Terms of Reference (TOR) for Conducting a Rapid Survey on Advancing Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Social Services and Decisions in Uganda Project.
| Organization | National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU) |
| Location | Karamoja Sub-region: Amudat and Nabilatuk West Nile Sub-region: Nebbi and Pakwach. National: Ministries, Departments, Agencies, organizations of persons with disabilities-(OPDs), Civil society Organizations-(CSOs), private sector, etc.
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| Other Partners | Albinism Umbrella (AU) National Union of Women with Disabilities of Uganda (NUWODU) |
- Introduction of the Organization
Established in 1987, the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU) is the national umbrella organization advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities. With a vision of a just and fair society where Persons with disabilities live prosperous and dignified lives, NUDIPU unites various disability categories – including physical, visual, hearing, sensory, intellectual, and mental impairments. Through a unified voice comprising 146 District Unions and 18 National Organizations of Persons with disabilities, NUDIPU collaborates with the government, NGOs, and the public to advocate for equal opportunities, involvement, and participation of Persons with disabilities in policy planning and the mainstreaming of disability-inclusive services across Uganda.
- About the Project
NUDIPU’s consortium with support from the Royal Danish Embassy (RDE) and her partners the Netherlands, Ireland and Sweden, is implementing a project titled “Advancing Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Social Services and Decision-making in Uganda-AIPSSDU.” This project seeks to strengthen the capacities of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to influence social protection and inclusive development in Uganda. It aligns with national and international frameworks aimed at promoting the full participation and empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in development processes.
The Programme is guided by the following outcome areas;
- Strengthened capacity of Persons with Disabilities and their organizations to effectively advocate for their rights.
- Increased inclusion and responsiveness of state and non-state actors to the needs of persons with disability.
Background to the survey:
Despite Uganda’s progressive legal and policy frameworks, including the Persons with Disabilities Act (2020) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) continue to face systemic barriers that hinder their full inclusion in social, economic, and political life. For instance weak policy implementation, institutional constraints, and deeply ingrained societal biases, among others affect their access to essential services such as education, healthcare, employment, and governance.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) reports that over 80% of PWDs struggle to access basic services, with poverty rates in Persons with Disability households significantly higher than the national average. Although government ministries, departments and agencies are mandated to mainstream disability in all activities through a “twin track” approach, challenges persist in the quality and inclusivity of programs delivered, compounded by ineffective coordination and inadequate interventions[1].
Consequently, many persons with disabilities remain excluded from key social services including, government programs like the Youth Livelihood Program (YLP), Parish Development Model (PDM) etc. Access to education, health, WASH and skilling programmes is a mystery due to misconceptions about their abilities and the absence of targeted interventions. This exclusion is particularly pronounced in marginalized regions such as West Nile and Karamoja, where barriers to governance, service delivery, and decision-making are intensified by institutional weaknesses, limited awareness, and a lack of disability-inclusive planning.
Therefore, to ensure their full and effective participation of persons with disabilities, NUDIPU seeks the services of an individual consultant to conduct a Rapid Survey that will assess the human rights violations, abuses and exclusion from social services by persons with disabilities in the selected districts of Karamoja and West Nile sub regions. The survey will make an in-depth analysis of the existing policy documents; programme designs and recommend practical strategies for inclusion of persons with disabilities at district and national level.
2.0 Objective of the Rapid Survey
The primary objective of the Rapid Assessment is to identify and document human rights abuses, violation and exclusions of persons with disabilities from social services in the districts from state and non-state actors. The findings, disaggregated by disability type, sex and age, will inform the development of joint advocacy strategies and engagements undertaken by PWDs and their organizations.
3.0 Tasks for the assignment:
- Identify and document human rights violations and abuses including exclusion persons with disabilities face in the wake of accessing services from state and non-state actors.
- Examine the current levels of access to and quality of social services available to Persons with Disabilities, paying specific attention to gender, disability and age.
- Identify systemic and structural barriers, including gender, disability and age-specific barriers and those that disproportionately affect persons with disabilities participation in decision-making and access to services.
- Provide recommendations for enhancing disability-inclusive practices and service delivery, addressing the specific needs and promoting the equal rights and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
- Design and validate a methodology that includes an appropriate research and sampling design that is representative of the target population
- Review existing relevant literature/ documents needed to support the assignment, including project documents, policy documents etc.
- Develop appropriate data collection instruments to collect necessary data
- Conduct field data collection in the selected project districts and with relevant stakeholders at national level.
- Analyze data and produce a detailed rapid survey report with disaggregated data (age, gender, disability type, location).
- Present findings to NUDIPU and the RDE for validation and learning.
3.1 Scope of the assignment:
This assignment shall be carried out in the 4 districts and sub counties of project implementation i.e. Nabilatuk and Amudat (Karamoja sub region) and Nebbi and Pakwach (West Nile sub region)
4.0 Methodology
The methodology will be designed by the consultant and presented during the inception phase to be reviewed by the Evaluation review team. A mixed survey design (quantitative, qualitative, participatory etc.) is preferred for this study to ensure triangulation of information with clear methods, techniques and processes of data collection, analysis and reporting.
The Consultant should develop a methodology in consideration of the information outlined in the ToRs to ensure accuracy.
5.0 Timeline
The assignment should be delivered within 20 working days after signing of contract including data collection and analysis as well as report submission.
6.0 Budget
The consultant will submit a budget with a breakdown of all associated costs for delivery of this assignment.
7.0. Professional qualifications and experience:
The required consultant shall possess the following qualifications and experience:
- Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Community Psychology, Adult and Community Education, Statistics, Development Studies, Public Health and other related qualification from a recognized institution. A bachelor’s degree in any of the humanity courses and statistics.
- An individual with at least 5 years of experience conducting disability-inclusive surveys.
- Should have at least 5 years’ experience in conducting participatory research methods and techniques and quantitative & qualitative research in rural contexts; with bias to project/programme evaluations.
- Excellent Report writing skills (English)
- Experience of conducting research in two or more thematic areas
- Good understanding of the disability inclusive Programming.
8.0 How to Apply;
We invite interested individual consultants to submit soft copies not later than the 29th August 2025:
Your application should have the following: Technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment, methodology, and work plan with time frame, Financial proposal detailing consultant(s) costs and budget, Copy of CV of the consultant(s) who will undertake the evaluation, One recent example of a similar evaluation report written by the applicant and References.
Send your technical and financial proposal through email: [email protected] and copy The Chief Executive Officer, [email protected]. with subject line : “Technical and financial Proposal for Rapid survey”
Only shortlisted candidates will be called for further interactions. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
[1] Situational Analysis of Persons with Disabilities in Uganda, 2020