ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST (NATIONAL CONSULTANT) 89 views0 applications

BACKGROUND

The Coordinated Action on Disability program is a four-year intervention that aims to change systems and institutions in Liberia to include Persons with Disabilities in development processes, acting as advocates and agents of change for an equitable and inclusive society.

CAD-L started with an Inception phase (pilot project) of 12 months in January 2020, which was extended until extended until May 31, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CAD-L full phase program started on 01 September 2021.

The program coordinates the efforts of duty bearers (employers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, the police, among others), right based holders (persons with disabilities and leprosy patients), organizations of persons with disabilities (DPOs) and of women with disabilities (OWWDs), and the institutions and CSOs representing them, towards improving the economic independence of PWDs through access to socio-economic and sexual reproductive health rights (SRHRs) and to means of communication to advocate for their entitlements.

The CAD-L theory of change proposes improved access to accessible information, to economic rights, and to employment/entrepreneurship opportunities for persons with disabilities to build their confidence, competences, and skills, leading to improved economic independence. This, in turn, contributes to their social and economic empowerment and enables them to act as agents of change for an equitable and inclusive

Liberia.

PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY

The Consultant will establish the CAD-L Assistive Technology Approach, which will be launched in the second year of the program, and spearhead the identification of concrete areas of Assistive Technology (AT) AT intervention for CAD-L to boost the efforts of the Ministry of Health (Division of Neglected Diseases) Non Communicable Diseases and Injuries(NCDI) Unit, the NCD and national and international stakeholders to implement the recommendation of the 2020 AT, Country Assessment report. The CAD-L Assistive Technology Approach will be focused on strengthening access to Assistive Technology in Liberia with a particular focus on the promotion of advocacy messages aimed at strengthening governance and systems and active participation of PWDs to policy dialogue, assessment and provision of AT devices to the beneficiaries in the TVET centers.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Consultant, working under the oversight and leadership of the CAD-L Chief of Party will:

• Lead in the identification of concrete areas of AT intervention for CAD-L to boost the efforts of the Ministry of Health (Division of Neglected Diseases) Non Communicable Diseases and Injuries (NCDI) Unit, NCD and national and international stakeholders to implement the recommendation of the 2020 AT Country Assessment report and the National Roadmap to Increase Access to AT 2021 – 2023 of the MOH.

• Establish the CAD-L Assistive Technology Approach by developing:

a. a proposal with a plan of action

b. a cost-benefit analysis

c. a stakeholder analysis for the concrete areas of AT intervention for CAD-L;

This approach will help outline synergies so as to avoid duplication of activities already implemented by partners. The consultant will present the CAD-L Assistive Technology Approach to the MMC in the second year of the program for discussion and further action.

• Participate in identification and selection of TVET centres activity with the objective of investigating the feasibility to initiate or improve the production or assembly of low-cost Assistive Devices in the TVET centres

• Develop AT friendly advocacy messages that promote the active participation of PWDs to policy dialogue, assessment and provision of AT devices to the beneficiaries in the TVET centres, start-ups and internships

• Explore options for boosting local production and demand of assistive devices and provide report on the result

• Collaborate strictly with the MOH and its regulatory body for all the actions related to AT in CAD-L

• Participation and support to meetings: participate in and actively support meetings relating to AIFO’s work on disability inclusion and AT, most notably in relation to CAD-L’s commitment to access to AT services for beneficiaries in project catchment areas.

• Create synergies with the current action that are likely to be in the area of awareness creation (Output 1) and PWDs’ employment / self-employment and document the approach employed.

• Maintain sound relationships with CAD-L program stakeholders, in particular in the areas of AT and TVET

ORGANISATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

The Assistive Technology Specialist will be answerable to the CAD-L Chief of Party with the majority of tasks being supervised by the Project Officer (1). The consultant will work in collaboration with AIFO staff and partners, particularly those involved in managing project activities to enable a learning process and inclusive decision-making and to maximize transparency and accountability.

DELIVERABLES

The consultant will deliver the following:

• Inception report including an 3-month work plan approved by the CAD-L program team and partners

• Present a final draft of the CAD-L Assistive Technology Approach; a comprehensive document that includes:

-a proposal with a plan of action for the implementation of the CAD-L Assistive Technology Approach, starting in the second year of the program;

• the cost-benefit analysis of the proposed action for PWDs, Liberia and AIFO;
• the stakeholder analysis for the concrete areas of AT intervention for CAD-L

TIME AND RATE

Length of time for this assignment will be three months. Proposed timeline: May 2022 – July 2022; with a possibility of renewal for three months every year for the next three years – 2023 to 2025; rate will be based on Consultant working experience and negotiation.

Interested individuals/institutions/firms should have:

 Advanced university degree in the Social Sciences, Public Health, or related discipline

 Demonstrable research experience in disability studies; Publication record on disability (preferred)

 Knowledgeable about the disability landscape in Liberia (regional or international experience is an added advantage), with expertise in Assistive Technologies

 Experience in participatory methodologies

 Proficiency with relevant computer software programs, especially with a firm understanding of Word, Excel, Access, and related systems and applications

 Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written; Neutrality and sense of diplomacy