Careers

Programme: Building Effective Networks -Multi Annual Plan Programme.

Implementation Period: 2026–2030.

Grant Manager: Cheshire Homes Society of Zambia.

Funding Partner: Liliane Foundation.

1.0 Background and Programme Context

Zambia has made significant progress in strengthening its disability legal and policy frameworks, including alignment with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Despite these advancements, children and youth with disabilities (CYwDs) continue to experience systemic exclusion driven by poverty, stigma, weak enforcement of policies, limited access to inclusive services, and fragmented institutional coordination. Families of CYwDs across Zambia continue to face increased caregiving burdens, reduced livelihood opportunities, and inadequate access to inclusive health, education, social protection, safeguarding, and employment pathways. These challenges have continued to reinforce cycles of poverty and marginalisation for CYwDs and their families in Zambia.

In response to this, with funding from Lilliane Foundation (LF), CHSZ in close collaboration with 15 Partner Organisations (POs), are implementing the Building Effective Networks-Multi Annual Plan Programme (BEN-MAPP) in four regional clusters, namely Lusaka, Copperbelt, Luapula and Eastern, covering a total of 11 districts. The BEN-MAPP is designed to address these structural barriers through a coordinated Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) approach. The programme operates across five core domains, namely, Health and rehabilitation, Inclusive Education, Livelihoods, Social inclusion and Empowerment.

The BEN-MAP Programme seeks to establish and formalise structured district, provincial, and national disability-inclusive networks across the four regional clusters with POs. These networks will strengthen coordination, service quality, referral pathways, advocacy, and institutional capacity to deliver holistic, rights-based support to CYwDs. CHSZ a trailblazer in disability inclusion in Zambia, serves as the Grant Manager on the BEN-MAPP, providing technical oversight, coordination, safeguarding leadership, and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) support across all POs in four clusters.

2.0 BEN-MAP Programme Focus and Result Areas

The programme aims to contribute to the sustainable realisation of the rights of CYwDs by addressing structural causes of exclusion.

Key programme focus areas include:

1. Empowering CYwDs: Strengthening voice, agency, self-advocacy, and participation in social, educational, and economic life.

2. Strengthening parents, caregivers, and communities: Reducing stigma and discrimination while building supportive community systems including Parent Support Groups (PSGs), Village Servings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), POs, and community structures.

3. Improving access to holistic, inclusive services: Increasing availability, accessibility, quality, and uptake of inclusive education, health and rehabilitation, SRHR, safeguarding, and livelihood services.

4. Advocating for inclusive laws, policies, and institutional frameworks: Supporting enforcement and reform of disability-inclusive policies at national, provincial, and district levels.

5. Strengthening coordination and institutional capacity: Building the capacity of POs, CBR workers and duty bearers to deliver coordinated, accountable, and sustainable inclusive services.

3.0 Purpose of the Baseline Study

The purpose of this baseline study is to establish a comprehensive evidence base and benchmark values for measuring progress, outcomes, and impact of the BEN-MAPP over the 2026–2030 implementation period. The study will assess the current status of systems, coordination mechanisms, service delivery structures, safeguarding practices, advocacy processes, and disability-inclusive networks across the programme’s four regional clusters.

The baseline will further generate evidence to inform programme implementation, network formation/strengthening, service delivery improvement, advocacy interventions, safeguarding systems, and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) processes. In addition, the study will support the establishment of harmonised and functional disability-inclusive coordination systems that strengthen access to holistic and rights-based services for CYwDs. The study will also review, validate, and update relevant capacity findings to identify priority areas for network strengthening and technical support.

4.0 Baseline Study Objectives

The baseline study objectives are to:

1. Establish benchmark values for all key programme indicators outlined in the BEN-MAPP Results Framework.

2. Evaluate the readiness and capacity of Partner Organisations to participate in and sustain structured district, provincial, and national disability-inclusive networks.

3. Assess existing coordination systems, referral pathways, and collaborative mechanisms across the Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) domains.

4. Map and assess the availability, accessibility, quality, and utilisation of disability-inclusive services within the domains of health and rehabilitation, inclusive education, livelihoods, empowerment, safeguarding, and social inclusion.

5. Identify barriers affecting access to inclusive services and participation of children and youth with disabilities and their families.

6. Assess the level of participation, agency, self-advocacy, and inclusion of children and youth with disabilities within community and institutional structures.

7. Assess the functionality and effectiveness of safeguarding, child protection, accountability, and referral systems within Partner Organisations and community structures.

8. Evaluate the existing Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) systems, including disability-disaggregated data collection, reporting, storage, analysis, and harmonisation capacities across POs.

9. Assess advocacy capacity, policy engagement mechanisms, and collaboration with duty bearers at district, provincial, and national levels.

10. Identify sustainability, resource mobilisation, institutional, and operational risks that may affect long-term implementation and network functionality.

11. Generate evidence-based recommendations to strengthen network establishment/strengthening, institutional coordination, safeguarding systems, service delivery, advocacy, and long-term sustainability of the BEN-MAP programme.

6.0 Deliverables

The Consultant(s) will provide:

1. An inception report outlining the methodology, workplan, sampling approach, and baseline evaluation framework.

2. Disability-inclusive, gender-sensitive, and accessible data collection tools and study protocols.

3. Stakeholder and service mapping directories/databases across programme clusters and CBR domains.

4. A validation and gap analysis report of existing organisational capacity assessment findings for all 15 Partner Organisations.

5. A draft baseline report presenting preliminary findings, benchmark indicator values, identified gaps, risks, and recommendations.

6. A validation workshop report capturing stakeholder feedback and agreed actions.

7. A final baseline report with comprehensive findings, analysis, updated baseline indicator tables, and evidence-based recommendations.

A network building and strengthening roadmap for the BEN-MAPP implementation (2026–2030), including priority technical support and coordination actions.

7.0 Duration and Timeline

The baseline study is expected to take approximately 6 weeks.

8.0 Methodology

This baseline study must employ a mixed evaluation research methodology. It must be disability-inclusive, gender-sensitive, participatory and must apply an intersectional lens to disability inclusion. Accessibility considerations (sign language and simplified formats) should be integrated

9.0 Required Qualifications

The consultant/ team should have:

1. A master’s degree in development studies, public policy, disability studies, special education or any relevant social science from a reputable institution of higher learning. A PhD in social sciences from will be an added advantage.

2.  Minimum of 5 years of experience in designing and conducting evaluation research.

3. Proven experience in mixed-methods evaluation research for multi-year programmes in the NGO sector.

4. Demonstrated expertise in disability-inclusive evaluation research.

5. Knowledge of Zambia’s disability legal and policy environment.

9.0 Ethical Considerations

The study must adhere to the Research Ethics Standard of Zambia.

10.0 Application Process

Interested consultants should submit: Their latest CV(s) with two referees, motivation letter, technical proposal and financial proposal covering professional fees, travel and accommodation to: cheshirezambiajobs@yahoo.com and info@cheshirehomessocietyzambia.org.

Deadline: 17/06/2026. Late applications will not be accepted.

Subject Line: Baseline Consultant BEN-MAP Programme (Name of consultant).