Terms of Reference

Consultancy: Development of The Zambia Disability Accessibility standards and Formulation of Premises Standard Policy Guidelines for all public services, facilities, and buildings in Zambia

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1. Background

Disability affects every society globally and cuts across age, gender, ethnicity, social-economic status and race. The National Disability Survey (NDS) of 2015 estimates the prevalence of Persons with Disabilities in Zambia at 7.7% and is segregated as 10.9% in adult and 4.4% in Children between the age 2 – 17 years and 7.2% in rural areas and 8.5% in urban areas. The lives and wellbeing of Persons with Disabilities in community settings are closely linked to broader issues in national development because disability can cause poverty by preventing their full participation in the economic and social life in their communities especially if the appropriate support and reasonable accommodation is not put in place or is simply not available.

The Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities is a quasi-Government Institution established by an Act of Parliament called the Persons with Disabilities Act No. 06 of 2012 of the Laws of Zambia. The Agency is mandated by law to ensure that persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, the physical environment, transportation, information and communications and other facilities and services open or provided to the public both in urban and rural areas.

The Act under Part V, Division 5 provides for measures that ensure persons with disabilities access to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications and other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and rural areas on an equal basis with others. Part 8 of the same Act – creates the Inspectorate, gives the Agency the mandate to inspect facilities in Zambia (providing services to the members of the public) for compliance to accessibility standards.

2. Objective of the assignment

The present work is part of GRZ-UNJSPS II efforts of strengthening systems and frameworks that support disability mainstreaming. It’s envisaged that this call for proposal will, among others help to (i) create an enabling and compliance level among several players both from the service providers and to the Inspectors (ii) have a standard document that will serve as a benchmark for policy guidance(iii)  ensure reasonable accommodation in the country to ensure that Persons with Disabilities enjoy their fundamental freedoms and rights on an equal basis with others.

The overall objectives of the work are:

• To ensure that a standard form of accessibility inspection guidelines specific and in conformity with the Persons with Disabilities Act are developed and adhered to.
• To give further interpretation to the Inspectorate role under Part 8 of Persons with Disabilities
• To cement accessibility as a core development objective, viewing accessibility as a global public good help to propel the principle of inclusion
• To ensure that dignified, equitable, cost effective and reasonably achievable access to buildings, products, systems, facilities, information and services is provided for persons with disability; and
• To give certainty to Inspectors that, if access to buildings is provided in accordance with Standards, the provision of that access, to the extent covered by these Standards, will not be unlawful under the Act.

3. Expected results:

Specific activities to be carried out by the consulting firm will include, but are not limited to:

1. Develop the Zambia Disability Accessibility Guidelines in close consultation of all key stakeholders.

2. Conduct a desk review of the legal frameworks   that the ZAPD inspectorate will interface in providing of accessible public services.

3. Develop a standard accessibility tool that Inspectors would use when conducting assessment for disability compliance of public services and facilities to persons with disabilities

4. Recommend Inspectorate Unit institutional arrangement informed by other similar inspectorates at national and regional level to ensure highest level of compliance to the provisions of the law on accessibility of public services and facilities to persons with disabilities in Zambia.

4. Deliverables

1. Situational analysis challenges and recommendations that persons with disabilities face in rural and urban areas of Zambia.

2. The Zambia Disability Accessibility standards

3. Produce a minimum acceptable accessibility guideline for any public services and facility in Zambia

4. Produce a basic training manual on accessibility and disability to be utilized by all stakeholders

5. Place and Duration of the Contract

We expect the consultant to work for an initial period of a total of 60 working days. The Contributor will begin work on 1st August 2023 and such performance will be his work completed and delivered by October 31, 2023, the date on which this contract will expire.

6. Consultant profile

The assignment shall be carried out by a consultant with the following minimum qualifications and experience:

(i)  Master’s Degree in Engineering (Civil, Architecture, Buildings etc.)  with a strength in supporting development of standards,

(ii) A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in engineering, supervising development of properties, estates etc.

(iii) Proven ability and experience in the development of inclusive projects.

(iv)  Proven ability in working with organizations of persons with disabilities or any project on accessibility.

(v) Excellent written, oral and interpersonal skills.

(vi) Have a good understanding of disability issues in Zambia.

7. Payments Terms

First: (30% of the contract, or equivalent in USD) upon submission of Situational analysis challenges and recommendations that persons with disabilities face in rural and urban areas of Zambia

Second: (45% of the contract, or equivalent in USD) upon producing of a draft of Zambia Disability Accessibility Standards in close consultation of all key stakeholders, minimum acceptable draft accessibility guideline for any public services and facility in Zambia and producing a draft a basic training manual on accessibility and disability to be utilized by all stakeholders.

Third: (25% of the contract, or equivalent in USD) by sharing a final report on the Zambia Disability Accessibility Standards, a final minimum acceptable accessibility guideline and final basic training manual on accessibility

8. Rights

The ILO retains all rights of publication and use products and results of the consultancy.

9. Submission of CVs/Proposals

Interested consultants should submit the following:

1. A letter of interest stating why you are eligible for the assignment.

2. A Technical proposal which should include a description of the proposed methodology to be used to undertake the assignment as well as a schedule of planned activities.

3. A Financial proposal with a detailed budget including professional fees (in USD).

4. CV of the professionals to undertake the assignment including a summary demonstration of similar assignments undertaken previously.

5. At least 3 references of previous mandates.

6. Links to websites and materials that have been previously produced by the consultant.

Send technical and financial proposal to lusaka@ilo.org. The deadline for submission of proposals is 17th July 2023 by 17.00 hrs. Interested consultants are encouraged to send their application with the subject: Development of Zambia Disability Accessibility standards and Formulation of Premises Standard Policy Guidelines for all public services, facilities and buildings in Zambia. Consultants submitting by emails or through post are encouraged to send Technical and Financial proposals (in separate emails) which should be clearly marked as such.