1. Background

The Beyond Barriers project aims to increase access of women with and without disabilities to safe, inclusive and decent economic opportunities by strengthening women’s organisations and organisations of women with disabilities, improving disability inclusion in skills training and employment pathways, and promoting work and learning environments free from discrimination and gender-based violence and harassment.

The project will support 04 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes to offer more inclusive and accessible skills training programmes for women with and without disabilities. To inform practical improvements, the project intends to engage a qualified consultant, firm or organisation to conduct accessibility assessment of 04 selected TVET institutes in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

2. Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to assess the physical, communication, information and learning environment accessibility of selected TVET institutes and develop practical, cost-conscious recommendations and action plans to make these institutes more inclusive for women with disabilities.

The assignment should generate evidence-based, institute-specific findings that can guide practical accessibility improvements, support inclusive enrolment and retention of women with disabilities and help TVET management teams understand the reasonable accommodation, universal design and safe learning environment requirement in addition to demand driven technical skills for the women with disabilities.

3. Guiding Standards and Principles 

The accessibility assessments should be guided by Sightsavers’ accessibility standards and assessment methodology. The universal design principles, national accessibility requirements, the Accessibility Code of Pakistan 2006, relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities should also be consulted. The approach should be participatory, rights-based, gender-sensitive and locally practical, ensuring that recommendations are feasible within the institutional context and available resources.

4. Scope of Work 

The selected consultant or organisation will be expected to conduct accessibility assessments of 04 TVET institutes using a participatory and rights-based approach, involving persons with disabilities, particularly women with disabilities, where feasible. The assessment should assess barriers and opportunities related to the built environment, classrooms, workshops/labs, entrances, pathways, ramps, stairs, signage, toilets, safety features, communication materials, teaching and learning arrangements, and reasonable accommodation practices.

The assessment should assess both horizontal and vertical accessibility, including movement from the main road or drop-off point to the entrance, movement within the institute, access to training rooms and workshops, availability and usability of accessible toilets, emergency evacuation arrangements, lighting, ventilation, seating arrangements, wayfinding, communication materials, and the ability of staff to provide reasonable accommodations. The consultant should document barriers through measurements, observations, photographs where appropriate, consultations and a structured scoring system.

• Review existing accessibility tools and relevant national/international standards.
• Develop or adapt an assessment checklist and scoring approach suitable for TVET settings.
• Conduct site visits to 04 selected TVET institutes in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Consult institute management, staff, students where available, and representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities.
• Identify accessibility barriers and feasible improvements for each institute.
• Prepare institute-wise accessibility assessment reports with photographs, findings, priority actions and estimated improvement areas.
• Develop a consolidated summary report highlighting common barriers, quick wins, medium-term improvements and recommendations for project follow-up.
• Prepare Bills of Quantities for recommended civil works, including item descriptions, specifications, estimated quantities, units, rates where available, and prioritisation of works as immediate, short-term and medium-term actions.

5. Expected Deliverables 

• Completed accessibility assessment checklists for all 04 TVET institutes.
• 04 institute-wise accessibility assessment reports, including practical recommendations and prioritised action plans.
• A consolidated accessibility assessment report summarising key findings, recurring barriers, recommended improvements and implementation priorities as per the given reporting format.

6. Required Expertise and Eligibility

• Demonstrated experience in conducting accessibility assessments of public buildings, training institutions, workplaces, health facilities or similar infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of disability inclusion, reasonable accommodation, universal design, safeguarding and gender-sensitive approaches.
• Experience working with persons with disabilities and organisations of persons with disabilities.
• Ability to prepare clear, practical and evidence-based reports with prioritised recommendations.
• Availability to conduct fieldwork in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within the agreed timeframe.
• The proposed team should include accessibility auditors with disabilities, and woman with disability (mandatory) or representative of an organisation of women with disabilities where feasible, a civil engineer for BOQs, and a report writer with experience in producing clear and practical technical reports.

7. Submission Requirements 

Interested consultants, firms or organisations are invited to submit a brief Expression of Interest including the following:

• Technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology and work plan.
• Profile of the consultant, firm or organisation, including relevant experience.
• CVs of key team members who will conduct the assignment.
• Sample reports or summaries of similar assignments completed.
• Financial proposal with itemised costs, including professional fees, travel, accommodation and any other applicable costs (inclusive of taxes).
• Expected availability and timeline for completion of the assignment.

8. Evaluation Criteria 

• Relevant experience in accessibility assessments and disability inclusion.
• Quality and practicality of proposed methodology.
• Experience of working in Punjab and/or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Inclusion of persons with disabilities in the assessment process.
• Clarity, feasibility and value for money of the financial proposal.
• Ability to complete the assignment within the required timeframe.

9. Tentative Timeline

The assignment is expected to be completed within 04 weeks from the date of contract signing. The final timeline will be agreed with the selected consultant or organisation during the inception phase.

10. Safeguarding and Ethical Requirements

The selected consultant or organisation will be required to comply with organization’s’ safeguarding requirements, code of conduct and ethical principles. The assessment process must respect the dignity, privacy and safety of all participants, particularly women.

11. How to Apply

Applicants should submit their Expression of Interest with the required documents by date 7^th August, 2026 at PODA Islamabad Office address Office No. 20, Second Floor, Park View Plaza, G-10 Markaz, Islamabad through courier service.  The subject line should clearly mention: EOI – Accessibility Assessments of TVET Institutes – Beyond Barriers Project.