Individual Consultant to support the advancement of health equity for persons with disabilities in Cambodia At Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion

HI Background

Humanity & Inclusion (HI), also known as Handicap International, is an independent and impartial aid organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict, and disaster. Established in 1982, HI works alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable populations to respond to essential needs, improve living conditions, and promote dignity and fundamental rights. A Nobel Peace Prize laureate, HI is a global leader in disability inclusion, inclusive health, and rehabilitation.

HI has more than 42 years of experience advancing disability inclusion, with a strong presence in Cambodia since 1982. It is one of the few specialized actors in the country working systematically to strengthen disability-inclusive systems across health, education, governance, and social protection. HI’s expertise spans rehabilitation, assistive technology, inclusive health, and health equity, and includes conducting research and generating evidence on disability, rehabilitation, and assistive technology.

At the global level, HI is a recognized technical leader in disability-inclusive health and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), applying a rights-based approach to health equity. As a non-State actor in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and WHO Academy, HI has actively contributed to the development and rollout of the Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities and the WHO Health Equity Disability Guide for Action. HI also co-chairs the foundational committee for WHO’s Disability Health Equity Initiative and contributes to the forthcoming Global Competency Framework for Health Workers on Disability Inclusion.

HI in Cambodia

HI Cambodia has a highly skilled team with expertise in disability inclusion, accessibility, rehabilitation, and assistive technology, supported by regional and global technical specialists in inclusive health, governance, and rehabilitation. Over four decades, HI has built strong partnerships with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, United Nations agencies, and major bilateral and multilateral donors. HI is also an active member of several national technical working groups, contributing to inclusive policy and practice development.

In Cambodia, HI implements programs in three core sectors:

• Social Inclusion: Promoting inclusive societies and service systems, empowering persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups through inclusive governance, education, social protection, and accessible ICT and environments.
• Health and Rehabilitation: Improving access to quality health and rehabilitation services for vulnerable populations, including strengthening rehabilitation within the health system. HI is currently supporting the implementation of the WHO Health Equity Disability Guide for Action through situation assessment and validation workshops.
• Protection and Risk Reduction: Reducing risks and building resilience of vulnerable populations through Armed Violence Reduction, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, and Victim Assistance.

HI Inclusion Technical Assistance (ITA)

To meet growing global demand for disability inclusion expertise, HI established the Inclusion Technical Assistance (ITA) unit in 2016. The ITA leverages HI’s cross-sectoral experience to provide tailored technical support and capacity development to governments, United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, bilateral and multilateral donors, and private sector actors.

HI’s ITA approach is flexible and context-driven, typically combining:

• Initial assessments and diagnostics;
• Co-design of learning pathways and training;
• Technical assistance and coaching; and
• Long-term advisory support to strengthen inclusive policies, programs, and organizational systems.

Through ITA, HI supports partners in improving the meaningful participation, empowerment, and rights of persons with disabilities across their programs and strategies.

Objectives of the consultancy

The overall objective of the consultancy is to support HI in providing technical expertise and support to advance the implementation of the WHO Health Equity Disability Guide for Action in Cambodia, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, WHO, and national stakeholders. The consultancy will contribute to strengthening disability-inclusive health systems and improving health equity for persons with disabilities, through the development of a Strategic Action Plan.

Context

Cambodia’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has made health equity a national priority, as outlined in the Roadmap Towards Universal Health Coverage 2024–2035 and the Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSPS4). A central element of this commitment is disability-inclusive healthcare, aligned with the National Disability Strategic Plan (NDSP4) led by the Disability Action Council.

To operationalize these commitments for the 24.4% of Cambodians with disabilities (CDHS 2021-22), the MoH is developing a Policy and Strategic Plan for Health Equity of Persons with Disabilities. This plan will integrate disability considerations across the health system to reduce inequities caused by physical, attitudinal, communication, and financial barriers. While focused on persons with disabilities, it will also improve accessibility for older people, pregnant women, and those with temporary health conditions.

The work is led by the Technical Working Group on Health of Persons with Disabilities (TWG-HPD), chaired by MoH and co-chaired by MoSVY. The MoH has requested technical support from WHO, in collaboration with HI, Vital Strategies, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and development partners. The process follows the WHO Disability Guide for Action, which provides a phased approach beginning with a comprehensive disability-inclusive health system assessment to inform the strategy.

The roadmap was endorsed by the TWG-HPD in April 2025, with the Hospital Service Department tasked to lead implementation. An orientation workshop in June 2025 introduced the project and gathered stakeholder inputs for the situation assessment.

Building on this initial orientation and the forthcoming situation assessment (finalization phase of the desk review by WHO is ongoing), the consultancy will provide targeted technical assistance to advance the next phases of the WHO Disability Guide for Action process, to analyse data from HI-led field assessments, co-facilitate a validation workshop as well as a prioritization workshop and lead the development of a robust, disability-inclusive Strategic Action Plan.

Specific objectives:

• To support the completion of the situation assessment phase of the WHO Health Equity Disability Guide for Action in Cambodia through data analysis and stakeholder validation.
• To facilitate multi-stakeholder workshops, including the scoring of disability-inclusive health system entry points and the co-development of national priorities.
• To provide technical inputs and co-facilitation for the development of a Strategic Action Plan on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities, aligned with national health priorities and WHO guidance.
• To draft a preliminary Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) framework to accompany the Strategic Action Plan, enabling progress tracking on disability-inclusive health system strengthening.

Expected deliverables of the consultancy

Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Field Data analysis and summary Report

1. Analyse findings from HI Field data collection of health systems assessment
   1. Compile a summary report to feed into the Stakeholder Workshop on the situation of disability inclusion in Cambodia’s health system.

Deliverable 2: Stakeholder Workshop Report (Situation Assessment Phase)

1. Provide technical support to, together with HI, develop the materials for a two-day stakeholder workshop with the Technical Working Group (TWG) to validate findings and score the 10 strategic entry points of disability-inclusive health systems.
   1. Co-facilitate the 2-day workshop, together with HI, in Phenom Penh Cambodia (tentatively November/December 2025).
   2. Produce a workshop report summarizing outcomes, consensus points, scoring against the entry points.

Deliverable 3: National Action Planning Workshop

1. Provide technical support to, together with HI, develop the materials for a two-day stakeholder workshop with the Technical Working Group (TWG) to establish priorities for the Strategic Action Plan.
   1. Co-facilitate, together with HI, a two-day workshop with MoH, government stakeholders, and health and disability organizations to agree on priority actions in line with the 10 strategic entry points for advancing health equity for persons with disabilities. Present findings, facilitate group discussions, and document consensus on priority actions.

Deliverable 4: Draft Health Equity Strategic Action Plan

1. Consolidate data and workshop inputs into a draft Strategic Action Plan, in line with WHO Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities Guide for Action Tool 10. Ensure draft is developed in consultation with MoH and TWG, and aligned with national priorities and international standards.

Deliverable 5: Draft Monitoring & Evaluation Framework

1. Develop a preliminary M&E framework for the Strategic Action Plan, aligned with WHO Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities Tool 11. Ensure framework is developed in consultation with MoH and TWG, and linked to the Strategic Action Plan to track progress on disability-inclusive health system strengthening.

Time frame:

The consultant will provide a quotation for the number of days to complete the assignment, along with availability between 1 October 2025 and 28 February 2026.