Disability Accessibility Audit Independent Consultant

UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST – UNRWA   UNRWA is the United Nations agency responsible for the protection, care and human development of a population of some 4.6 million Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Syrian Arab Republic. The Agency is committed to assisting Palestine refugees in maintaining a decent standard of living, acquiring appropriate knowledge and skills, enjoying the fullest possible extent of human rights, and leading a long and healthy life. UNRWA is by far the largest UN operation in the Middle East with over 29,000 staff. Most of the staff members are refugees themselves, working directly to benefit their communities – as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers. Disability Accessibility Audit Independent Consultant   Location Home based, with travels to UNRWA schools in all areas of operations Type of Appointment Consultant Deadline for Application 25 July 2014 Vacancy Announcement Number 959/2014 Department/Division Education Department    BACKGROUND I.                    UNRWA Education Reforms: Inclusive Education Policy, Strategy and Implementation Standards The UNRWA Education programme is undergoing a transformation. Reforms are underway that will better position the Agency to meet the evolving demands of an education system in the twenty-first century. These will lead to improved quality of learning for Palestine refugee students in UNRWA schools, vocational training centers and education faculties. The education reform strategy sets out a comprehensive, interrelated plan of action. Optimal benefits and sustainable impact will be achieved through this approach, which ensures that students are at the centre of the system, teachers are supported, schools are empowered and the whole UNRWA education system is strengthened. After being pre-tested and implemented within UNRWA fields, reform components will be mainstreamed across the Agency’s education system by 2015. The philosophy of inclusive education is the underpinning of this reform. It lays out a set of actions and practices and teaching methods that teachers can employ with their pupils. Inclusive education does not only refer to children with special needs or to remedial education, but rather is an approach that aims to meet the learning, health and psychosocial needs of all children. Through the reform, teachers’ capacity will be strengthened to adopt strategies and approaches for learning that are inclusive of all children. The Inclusive Education Policy and Strategy (January 2013) provide the overarching framework for the reform, while the Implementation Standards and Teacher’s Toolkit guide practical implementation. For more information about UNRWA’s inclusive education reforms, please refer to relevant documents accompanying this Terms of Reference and visit the following website: http://www.unrwa.org/who-we-are/reforming-unrwa/education-reform                 II.                  Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Accessibility procedures The UNRWA Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Department Procedure Number 17 (2008) for Providing Universal Accessibility to UNRWA facilities are the minimum standards for accessibility enhancements and provide technical specifications for the installation of ramps, handrails, elevators and toilets.  The 2011 AUB School Environment Survey provides a baseline of access status of UNRWA schools against the ICID criteria.  Disability accessibility considerations in line with the UNRWA ICID 17 minimum standards were integrated into the reconstruction of schools and community centres within Naher el Bared Camp (NBC) in 2009. Lebanese Physically Handicapped Union provided technical guidance during this process and produced the Naher el Bared Refugee Camp Inclusive Accessible Design: Standards Guide for Architects (2009). All 7 UNRWA-owned schools in NBC had elevators and accessible toilets installed.  As at January 2014, only 2/7 elevators were operational, and only 3/7 disabled toilets were in use and freely accessed by students with disability. During Quarter 4, 2013 reporting against LFO Field Implementation Plan Indicator 6.1.1.a) Percentage of all children enrolled in UNRWA schools identified as having a disability, North Lebanon Area (NLA) recorded the lowest percentage of enrollment of students with disability (1.3% male; 0.79% female). This highlights that improving access to physical environment alone does not increase access to education for refugees with disability, and that accessibility interventions must address broader barriers to access.   III.                Education, Training and Employment Support for Palestine Refugee Youth in Lebanon (1 September 2012 – 30 June 2017)   UNRWA´s vision is for Palestine refugees to be able to obtain decent jobs, enabling them to escape from poverty and to live with dignity. In line with this goal, this project, funded by the European Union, aims at enhancing the employment prospects of Palestine refugee youth in Lebanon by increasing the proportion that complete secondary education and have access to vocational or higher education through i) improving the quality of education and supportive services provided to Palestine refugee children in UNRWA schools and thus improving school achievement and retention; and ii) by increasing the quality of technical and vocational education and training available to Palestine refugee youth and extending and improving the provision of career guidance and employment services available to Palestine refugee youth in Lebanon. The project is comprised of two Components.   Under Result Area 5, UNRWA has funds to increase the number of schools compliant with basic health standards and equally accessible to physically disabled students, through: i)                     improving the environmental health status of UNRWA's schools; and ii)                   removing barriers that hinder access, learning and participation of physically disabled students   Result 5.1   Five Schools (one in each area) will be fully accessible to students with physical disabilities starting in 2014 Result 5.2   Five schools will be upgraded to facilitate access to students with physical disabilities by the end of the project   The goal of this component is to ensure that all students with physical disabilities have full access to at least one UNRWA school.   The Project Document defines full accessibility as the 'removal of barriers that hinder access, learning and participation of physically disabled students'[1].   A fully accessible school environment is one which enables all students, regardless of age, gender or impairment to enter and move freely, independently and with dignity[2]. While accessibility contributes to increasing the social participation and contribution of people with disability, improved accessibility benefits all users. Schools are often the site for community events and recreational activities, and thus having an accessible venue can benefit the wider community, including the elderly, people with temporary health conditions, pregnant women and children. Accessibility is a vital precondition for an inclusive education system.   However, to achieve comprehensive accessibility, we must look beyond physical barriers to access, and consider attitudinal, transportation, information and communication barriers that may prevent people with disability from accessing, learning and participating in an educational setting.   Result Area 5 of the Education Training and Employment Support program also highlights the key beneficiaries of this intervention as students with physical disability. UNRWA Disability Policy states that we must ensure that "measures to operationalise disability definitions do not become a means of labeling persons with disabilities and making them objects of discriminatory practices and stigma". Knowing the cause of impairment is not necessarily relevant in decisions about whether a person is defined as having a physical disability. It is the impact of the impairment, rather than the cause, that is relevant to defining disability.   Moreover, it is not only people with physical disability who experience reduced mobility and consequently decreased access. Reduced mobility can result from an interaction between a variety of impairment types and barriers within a school environment, which prevent people with visual, auditory, mental and intellectual impairments from moving freely, independently and with dignity. Acknowledging this, the Education, Training and Employment Program (ENPI) will achieve full accessibility by adopting a twin track of accessibility interventions through:   1.       Actions aimed at improving accessibility of the physical environment 2.       Addressing accessibility considerations as a cross-cutting issue within all aspects of the school environment   MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES Improving accessibility requires an assessment of barriers that prevent all people from using a space or accessing a service on an equal basis with others. This Access Audit will inform a variety of modifications to be made to the physical and organizational environment, to ensure obstacles are adapted or removed.   A key principle underpinning the access auditing process is participation. UNRWA staff, teachers, students, administration, parents and community should be involved throughout this process, so that they understand, own and implement inclusive access within the school environment. Participation of these stakeholders is vital to ensuring an accessible environment is achieved and maintained beyond the life of the physical intervention.   In accordance with established Agency policy and procedures, these Terms of Reference commission the contractor to undertake the following: A.      Work Plan and Access Audit Template In consultation with UNRWA’s Inclusion Coordinator, Inclusive Education Unit and EU Education Project Manager, the contractor will design and adhere to a 12-month Work Plan in English submitted to UNRWA no later than the 1st week after signing the contract. A template for the Accessibility Audit process and content will also be submitted to UNRWA for approval.  B.      Awareness sessions with School community on what ‘full accessibility’ means for their school The contractor will discuss accessibility with school management, and conduct awareness sessions with school community (management, administration, teachers, students, parents, community) to develop understanding that accessibility is broader than physical upgrades (elevator, ramps, toilets etc). The contractor will coordinate these accessibility audit activities with partner NGOs implementing partners for schools in the following respective areas: Saida and Central Lebanon Area: IECD/Trait D’Union North Lebanon, Beqaa and Tyre: World Vision, Mousawat and CBR-A C.      Participatory Accessibility Audit Assessments Support School-level support committees to conduct Participatory Access Audits of the physical school environment, operational and management policies and curriculum practices, and attitudes and barriers that exist within the school community which prevent students with disability from accessing quality education. D.      Accessibility Audit Report and Report dissemination Produce Access Audit Reports for each school with findings and technical specifications for upgrades to take place within schools, equipment requirements and recommendations to address barriers identified in school management policy and practices. Share these findings with the School community and facilitate discussion on how barriers can be addressed. These discussions should inform the recommendations section of the Access Audit Report. E.       AutoCAD Plans Based on recommendations of Access Audit Report and in coordination with UNRWA Field Camp Improvement Program, prepare AutoCAD plans including detailed statement of work, dimensions, and other details required for physical infrastructure upgrades for each school. F.      School Access Management Policy and Guidelines In collaboration with the School Management and Inclusion committees and NGO partners supporting inclusive education efforts, develop Access Management Policy and Guidelines to guide each school in how to maintain accessibility throughout all aspects of school environment. Awareness sessions should be conducted in each school to integrate Access Management Policy Guidelines into School Administrative and teaching practices. G.     Quality assurance of accessibility upgrades The contractor will conduct follow-up assessments during implementation of physical infrastructure upgrades to monitor quality and consistency of implementation. The contractor will submitquality assessments reports of the implementation and usage of access upgrades to UNRWA Inclusive Education Unit to inform ongoing monitoring.    DESIRABLE TIME FRAME The contractor shall submit the following to UNRWA’s Inclusive Education Unit:   Deliverable Timeframe No. of days a)       Work Plan and Access Audit Report in English after discussion with UNRWA’s Inclusive Education Unit submitted. August 2014 2 days b)       Conduct Participatory Access Audit Assessments to identify physical, policy and attitudinal barriers to students with special needs accessing quality education within selected schools. August 2014 (5 schools)   October (5 schools) 20 days (10 schools) c)       Submit Access Audit Reports for each school with findings and technical specifications for upgrades to take place within schools, equipment requirements and recommendations to address barriers identified in school management policy and practices. September 2014   November 2014 20 days (10 schools) d)       Prepare AutoCAD Plans; including a detailed statement of work, dimensions, and other details for infrastructure upgrades, in coordination with and Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Program. September 2014   November 2014 10 days (10 schools) e)       Awareness sessions on Comprehensive Accessibility with School committees, students with disability and community stakeholders in the 5 schools selected for fully accessibility upgrades in all five areas of UNRWA operation. October 2013– January 2014 10 days (10 schools) f)         Develop School Access Management Policy and Guidelines to maintain accessibility in each school, in collaboration with the School Management and Inclusion committees. Deliver awareness sessions on the Guidelines at each school. October 2013-April 2014 30 days (10 schools) g)                                                                                                                                 Conduct follow-up assessments during implementation of physical infrastructure upgrades to monitor quality and consistency of implementation. Submit quality assessments reports of the implementation and usage of access upgrades to UNRWA Inclusive Education Unit.  October 2013-April 2014 30 days (10 schools) TOTAL NUMBER OF DAYS   122 days   PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES (A)   Academic and Professional i)      A Masters degree from a university recognized by UNRWA in Architecture, Design, Engineering or a related field, specializing in inclusive design. ii)     Professional accreditation as an access auditor (preferably internationally recognized).   (B)   Experience At least 3-years professional experience undertaking accessibility audit assessments of built environments to identify and propose design solutions and interventions to improve access for people with disability.    (C)  Language i)      Excellent command of spoken and written English ii)     Excellent command of spoken and written Arabic.   CONDITIONS OF SERVICE Salary: USD $15,000.- USD $20,000. - According to qualifications and experience, payable on deliverables according to following schedule: -          1st installment: 15% - Upon submission of completed Participatory Access Audit Reports for 5 schools -          2nd installment: 15% - Upon submission of completed Participatory Access Audit Reports for 5 schools -          2nd installment: 40% - Upon submission of completed Autocad plans for infrastructure upgrades -          Last installment 30% - Upon submission of School Access Management Guides and Quality Assurance monitoring Reports for all 10 schools. Contract Duration: 122 working days – Not Extendable.   EQUIVALENCY Candidates with an equivalent combination of relevant academic qualifications, professional training and progressive work experience may also be considered.   GENERAL INFORMATION UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications equally from men and women. It is Agency Policy to give full consideration to qualified disabled candidates whose disability does not impact their ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the post. Priority will be given to fully qualify registered Palestinian refugees. Prior to the commencement of services, the consultant shall confirm and acknowledge in writing, and provide proof of the existence of, self-procured adequate private insurance against medical, disability and accident for the duration of the contract. As a member of the United Nations system, UNRWA maintains a close relatives’ policy.  In this regard, if a candidate has a close relative (mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter) who is already employed by the Agency, he/she can only be employed if the Agency is unable to find another suitable candidate.   UNRWA staff members with fixed term appointments may apply for any consultant/contractor consultancy while in service. Upon selection, a staff member may be offered the consultant/contractor contract upon resignation from fixed term appointments and a three month break-in-service. Candidates who are no longer employed by the Agency must have a minimum of 3 months break-in-service, before they apply to any consultant/contract positions.   UNRWA is a United Nations organization whose staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality. This includes respect for human rights, for diversity, and for non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. UNRWA staffs are expected to uphold these values at all times, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. UNRWA is a non-smoking working environment. الأونروا هي منظمة تابعة للأمم المتحدة، وهي منظمة تفترض من موظفيها الالتزام بأعلى معايير الاستقامة والحياد والنزاهة. ويشمل ذلك احترام مبادئ حقوق الإنسان واحترام التنوع وتبني الوسائل غير العنيفة في حل كافة أشكال النزاعات.  المتوقع من موظفي الأونروا أن يقوموا بدعم هذه القيم في كافة الأوقات، سواء في أماكن العمل أم خارجه. إن أولئك الأشخاص الذين يتمتعون بالالتزام الكامل وغير المشروط بهذه القيم هم فقط الذين ينبغي أن يتقدموا بطلباتهم للعمل لدى الأونروا. الأنروا هي بيئه عمل لا يسمح فيها بالتدخين.   As an Area post, preference will be given to local candidates already based in the duty station of the post.   TECHNICAL & PRACTICAL TESTS REQUIRED Not applicable   INTERVIEW Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview. (100%)   HOW TO APPLY If you have the skills and experience required above, and want to make an active and lasting contribution to improving the lives of Palestine refugees, then register on http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing the UNRWA Personal History Form; it is the responsibility of the candidates (internal and external) to make sure that their Personal History Form is duly completed with the needed information before they apply as amendments to the Form will not be accepted after the deadline of the vacancy announcement. Only applications received through this website will be considered and the system will not allow applications after the deadline. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Candidates may also be invited to take a technical exam in order further evaluate their qualifications for the post. Due to a high volume of applications received, only short-listed applicants will be contacted –“سيتم الإتصال فقط بالأشخاص الذين تنطبق عليهم متطلبات الوظيفة”. The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. The United Nations does not concern itself with information on bank accounts. For any queries please send an email to: recruitmentquestions@unrwa.org. Please apply as requested above, do not send your CV To this email address, all cvs sent to this email address will be automatically ignored. يرجى تقديم الطلبات حسب التعليمات اعلاها وعدم ارسال السيرة الذاتية الى هذا البريد الالكتروني, سيتم تجاهل السير الذاتية التي ترسل الى هذا العنوان تلقائيا. or contact the recruitment unit on 009611840490.   Date of issue: 09 July 2014 [1]ENPI Project Progress Report Year 1 August 2013 pg. 29 [2]Handicap International Policy Paper, Accessibility: How to design and promote an environment accessible to all?November 2009