Consultant: Inclusive Design Project Manager (Ethiopia) @Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub

Our mission is to accelerate ideas into impact for a more just world – for disabled people, and all people. Our vision is for disability inclusion and social justice. We work towards a world without barriers to participation, where everyone has the opportunity to live a joyful life.

We are a world leading delivery and practice centre, an Academic Research Centre at UCL (University College London) and the first WHO Global Collaborating Centre on Assistive Technology (AT). We work in 40+ countries, with a reach of more than 64 million people since 2016, GDI Hub develops homegrown technologies alongside new knowledge and research.

In collaboration with global partners, we deliver accelerators and market shaping initiatives – building ecosystems with a focus on low-and middle-income countries. An Academic Research Centre and a Community Interest Company, our diverse portfolio and unique set up enables rapid translation of research into practice.

Launched in 2016 as a legacy of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, GDI Hub is home to the UK aid funded AT2030 programme which tests ‘what works’ to improve access to life- changing Assistive Technology (AT) for all.

The Inclusive City Pilot Project (ICPP): Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is a project under the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) funded AT2030 Programme  with match funding from the RICH (Resilient and Inclusive Cities Hub) initiative by the Global Disability Fund. The project aims to mainstream disability inclusion and climate resilience in cities, focusing on piloting and implementing findings from GDI Hub’s previous research on inclusive cities. 

Under the AT2030 programme, GDI Hub has been leading research on inclusive cities since 2020. Working in cities including Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Varanasi (India), Surakarta (Indonesia), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Nairobi (Kenya) and Medellín (Colombia), insights have been developed to inform actions for more inclusive cities. The project has produced six individual city case studies, a global comparison report and a global action report, all available at: https://at2030.org/inclusive-cities/.

The role will lead the practical application of the findings in Addis Ababa, through the pilot project.  This pilot will test the recommendations of the AT2030 Global Action Report on Inclusive Design of the built environment in Addis Ababa.  It will undertake an initial rapid city assessment that will result in a bespoke and participatory Inclusive City Action Plan (ICAP) and ‘roadmap’ for its delivery.  This will then be implemented in partnership with the city government. The project is led by GDI Hub and will be implemented with the partnership and support of local partners.

The project is divided in two phases (Discovery and Delivery). This consultancy will initially support Phase 1 – Discovery. The Discovery Phase (6 months) consists of research through surveys, interviews, policy reviews, GIS mapping and participatory activities to inform the participatory development of an inclusive city action plan. Stakeholder engagement will be key throughout to garner support for the pilot project and delivery under Phase 2.

Key outputs for Phase 1 are:

• A research report on the status of accessibility and inclusive design in Addis Ababa
• A policy review report of all policies and practices relevant to inclusive cities
• Spatial mapping of barriers and enablers in the city
• A bespoke action plan for inclusive Addis Ababa

GDI Hub values inclusion as a core business success factor and actively seek to attract consultants from diverse backgrounds and particularly welcome applications for this role from disabled people and people from all cultural and faith backgrounds. The accommodation of reasonable adjustments is business as usual for us. 

This consultant will serve as GDI Hub’s primary in-country representative, coordinating local activities for the Discovery Phase (Phase 1). The role involves managing stakeholder engagement, supporting research activities, facilitating events, and ensuring effective collaboration with local partners and working closely with the GDI Hub global team to ensure inclusive project delivery.

While this is a remote role, we expect the job candidate to regularly need to hold meetings and engage with partners in in-person delivery activities.

Be GDI Hub’s representative in Addis Ababa, acting as the main in-country liaison between GDI Hub and in-country partners, including government bodies, civil society, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and local media.

• Regularly hold meetings and engage with partners in in-person delivery activities in Addis Ababa.
• Strengthen stakeholder mapping and continually engage the project’s local stakeholder network.
• Coordinate with policy review partners and participate in interviews when needed.
• Work closely with research agencies and OPDs; support facilitation of 12 focus group discussions and support other research activities as required.
• Support the advisory committee through preparation of background documents, meeting organisation, notetaking and follow-up actions.
• Organise project events, workshops and meetings with diverse urban stakeholders.
• Assist with data analysis and provide local insights to strengthen research outputs.
• Contribute to drafting of the project outputs.
• Support and develop content for project communications, including social media updates and webinars.
• Attend regular update meetings with the GDI Hub team and be proactive with managing the delivery workplan, identifying and notifying GDI Hub of challenges and opportunities as needed.
• Be an advocate for inclusive design approaches, through GDI Hub’s strategy, tools and processes.
• Build relationships and support for the pilot project, building awareness of GDI Hub’s inclusive design approaches.
• Support capacity building activities for project partners.
• Support project reporting, facilitating local budgeting and payments where needed.

While the role is primarily focused on delivery of the ICPP, it is possible the consultant will be asked to engage in other activities delivered under GDI Hub’s Inclusive Design Team. As part of onboarding, the consultant will receive inclusive design training from the GDI Hub team.

The role holder may be asked to join the GDI Hub delegation at the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku, Azerbaijan and support participation and event preparation.