ToR: Consultancy Services for Developing Disability Inclusion Policy for the Ethiopian Outsourcing Association (EOA)

Background

Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) is an Ethiopian Development Organization established in 2005 and reregistered by the Agency for Civil Society Organizations as an Ethiopian Development Organization with a Certificate № 0321 under the Proclamation № 1113/2019. ECDD is working with other organizations to promote and facilitate the inclusion of persons with disabilities and disability issues in mainstream service delivery and development programs envisioning an Inclusive Ethiopia where persons with disabilities exercise the same rights and have access to the same services and opportunities enjoyed by other citizens.

With financial support from GIZ, ECDD has recently launched a new livelihood project titled “I-BPO: Upskilling and Employing Persons with Disabilities through an Inclusive BPO Ecosystem in Ethiopia.” This project is designed to enhance skills and expand employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in the BPO sector. As part of this initiative, ECDD intends to develop and adopt a Disability Inclusion Policy for the Ethiopian Outsourcing Association (EOA).

The consultancy service will assess the extent to which the existing policy, if any, incorporates considerations for the inclusion of persons with disabilities and safeguards their rights within the organization and its member entities. This assessment will involve a thorough review of the current policy and an evaluation of its alignment with international and national conventions, laws, and standards. Based on this review, the consultant will develop a comprehensive disability inclusion policy that enables the association and its members to fully recognize and uphold the rights of persons with disabilities.

General Objective

• The main objective is to develop a comprehensive, actionable, and adoptable disability inclusion policy for the EOA that aligns with national laws and international disability inclusion standards and frameworks, ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities are fully recognized, respected, and upheld across the association and its member entities.

Specific Objectives

• Examine existing practices and policies within EOA and its member organizations to identify strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement.
• Develop a comprehensive policy framework that defines commitment areas such as recruitment, retention, reasonable accommodation, accessibility, and inclusive workplace practices.
• Design an actionable implementation plan, including practical tools such as checklists and guidelines, to support EOA and member companies in applying the policy effectively.
• Ensure meaningful participation of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and other stakeholders in the policy development process to guarantee relevance, inclusivity, and ownership.

Scope of Work (SoW)

The consultant/firm will undertake the following tasks:

Inception & Assessment

• Conduct a desk review of national labor laws, disability rights laws, and existing EOA bylaws.
• Carry out a gap analysis or survey of current policies within EOA and its member organizations.
• Facilitate focus group discussions (FGDs) with OPDs and other stakeholders to identify key barriers to employment in the BPO sector.

Policy Drafting

Draft the Disability Inclusion Policy ensuring it covers:

• Non-discrimination in recruitment and hiring practices.
• Reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities, including workplace adjustments.
• Digital and physical accessibility of workplaces.
• Career development and retention strategies for employees with disabilities.
• Supplier diversity to promote inclusion in procurement processes.
• Action plan with KPIs to measure success and track implementation progress.

Validation & Finalization

• Present the draft policy to ECDD in soft copy for feedback.
• Incorporate feedback to finalize the policy and implementation roadmap.
• Develop a one-page charter

Key Deliverables

• Inception Report: A detailed document outlining the methodology, tools, and timeline for conducting the assignment.
• Draft Policy and Action Plan: A preliminary version of the disability inclusion policy accompanied by an actionable plan for implementation.
• Final Policy and Validated Action Plan: A comprehensive and adoptable disability inclusion policy refined through stakeholder validation, with a finalized action plan.
• Implementation Checklist: A practical tool designed for EOA and member organizations to guide the application of the policy in daily operations.

Duration of Assignment

• First draft disability inclusion policy: within 25 calendar days of signing the agreement.
• Final report: within 5 days after receiving comments from ECDD.
• Total duration: 30 calendar days.

Payment Schedule

• 1st Installment (40%) – Upon submission and approval of the Inception Report.
• 2nd Installment (30%) – Upon submission and endorsement of the Draft disability inclusion policy
• Final Installment (30%) – Upon submission of the Final disability inclusion policy.

Time Schedule

The work is expected to be completed within 30 calendar days. An itemized action plan indicating a description of activities in chronological sequence and dates for each activity should be submitted with the technical proposal.

Qualifications and Expertise Required

Education:

• The lead consultant must have at least a post-graduate degree in Law, Social Sciences, Business, Economics, political science, development studies, Sociology, or related fields,

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of proven experience in developing disability‑inclusive policies, organizational manuals, or institutional guidelines.

Expertise:

• Strong knowledge of disability rights, reasonable accommodation, and inclusive employment practices, preferably aligned with the BPO companies

Engagement:

• Demonstrated experience working with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and other relevant stakeholders.

Skills:

• Excellent analytical, writing, and facilitation skills, with the ability to produce practical tools and guidelines tailored to BPO sector.
• Valid professional license, renewed registration certificate, TIN, and VAT certificate.

Ethical Considerations

• Informed consent from all participants.
• Data confidentiality and sensitivity to disability‑related issues.
• Inclusive and accessible communication methods (sign language, braille, plain text, easy‑to‑read formats).
• The consultant is expected to propose participatory, accessible, and inclusive data collection approaches in consideration of the types of impairments of persons with disabilities.

Selection Criteria

The Technical and Financial Proposals will account for 70% and 30% respectively of the selection criteria, broken down as follows: