Terms of Reference (ToR): Professional Service for Documenting We Are Able Project Good Practices/Success Stories

Organizational Background

Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) is an Ethiopian Development Organization established in 2005 and registered at Agency for Civil Society Organizations as Ethiopian Development Organization with Certificate no. 0321 under the Proc. No. 1113/2019.

ECDD is working with other organizations to promote and facilitate the inclusion of persons with disabilities and disability issues in mainstream service delivery and development programs envisioning an Inclusive Ethiopia where persons with disabilities exercise the same rights and have access to the same services and opportunities enjoyed by other citizens.

With the support of The Leprosy Mission International Ethiopia (TLMI-E), ECDD is currently implementing a consortium project entitled “We are Able!” in four Woredas of East Hararghe Zone in Oromia National Regional State, Dire Dawa City Administration, Harari National Regional State and three Sub Cities of Addis Ababa City Administrations. The project was designed to strengthen Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Organizations for Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in their lobby and advocacy for sustainable and inclusive access to basic resources, contributing to improved food security.

In this regard, ECDD is seeking a professional consultancy firm or company to collect, synthesize, and document best practices that can be replicated or scaled up beyond the current project sites to support advocacy efforts toward disability-inclusive food security.

Objectives of documenting project’s Best Practices

Documenting best practices from the We Are Able project serves multiple strategic purposes that enhance future programming and strengthen the disability inclusive food security advocacy efforts. The specific objectives are to:

• Harvest and consolidate the outcomes of the project over the past five years to capture what has worked and why.
• Identify and compile evidence of activities that contributed to meaningful structural or systemic changes in food security—both at local and national levels.
• Share the project’s impact with relevant stakeholders to build support for continuity and sustainability.
• Strengthening stakeholders’ capacity for evidence-based advocacy through the dissemination of practical examples and lessons learned.
• Preserve and transfer knowledge related to the project’s implementation processes, achievements, and insights for future application.

Target groups

• Persons with disabilities and OPDs.
• Government Institutions, including Woreda, Zonal, Regional and Nationallevel
• Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs)
• Civil Society Organization (CSOs)

Scope of the Work

The professional consultancy firm will be responsible for identifying, collecting, and documenting best practices and success stories generated through the We Are Able! project. This will involve close collaboration with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and relevant government stakeholders operating within the project’s intervention areas. These areas include:

• East Hararghe Zone of Oromia Regional State (specifically in Deder, Haromaya, Babile, and Gursum Woredas)
• Harari Regional State
• Addis Ababa City Administration
• Dire Dawa City Administration

The consultant is expected to conduct field visits, interviews, and on-site observations to gather high-quality evidence and narratives that reflect meaningful progress toward disability-inclusive food security advocacy. The process must ensure the inclusion of diverse voices, accessible communication methods, and culturally appropriate storytelling techniques.

Duration of the Assignment

The consultant is expected to complete and submit the final deliverables—including all collected and documented best practices and success stories within twenty-five (25) calendar days from the date of signing the consultancy contract.

Deliverables

The consultant shall be responsible to provide the following key tasks and outputs:

• Inception Report – Submission of a report detailing the proposed methodology, data collection tools, and a clear work plan outlining the assignment’s timeline and approach.
• Produce draft best practice documents and share with ECDD team for comments and carefully include the comments.
• Final Documentation of Best Practices – Development of a final, high-quality documentation package that presents selected best practices and success stories in a structured, engaging, and accessible format, meeting ECDD’s quality and content standards.

Roles and responsibilities of both parties

1. ECDD

• Oversee and monitor the entire process of collecting and documenting best practices.
• Provide technical guidance and input at all stages of the assignment;
• Disburse the agreed-upon consultancy fee to the contracted firm, subject to applicable income tax deductions.

2. Consultancy Firm

• Ensure that all processes adhere to ethical standards, including compliance with ECDD’s Safeguarding Policy and obtaining informed written consent from all participants, especially persons with disabilities.
• Deploy competent and qualified professionals to execute the assignment effectively.
• Submit a draft version of the documented best practices for ECDD’s review and feedback.
• Actively seek and incorporate comments from ECDD at key stages of the documentation process.
• Finalize the documentation in accordance with the contract and ECDD’s input, and submit the approved version in both digital and printed formats.

Mode of Payment:

• 40% upon signing of the contract and submission of an inception report
• 60% upon satisfactory completion and delivery of all the deliverables and acceptance by ECDD.

 

Submission of Proposals

Interested and qualified consultancy firms may send their proposals, along with the following information:

• Profile, with background on expertise and professional experience of the organization, or a detailed CV of an individual professional
• Applicants must submit proposals that can indicate possible titles and their methods of collecting and documenting the best practice within the given time.

1. Technical Proposal consisting of:

• Proposed professional human resources available for the contract, including team composition, their experience and task assignment.
• Time period needed for completion of the contract

2. Financial proposal:

Provide a detailed budget and proposed price for the collection and documentation of the project’s best practices

Essential requirements

• Copy of renewed Registration Certificate,
• Valid Business License for the sector
• Education background of the expert who will sign the contract for the assignment.
• Sample (s) Work
• Testimonies of Relevant Work Experience
• Work plan
• Duly signed and stamped bid documents in a sealed envelope
• Other relevant supporting documents

Selection Criteria

The Technical and Financial Proposals will account for 70% and 30% respectively of the selection criteria, broken down as follows:

CRITERIA	SCORES
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL:
Experience related to the task	30%
Qualifications of team member(s)	10%
Disability Inclusion experience	15%
Methodology	15%
Financial proposal	30%
Total	100%

 

Time Schedule

No.	Activity/Sub-activity	Time
	Submit a detailed Inception Report and Conclude the Contract	Within 5 days after the award ,of the assignment
	Submit a draft document of the best practice of the project	20 days after signing the contract
	Submit the final document	25 days after signing the contract

Mode of Payment

• In ETB via bank transfer or Cheque payment.

 

Qualification of the Consultant

Eligible applicants for this short-term consultancy service include professional consultancy firms, companies, or individual consultants possessing the following competencies and qualifications:

• Demonstrated expertise in collecting and documenting best practices and success stories, particularly in contexts similar to that of the We Are Able project.
• A strong background in media and communication, with a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience.
• Proven experience working with OPDs, especially in addressing barriers to inclusive food security and livelihoods.
• Possession of a valid business license and tax registration certificate, as required by law.
• Clear commitment to meeting deadlines, backed by adequate staffing, logistical capacity, and professional project management resources.
• Applications from consultancy firms or individual consultants with disabilities are highly encouraged.