Terms of Reference (ToR) for Consultant/Firm for Baseline Study – YATRA Project

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Consultant/Firm for Baseline Study – YATRA Project (P00721)

1. Background

Blind Youth Association Nepal (BYAN) is a national youth-led organization led by and working for persons with disabilities , actively engaged in promoting disability rights, inclusion, and meaningful participation of youth with disabilities across Nepal.

BYAN is implementing the Youth-Led Actions for Transformation Through Rights-based Advocacy and Disability Movement (YATRA) Project (2026–2029) in partnership with CBM Global, with a strategic focus on strengthening youth-led Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), promoting youth participation in mainstream disability and youth movement, enhancing inclusive governance systems, and advancing disability-inclusive development (DID) at local, provincial, and federal levels.

The project is being implemented across Bagmati and Madhesh Provinces, with strong engagement of government institutions, OPDs, youth networks, and policy platforms. YATRA adopts a systems-strengthening and movement-building approach, focusing on:

• Organizational strengthening of youth OPDs including those led by the under-represented groups 
• Youth leadership and self-advocacy 
• Promoting the participation of youth with disabilities within disability and youth movement 
• Policy influences and inclusive governance 
• Accessibility and inclusive service delivery 
• Strengthening disability movements and networks

BYAN is implementing a three-year project titled “YATRA” – Youth-Led Actions for Transformation through Rights-Based Advocacy and Disability Movement in partnership with CBM Global Disability Inclusion. The project is being implemented in the Bagmati Province and Madhesh Province, with a particular focus on Bara District, Rautahat District, Sarlahi District, Dhanusha District, Mahottari District, Chitwan District, and Kathmandu. The project primarily focuses on strengthening the organizational and leadership capacity of grassroots Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), particularly youth-led and youth-focused OPDs, to sustain and lead the disability movement at the local level. YATRA adopts a comprehensive approach that includes capacity strengthening, youth leadership development, data and evidence generation, policy advocacy, and movement building to advance disability rights and inclusive governance. The project emphasizes enhancing youth participation within the disability movement while also promoting disability inclusion within the broader youth movement, enabling young persons with disabilities to actively contribute to advocacy processes and influence policies, plans, and programs that affect their lives.

2. Objective of the Assignment

The overall objective of the baseline study is to establish evidence-based benchmarks on key thematic areas of the YATRA Project to inform implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

3. Specific Objectives:

• To assess the situation of organizations of persons with disabilities led by the youth and underrepresented groups, 
• To explore the participation and leadership of youth, women, and those representing underrepresented groups with disabilities in disability-inclusive and mainstream governance structures and decision-making processes. 
• To assess the inclusive governance system at local/provincial and federal level with particular focus on inclusive policies, programs, and public services. 
• To establish baseline indicators for advocacy, movement building, and policy engagement that have direct influence on disability inclusion across three tiers of the government.

Scope of Work:

• Organizational Capacity of Youth OPDs
  • The study will assess the governance, compliance, and management systems of youth OPDs, along with their capacity for advocacy, fundraising, and project implementation. It will also review the availability and effectiveness of technical support and mentorship mechanisms within the organizations. 
• Youth Leadership and Participation
  • The assessment will examine the extent of meaningful participation of youth with disabilities in OPDs, youth movement and decision-making spaces. It will also analyze their representation in networks and thematic platforms, as well as identify key barriers to leadership and inclusion. 
• Disability Movement Strengthening
  • The study will explore the level of coordination among OPDs and disability networks, including the functionality of Local Disability Coordination Committees (LDCCs) and Provincial Disability Coordination Committees (PDCCs). It will also assess the extent of collaboration between disability movements and broader youth movement stakeholders. 
• Disability-Inclusive Governance
  • This area will assess the integration of disability inclusion in policies, planning, and implementation processes. It will further examine the engagement of OPDs in governance mechanisms and the effectiveness of existing disability-related action frameworks. 
• Public Systems and Government Engagement
  • The baseline will review the capacity of government officials on disability-inclusive development (DID), along with the inclusion of disability in planning, budgeting, and service delivery systems. It will also assess the strength of institutional collaboration between government bodies and OPDs. 
• Policy Engagement and Advocacy Platforms
  • This section will examine the effectiveness of existing policy engagement mechanisms, including the level of engagement between OPDs and government at federal and provincial levels. It will also assess the sustainability and momentum of advocacy initiatives. 
• Evidence Generation and Media Engagement
  • The baseline will assess the extent of disability inclusion in academic research and institutional knowledge production. It will also review media representation of disability issues and engagement of universities and research institutions in disability-related studies. 
• Inclusion of Under-Represented Groups
  • The study will focus on the participation of deafblind persons, persons with intellectual disabilities, and caregivers, assessing their inclusion in existing systems. It will also review the availability of accessible and tailored support mechanisms for these groups. 
• Movement Building and Knowledge Platforms
  • The assessment will evaluate the functionality of Communities of Practice (COPs) and advisory groups, along with the effectiveness of knowledge-sharing mechanisms. It will also review the continuity and sustainability of inclusive movement-building initiatives. 
• GEDSI
  • Conduct a Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) analysis within the baseline study to assess the extent of participation, leadership, and representation of women with disabilities in OPDs and related decision-making structures. 

4. Methodology

The study is expected to use a mixed-methods approach, including:

• Desk review of project and policy documents 
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with government, OPDs, and stakeholders 
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with youth with disabilities 
• Surveys/structured questionnaires 
• Participatory assessment with OPDs and networks 
• Data triangulation and validation workshop

5. Key Deliverables

The consultant/firm will be responsible for:

• Inception Report (including methodology and tools) 
• Data collection tools (survey, FGD, KII guides) 
• Cleaned and analyzed dataset (Data should be disaggregated by gender, age and disability) 
• Draft Baseline Report 
• Validation workshop with stakeholders 
• Final Baseline Report (incorporating feedback) 
• Executive summary and presentation slides

6. Required Qualifications and Experience

The consulting firm/team should have:

• Advanced degree in Social Sciences, Public Health, Development Studies, or related field 
• Proven experience in baseline/endline evaluations (preferably disability inclusion projects) 
• Strong understanding of CRPD, disability-inclusive development (DID), and youth engagement 
• Experience working with OPDs and marginalized groups 
• Expertise in mixed-methods research and participatory approaches 
• Strong analytical and report writing skills 
• Prior experience with CBM-supported or similar donor-funded projects will be an advantage

7. Duration/Timeline

The assignment is expected to be completed within 2 months from contract signing.

• Week 1: Planning & tool development
• Week 2: Training & pre-testing 
• Week 3–5: Data collection 
• Week 6: Data cleaning & validation 
• Week 7: Data analysis 
• Week 8: Report writing & finalization

8. Reporting and Coordination

The consultant/firm will report to the Project Coordinator, YATRA Project – BYAN, and work closely with the project team and relevant stakeholders.

Reporting requirement: 

The final report will contain a short executive summary (no more than 5 pages) and the main body of the report (expected to be no more than 25 pages). The body of the report will cover the background of the baseline, a description of the baseline methods and limitations, findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The report will be in English and its summary will be developed in Nepali.

Recommendations should be specific, feasible and evidence-based. Additionally, this report should provide an annex with ToR, cited resources or bibliography, a list of those interviewed, questionnaires, and any other relevant materials.

9. Payment schedule

The payment to the consultant will be made on an instalment basis as below.

• First instalment-33 % upon signing of the contract. 
• Final instalment -67% upon completion/ approval of baseline report from CBM Global. 

10. Compliance with BYAN and CBM Global Policies 

Consultants are required to sign and be bound by the BYAN Code of Conduct for Consultants and CBM Global Safeguarding Policy and Behaviour Code, and CBM Accessibility Policy; unless otherwise, these policies are available with BYAN which to be followed by the consultant.

11. Application Procedure

Interested consultants/firms are requested to submit:

• Technical proposal 
• Financial proposal 
• Cover Letter
• CVs of key team members 
• Sample of previous baseline/evaluation reports 
• Company registration and tax clearance (if applicable)

Applications should be submitted to: procurement@byanepal.org, with the 

Subject Line: “Application for Baseline Study – YATRA Project”

BYAN will select the consultant based on their experience and amount proposed for the task.

BYAN reserves the right to select or not to select any of the application. BYAN keeps safeguarding as a top priority so, any data or information collected during the task shall be kept confidential and shall not be disseminated without BYAN’s prior consent.

Annexes:

P00721_Results-indicators