Consultant: Strategy for the Social and Economic Tntegration of the Disabled


Location : Ashgabat, TURKMENISTAN
Application Deadline :31-Jul-07 (Midnight New York, USA)
Additional Category :Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding
Type of Contract :Individual Contract
Languages Required :
 English   Russian  
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)		01-Sep-2007
Duration of Initial Contract :20 days
Expected Duration of Assignment :20 days

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.


Background
Changes in the social and economic conditions in Turkmenistan had a large impact over the handicapped people. The employment rate of disabled, which is one of the criteria for ensuring equal opportunities for people with disabilities, is rather low in Turkmenistan irrespective of the fact that legislation includes principles that guarantee the realization of the right of people with disabilities for employment. Moreover, services for disabled are fragmented and unregulated primarily as a result of an absence of a planned approach to the “continuum of services.”  
 
At present, several governmental bodies assure the social assistance and special protection of disabled persons. Each of the involved ministries has its own strategy and programs. What misses is a national strategy, a unified interdisciplinary view to harmonize these ministerial strategies, to combine them and to express the will of the Turkmenistan government to align the policy with the international standards in this field.
 
Turkmen Deaf and Blind Society (DBS) is the main organization in Turkmenistan which provides employment and vocational training services to visually and hearing impaired. It is also an active actor in implementation of development projects supported by the international organizations in Turkmenistan. With support of the United Nations Development Programme in Turkmenistan (UNDP) the Deaf and Blind Society implements the project on «Social-Economic Integration of Visually and Hearing Impaired” aimed at the development of sustainable approaches to integration of visually and hearing impaired people into economic and social activities. The project will engage services of an international expert, who would assist the DBST in developing a draft of the national strategy for social and economic integration of the disabled. 

Duties and Responsibilities
The main objective of the consultant is to formulate the draft national strategy that will be coordinating the efforts of all governmental and non-governmental bodies in Turkmenistan involved in supporting the disabled persons and that will be used to advocate alignment of existing policy with the international standards in this field. 
  • Conduct a review of the existing legal and institutional framework to identify its strengths, gaps and weaknesses and to make recommendations on changes and amendments required for its improvement.
  • In collaboration with the national consultants support DBST with preparation of draft national strategy aimed at integration of people with disabilities in the society ensuring their full participation in all aspects of the life of the society, including specific approaches to support groups of people with disabilities in need of special care (children with disabilities, women with disabilities, persons with multiple disabilities and others).
  • Preparation of a draft Action Plan in support of implementation of the national strategy aimed at integration of people with disabilities in the society.
  • Conduct a training seminar for the management and staff of the Deaf and Blind Society focusing on the best practices and lessons learned in formulation and implementation of national strategies aimed at integration of the disabled.
  • Provide the Deaf and Blind Society with methodological recommendations and sources of information related to formulation and implementation of similar strategies and action plans (preferably, in Russian language).


Competencies
  • Excellent communication skills - written and verbal
  • Demonstrated training skills
  • Strong teamwork skills


Required Skills and Experience
  • Master’s degree in social sciences, public administration, or other fields related to human development.
  • Significant experience in international organization or development projects in the field of supporting the people with disabilities.
  • Working experience in CIS countries is desirable.
  • Fluency in written and spoken English.
  • Working knowledge of Russian is desirable, but not a requirement.



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