Consultant/Situation Analysis for Girls with Disabilities

The Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre is a charitable, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Jerusalem working on the empowerment of children with disabilities and their families in their communities through physical rehabilitation and inclusive education.

Title of the project: Development of the Outreach Program and Capacity Building in the West Bank “Living Roots” Phase two.

Country(s) of project implementation: Palestine, West Bank.

Background

The Situation Analysis of Girls with Disabilities is intended to inform the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre (JPBC) of: the status of rights of girls with disabilities; dominant violations; and the roles played by key stakeholders (including duty bearers, caregivers, service providers, children…) in implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Areas of focus of the study are protection, education, health, survival and development and role of civil society in Palestine.

This Situation Analysis will be two-fold: (1) a desk review that serves to gather up-to-date baseline data to be used subsequently in informing the development and implementation of prevention and intervention strategies that effectively address the needs of girls with disabilities in Palestine (2) qualitative data collection, through key informant interviews with staff, practitioners, and decision makers, and focus group discussions with children (including girls) with disabilities and their parents.

The consultant would lead the process of conducting the situation analysis, working in close cooperation with the Program Department at JPBC. The Princess Basma Centre will help to organize interviews and focus group discussions in the West Bank.

Objectives of the Situation Analysis

To provide JPBC with an up-to-date rights-based gendered analysis:

of the latest economic, social and political developments and their effects on the situation of the rights of girls with disabilities.
of the situation of girls with disabilities in Palestine in relation to the prevalence, causes and types disabilities, numbers and percentages of children with disabilities, including geographic areas.

of the situation of girls with disabilities in Palestine in relation to their right to protection from violence (including gender based violence), abuse, discrimination and neglect, their right to education, health, survival and development.

of the stakeholders in Palestine, including duty bearers, caregivers, rights holders, academia, private/corporate sector and finally on civil society and service providers.
To provide, based on this analysis, policy recommendations for duty-bearers to address identified shortfalls and disparities and to accelerate progress in realizing and protecting the rights of girls with disabilities.
To provide, based on this analysis, recommendations that would inform the design of the Jerusalem Princess Basma’s intervention strategies (including advocacy).

Specification of content of the study

Context

Background on the political and socio-economic situation in the country
This contextual analysis will include:

- Demographic profile
- Political developments and system of governance
- Socio-economic developments
- Power and gender analysis
- General data on children with disabilities (disaggregated by gender)
- Resources allocated to children with disabilities
- Infrastructure available for accessibility in settings outside the home (street, school, commercial centres, health service providers, public sector, transportation, etc.…)
- On the situation of families of children with disabilities in relation to their socio-economic conditions, literacy and kinship degree among parents.

 Description of the type and causes of disabilities, numbers and percentages of children with disabilities (disaggregated by gender) and distribution in terms of geographic areas with focus on:

- Children with cerebral palsy, Children with different kind of Muscular Dystrophy, Children with different Neurological and or Brain Diseases, Children with Delay Development, Children with Chronic Orthopedic Problems,
- Children with Visual Problems.
- Hidden disabilities.
- Children with learning Difficulties.
- Children with (communication) hearing and speech disability
- Children with Autism
- Children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- All of the above mentioned up to 15 years of age (If applicable)

Brief description of society and culture vis-à-vis girls with disabilities and gender equity.
- Perceptions of children with disability and childhood especially regarding children's capacities and participation, looking at perceptions across sub-groups of children with disabilities
- Factors that contribute to the existing gender gap in disability
- Common practices with girls with disabilities.
- Role of adults (care-givers and educators)
- Role of civil society and duty bearers in combatting discrimination faced by girls with disabilities

Disability Status

Status of the Conventions of the “Rights of the Child” and “Rights of Persons with Disabilities”

- When was the CRC ratified? What reservations, if any, have been done?

- What optional protocols of the UNCRC have been ratified?

- How many state reports have been issued?

- How many alternative reports have been issued? What organizations have written those alternative reports?

- What are the major issues discussed “related to children with disability” in the reports/intersections between NGO reports and government reports/ major issues

- Answer same questions from ‘a’ to e’ in regards to CRPD

- What role is civil society playing in following up the CRC / CRPD?

Status of the right to protection for girls with disabilities from violence, abuse, discrimination, neglect
- Current Status, including prevalence and forms of gender-based violence
- Legislation
- Law enforcement
- Policies
- Services provided (national, and local levels) by Ministries/UN agencies/NGOs
- Gaps in implementation and barriers to access services

Status of the right to education for girls with disabilities, looking at quality, environment, and access
- Status
- Legislation
- Policies
- Services provided (national, and local levels) by Ministries/UN agencies/NGOs (including “inclusive” and “main stream” services)
- Gaps in implementation and barriers to access services
- Allocated budgets for education – by government and local/international donors to inclusive education programs


Status of the right to health for girls with disabilities, looking at quality, environment, and access
- Status
- Legislation
- Policies
- Services provided (national, and local levels) by Ministries/UN agencies/NGOs
- Gaps in implementation and barriers to access services
- Allocated budgets for health – by government and local/international donors to disability and inclusive health services.
Across Section 3.2, where information is available, the study should address the following questions:
- How do outcomes and trends differ across sub-groups of children with disabilities?
- Analysis of the existing enabling environment and to what extent is this environment enabling
- What extent are families of children with disabilities aware of services provided, including any financial programmes and social protection measures from the government, and to what extent do they access them?
- How are the voices of children with disabilities and their families and/or their representative organizations incorporated into the design and planning of national/local/sectoral policies ….?
- How satisfied are children and their families with the current policies and thematic programmes?

 Layout and number of pages
Consultant is asked to present a suggested layout with a draft table of contents during the first two weeks of the consultancy. Consultant can use the template of “section 3” of this ToR, or suggest one that has to be approved by the General Director. The Consultant has to add also:
- Table of content
- “Executive Summary” (with option to use as summary report with main findings, conclusion and recommendations)
- “Conclusion” and “Recommendations” at the end of the study.
- “Acronyms” are also requested.
- Bibliography
- Number of pages should not exceed 50 pages.

Deliverables and Time Frame

Start of assignment: 10th December 2017
Submission of draft report by Consultant; 31st March 2018
Facilitation of Half Day Workshop for presentation of findings and feedback: March 2018
Feedback by the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre: 15th April 2018
Submission of final report: 1st May 2018


Qualifications of the consulting party:

JPBC seeks qualified independent consultant or a consulting firm with proven experience in the field of the sought consultancy.

Intellectual Property

All information pertaining to this project (documentary, audio, digital, cyber, project documents, etc.) belonging to the JPBC, which the Consultancy firm may come into contact with in the performance of his/her, duties under this consultancy shall remain the property of the JPBC who shall have exclusive rights over their use. Except for purposes of this assignment, the information shall not be disclosed to the public nor used in whatever without written permission of the JPBC in line with the national and International Copyright Laws applicable.

Application Procedure

Applicants are required to submit the following:

- A letter of Interest, stating why you consider your firm suitable for the assignment.
- Brief methodology on the approach and implementation of the assignment.
- Personal CVs
- Work references - contact details (e-mail addresses) of referees (firms for whom you’ve produced similar assignments).
- Technical proposal contains the following (action plan, time table,).
- The proposals must be submitted in separate sealed envelopes (the technical proposal in one envelope and the financial proposal in another envelope) but both envelopes placed in one large envelope.
The closing date for submission is 30th of November 2017.

Interested consultants are requested to send the aforementioned requirements by email to:
 

[email protected]

indicating the title of the email in the subject line.