BoQs).
• Validate drawings and BoQs by HI Project Manager, and Reconstruction Specialist as well as the employer.
• The architect engineer will use his own and personal equipment and software for the completion of this service.

    Launching the process of construction:

• Develop the request for quotations package with the support of HI support services team.
• Be part of the quotation selection committee.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to the sites.

• Documentation of work progress and production of site visits reports.
• Support the verification of individual and global Bill of Quantities (BoQs) amounts based on the real work done.

   Completion of works:

• Facilitate and supervise the completion of works according to the proposed schedule and available budget.

   Draft and submit reports:

• Develop the final adaptation works report detailing the lessons learned experiences as well as challenges faced and possible remedies.

DELIVERABLES

The architect engineer should produce and submit in English language the following documents:

• Needs assessment report establishing the type of intervention required for each employer building.

• Specific design and BoQs for each intervention.
• Complete request for quotation package.
• Site visit reports.
• Instructions form.
• Completion certificate per employer.
• Final report that includes the following main sections:
• Table of contents.
• Executive summary (that can be used as a stand-alone document).
• Objectives of the assignment
• Methodology and approach used in monitoring the works.
• Presentation of employer adaptation and construction findings, process of implementation, accurate data, clearly showing impact and sustainability.
• Challenges encountered and obstacles resolved.
• Conclusions and recommendations.

LENGTH OF ASSIGNMENT

Providing services is expected to be provided within the period from 1st of July to 30th of September, 2019.