Improved Access to Essential Services for Persons with Disabilities in Highly Marginalized Areas of occupied Palestinian territory &

Access to essential services for children and adults with disabilities in highly marginalized areas of Palestine

 

Project Implemented by Handicap International and Partners in Gaza Strip and West Bank

 

Handicap International

 

HI is an independent international solidarity organization which works in situations of poverty or exclusion, conflict and natural disasters. Working alongside people with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations, the association takes action and speaks out in order to meet their essential needs and improve their living conditions. Since its creation, this international solidarity organization has set up development programs in over 60 countries and works in various emergency contexts.

 

Handicap International Goals:

- To prevent impairment and disability linked to diseases, accidents and violence.

- To ensure that key services are available, adapted and accessible to persons with disabilities and vulnerable populations.

- To promote the social participation of persons with disabilities and vulnerable populations, and the fulfillment of their rights.

- In the time and space of conflicts and disasters, or in their immediate wake:

- To prevent and limit the consequences of crises and disasters on persons and communities.

- To help organize relief, provide adapted assistance and cover basic needs, with a special focus on vulnerable persons and those with injuries or disabilities.

 

Key axes of intervention in the Middle East:

The Middle East 2009-2014 strategic goal was to promote sustainable change for persons with disabilities while responding to humanitarian crises. In this respect, the MERP developed actions in 4 fields of intervention: access to social services, disability rights and multi-stakeholders policy making process, inclusive community development and humanitarian relief.

The strategy adopted for the period 2015-2019 continues promoting access to inclusive and adapted services for Persons with Disabilities & vulnerable groups along the continuum relief-recovery-development in close coordination with representatives of duty bearers, users and service providers. This new strategic period is intended to focus upon 3 fields of action, crises and emergencies, disability prevention and inclusion.

HI in Occupied Palestinian Territory:

Since 1996, Handicap International 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, Handicap International aims to respond to the needs of persons with disabilities and to make structural improvements to their lives.

HI in Middle East including OPT, is pursuing its 2015 2019 strategy aiming to promote access to inclusive and adapted services for PwDs and vulnerable groups, with a particular focus on youth and women, through a deep involvement of duty bearers, users and service providers representatives.

HI strategy lays on 3 main pillars: (1) promoting the inclusion of the most vulnerable, with a particular focus on PwDs, within the humanitarian response; (2) preventing impairment and disability by enhancing both the quality and the systemic management of existing services as well as by informing populations about ERW risks; and (3) promoting cohesion, resilience and participation of all through dialogue, empowerment, disability mainstreaming in service delivery and social change. The proposed project will contribute to the pursuit of the first and third pillars.

 

Main ongoing actions:

- Access to services: this project, funded by the EU and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxemburg, is articulated around different components (i.e. functional rehabilitation, referral networks, inclusive local development, and community-based rehabilitation teams capacity building) and aims to mobilize all community actors to promote access to services for PwDs within their communities. DPOs play an active role in this project as a key participant in locally based multi stakeholder working group.

- Post-emergency multi-disciplinary rehabilitation services to the most vulnerable women, men and children in Gaza funded by the Global Affairs Canada (GAC, former DFATD). This project aims to increase access to post-emergency basic services and quality multidisciplinary functional, psychosocial and specialized services through home based intervention and adequate referrals for PwDs and people injured the last conflict. It also seeks to increase inclusion of PWDs in post-emergency and recovery programs.

- Education: this project is funded by the (GAC) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), and includes activities such as training of teachers on disability, adapted teaching skills, support to special education and inclusion of children with disabilities in classes. This project through which HI has been particularly active in the education cluster.

- Post-emergency and early recovery: This project is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD). It includes rebuilding of rehabilitation services centres damaged or destroyed during the 2014 Gaza crisis, promotion of built environment accessibility among stakeholders involved into the Gaza reconstruction efforts, and a pilot intervention in economic inclusion for PWDs whom livelihood has been affected by the crisis.

- Risk Education: The project is funded by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxemburg and aims to reduce the risks induced by wide explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination in the Gaza Strip through the provision of risk education.

Project Background:

The occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) is beset by chronic crises, political instability, restrictions on the movement of people and goods, and a declining economic and social situation since the second intifada in 2000. While all members of the Palestinian community are in a vulnerable situation in this humanitarian context, persons with disabilities (PwDs) are among the most vulnerable and their needs among the most critical. Indeed, Handicap International (HI)s experience in humanitarian contexts has shown that PwDs tend to be the most affected during a crisis. According to the disability survey conducted in 2011 by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the prevalence of disability in the oPt is about 7%, however this figure is generally viewed to be underestimated since the World Health Organisation estimates that between 10% and 15% of the worlds population has some form of disability, and prevalence rates are generally higher in areas of chronic crisis. Ongoing conflict and poverty in the territory not only are steadily increasing the risk of disability but also have a negative impact on the availability, access, quality and sustainability of service provision. While civil society stakeholders have been developing service provision capacities, the lack of regulatory frameworks have undermined their quality and impact. Moreover, according to the service providers themselves, they are unable to cover the needs of PwDs for many types of support and specific services, while mainstream services fail to include PwDs. Besides, according to the above mentioned PCBS disability survey, 85.3% of PwDs in oPt face mobility obstacles in their daily environment due to the lack of adaptations and physical accessibility of houses, health and schools facilities. This situation prevents them from accessing the services they need, which in turn increases their risk of falling into or being trapped in poverty. PwDs in oPt are therefore in immediate need of a greater access to adapted services in order to preserve their lives, well-being and dignity.

In addition, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, women and girls are facing a double discrimination due to their impairment and their gender. Indeed, mothers of children with disabilities are the primary caregivers and often bear the entire responsibility of caring for the children on a daily basis. Due to cultural barriers around gender issues, access to services for women and girls with disabilities, as well as for children with disabilities in general, is made very difficult, especially in the absence of women practitioners in health and educational services.

 

As a result of this situation, persons with disabilities and particularly women and children with disabilities have a very limited access to essential services in the areas targeted by this project. This situation leads to a severe magnification of the effects of their impairments on their daily lives, and compounds their isolation from the rest of society, leading to a situation of critical marginalisation and suffering for many PwDs and their families

 

Project Partners:

 

- Palestine Avenir Childhood Foundation / PACF: located in Gaza City, a non-profit registered organization works to provide specialized caring services to persons with cerebral Palsy.

Programs: rehabilitation, vocational training, special education

 

- Society of Physically Handicapped People / SPHP: located in Rafah, non-profit registered and located in 2 governorates in Gaza Strip (Gaza City and Rafah). SPHP works to improve the daily life, health and education of children and persons with disabilities, through rehabilitation programs and medical services, advocacy, education activities.

Programs: Medical clinic, special education, rehabilitation, DPO

 

- Palestinian Medical Relief Society / PMRS located in Ramallah, a grassroots community-based Palestinian health organization founded in 1979

Programs: Rehabilitation and Medical

 

 

- Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation / BASR located in located in Bethlehem, non-profit non-government organization founded in 1960.

Programs: medical and rehabilitation services

 

 

Project specific framework

 

The project is articulated around 2 components:

 

 

- An education component implemented in Gaza only

- A rehabilitation component implemented in West Bank only.

 

The final evaluation will cover both components.

 

The two components are supported by two donors namely: Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID). Each donor contributes to the 2 components as mentioned above. Considering differences in donors format and guidelines, the projects presentations is different between the 2 donors. Therefore two reports will be expected out of this evaluation for the two different donors according to the format used for each. The results of each report should reflect the direct contribution of each donor to their respective components.

 

 

Project Summary 1:

Project title: Access to essential services for marginalized people with disabilities in Palestine

Project Duration: 24 months from Nov 2014 Oct 2016

Project Funded by: The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)

General objectives: The acute vulnerability and marginalization of persons with disabilities in Palestine is reduced

Specific Objective: Persons with disabilities in Palestine have a greater access to services that respond more effectively to their acute needs.

Expected result 1: children with disabilities living in marginalized areas of the Gaza strip have greater access to quality education and are less vulnerable to psychosocial distress

 

Outputs

 

- Accessibility work within targeted special schools to render buildings, class rooms, toilets etc.

- Provision of specific assistive and mobility devices for children attending the targeted schools (wheelchairs, orthotics, prosthetics, etc.)

- School kits to children with disabilities from poorest families to ensure their access to education

- Trainings and capacity building to school teachers and other staff members to ensure minimum standards of access and learning environment for CwDs

- Psycho-social support sessions for children with disabilities, their families and teachers.

- Child to child activities between regular schools and special education service providers

- Creation or strengthening of referral networks that include the representation of special education and mainstream service providers

- Technical support and trainings on inclusive and adapted education practices to education stakeholders in Gaza

-

Expected result 2: Urgent rehabilitation services are provided by a specialized mobile team to persons with disabilities and their families in Areas C and Bedouin communities of the West Bank according to their needs, and that other essential services are made accessible for persons with disabilities

 

These activities under Result 2 are implemented in the West Bank governorates of Tubas and Jericho.

 

 

Outputs

 

- Specialized and multi-disciplinary mobile rehabilitation team is created

- Basic rehabilitation sessions are provided to PWDs in the targeted areas, as well as awareness and prevention sessions for PWDs and their families on disability prevention.

- Disposal medical supplies are provided to PWDs in need

- Mobility and assistive devices are provided as well as training on their use and maintenance to PWDs in need

- Basic Home modifications and adaptations to facilitate indoor mobility

- Situation analysis of access to services is conducted in the targeted areas, including identification of barriers and facilitators

- 10 health care centers are identified and adapted so they are physically accessible to PWDs.

- Referral system is developed and strengthened, allowing PWDs to access to other essential services.

 

 

Project Summary 2:

 

Project title: Improved access to services for persons with disabilities in West Bank and Gaza (reference: D-000525-005-PR1)

Project Duration: 33 months from Mar 2014 Dec 2016

Project Funded by: GAC - Global Affairs Canada

Ultimate Outcome: Lives saved, suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crisis or that are food insecure

Intermediate Outcome: Reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people, especially women and children

Immediate Outcomes and Outputs:

Immediate Outcome 1: Children with disabilities in the Gaza Strip, and in particular CwCP/MD, have an increased access to educational services that respect minimum humanitarian standards for education, reduce marginalization and support the development of adequate coping mechanisms

 

Outputs:

- Adapted and accessible learning environments offered in targeted special schools

- Specific assistive devices (mobility and sensory) and school kits for economically disadvantaged CwDs

- Improved capacities of special school staff members to ensure minimum standards of education for CwDs

- School-based psycho-social support sessions and educational counseling services provided to CwDs and their family members

- Child to child activities implemented between children from mainstream and special education schools

 

Immediate Outcome 2: Mainstream stakeholders in the Gaza Strip actively promote CwDs access to education and other basic services, and include their needs in their emergency and non-emergency actions.

 

Outputs:

- Needs and opportunities for inclusive education actions in the Gaza Strip defined and assessed

- Multi-stakeholder referral networks created or strengthened to include key educational stakeholders

- Education stakeholders in the Gaza Strip provided with technical support to develop inclusive and adapted education practices

- CwDs' specific needs and demands included into the education cluster emergency response plan

- Awareness of members of local communities and families of CwDs raised on the potential of CwDs and their right to education

 

Immediate Outcome 3: Home based rehabilitation services respond to the needs of women, men and children with disabilities and their families, in 4 targeted governorates of the West Bank

 

Outputs:

- Multi-disciplinary mobile rehabilitation teams created

- Home based rehabilitation services are provided according to existing national standards

- Medical health services are provided to PwDs

- Mobility and assistive devices are provided to PwDs

- Homes rendered accessible through basic home modifications and adaptations

 

Immediate Outcome 4: Other essential services are more accessible for PwDs and their families in targeted areas of the West Bank

 

Outputs:

 

- Barriers and facilitators for access to services identified and analyzed in the targeted areas of the West Bank

- Local health care centers rendered accessible and equipped to include PwDs in their work

- Referral system and network of essential service providers developed and strengthened in the targeted areas of the West Bank

 

 

The activities under immediate outcome 3 and 4 are implemented in the West Bank governorates of Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya and Tulkarem

 

Evaluation Purpose

The objective of the final evaluation is to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability of the project and its services and to provide HI and partners with an independent comprehensive review of project performance, processes and results.

The evaluation will be used to ensure accountability towards both donors (OFID and GAC) and communities by reflecting the voices, opinions and experiences of the beneficiaries and stakeholders involved in this project.

1. Evaluation criteria and questions

Through the final project evaluation, HI would like to focus on the following areas :

 

 Relevance:

(GAZA)

- To what extent the support to partners offered an adequate response to the priority educational needs of the children with disabilities?

- Did the provided services supported within the project meet realistically the educational and psychosocial needs of children with disabilities and their parents?

- Did the project provide adequate support and response to the partners needs?

- Did the project align with key disability institutional and strategic framework of reference (national and international)?

- Were referral networks coordination mechanisms relevant to the context?

- Were the measures taken to address the risks realized in the project relevant

 

(WB)

- Did the provided services supported within the project meet the rehabilitation needs of PWDs?

- To what extent the technical support provided to partners offered an adequate response to the priority rehabilitation needs of PWDs in the targeted area?

- Did the trainings meet the capacity building needs of the partners mobile teams?

- In how far are the project components (rehabilitation sessions, distribution of assistive devices and medical supplies, home adaptation, referrals to other services, Health Care Centre adaptation) relevant to the needs of PWDs?

- Were the measures taken to address the risks realized in the project relevant?

 

 Effectiveness

- Quantitative overview of the planned and achieved outputs and outcomes and their indicators

- How did the project supported services contribute to achieving the planned ultimate outcome and the intermediate outcome of the project?

- Assessment of HI and partners timely implementation of project activities. Were HI & partners operational procedures effective?

- What are the main non-planned achievements within the project?

- What were the key internal and external constraints and challenges affecting positively or negatively the project implementation? Were the mitigation measures or solutions put in place adapted and responsive?

- What was HI key contribution and added-value to partners out of the project?

- To which extent did families / users get involved in the action?

- What are the areas that partners think HI should improve in future partnerships or collaboration?

 

 Efficiency

- Cost effectiveness in resources utilization;

- Management of budget overspending or under spending and impact on project objectives maximization?

- The quality of relations/coordination/communication of HI with partners and HI/partners with local authorities, institutions, beneficiaries, and other donors and stakeholders.

- What were the management/operational challenges met by HI and partners during the project implementation?

- Were the planned monitoring system and operational procedures applied timely and regularly updated according to the needs?

 

 Sustainability

- Assessment of project components ownership by HI partners?

- Assessment of improved institutional knowledge and capacity through the project input and investments ( trainings, technical and managerial support),

- Improved quality of outreach rehabilitation services through the project input (capacity building programs, technical and managerial support)?

- Sustainability to the services supported through the project

- Sustainability of the referral mechanisms in place

- To which extent the different stakeholders of the project have a better understanding of PWDs needs and of the importance of access to services as a key condition for inclusion.

 

E) Impact

(GAZA)

- Impact of supported psychosocial support services to improve parents coping mechanisms

- Impact of supported educational support services to improve children with disabilities educational achievements.

- impact of provision and improvement of partners resource rooms and teachers training on the quality of the services offered to the children

- Impact of involving parents in the school environment?

- Satisfaction of the parents and children with the activities supported throughout the project

Identify the unintended impact of the project on the target group and stakeholders if

 

(WB)

- Impact of home based rehabilitation services including rehabilitation sessions, provision of medical supplies and Assistive Devices and home adaptation to improving social participation

- Impact of the supported referrals services and networking in improving access to health and other essential services for PWDs?

- Impact of involving families and communities in awareness raising activities?

- Impact of the Health care centers accessibility renovations on the PWDs, their families, and communities.

- Satisfaction of PWDs and their families with the services provided

 

 Scope of the evaluation and approach and methods, establishing the basic methodological requirements

HI values the contributions of the external evaluator towards proposing appropriate, innovative, and robust methods of evaluation. The evaluation methodology will be a criterion for evaluating candidates.

Some basic methodological requirements, however, are:

- All evaluation tools should be accessible for the use of Persons with disabilities.

- The evaluation must be a participative and interactive process.

- The methodology should combine quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques and analysis.

- The proposed methodology should also describe how cross-cutting issues of gender will be addressed and incorporated throughout the various stages of the evaluation.

- All collected information should be disaggregated per component

 

The evaluation should consist of 5 phases:

- Preparatory phase (briefing with stakeholders, document review, appreciation-review of the evaluation feasibility), sampling, preparation of data collection tools, logistic arrangements

- Produce inception report and submit to HI for revision and validation.

- Field work - data collection

- Data analysis and presentation of preliminary findings (meeting with stakeholders to present analysis, conclusions and recommendation and debating)

- Report drafting phase and finalizing the report.

- Debriefing session with HI and partners to present the results of the evaluation

 

The evaluation methodology proposed by the evaluators will be reviewed by HI after the closure of the selection process. The inception report and evaluation methodology must be approved prior to the commencement of any field work or any other substantive work.

HI will provide all the relevant project documents/reports, and make necessary appointments for meetings with partners, teams, beneficiaries and other respondents. The Evaluator will start with a meeting with HI project team and project partners.

 

 Evaluation consultant Profile

The consultant (an expert or a team of experts) should be a specialist in monitoring and evaluation with no prior involvement in the project, enjoying the following qualifications:

- Post graduate degree in social sciences, development, management or similar field; Additional educational background in the field of rehabilitation, public health and/or education is highly desired;

- Should be authorized to work both in Gaza and West Bank where both projects are implemented

- At least 10 years of progressively responsible positions in planning and management of humanitarian and / or development programs;

- Demonstrated knowledge in evaluation methodologies and data collection techniques.

- Extensive proved experience in leading monitoring and evaluation of international donor funded project;

- Excellent facilitation and communication skills;

- Excellent analytical and report writing skills;

- Fluency in English (excellent level of written English) and Arabic.

- Deliverables

By end of the evaluation, the consultant should include the following in English in word electronic format:

 

a- Inception report

b- Methodological framework for evaluation including samples of all tools produced;

c- Two (2) final Evaluation reports for both GAC and OFID (Max. 35 pages each plus annexes; font: Arial -11. Each report will reflect the specific support given by the donor to the project. The reports will follow the template below:

 

- Table of contents

- Abbreviations list

- Executive summary (that can be used as a stand-alone document)

- Brief on General disability context in Gaza and West Bank focusing on (1) children with disabilities educational services and rights, and (2) PWDs/rehabilitation services

- Introduction that include the objectives of the evaluation, methodologies and techniques used and limitations of the evaluation, where relevant.

- Presentation of the evaluation analysis and findings, covering the five focus areas (Relevance; Effectiveness; Efficiency; Impact; and Sustainability) clearly showing response to the evaluation questions included in this TOR.

- Conclusions and recommendations with a clear relationship between them.

- Report annexes that include: The Terms of Reference of the evaluation; the techniques used for data collection; the program adhered to; the list of people met; list of document and bibliography and composition evaluation team.

 

All elements related to evaluation analysis, findings and recommendations should be disaggregated per component (education part / rehabilitation part)

5. Time line

The consultant is expected to complete the evaluation process and submit the evaluation reports during a three month duration starting from October to December 2016. A detailed action plan will be submitted by the selected consultant as part of the inception report.

6. Ethics and consent

It is essential that the process of data collection, as well as storage of data, is supported by careful ethical practice, including informed consent, anonymity and confidentiality, no-harm and protection of data and data storage. Informed consent needs to include awareness of the evaluation data collection process and that the evaluation report may be published and publicly disseminated. Extra precaution must be taken in involving project beneficiaries considering the sensitivity of the thematic issues tackled by this project. To protect the anonymity of communities, partners and stakeholders names or identifying features of evaluation participants (such as community position or role) will not be made public.

The evaluator should engage in respecting the following ethical principles:

  -Child protection principles

  -Integrity (respect of gender sensitivity issues, especially when performing interviews/focus groups, religion and beliefs)Anonymity and confidentiality

  -Independence and objectivity

  -Veracity of information

  -Coordination spirit

  -Intellectual property of information generated during and by the evaluation (including report and annexes) will be transferred to the evaluation commissioner.

  -Quality of report and respect for timelines. Should the quality of the report be manifestly below the expected level, or in case of late in submission the report, HI reserves the right to terminate the contract.

 

Consultancy Fees

Maximum of 40,000 Shekels (Forty Thousand Shekels Only) including transportation, communication, taxes, insurance and advertisement fees on Jobs.ps.

 

 

Process of the selection of the evaluator or evaluation team and expectations for evaluation proposal

HI invites bids from individual consultants or firms. Offers should be received not later than 31st July 2016 and should include:

 

- Technical offer that include the basic methodology and evaluation plan, and timeframe;

- Financial offer that covers all major anticipated costs (taxes, travel, accommodation, transportation, insurance, translation, etc.);

- A CV detailing relevant skills and experience of the consultant and her/his team of no more than 3 pages each, including contactable referees; and

- One sample of a relevant previous evaluation preferably for international donor funded project.

 

Offers should be sent by email or delivered by hand to:

 hr.opt@hi-me.org

 

- Address:

- For GAZA: 17 Square, Al Rasheed Street., Sea Road, Abu Sha'ban Building, 3rd Floor; Gaza City

- For WB: Business Centre building, 3rd floor, Al Ersal Street, Ramallah

 

 

Selected consultants might be invited for a complementary interview.