Innovation Fund Project Proposal

Innovation Fund Project Proposal SIF423

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON COMPLETING THE PROJECT PROPOSAL

The project proposal form must be completed using Arial font size 12.

The project proposal must be saved in Word format (.doc).

The total length of the proposal should not exceed 10 pages (excluding annexes).
Section 3 of the proposal must not exceed a total of three A4 pages, with a maximum
of one page for question 3.6.

Please do not alter the formatting of the form. Concept notes that exceed the page
limits or that have amended formatting will not be considered.

Concept notes which do not conform to the above criteria will not be considered.
SUBMITTING YOUR CONCEPT NOTE
Please send your completed proposal by email to innovation@sightsavers.org by 30th
June 2012. All proposals must be sent by email. We do not accept hard copies.
Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered.

1. Background information
1.1. Organisation Name

The Gambia Federation of the Disabled (GFD)

1.2. Organisation Address

PO Box 2053, Serrekunda, The Gambia

1.3. Type of Organisation

Which of the following best
describes your organisation?
(Select a maximum of two
categories)
1.4. Main contact person

Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)

Blind Peoples Organisation (BPO)
Disabled Peoples Organisation (DPO)
Organisation working with Disabled People
Academic Institution
Ethnic Minority Group or Organisation
Other... Federation of DPOs.
Name: Mrs. Isatou Sanyang, Chairperson GFD
Email: gfdgambian1@gmail.com
Phone: 00220 890 5368

1.5. Country(ies)/ area(s) &

The Gambia
districts of planned project
1.6. Project name

Narrowing the gap between training and employment

for people with disabilities in the Gambia, West Africa

1.7. Authors of Proposal

GFD Fundraising Committee members with support

from Alexandra Jackson, VSO Volunteer with GFD

Innovation Fund Project Proposal

2. Core Innovation Project Information

Eye Health Challenges
Challenge No. 1
Challenge No. 2
Challenge No. 3
Challenge No. 4
2.1.
Implementation Inclusive Education Challenges
Challenge the project
Challenge No. 1
addresses
Challenge No. 2
(Please tick the relevant
Challenge No. 3
box)
Challenge No. 4
Social Inclusion Challenges
Challenge No. 1
Challenge No. 2
Challenge No. 3
Challenge No. 4
Please provide background information about the rationale for
this project. Why this project is important and what is the largescale change it seeks to achieve?
The Gambia has neither signed nor ratified the UN Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, nor adopted the draft
national Disability Policy and/or an Act to enforce it; there is
thus no legal framework to challenge the deeply rooted stigma
and discrimination experienced by people with disabilities. As
some of the most marginalised people in communities, the
challenges associated with the lack of access to education,
2.3.Background
training or employment have a huge impact on the ability of
information
and
people with disabilities to be economically active. Many people
project rationale
with disabilities undertake petty trading, or resort to begging on
the streets as a survival strategy.
However there are a small number of people with disabilities
who have gained qualifications or are in training now. Yet,
obtaining employment is still a challenge. This project seeks to
improve the employment opportunities of people with disabilities
by linking training institutions that have students with disabilities
and employers, offer advice to people with disabilities and
advocate for National Employment Policy implementation which
calls for affirmative action for people with disabilities.
2.4 Project Duration
(please note this can be
18 months
for a maximum of 18
months)

Innovation Fund Project Proposal

2. Core Innovation Project Information

2.5.
Organisations
targeted
for
replication,
and
strategy to achieve
scale

2.6.
Other
organisations working
on related issues in
the project area

This pilot project relies on the collaboration of technical training

service providers with employers, through establishing the new
mechanism of a Disability Employment Service, which will be
closely linked with the National Training Authority (NTA). The
project has been planned with GAMJOBS and NTA, as NTA has
responsibility for monitoring training quality, as well as ensuring
the relevance of courses to the labour market. Once the
Disability Employment Service has established links between
different organisations, these can be sustained independently
(for example between a technical training institution, NTA and
an employer in the same field) to facilitate support for people
with disabilities into employment, thus enabling the replication
of the process with new organisations (training providers or
employers).
To this end, the project will target the following organisations:
GAMJOBS is the Gambias Priority Employment Programme
through which the National Employment Policy (NEP) and
National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) are operationalized
by the Government. Through their engagement with the
Disability Employment Service, people with disabilities could be
mainstreamed into GAMJOBS activities, gaining employment.
UNDP supports the employment sector in the Gambia, as it is a
key priority outlined by the national strategy, the Programme for
Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE 2012-2015). GFD
has already developed a relationship with UNDP, securing incountry funds in 2012 which focus on advocacy and
employment; we can engage them in the project from the outset
with a view to UNDP to commit long term support to the
Disability Employment Service initiative.
The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as
the National Tourism Agency, will also be engaged through
training and advocacy to influence their members to replicate
the pilot project and employ skilled people with disabilities.
There are no organisations currently working on disability and
employment in the Gambia. Sightsavers the Gambia runs a
CBR project in collaboration with the Department of Social
Welfare and one of GFDs members, the Gambia Organisation
of the Visually Impaired (GOVI), but this does not currently have
a specific employment component. However, GFD will
collaborate with DPOs to locate students with disabilities and
make use of their expertise in orientation and adjustments.

2.7. What is the total

73,956
cost of the project?
2.8. Total funding to
be requested from
73,956
Sightsavers for this
project

Innovation Fund Project Proposal

2.9 Summary of proposed Goal, Purpose, Expected Outcomes, Outputs and activities
It is important to give the reviewers a clear idea of what the projects Goal and Purpose (what it aims to achieve) might be, and the desired
outcomes (which will later be translated into specific objectives), outputs, and some illustrative examples of activities that will be implemented in
the first year. It is not necessary to develop a full logical framework at this stage. What is important is for you to demonstrate and articulate a
clear overview of your theory of change i.e. HOW the project will effect the change it seeks to achieve and respond to the problems identified.

Goal
(What is the overall, higher-level objective to
which the project/programme will contribute?)

Narrow the gap between skilled people with disabilities and employment opportunities

Purpose (Overall Objective)

Expected outcomes (5 max)

Expected

(What is the positive developmental change

that the project will produce if successful?)

(What are the expected short and medium

term effects of the interventions outputs?)

(What are the deliverables achieved as a

result of implementing project activities?)

outputs

Through
support
from
the Establishment of the Disability
Disability Employment Service, Employment Service
people with disabilities will gain
work experience and/or find
employment relevant to their
skills.
National mapping of people
with disabilities in further
education and training, as well
as recent graduates
A cohort of skilled people with
disabilities will be employed in
relevant jobs; employers will have
a greater understanding of the
capabilities
of
People
with
disabilities
and
commit
to
increasing the numbers of People
with disabilities employed; the

Main

activities

(Examples of top line activities)

Staff recruited and trained

Disability Employment
Service office established
and advertised
People with disabilities
enrol in the programme
Research with training
providers and partners
Research with DPOs and
people with disabilities

Trained people with disabilities

progress
into
work
placements/employment
through
matching
and

mentoring programme

Disability Employment
Advisors engage
employers in programme
participation
Trainees apply for and
undertake work
placement/ employment
opportunities

Innovation Fund Project Proposal

Goal
(What is the overall, higher-level objective to
which the project/programme will contribute?)

Narrow the gap between skilled people with disabilities and employment opportunities
Employers receive disability
equality training and knowledge
on the skills and capabilities of
people with disabilities
Workplaces are modified to
accommodate the needs of
people with disabilities
Through
having
greater

awareness
of
disability,
companies
and
employers
from
key
recruitment policies change and Commitment
stakeholders
(GCCI,
Gambia
organisations
undertake
necessary adjustments
to Tourism Authority, businesses)
employ
more
people
with to recruit people with disabilities
disabilities

Data is available on people with Awareness of disability and

disabilities with skills to inform employment
raised
with
and support a campaign to lobby relevant
Government
for a more supportive policy departments
and
key
environment for organisations to stakeholders
employ people with disabilities.
Up-to-date database available
of people with disabilities who
have skills to be employed
Employers will have increased
knowledge and understanding of
disability
and
how
to
accommodate
people
with
disabilities in employment

Government will implement the

sections
of
the
National
Employment Policy (NEP) and the
Programme
for
Accelerated
Growth and Employment (PAGE)
relating to disability, leading to
more employment opportunities for
people with disabilities and hence
economic empowerment.

Employer training
workshops
Guidance manual
production for employers
Disability Employment
Service supports
workplace adjustments
Information gathered on
adjustment costs
Advocacy strategy for
access to employment
developed
Advocacy meetings and
activities take place
Celebratory event
Advocacy meetings and
activities take place to
form
coalitions
to
influence policy
Database creation of
people with disabilities
registered with Disability
Employment Service

Innovation Fund Project Proposal

Goal
(What is the overall, higher-level objective to
which the project/programme will contribute?)

Narrow the gap between skilled people with disabilities and employment opportunities
Success stories and learning
from exchange visits are
Increased knowledge on skills documented and shared.
and contribution of people with
disabilities are widely shared to
improve their profile.

Exchange visits among

institutions
employing
people with disabilities to
share experiences for
learning

Innovation Fund Project Proposal

3. Detailed Innovation Project Information

3.1. Why is this project needed at this time in this location?
Social Inclusion for People with Disabilities Challenge Two:
The National Employment Policy makes repeated reference to affirmative action for
employment for people with disabilities but this is not currently being implemented and
employers may not even be aware of this provision or how they can comply. This
innovative project approach of establishing a Disability Employment Service aims to
create a mechanism for skilled people with disabilities to be linked to employers for work
placements and/or employment opportunities, raising awareness of their skills and
capabilities and use the policy as a framework to guide the engagement with employers.
Many jobs in the Gambia are a result of work placements or personal connections, thus
disadvantaging people with disabilities who experience discrimination and do not have
these connections. This project will work alongside employers to raise awareness on how
to accommodate disability in the workplace, as well as having an advocacy component for
sectoral and attitudinal change.
In the 2003 Household Survey (most recent National Census), it was reported that only
48% of people with disabilities are economically active, which can, in part be due to low
educational attainment; 59% of people with disabilities never attended any education; of
those who did: 0.6% had vocational training; 0.5% attended teacher training and 0.2%
reached undergraduate level, most left school at primary level. Due to the growth in
further education courses, vocational training and the development of the University of the
Gambia, as well as from information gathered from Disabled Peoples Organisations,
GFD believes that there are more people with disabilities coming through the
higher/further education system and vocational training than in 2003. However, people
with disabilities still face unprecedented prejudice from employers and, as a result, are
unlikely to find employment. Despite people with disabilities having the necessary and
relevant skills for a role, employers do not know of the capabilities of people with
disabilities or how to make necessary adjustments in the workplace to suit their needs to
function. As disability now features in the national strategy 2012-2015, the Programme for
Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE), the time is ripe to develop a disability in
employment initiative.
This project focusses on the people with disabilities who are in higher/further education,
technical or vocational training in 2012 and 2013 or who have recently gained a
qualification and graduated but who are unemployed.
Through the establishment of a Disability Employment Service, GFD can gather
information on the numbers of qualified people with disabilities searching for employment,
develop partnerships with employers and training providers and thus facilitate the
matching of qualified individuals with work placements and employment opportunities.
Through our project planning discussions, the National Training Authority has committed
to using a disability focal point (the Disability Employment Service) to promote greater
access to opportunities for people with disabilities. Additionally, employers will have
training in disability equality, will be able to apply for funding to adapt their workplace and
receive on-going support during any placements. Finally, the project will focus on lobbying
Government to include people with disabilities in employment programmes, as well as
creating a more favourable environment for companies to employ people with disabilities.

Innovation Fund Project Proposal

3. Detailed Innovation Project Information

3.2. What specific change is this initiative intended to achieve?
We are targeting 60 direct beneficiaries who are in higher or further education or who
have recently received a qualification to have access to work placements and/or
employment opportunities. A placement or job will lead to individual economic
empowerment, as well as diversification of the workforce in different organisations. As role
models, these 60 people will pave the way for further cohorts of students with disabilities
to make the transition into employment, as well as encouraging other employers to join
the scheme.
The project assumptions include the willingness of employers to engage with people with
disabilities, including making reasonable adjustments in the workplace, the willingness of
the government to commit to mainstreaming of disability in the public employment
programmes, the availability of Sign Language interpreters and the motivation of the
students to join the programme.
3.3. What is the methodology and approach to be used by the project to achieve the
changes described?
The project focuses on 3 key strategy areas:
Direct Service Delivery: setting up a Disability Employment Service for people with
disabilities and employers, including training and equipment for employers and
partnership working with key stakeholders including NTA, GCCI and GAMJOBS.
Research to gather data to inform advocacy and enable matching of people with
disabilities with placement/employment opportunities
Advocacy for policy change/ implementation within Government and employers
3.4. Who will be carrying out the project activities?
The Gambia Federation of the Disabled (GFD) is the coordinating organisation for project
implementation. GFD is the leading body for the disability movement in the Gambia as the
umbrella body for eight DPOs and has good relationships with Government, training
providers and NTA. GFD will oversee the establishment of the Disability Employment
Service which will then coordinate partnership development, research, advocacy and
employment programme initiatives. To date, NTA, GAMJOBS and VSO the Gambia have
been involved in project design (VSO the Gambia has worked in the disability sector for
many years now, and has a new partnership with NTA).
The three key partners for the project will be NTA, GCCI and GAMJOBS. NTA oversees
all training providers and liaises with GCCI to ensure that training is relevant to the labour
market. GCCI will be a key partner, as they are also the umbrella body for companies in
the Gambia, and through them, the Disability Employment Service will access employers
directly. Finally, GAMJOBS periodically runs successful and sustainable youth
employment programmes and the Disability Employment Service will engage with them to
increase participation of people with disabilities. Sightsavers the Gambia and the disability
line ministry, the Department of Social Welfare, will also be involved in the project,
particularly as they both currently work through a tripartite agreement on a CBR project
with one of GFDs DPO members, GOVI. Alongside UNDP, these three organisations will
be engaged particularly in research and/or advocacy activities.

Innovation Fund Project Proposal

3. Detailed Innovation Project Information

3.5. Innovation: Why is this approach considered to be innovative?
The inspiration behind this project is the people with disabilities who have fought to gain
skills at technical and vocational/higher learning institutions and who find themselves
unemployed. The Gambia has never had a coordinated project for people with disabilities
to have access to employment opportunities, nor trained staff in this area. GAMJOBS, the
Governments programme for creating employment opportunities for the youth, targeted
400 participants between 2008 and 2012; only 1 of them had a disability. Previous work
by NGOs, including Sightsavers the Gambia, and DPOs has focussed on CBR, skills
training and access to micro-finance and credit facilities, but the disability sector has
never formally engaged with training institutions and employers to develop relationships
and encourage the implementation of the National Employment Policy.
The National Training Authority is responsible for linking training institutions with
employers, but is under-resourced and lacks both disability expertise and an accessible
office. Through the establishment of a Disability Employment Service, employers will
increase their understanding of disability, be facilitated to meet people with disabilities
with relevant skills to their field of work, and NTA will have a focal point for disability. The
Service can also advocate for greater inclusion of People with disabilities in other
employment programmes, i.e. GAMJOBS, as well as developing direct relationships with
the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the umbrella body for companies. There
is potential for future replication in different sectors, which might include targeting the
Personnel Management Office, responsible for civil service positions, and the Gambia
Tourism Authority that oversees employers in the tourism sector.
The risks include the capacity of employers to absorb a greater number of employees,
due to Gambias small economy, which is exacerbated by the currently shrinking tourism
sector, which is already contributing to higher unemployment rates. Stigma and
discrimination against people with disabilities is also a risk; employers may simply not
want to join the programme or be ready to see and learn about the benefits.
There are several factors which give this project potential for replication. Participants are
targeted from the urban area (where most training institutions are located), but, if
successful, the project could easily be established in the main regional towns between
employers and local training centres. Additionally the Gambia is a very small country,
which means networking and knowledge sharing can bring easy access to decision
makers within companies, the Disability Employment Service can be easily advertised
and there will be good media coverage for advocacy issues through our existing
channels. Moreover, advocacy will be done with the key employers of the Gambia,
including the Government, to commit to having a quota of people with disabilities on their
staff in meaningful roles.
3.6. Planning for sustainability
By the end of this project, there will be 4 trained staff with skills in integrating people with
disabilities into employment in the Gambia. Employers will have gained a better
understanding of disability and have staff with disabilities within their organisations.
Advocacy will aim to ensure that key stakeholders in employment, NTA, GCCI and the
Gambian Government make policy commitments that will be followed up by advocates
within the disability sector, helping to ensure mainstreaming of people with disabilities.
The exit strategy will include collaboration with NTA and GAMJOBS, to incorporate the
Disability Employment Service as one of the formal Government mechanisms
challenging unemployment for people with disabilities. Additionally training providers will
be directly linked to organisations who have employed their ex-students, which will
create an open conduit for further recruitment and work placements.

Innovation Fund Project Proposal

4. Project Management & Required Resources

Please give estimated financial requirements for each stage
of the project (in GBP)
Please provide a project budget in the separate Excel
worksheet provided.
4.1.Financial
requirements

Output 1: 35,667
Output 2: 20,667
Output 3: 7,333
Output 4: 1000
Please see attached budget for full breakdown, including
transport and administrative costs.

UNDP has included money for GFD to work on employment

activities in 2012; this may be extended into 2013 4.
VSO the Gambia will provide GFD with an advocacy capacity
building volunteer, who can support the advocacy component
of the project.
4.2. Partner resources
GFD can provide an office space to house the Disability
available
Employment Service
NTA, GAMJOBS and GCCI will provide expertise and
guidance in employment issues
GCCI will additionally provide a venue for meetings and
training
4.3. Management of GFDs Secretariat is managed by GFDs Board Chairperson,
the project
with the support of an Administrative Secretary, a VSO
volunteer, a national advocacy volunteer and an office
volunteer, who work alongside the fundraising and advocacy
committees, as well as the members of the Board. GFD will
establish a project steering committee to oversee the project.
The Disability Employment Service will sit under GFD and the
project will employ four staff: three full time and one who will
give 50% of their time to the project.
Project manager (100%): has overall responsibility for the
project and manages the day-to-day running of the Disability
Employment Service and project staff reports directly to
GFD Board Chairperson.
1 Project Officer (100%): The project officer works with
employers, training institutions, NTA, GCCI and people with
disabilities enrolling participants in the programme, giving
training, matching and mentoring.
1 Finance Officer (100%): has responsibility for the projects
finances budget monitoring, income and expenditure and
financial reporting

Innovation Fund Project Proposal

4. Project Management & Required Resources

1 Administrator (50%): supports the project
correspondence, running events, producing reports

4.4.
plan

Implementation

4.5. M&E plan

with

There are potential challenges over the first 4 month period to

set up the project, identify people with disabilities in training
and employers who are willing to engage to so that work
placements/employment can start from January 2013. Term
dates at training institutions often change at the last minute
and the big Muslim festival of Eid happens in October in 2012,
meaning that all organisations will have time off work.
However, GFD will start partnership development with NTA
and GCCI in July/August 2012 to ensure that this process
happens as smoothly as possible. Delays may also be
caused if we cannot enrol as many employers in the
programme as anticipated, meaning that students may be
ready to start placements. This will be prioritised throughout
the project and GFD will work closely with NTA and GCCI to
ensure targets are met.
This project will be overseen daily by the Project Manager
and monitored on a quarterly basis by the project steering
committee. The Project Manager will submit a quarterly
narrative and financial report to the steering committee for
review. The committee will include representatives from
Sightsavers the Gambia, VSO the Gambia, NTA, GCCI and
training providers, with the option of engaging external
experts and programme participants if required. Programme
participants, employers and people with disabilities will also
complete quarterly monitoring forms and participate in a
programme evaluation meeting at the end of the project. The
information gathered from programme participants and from
the evaluation meeting will be shared amongst the key
stakeholders including UNDP, GAMJOBS, employers and key
Government stakeholders as one of the methods of
advocating for policy and attitudinal change and future
programme development.