Consultancy: Develop Disability Mainstreaming Guideline for Target Universities

1. 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 the financial support of GIZ, ECDD has recently launched a new livelihood project titled “IBPO: Upskilling and Employing Persons with Disabilities through an Inclusive BPO Ecosystem in Ethiopia.” The project aims to establish a functioning disabilityinclusive BPO ecosystem where persons with disabilities are equipped with foundational skills, employers are committed to disability inclusion, and national institutions are aligned to sustain and expand opportunities.

As part of this initiative, ECDD is partnering with five government universities—Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Bahir Dar University, Adama Science and Technology University, Hawassa University, and Arba Minch University—to promote inclusive education. The goal is to ensure that human resource policies and practices are accessible, fair, and welcoming to persons with disabilities, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

To support this effort, ECDD is seeking a competent consultant to develop a Disability Mainstreaming Guideline for the target universities. This guideline will serve as a practical tool to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across university systems.

 

2. Objectives of the Assignment

Major objective:

• To establish a comprehensive Disability Mainstreaming Guideline that promotes inclusive education and institutional practices across universities, ensuring equal access, participation, and success for persons with disabilities.

Specific Objectives:

• Strengthen institutional capacity by integrating disability inclusive policies, procedures, and practices into university systems in alignment with the UNCRPD.
• Promote accessibility and equity by ensuring that teaching, learning environments, and human resource policies are fair, welcoming, and responsive to the needs of students and staff with disabilities.
• Enhance awareness and accountability among university leadership, faculty, and administrative staff to foster a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Provide practical tools and guidance for universities to implement reasonable accommodation and disability adjustments that support full participation of persons with disabilities

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Examine existing university policies, strategies, and practices related to human resources, teaching, learning, and student services to identify gaps in disability inclusion.
• Engage with university leadership, faculty, administrative staff, students with disabilities, and relevant Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to assess barriers and collect practical insights.
• Develop comprehensive Disability Mainstreaming Guidelines addressing:
  • Inclusive recruitment and staff development (accessible job advertisements, inclusive hiring practices, inclusive training).
  • Reasonable accommodation policies (processes, funding mechanisms, and implementation strategies for students and staff with disabilities).
  • Inclusive teaching, learning, and performance management systems.
  • Physical and digital accessibility of university facilities, services, and resources.
  • Mechanisms for monitoring and accountability to ensure sustainability.
• Validation Workshop: Present the draft guidelines to stakeholders (universities, OPDs, and partners) for review, discussion, and feedback.
• Finalization: Submit the finalized Disability Mainstreaming Guideline incorporating stakeholder inputs and recommendations.

4. Expected Deliverables

• Inception Report: A detailed work plan outlining methodology, timeline, and key activities.
• Draft Disability Mainstreaming Guideline: A comprehensive document tailored to universities, covering inclusive recruitment, reasonable accommodations, accessible teaching and learning, and institutional accountability mechanisms.
• Practical Tools: Checklists and guidance notes for university staff and administrators to implement disability inclusive measures effectively.
• Final Guideline Document: A validated and refined Disability Mainstreaming Guideline incorporating stakeholder feedback from the validation workshop.

5. Duration and Timeline

The assignment is expected to be completed within 30 calendar days upon signing the agreement with ECDD. The consultant will be required to adhere to the agreed work plan and submit deliverables within the specified timeframe.

6. Consultant Qualifications

• Education: The lead consultant must have at least a post-graduate degree in Social Sciences, Business, Economics, Statistics, or related fields, Special Needs
• Experience: Minimum of 3–5 years of proven experience in developing disability-inclusive policies, organizational manuals, or institutional guidelines.
• Expertise: Strong knowledge of disability rights, reasonable accommodation, and inclusive education practices, preferably aligned with the UNCRPD.
• 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 university contexts.
• Legal Requirement: The consultant must hold a valid professional license, renewed registration certificate, and business license with TIN and renewed VAT registration certificate.

7. Selection Criteria

The Technical and Financial Proposals will account for 60% and 40% respectively of the selection criteria, broken down as follows:

CRITERIA	SCORES
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL:	60%
Experience related to the task	10%
Qualifications of team member(s)	10%
Disability Inclusion Experience	10%
Methodology	20%
Experience working in the project target area in similar context	10 %
FINANCIAL PROPOSAL	40%
Total	100%

8. Mode of Payment

• In ETB via bank transfer or Cheque payment.

• Payment Installment	Deliverables	Portion
  1st Installment	Submission and approval of the Inception Report with detailed methodology and work plan	30%
  2nd Installment	Submission and endorsement of the Draft Disability Mainstreaming Guideline Draft Disability Mainstreaming Guideline	40%
  Final Installment	Upon submission of the Final Guideline Document	30%