SUPPORTING QUALITY INTEGRATED INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AND EYE HEALTH SERVICES IN MASVINGO PROVINCE OF ZIMBABWE
Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe wishes to engage a skilled, knowledgeable and experienced consultant to submit a Baseline Survey response related to the attached TOR not later than the 10th of October 2023 clearly stating their understanding of the TOR, methodology, Budget and Composition of their proposed team etc.
The terms of reference provide a scope/guide of the proposed baseline survey for the project – Supporting quality integrated inclusive education and eye health services in Masvingo Province of Zimbabwe. Broadly, the project seeks to support accessible, equitable and quality inclusive education and eye health for children and young persons with disabilities in Masvingo province.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
FOR THE
BASELINE SURVEY
SUPPORTING QUALITY INTEGRATED INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AND EYE HEALTH SERVICES IN MASVINGO PROVINCE OF ZIMBABWE
SEPTEMBER 2023
INTRODUCTION
LCDZ wishes to engage a consultant to supply the services set out in the Schedule of Deliverables below. The Consultant is expected to offer consultancy services in relation to such services and has considerable skill, knowledge and experience in this field.
These terms of reference provide a scope/guide of the proposed baseline survey for the project – Supporting quality integrated inclusive education and eye health services in Masvingo Province of Zimbabwe. The project which commenced in July 2023 has a three-and half-years duration. Broadly, the project seeks to support accessible, equitable and quality inclusive education and eye health for children and young persons with disabilities in Masvingo province.
Background of the Implementing Organisations
Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe (LCDZ) is a non-profit making disability service organisation registered as a Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO 36/80). The organisation envisions a society in which every person with a disability can enjoy their rights and have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Its mission is to enable Persons with Disabilities to improve their quality of life and to campaign for the removal of the barriers which hinder them. LCDZ values and promotes a culture of disability inclusion, openness and self-sustenance through implementation of various projects throughout Zimbabwe.
Morgenster mission hospital has robust experience in offering inclusive eye health services in the province since 1992. Through the Masvingo Province Eye Care Programme (MPECP)- a corporation between the MoHCC, Reformed Church in Zimbabwe and CBM, the hospital has been running programs to reduce and prevent reversible blindness in the province. MPECP provides, (i) medical and surgical eye care services (consultations, surgeries and refractions) at the Morgenster Mission Hospital and (ii) regular mobile outreaches clinic to all 7 districts offering eye health training, screening, assessment, treatment, provision of spectacles and low vision devices during.
Zimbabwe Association for the Visually Handicapped (ZAVH) is an active Organisation of Persons with Disabilities experienced in the advocacy for disability inclusive development and mobilisation of persons with disabilities for their rights.
Background to the Project
The project is being carried out by three partners in a consortium namely Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe, Morgenster Mission Hospital and Zimbabwe Association for the Visually Handicapped (ZAVH) in the 7 districts of Masvingo with funding from Christian Blind Mission Global .
According to Zimbabwe National Survey on Persons with disabilities living conditions conducted in 2013, there are more than 600 000 children with disabilities of school going age who have never attended school, with more than 70% living in rural areas. Other co-existing factors are also responsible for adding to such high incidences of inability to access education. The 2020 Comprehensive Situational Analysis on Persons with Disabilities Report noted that school – going children and youth with disabilities are also prone to physical emotional, and sexual abuses. It is therefore, progressive to ensure that safeguarding and child protection measures be upheld as part of efforts to enhance access to education. Overall, the absence of early interventions has seen a huge restriction to equal opportunities for those with disabilities in the later years. For example, it was found that out of an enrolment of 28000 in teacher education colleges in 2021, only 1.7% were PWDs.
Inclusive Education and eye health are intertwined elements and are seen as central to improving education outcomes in underdeveloped communities. The government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) is making several efforts to promote inclusive education; however, gaps still exist. The challenges range from structural, attitudinal, institutional, and economic, within an environment of discriminatory practices against girls with hidden disabilities such as intellectual disabilities driven by socio-cultural norms and inaccessible infrastructure. When access to education is limited, areas such as finance, nutrition and health, family, and employment are put at risk and can further increase poverty. This intervention seeks to address functionality challenges faced by children and young people in Masvingo in order to enhance school enrolment, attainment and retention.
Project Context
The intervention seeks to ensure that 8327 learners with disabilities already in schools are retained and transition across grades, have access to early eye screening and, improved children safeguarding environments and access to community managed livelihoods that will cater for their nutrition, fees, transport, and classroom-care needs. Masvingo province has functional difficulty prevalence of 10.4%, 1.2 percentage points above the national figure (Zimbabwe National Census, 2022). According to a Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness survey (RAAB) conducted in 2019, the major causes of blindness in Masvingo province include untreated cataracts (74.1%), glaucoma (8.2%) and refractive errors (4.6%).
Project Strategies
According to the project, inclusive education interventions include improvement of teaching and learning facilities for children with disabilities, provision of enabling resources; lobbying and advocacy for policy and attitude changes, as well as strengthening the capacity of teachers to handle diversity and effectively manage the teaching and learning of learners with disabilities. Eye health services focus on eye health screening services, refraction services, provision of spectacles, low vision services and provision of devices at outreach and base hospital. Safeguarding and child protection aspects of the intervention capacitate project staff and stakeholders. The project also includes an inclusive complaints and feedback mechanism on abuse and exploitation of children. A community livelihood improvement component ensures retention of children in schools by supporting fees, educational accessories, feeding as well as sustaining the model schools beyond the life of the intervention.
Overall Objectives of the Project
To support accessible, equitable and quality inclusive education and eye health for children and young persons with disabilities in Masvingo province.
Specific Objectives
1. To facilitate enrolment and retention of 2980 learners with disabilities in mainstream primary schools in Masvingo province by December 2026
2. 7 000 people including children and young people with disabilities have access to eye health services in Masvingo Province by December 2026.
Expected Results
Result 1: Enrolment and retention of 2980 learners with disabilities in schools in Masvingo Province
Result 2: Improved capacity of 30 teacher educators and 210 in-service teachers to deliver gender-sensitive and inclusive pedagogy in mainstream schools.
Result 3: Improved learners’ access to school infrastructure, teaching and learning materials in 7 model schools.
Result 4: Strengthened community structures on safeguarding, mental health and psychosocial support, screening and referrals of children and young people with disabilities for appropriate services.
Result 5: Improved access to assessment and treatment or assistive devices to 7 000 children and young persons with disabilities.
Purpose of the Baseline Study
• A baseline assessment will be completed at the start of the project, to measure the status of all indicators and to understand the starting point of key elements of the work against which later progress will be measured. This will enable project indicators at output and goal/outcome level to be measured and tracked. The baseline will provide Leornard Cheshire and partners with benchmarks for measuring program performance in relation to tracking of project progress and outcome.
Objectives of the Baseline Study
The specific objectives of the baseline survey are;
• To measure the current status of project outcomes and output indicators as outlined in the project log frame andfacilitate monitoring of progress towards meeting programme objectives:
• To make strategic recommendations for effective and sustainable project implementation.
Methodology
The baseline survey will be led by Reformed Church University (RCU) with the support from LCDZ and CBMG. RCU is expected to propose a suitable methodology which will include both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Deliverables
Deliverable Description
Inception Report and Draft Tools (Language – English) Inception report should give a detailed description of the methodology, sampling, target respondents, including an outline of tools and processes to be used for conducting the baseline survey. The same report should provide details and a schedule for all the activities to be carried out. It should also describe the understanding of the work to be undertaken as well as allocation of duties and responsibilities among the team members. The budget of the work to be done.
Draft Baseline Report (Language – English) This is prepared by the evaluator soon after data collection and analysis. The draft should be shared with LCDZ staff to enable to make comments and input into the baseline information and process as well as to ensure that the baseline report the required quality. This should be followed by a validation workshop.
Final Baseline Report including annexes (Language – English) The final baseline report will be the last deliverable and it has to be satisfactory to LCDZ.
Report Structure:
• Acronyms
• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Intervention description
• Purpose of baseline
• Baseline methodology
• Findings
• Conclusions Recommendations
• Annexes
Presentation of Findings (Language – English) Face to face or virtual meeting to discuss the findings with LCDZ and CBM.
Ethical Considerations
The evaluation should adhere to the research ethics/standards which include informed consent and confidentiality of the research participants among others.
Evaluation Timeline
The entire baseline process is expected to take a maximum of 20 days.
Consultancy Fee and Payment Terms
Consultant will be paid dependent on experience and agreed modalities with LCDZ. Payment schedule will be discussed and agreed with successful consultant. The consultant will be offered a fixed-price contract to include all the activities and deliverables listed above
Response/ Expression of Interest
All Proposed Works, Deliverables, Lead Consultant’s CV and Budget in response to these Terms of Reference should be submitted to Shamiso Zirabada szirabada@leonardcheshire.org.zw and Hilton Nyamukapa hnyamukapa@leonardcheshire.org.zw by the 10th of October 2023.