COMPARATIVE STUDY ON BARRIERS AND ENABLERS FOR THE INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE HUMANITARIAN AID IN NIGERIA, CAMEROON, NIGER & DRC 247 views2 applications

Background of the Project

CBM is implementing the project entitled “Disability-Inclusive Humanitarian Action for displaced populations and host communities in the sectors of health and protection in West and Central Africa”, targeting internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, returnees and host community members as well as Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and local and international humanitarian organisations. The project started in August 2022, and it aims to improve the living conditions and the access to inclusive humanitarian aid for displaced populations (refugees, IDPs, returnees) and host communities with special attention to most vulnerable persons in the sectors of Health and Protection. The project is implemented in four countries namely DR Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger.

The table below provides a brief overview of the countries of intervention and the project respective partners.

Table 1- Project implementation areas et partners per country

Country Geographical areas Partners Status of the study

DRC (Democratic Republic Of Congo) Bureau Diocésain Not started

Nundu, Kalehe, Uvira des Œuvres Médicales de l’Archidiocèse

Cameroon Koupé-Manengouba, Fako Presbyterian Church in Cameroon Started Lebialem, Manyu Meme, Ndian,

Nigeria Borno state Women in the New Nigeria and Not started

Youth Empowerment Initiative (WINN)

Niger Ouallam, Abala and Ayerou ONG ADKOUL Started

in Tilaberi Region

The theory of change is based on three axes, namely:

• Provision of primary health and rehabilitation services through mobile health teams and establishment of a referral system, psychosocial counselling, and treatment for affected populations, strengthening of existing health infrastructure and training of staff
• Provision of inclusive protection services for persons with disabilities as well as other vulnerable persons, with particular emphasis on support services for survivors of SGBV (Sexual and Gender Based Violence)
• Measures to mainstream inclusion in the activities of other humanitarian actors and in the humanitarian coordination system.

In axis 2, CBM and its partners plan to conduct a Disability-Inclusion-Review. This activity consists of a comparative study of inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian aid in the selected project areas, assessing barriers and enablers to accessing services, humanitarian assistance, and community engagement.

The study shall be conducted by a team of external experts with the support of CBM’s technical advisors for humanitarian aid and inclusive development, in the four countries humanitarian contexts (DRC, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria).

In Niger and Cameroon, the study is already being conducted by two external consultants (one for Niger and one for Cameroon).

Evaluation Objective and intended use

The aim of this review is to generate evidence based on the comparison, which will translate into concrete recommendations for action for humanitarian actors and governments to ensure the inclusion and participation of people with disabilities in the humanitarian and community-based actions.

The review is an important starting point to implement capacity strengthening measures based on the identified capacity gaps and to improve the networking of humanitarian mainstream actors with OPDs.

It shall inform advocacy mechanisms and actions for the inclusion of persons with disabilities and other particularly at-risk groups in humanitarian strategies and programs and public policies. The aim is to use the outcome of the study to advocate for the improvement of the protection of vulnerable groups, their participation, and access to services from which they are currently largely excluded in the different countries.

In a specific way, this review aims to:

• Identify the risks and barriers as well as enablers in accessing humanitarian, incl. priority goods and services in the project areas;
• Identify the proportion of persons with disabilities and vulnerable persons in the project areas and their specific needs depending on the type of disability or impairment.
• Analyse the level of inclusiveness of the humanitarian responses of the different humanitarian actors in the target countries, as well as their practice of including people with disabilities in all phases of their programs;
• Make a comparative analysis of the inclusion of people with disabilities in the 4 project’s countries of implementation specifically, the areas of implementation in those countries;

The various elements of comparison between countries are (1) barriers, (2) the facilitators, as well as (3) the status of inclusion of persons with disabilities in the humanitarian contexts of the four countries.

• Propose necessary actions and Key practice and realistic recommendations to foster the inclusion of people with disabilities in programs and make responses, and community engagement inclusive.
• Collect good practices for overcoming barriers and developing enablers that can be adapted and used in other countries.

Scope of the evaluation

The evaluation will be conducted in the two project’s implementation countries, where the study has not yet started, in the areas listed in Table 1 from February 1 to March 31, 2023. One national consultant or team of consultants will be recruited in each country, and all the consultants and CBM’s technical team will work in coordination.

During this period, the evaluator will conduct all evaluation activities (protocol designing, secondary data review, interview and focus group discussions, data analysis and reporting, etc.). This evaluation will involve representatives of OPDs in all two countries as well as relevant humanitarian and public stakeholders, organisations, and institutions as well as the project target group/target communities and the implementing partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria.

Target audience and Learning

The primary audience of the study findings will be CBM and partners including OPDs. In addition, there shall be a summary of all the findings, that can be used as stand-alone document for broader distribution, to humanitarian actors and authorities in the 4 countries.

A workshop on findings and recommendations will be conducted online for all 4 countries by the 4 teams.

For a good understanding and easy use of the study results, it is then important that the summaries are in plain language and accessible, potentially a poster for discussions with communities shall be produced.

METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

In each of the two project implementation countries where the study has not yet started, this study will be conducted by a national consultant/team specialized in disability inclusion, safeguarding or protection, by combining qualitative and quantitative methods.

The recruited consultants will have to develop a comprehensive and detailed methodology for the study in the selected country.

The methodology should include the following stages:

• Secondary data review – desk study
• (training on the application of the WGSSQs)
• Sampling and targeted location depending on the country
• Field phase in selected and agreed locations per country, incl. mixed method data collection involving a diverse range of stakeholders and project participants
• Desk based data analysis, interpretation and reporting

The consultant shall develop details on how project participants shall be sampled and included in the data collection and analysis, in the formulation of recommendations, and how will the findings and recommendations be feedback to them; detail specific meetings, discussions, workshops, presentations.

No matter what methods will be used during the evaluation, there are mandatory mechanisms that must be adhered to during the entire process:

• Participatory and inclusive
• Safeguarding of children and adults at risk
• Data Disaggregation (gender/age/disability)
• Data Security and privacy (informed consent)

Management Responsibilities and Evaluation Team

CBM Christian Blind Mission is the contracting organization of the study.

Commissioning responsibility

This study will be commissioned by CBM Christian Blind Mission, who will contract the study team. The implementing organisations in the two countries will play an active role in its preparation and and management. The joint engagement contributes to learning on both sides.

A. Management Responsibility and Logistics

A steering committee will be set up to manage and coordinate the study. Its role is to ensure that the purpose and objectives of the study are clear from the beginning all the way through to the finalisation, to jointly select the consultants, agree on detailed methodology, ensure timely implementation, to comment and agree on documents, incl. interview guides, questionnaires, reports and workshop content, as needed involving the CBM staff per country. Depending on the time frame the committee may agree to convene 2-3 meetings with the consultant during the exercise.

It will be composed of five people:

• • CBM Regional Humanitarian Project Manager (Regional Office in Togo) – CBM Humanitarian MEAL Officer (Cameroon) – GFFO MEAL Officer (DRC) – CBM MEL Officer / Program Assistant (Niger) – Soumana Zamo Regional Advisor, Community Based Inclusive Development

The Regional Humanitarian Project Manager will chair the steering committee and will be the primary contact persons for the consultant teams.

B. Implementing organisations

They shall provide support to the evaluation teams as needed, incl. provision of needed documentation of the projects, making some logistic arrangements, ensuring that the consultants have access to stakeholders and project participants. Ideally, helping in the nomination of a representative of a local OPD to be involved in the process, during data collection.

C. Evaluation Team

The different national consultants recruited per country will oversee the organization of logistics, travel and accommodation in the project intervention areas at national level. The national partner organisation will support in logistics as needed.

They must ensure that necessary interpretation (incl. potentially sign language) and translation work will be covered by their budget.

D. Requirements for consultants

Educational background: Advance degree in Social sciences, development and humanitarian aid, disability inclusion, or other subject related to this assignment.

At least 5 years of experience of working in development and humanitarian aid.

Professional background in the conduct of social research or evaluation, practical experience in at least 5 similar assignments.

Ideally, teams should be composed of men, women and people with disabilities.

In particular, the consultant must have the following skills

• University degree Social Sciences or other relevant discipline
• Extensive expertise and experience in Community Based Inclusive Development,
• Project Management, including expertise in humanitarian aid
• Proven experience in carrying out similar studies in the region and/or in Cameroon;
• Experience in designing and conducting quantitative and qualitative research;
• Experience in conducting research with remote and marginalized communities;
• Knowledge of international instruments and national statutes for persons with disabilities;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to facilitate and work in a multidisciplinary team;
• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesise and present results clearly;
• Ability to draw practical conclusions and prepare well-written reports in a timely manner and availability during the proposed period;
• Fluent English and French language skills (written and spoken)
• The ability to speak the local languages would be an asset;

Safeguarding policy: In order to enter into a consultation agreement, consultants must sign the CBM or partner organisation’s safeguarding policy and respect its terms and conditions.

Deliverables

The following steps should be considered in the methodological proposal:

• Preparatory meeting with the Evaluation Steering Committee: the purpose of this meeting is to present the proposed methodology to the Steering Committee and get agreement.
• Inception report, which will include the detailed methodological, the schedule and process for implementing the study and include the methodology, data collection and analysis tools. It shall also set out the roles and responsibilities of all team members.
• Final evaluation reports and PowerPoint presentation of key findings.

Each consultant will submit a draft of final report in accordance with the template proposed by CBM, as well as a synthesis of no more than 5 pages in order to be accessible to a broader audience. The draft report (of no more than 25 pages) must be submitted within 10 days after the end of the field phase.

The summary shall be drafted in French or English according to the country it refers to and shall include:

• A brief presentation of the regional project;
• A presentation of the objectives of the study;
• The results of the study in a synthetic manner;
• Recommendations organized in a hierarchy and linked to the conclusions

As an annex to this report, the consultants will submit the databases.

• A presentation to the steering committee with a restitution support.
• Facilitation of a workshop to share the evaluation results
• Deliverable 4: Comparative analysis and final report

After the four consultants’ analysis for each country, CBM technical team with the support of the consultants will make the comparison analysis as well as the compilation and harmonization of the reports for a final global report.

Evaluation Schedule

Table 2- Schedule of the study per country

Task Location/responsible No. of Consultant Days Starting date End date

Terms of reference CBM/partners 16/01/2023 23/01/2023

Recruitment advertisement CBM (regional and country offices) 02/02/2023 14/02/2023

Consultants’ selection CBM offices 10/02/2023 16/02/2023

Scoping meeting with consultants Online/CBM office 1 day 17/02/2023 17/02/2023

Desk study Consultants’ desks 3 days

Data collection Project areas/ consultant 10 days 21/02/2023 02/03/2023

Analysis and draft report Consultants’ desk 9 days 03/03/2023 12/03/2023

Commenting on draft report CBM/ partners 3 days 13/03/2023 16/03/2023

Comparative analysis CBM technical team 5 days 17/03/2023 22/03/2023

Report harmonization Consultants’ desk & 7 days 23/03/2023 31/03/2023

CBM technical team

Finalisation of report Consultants 2 days 03/04/2023 05/04/2023

Workshop with stakeholders Online/partners & CBM office 1 day 07/04/2023 07/04/2023

Total 48 days

This plan is indicative. Each consultant should propose a detailed plan and deadlines based on the deliverables and the indicative schedule.

Payment Mode

Payment will be made in several instalments following validation of the various deliverables listed above.