Occupational therapist consultant for Income generation activities analysis and adaptations for People with Disabilities

1. Context of the mission

The Australia Afghanistan Community Resilience Scheme (AACRS) is an Australian Government rural development program (livelihood activities) in Afghanistan, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australia Government. The AACRS is a collaboration between the Australian Government, the Government of Afghanistan, and five international NGOs implementing partners (IP) : Action Aid, the Aga Khan Foundation, CARE, Oxfam, and World Vision.

Handicap International (HI), supports and provides technical assistance on disability inclusion, to improve the AACRS implementing partners in Afghanistan performance on disability inclusion. The main objective is to increase the capacity of AACRS IPs and stakeholders on disability inclusiveness, through a tailored action plan for each NGO according to their needs and specificities, which can include training on disability, training to adapt the practices and activities to be more inclusive, coaching, etc.

The two main expected outcomes of this project are:

1. 80% of AACRS implementing partners' field staff and stakeholders participated in tailored capacity building sessions show an increase in their knowledge on disability Inclusion and on their capacity to apply this knowledge.

2. 5 detailed action plans, aimed at improving disability Inclusion in the AACRS Implementing Partners' programming are developed. Action plans include outputs commitments, timeframe for implementation, necessary human and material resources.

The main outputs of the project are:

• Assessment of the IPs at the country office and field level:

Output 1: Desk review of key programming tools is implemented.

Output 2: A field analysis of the IPs' activities in agreed pilot locations (1 per partner) is performed.

• Sensitization and training:

Output 3: The staffs of 5 AACRS implementing partners, including field staff and managers not engaged in previous trainings, participate in tailored sensitization and capacity building schemes.

• Coaching

Output 4: Disability inclusion action plans are refined and further detailed and specific commitments are reached with the IPs.

Output 5: Tailored and extended coaching to the IPs project teams on overcoming specific challenges to disability Inclusion in their field activities is provided.

Output 6: Support to the IPs during the proposal writing phase of their project’s extension is provided to make their proposal more inclusive.

Output 7: Basic adaptations are realized as benchmarks (costs, effectiveness, relevance) in one pilot location.

2. Objectives and expected outcomes of the mission

Through this consultancy mission, the occupational therapist consultant will build the capacity of HI and IPs staff on how to assess the problems met by the persons with disability to participate in their IGA, identify at least six basic adapted solutions, make benchmarks with local products, try the adaptations with the PwDs and analyze the results, to improve their participation in their IGA.

1- Analyze the current data available (including the outputs of the first OT mission in July 2017) collected by IPs and HI, and identify simple and duplicable adaptations to be developed depending on the local context, the most prevalent disabilities, the main challenges faced by PwDs, and IGAs proposed by the IPs.

2- Visit one IP location in the field (only one pilot province is selected as the time of the consultancy will be short and as the access to some provinces can be difficult in wintertime:

• Visit PwDs matching the pre selection done in Kabul, to assess the context in the field with IP and HI staff.
• Design at least 6 adaptations covering different types of disability and IGA, and follow-up the process of procurement to get information about the prices in the local market with IP and HI staff.
• Realize at least 6 adaptations in the selected area.
• Try the adaptations with the PwDs and analyze the results with the PwDs, IP and HI staff.

3- Realize a set of at least 6 basic* and duplicable adaptations, and their factsheets, which could be used as benchmark (costs, effectiveness, relevance) and demonstration for a further project.

* The idea is that making/providing adaptations would not specifically require a medical/paramedical diploma

• With the products available on the local market.
• Model the costs of the adaptations to provide guidance to the IPs
• Provide a range of simple adaptations, depending on the type of disability and IGAs that can be duplicated in other provinces by other IPs in the next phase.

4- Review the factsheet with the table on task analysis & adaptations per main livelihood activity, and the factsheets on livelihood adaptations per type of impairment.

5- Develop a factsheet to support HI and IPs teams, explaining the practical process of assessing the problems faced by PwDs to participate in their IGA, the identification of solutions and the development of them, trying and analyzing the results.

6- Train and enhance the capacity of HI and IPs staff on the whole practical process to assess the problems met by the PwDs, identify the adapted solutions to be developed according to the person's difficulties, the IGA and the local constraints, make the adaptations with local products/artisans, try it and analyze the results.

3. Expected deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver the following items:

• At least 6 adaptations to be realized in the field, to improve the participation of persons with different types of disability in their IGA.
• 6 Factsheets on the adaptations made, 1 factsheet per adaptation.
• Videos "before" and "after" adaptation for each of them, with the permissions to film signed by the beneficiaries.
• Factsheet with the table on task analysis & adaptations per main livelihood activity revised.
• Factsheets on livelihood adaptations per type of impairment revised.
• Factsheet to support HI and IPs teams to understand the practical process of assessing the problems faced by PwDs to participate in their IGA, the identification of solutions and the development of them, how to try them and analyze the results.
• Training of the IP visited and HI DID staff in the field on the whole process.
• A workshop / training to IPs on the whole process, the outcomes of the mission, and providing them ideas to investigate in the frame of the further AACRS project.
• Report of the mission.

4. Methodology

The methodogy proposed by the consultant will include:

• Desk review
• Meetings with HI DID team, technical coordinator (TC)
• Field mission including :

Meeting with the IPs

Meeting with PwDs benefiting the AACRS project and videos

Training of the IP and HI DID team

Realize the adaptations and cost modeling

• Production of factsheets and final report
• Workshop/training with the 5 IPs for sharing the main findings and outputs

5. Agenda / schedule 23 days assignmentproposed timeframe :

1 day - Travel to Kabul

1 day - Security briefing / Briefing with the technical coordinator / Briefing with the DID team

1 day - Review of docs with the DID team / Assessment of the adaptations to be developed / Finalization of the preparation of the field visit

12 days - Field mission including : 3 days Field visit to PwDs for assessment + do short videos of the situation "before" / 1 day to do a participative analyze with the DID team and the TC of the videos and choose relevant adaptations to be developed / 2 days to buy and make the adaptations / 3 days to try and adjust the adaptations with PwDs + do short videos of the situation "after" and Develop factsheets on model of adaptations, and factsheet on the whole process from identification of problems met by PwDs to the analyze of the results after providing adaptations / 1 day training IP + debrief on results with the DID team and TC / 2 days travel

1 day - Complete the factsheets adaptations per type of impairments, and on task analysis and impairments / Continuation of the development of factsheets on models of adaptations and on the whole process.

1 day - Meeting with logistic to work on the factsheets on model of adaptations / Presentation of the factsheets to the TC and the DID team for review and finalization

1 day - Coaching of the DID team / Preparation of the training

1 day - Workshop/training with the 5 IPs at Kabul / Debriefing with the DID team and TC

1 day - Travel back

3 days - Report writing

The agenda is subject to revision. Applicants can also provide an updated agenda if needed

6. Report and follow-up

A report of the mission and the documents / videos and permission to film so as the factsheets will be submitted to the technical coordinator before departure

7. Expected OT consultant profile

Diploma & Experience:

• Occupational Therapist (degree or equivalent)
• Minimum 2 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation / inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace
• Prior experience in task adaptations for agriculture related activities is an asset
• Proven experience in the field covered by the project, including staff capacity building
• Prior experience in a developing country is a major advantage

Softskills:

• Creative and innovative
• Culturally sensitive
• Ability to adapt professional guidelines and experiences to the cultural context
• Ability to work under difficult security context

Please submit your technical and financial offer along with your CV to the following recipients :

• Deputy Desk Officer : miken@handicap-international.org
• Afghanistan technical coordinator : techcoordinator@hiafgha.org deadline for submission of the application : February 1st, 2018