Study on the Impact of Social Services on Persons with Disabilities in the State of Palestine Consultant

Result of Service

Deliverable 1: Inception Report Including refined methodology, sampling framework, tools, workplan, ethical safeguards. Deliverable 2: Desk Review Note Summary of policy and evidence landscape. Deliverable 3: Data Collection Tools Survey instruments, KII/FGD guides, accessibility plan. Deliverable 4: Preliminary Findings Presentation Emerging findings. Including: 1. Executive Summary 2. Context Analysis 3. Disability and Social Protection Landscape 4. Findings on Impact of Social Assistance 5. Inclusion/Exclusion Analysis 6. Adequacy Analysis 7. Institutional/System Review 8. Good Practices / Social Change Initiative Lessons 9. Policy Options 10. Recommendations

Work Location

Remotly

Expected duration

18 weeks

Duties and Responsibilities

Background The State of Palestine continues to face a complex web of development challenges compounded by protracted occupation, movement restrictions, recurrent conflict, economic downturn, and growing poverty. These pressures have disproportionately affected persons with disabilities, who often experience multiple and intersecting forms of exclusion linked to income poverty, inaccessible services, discrimination, mobility constraints, unemployment, and difficult coping mechanisms. Recent evidence indicates that Palestine has made important strides toward strengthening a more inclusive social protection system, including through reforms of the National Cash Transfer Programme (NCTP) , the introduction in 2024 of rights-based social allowances for persons with severe disabilities and other vulnerable groups, strengthening of the Social Registry, and greater attention to disability-responsive policy frameworks . At the global level, the 2025 Amman-Berlin Declaration on Global Disability Inclusion reaffirmed that all development programmes should be inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities, while setting a target that at least 15 percent of country-level development programmes pursue disability inclusion as an explicit objective (“15 percent for the 15 percent”). It also reaffirmed meaningful participation of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and alignment with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) . Within this context, there is a strong need to generate robust evidence on the impact of social assistance on the lives of persons with disabilities in Palestine, including whether current forms of assistance are adequate, equitable, disability-responsive, gender-sensitive, and impactful in improving wellbeing, autonomy, inclusion, and resilience. To this end, the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) submitted a technical cooperation request to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) to support the conduct of a study assessing, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the impact on approximately 15,000 persons with severe disabilities’ who were in 2024 enrolled into the social allowance component for this specific group, aiming to improve the following markers of social and economic wellbeing: - maintain an adequate standard of living by guaranteeing a minimum level of income, thereby - ensuring that their essential needs are met and that - inequality vis-à-vis other social groups is reduced This exercise will be contextualized with earlier assessments carried out by ESCWA’s Social Protection Team in 2023 during a technical advisory mission to the Ministry in Ramallah. During that mission, ESCWA experts applied the Social Protection Programme Rapid Assessment Framework (SPP RAF) developed by ESCWA to the database of National Cash Transfer Programme (NCTP) beneficiaries and applicants. In addition, the team reviewed the revised Proxy Means Test (PMT) formula to identify inclusion and exclusion errors, conducted a clustering analysis of beneficiaries, identified key gaps and needs, and proposed recommendations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the programme. The study on the impact of Social Services on Persons with Disability on income and economic wellbeing will support national stakeholders, development partners, and disability rights advocates in identifying policy options to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities including inclusive social protection and to ensure that no person with disability is left behind. Tasks - Duties and responsibilities The purpose of the assignment is to study, assess and analyze the impact of social allowance component and the procurement of social protection services from qualified service providers on persons with severe disabilities in Palestine, with particular attention to income security and maintaining a standard of living, guaranteeing that essential needs are met. As such a key outcome of the study will not only be to what extent the poverty gap of this group has been narrowed, but also how the income support provided ensured that the essential consumption and disability related needs of this group have been met by receiving the allowance. As such, the targeting accuracy and the adequacy of the benefit levels will be additional key outcome parameters of the impact study. Complementarily, the study will also aim to address related aspects like accessibility, gender equality, dignity, and thereby will identify recommendations for potential reforms of the allowance component. The study will provide the Government of Palestine and partners with a practical roadmap to transform existing social assistance into a more inclusive, adequate, rights-based and disability-responsive social protection system, aligned with national priorities and international commitments. The overall objective is to assess how social assistance (and cash assistance) contributes to improving the socio-economic well-being, inclusion, and realization of the rights of persons with disabilities in Palestine. The study shall also provide a comparative analysis between persons with disabilities who receive social assistance and those who are not covered by these programmes. It is also expected to focus on policy level reforms related to persons with disabilities. The study is expected to determine whether the programme has achieved stated objective(s), and if any adjustments are needed going forward, (especially given changing social/political/economic circumstances etc.). Thereby using the original policy objective of the programme as the study's guiding question. Specifically, the study will: • Analyse existing social assistance programmes available to Persons with Disabilities in Palestine, including cash transfers, disability allowances, in-kind support, emergency assistance, subsidies, case management, and referral systems as well as the procurement of social protection services from qualified service providers. An evidence based assessment will be conducted using the advance version of the SPP RAF, subject to the availability of up to date data on PWD beneficiaries and non beneficiaries. • Assess impact on beneficiaries of social assistance and their households, including poverty reduction; improved access to health care, assistive devices, rehabilitation, and medicines; improved access to education, mobility, and transport, employment, social participation, and community inclusion, among others. • Examine adequacy, regularity, and predictability of benefits relative to disability-related extra costs (transport, care, assistive devices, rehabilitation, medication, lost earnings, etc.). • Assess inclusion and exclusion patterns, including barriers faced by vulnerable groups such as women and girls with disabilities; children with disabilities; older persons with disabilities; conflict-affected and displaced households • Review institutional set-ups and service delivery mechanisms, including registration, targeting, disability assessment, grievance redress, outreach, accessibility, payment systems, case management, and data systems. • Document lessons learned and promising practices, including experiences emerging from the Social Change Initiative and other rights-based disability inclusion efforts. • Generate evidence-based recommendations for a more disability-inclusive, shock-responsive, rights-based social protection system in Palestine.

Qualifications/special skills

A Master's degree or equivalent in social policy, economics, public policy, development studies, disability studies, sociology, or a related field is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of 15 years of professional experience in social policy, economics, public policy, disability inclusion, social protection, or related fields is required. A minimum of 5 years of experience working with government institutions, public agencies, or international organizations on social protection systems, disability inclusion, public policy, social assistance programmes, or related socio-economic development issues is required. Demonstrated experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative research, policy analysis, and socio-economic assessments is required. Strong knowledge of disability-inclusive development, rights-based approaches, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is required. Proven experience in drafting analytical reports, policy papers, or assessments for governments, UN agencies, or international organizations is desirable. Familiarity with the Palestinian social protection and disability policy context is desirable. Experience coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including governmental entities, OPDs, UN agencies, NGOs, and development partners, is desirable. Excellent analytical, drafting, facilitation, and communication skills are required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English and Arabic is required. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.