TOR of Consultant for Developing Advocacy Toolkit for OPDs and Self-Advocate

TOR of Consultant for Developing Advocacy Toolkit

for OPDs and Self-Advocate

1. Background

KOSHISH is a non-governmental organization, established in 2008, and working for the promotion of mental health and psychosocial well-being in Nepal. KOSHISH has been implementing the SAMAHIT project in partnership with FELM in Karnali and Sudurpaschim province since 2022. The project aims to mainstream mental health and psychosocial disability in government plans and policies through advocacy by the right holders.

To strengthen the advocacy efforts at the grassroots level, KOSHISH has supported to establish an Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) of persons with psychosocial disabilities in Surkhet and Dhangadhi and supporting to develop their capacity. To ensure the sustainability of these efforts, KOSHISH is in the process of developing a comprehensive advocacy toolkit to equip OPDs members and self- advocate with practical tools, techniques and resources for effective engagement with the duty bearers.  

Objective:

• To assess the capacity of the OPD and  self-advocates of persons with psychsocial disability  in project area and identify gaps and challenges to conduct advocacy.
• To develop and provide comprehensive reference materials and toolkits to support effective advocacy activities at the provincial and local level.

2. Scope of the work:

The consultant will be responsible for the following activities:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of relevant laws and policies related to related to health and disability,  including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and KOSHISH’s existing advocacy documents, with particular focus on psychosocial disability and contextualize them into the local reality;
• Conduct a needs assessment with OPDs and self-advocates to identify capacity, gaps, and challenges in advocacy
• Develop and finalize methodology/tools for the advocacy with  provincial and local government, including wards in consultation with KOSHISH;
• Prepare an easy-to-read toolkit in Nepali, incorporating the sketches and illustrations to enhance accessibility.
• Coordinate and collaborate with the KOSHISH team, including conducting in-person discussions and attending meetings at the central office as required.

3. Responsibility of KOSHISH

KOSHISH will be responsible for the overall management and coordination for the toolkit development process. Specifically, KOSHISH will:

• Provide the documents developed/drafted by the organization;
• Provide inputs to finalize toolkit including design;
• Arrange required meetings, and consultations with OPDs and beneficiaries;
• Review and provide feedback on draft and final versions of the toolkit;

4. Assignment Period

The tentative period of the assignment will be 30 calendar days including field visit, consultations, and toolkit development.

5. Budget and payment procedures:

The budget covers consultancy fees along with travel and accommodation costs. The final budget will be agreed upon between the KOSHISH and the consultant/firm prior to signing the agreement.

• 40% upon submission and approval of the draft report
• 60% upon acceptance of the final report.

6. Other benefits:

The consultant is not entitled to other benefits (such as insurance) and other hidden costs.

7. Key Deliverables:

• Inception report with key methodologies and work plan
• Need assessment report (after consultation with OPD)
• Draft toolkit of a comprehensive, easy-read version toolkits with sketch/illustration outlining ( approx. page 50-60 page) the following section:
  • Section 1: The major legal frameworks related to health and disability with special focus on mental health and psychosocial disability
  • Section 2: Tools and techniques for right based momentum building at the community (local and federal level)
  • Section 3: program and budget analysis method of local government, government planning process and calendar (mainstreaming of the issue of mental health and psychsocial disability in government plan and process; advocacy calendar and strategy aligning with the government planning process)
• Final draft of the toolkit

8. Potential candidate should possess the following qualification and skills

• Master's degree in social science/management or any other relevant degree from a recognized university;
• Demonstrated experience in developing advocacy toolkits and manuals for OPDs, with a minimum of five years of professional engagement in disability rights and advocacy. Preference will be given to candidates with a proven track record of working directly with OPDs at the grassroots level.
• Strong understanding of psychosocial disability related issues and existing gaps.
• Familiarity with legal frameworks such as UNCRPD and national health and disability related laws and policies
• Proficiency in the Nepali language.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

9. Independence

The independence of the contracted evaluator will be fully respected. Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed prior to the finalization of the contract. If KOSHISH believes that the ToR are being or have been breached, it will promptly notify its partner orgnaization (Felm), after which a joint discussion involving all three parties will be initiated to address the concern. The mangement of KOSHISH will decide on it with justification.

10. Confidentiality:

Both parties agree to treat all information related to this contract as strictly confidential. The evaluator acknowledges that any information obtained during the course of the assignment remains confidential and shall not be disclosed, published, or cited without the prior written approval of KOSHISH.

11. Intellectual property, Copyright and Ownership

All tools, data (quantitative and qualitative) and analyzed documents is the sole of property of KOSHISH  and evaluator should hand over them at the time of report submission. Use of data and report for any other publications by the research team with prior consent of KOSHISH is strictly forbidden.

12. Compliance of KOSHISH’s policies

Upon signing this agreement, the second party will comply with the KOSHISH’S Anti- Corruption, PSEAH, Child & Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Policy 2021.

Applying Procedure: Interested candidates are requested to send their updated curriculum vitae in PDF version via email along with the short proposal and budget at procurement@koshish.org.np

The deadline for application submission is 3 June 2025.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further process. KOSHISH reserves the right to accept or reject any or all applications without assigning any reason whatsoever.