ESCWA is seeking the services of an Advocacy Training Consultant to support the development and delivery of a training workshop planned under the above-indicated project. The training workshop will aim to enhance the capacity of OPD’s to plan and execute successful advocacy campaigns to advocate for the right of independent living and being included in the community. The consultant will work with the disability team to develop and finalize the training manual for the workshop. They will then deliver the training, both in-person and online, to representatives of OPDs from the Arab region. OPDs can benefit from the training to advocate for policy reforms for independent living and influence decision-making processes.
During the assignment, the consultant is expected to prepare and submit background documents related to the training manual as well as the reports of the meetings related to the training and the training itself. The consultant is also expected to submit a template for posting the training package online as an E-Learning course.
The deliverables of the consultant will include, but will not be limited to:
1. A literature review of available training materials on advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities in the Arab region and on the right to independent living more specifically.
2. An Advocacy Training Manual for OPDs to advocate for independent living and inclusion in the community; including to advocate for policy reforms for independent living and influence decision-making processes.
3. A training workshop delivering the Advocacy Training Manual to OPDs.
4. Reports on the trainings that the consultant will deliver.
5. A template on developing the Advocacy Training Manual online as an E-Learning course.
Remotely
6 months
Background:
Persons with disabilities in the Arab region, and globally, face barriers to participate fully and equally in society. In the Arab region, there are major data and research gaps on how to achieve disability inclusion in all facets of life, whether in inclusive education, inclusive employment accessibility of both the built and digital environment and supporting persons with disabilities to live independently in their community.
Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is on “Living independently and being included in the community” and it stipulates the right of persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others, and ensure that:
a) Persons with disabilities have the opportunity to choose their place of residence and where and with whom they live on an equal basis with others and are not obliged to live in a particular living arrangement.
b) Persons with disabilities have access to a range of in-home, residential and other community support services, including personal assistance necessary to support living and inclusion in the community, and to prevent isolation or segregation from the community.
c) Community services and facilities for the general population are available on an equal basis to persons with disabilities and are responsive to their needs. (Article 19, CRPD)
However, there is a major data and knowledge gap on the status of Article 19 in the Arab region. ESCWA’s report entitled “Barriers to implementing Article 19: A study on the institutionalization of persons with disabilities in select Arab countries” found that there is a large knowledge gap on the status of residential institutions currently set up in the region. The study also highlighted the scarcity of disaggregated data by age, sex, and disability types of persons with disabilities as one of the key barriers in developing evidence based national policies and strategies for independent living of persons with disabilities.
The "Arab-EU Research Network on Disability" is an initiative under the "EU-Arab Cooperation Forum on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." It was established in January 2022 following the signature of a Letter of Understanding between ESCWA, the Government of Malta, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It acts as an inter-regional platform for knowledge production, exchange, and capacity building and its objectives are aligned with the UN's commitment to disability inclusion through the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS), which provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the UN: peace and security, human rights, and development.
The Network will (i) enable Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in the Arab region to close the gaps on data, and access enhanced research and knowledge on independent living; and (ii)strengthen the capacity of OPDs, academia and disability researchers (especially researchers with disabilities) to develop evidence-based research which would inform policymaking for inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Under the guidance of and in cooperation with the disability team at ESCWA and building on the research already done under the Arab-EU Research Network on Disability’s conference, the consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:
¿ Perform research work on available training materials on advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities in the Arab region and on the right to independent living more specifically.
¿ Prepare an Advocacy Training Manual for OPDs to advocate for independent living and inclusion in the community; including to advocate for policy reforms for independent living and influence decision-making processes.
¿ Prepare and deliver one training workshop using the Advocacy Training Manual to representatives of OPDs in the Arab countries to advocate for the right of independent living.
¿ Prepare a template to develop the Advocacy Training Manual online as an E-Learning course.
¿ Perform other duties to support the implementation as required.
A master’s degree in social science, economics, public policy, law, or other related areas is required.
A PhD degree in a related field is desirable.
All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in socio-economic development, policy analysis, advocacy training, or related area is required.
Experience with disability policy in the Arab region is desirable.
Good research and drafting skills are highly desirable.
Computer knowledge and skills in Microsoft Office, i.e. word, excel is required.
Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA.
For this position, fluency in Arabic and English is required.
Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.