Background

The genuine participation of all citizens in political processes is a cornerstone of democracy. Political participation is clearly rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which clearly mention the right of every person to equal participation in public affairs, the right to vote and to be elected, and the right to access to public service.  Participation has subsequently been codified as a principle and human right in other international and regional human rights instruments. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) addresses participation throughout the different articles as a cross-cutting issue and in article 29 clearly states the rights of persons with disabilities to participate in political and public life without discrimination and on an equal basis with others and calling upon state parties to guarantee those rights. Article 12 recognizes that persons with disabilities enjoy legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all aspects of life and requires State parties to take appropriate measures to provide access by persons with disabilities to the support they may require in exercising their legal capacity. These rights enable persons with disabilities and their representative organizations to achieve change peacefully and legitimately through democratic processes.

Yet, persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities experience multiple legal, institutional, communicational and social barriers to exercise their rights that prevent them from voting, standing for election for public office, civic participation, or simply having a say in their own lives. A central challenge for exercising their rights is that persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities are often denied or restricted their legal capacity on the basis of having a medical condition or impairment, having made a decision perceived as poor or perceived as having deficient decision-making skills. The vast majority reported that: persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities continue to be deprived of their right to vote and be elected on the basis of constitutional or legal provisions that link their political rights to legal capacity. Even when no legal limitations exist, other obstacles, for instance attitudes due to prejudices and/or physical and communication inaccessibility, and the lack of supported decision-making policies and arrangements, prevent the exercise of these rights. Studies also show that barriers to political and public participation are also exacerbated among historically marginalized groups, for example, women with disabilities.

The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relies on the involvement and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all development efforts. As a universal call to action, the 17 SDGs are interconnected and require governments to take a holistic approach to development. The pledge to leave no one behind in our development efforts and reach the furthest behind first is fundamental to supporting persons with disabilities.

UNDP has a clear mandate to advance the core principles of the UN Charter and support disability inclusive development through the twin complementary frameworks of the CRPD and the SDGs which are mutually inclusive.  As part of the priority to leave no one behind, in its programming, UNDP places high priority on the political participation and civic engagement of persons and groups of society that are marginalized, excluded and often under represented from political institutions and political making processes, among them, persons with disabilities. UNDP can support national efforts toward the elimination of barriers faced by persons with disabilities to exercise the full panoply of civil and political rights, including the right to vote, stand for and hold public office, form and be a member of organizations, engage in public affairs, and monitor the realization of political rights.

UNDP, together with UNOHCHR and Inclusion International, intend to identify good practices and develop guidance to contribute to advance the participation of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in political and public life.  This guidance is being developed as a product of a joint initiative funded by the Global Window of the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN PRPD). With this in mind, UNDP requires a disability expert that can assist the organization with the task of researching, consulting and developing guidance on the subject.

Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Situation Analysis

  2. Compile information on different types of barriers which prevent participation of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in political and public life. Ensure that the analysis takes in consideration the different situation of women and men with disabilities and gender roles.

  3. Consult with relevant stakeholders including in particular self-advocates, DPOs and family organizations, organizations of women with disabilities, parliamentarians, electoral administrators, broader CSOs, judicial system representatives.

  4. Identification and compilation of good practices based on CRPD provisions

Select good practices to overcome barriers enhancing participation of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities

           Provide a set of key policy recommendations addressed to different stakeholders (self-advocates, parliamentarians, electoral administrators, DPOs and family organizations, organizations of women with disabilities, broader CSOs, as well as the United Nations staff supporting countries on inclusive political processes) to advance political participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life. Ensure that recommendations bear in mind the different situations experienced by women with disabilities.

  • Include documented stories, possibly as interviews, of persons who have used supported decision-making arrangements to participate in political and public life.

  • Carry out consultation with relevant stakeholders including in particular self-advocates, DPOs and family organizations, organizations of women with disabilities, parliamentarians, electoral administrators, broader CSOs, justice system representatives, UN staff to ensure recommendations reflect key concerns of multiple stakeholders.

Expected outputs and deliverables:

-A: First draft practical guidance on how to advance participation of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in political and public life that can later be used by duty bearers, civil society organizations, as well as the UN staff.  Practical guidance will need to include a brief situation analysis and a compilation of good practices.

- B: Facilitate online peer review and at least two in person consultations with DPOs and key stakeholders on draft guidance

-C: Produce final practical guidance on how to advance participation of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in political and public life

Competencies

Integrity

  • Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UNDP in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct;

Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity

  • Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff;
  • Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Corporate Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP and the UN;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Technical/Functional Competencies:

  • Experience of working with persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in particular in the area participation in political and public life.
  • Strong theoretical understanding of policy and programmatic issues related to the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of developing countries;
  • Strong understanding of issues related to the participation of persons with disabilities in political processes and public life pursuant to Article 29 of the CRPD, as well as issues related to legal capacity as enshrined in article 12.
  • Strong analytical skills.
  • Very good knowledge and understanding of the UNCRPD.
  • Good understanding of UN/UNDP programming in the field.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

  • Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Disability Studies, Human Rights, International Law, Development or another related field is required.

Experience:

  • A minimum of seven years of professional experience working on the promotion of rights, inclusion and political participation of persons of disabilities is required. 
  • At least 5 years of significant experience working on legal capacity reform issues and/or advocacy on political and public rights of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities is required
  • Work experience work with the UN system on disabilities a significant advantage is required.
  • Experience researching and drafting policy documents, especially on disabilities and inclusive political processes is required.

Language:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English is required;

  • Working knowledge of another UN language would be an asset

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

  • A cover letter with a brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment;

  • Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references; and

  • A two-page methodology on how the Offeror will conduct the work including a Work Plan and approach in delivering the required outputs within the assignment period;

    Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

  • The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily fee (based on a 7-hour working day - lunch time is not included - and estimated 21.75 days per month).
  • all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; (excluding mission travel); living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.

This consultancy is a home-based assignment; however, it is envisioned that consultant will participate in at least two consultations on the guidance. Locations and dates of the consultations are yet defined; however, UNDP will arrange travel costs as per UNDP’s rules and regulations (which will include travel, standard DSA and terminal expenses).

  • In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

  • If the Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.

Evaluation process

Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below.  Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring.  When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Being responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.

Technical evaluation - Total 70% (70 points):

  • Criteria 1. A minimum of seven years of professional experience working on the promotion of rights, inclusion and political participation of persons of disabilities is required; Maximum Points: 20;
  • Criteria 2. At least 5 years of significant experience working on legal capacity reform issues and/or advocacy on political and public rights of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities is required; Maximum Points: 25;
  • Criteria 3. Work experience work with the UN system on disabilities a significant advantage is required; Maximum Points: 15;
  • Criteria 4. Experience researching and drafting policy documents, especially on disabilities and inclusive political processes; Maximum Points: 10; and

Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 points)

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

 

Contract Award

Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.

 

Institutional arrangement

The consultant will work under the guidance and direct supervision of the Electoral Policy Specialist and in close consultation with other partners in this initiative and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above.

The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop.

Payment modality

  • Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days worked, deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.

The work week will be based on 35 hours, i.e. on a 7 hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.