CONSULTANCY – SUPPORT TO INCREASE DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The CALP Network is a dynamic global network of over 90 organisations engaged in the critical areas of policy, practice and research in humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and financial assistance more broadly. Collectively, CALP members deliver the vast majority of humanitarian CVA worldwide.

What makes the CALP Network unique is its diversity. CALP members currently include local and international non-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, donors, specialist social innovation, technology and financial services companies, researchers and academics, and individual practitioners.

Together we seek to better meet the needs and improve the outcomes for people affected by crisis. To do this we ensure that CVA is a central, scalable component of quality, timely and appropriate humanitarian assistance, and that the need to sustain positive outcomes for people over the longer term is considered.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Main objectives

CALP wants its communications channels to be as accessible and usable as possible, aiming at excluding no one. Much of our work is delivered and accessible through our digital platforms, therefore, we would like to advance this process by understanding where we stand currently, what the gaps are, and which are feasible ways to improve and adhere to the available standards and guidelines in accessibility.

OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Specific objectives

We are looking for an agency, consultant or group of consultants to support us in the following tasks:

1. Helping us develop a vision for digital accessibility, considering our organisational size and maturity, channels, and main digital products. This includes facilitating the discussion and definition of key principles, along with a roadmap for digital accessibility for all our key channels and formats.
2. Conduct accessibility testing of www.calpnetwork.org using various automated tools, code review, and manual testing (making sure it includes people with disabilities who use assistive technologies). This piece of work means interrogating the site against all WCAG 2.1’s success criteria. Please ensure that the digital accessibility criteria for projects funded by USAID are met.
3. Carry out an audit of current key communication pieces from other than website channels using criteria outlined in this Request for quotes alongside others as relevant.
4. Based on the previous assessments, come up with a digital accessibility baseline to build on in the future.
5. Create a roadmap that includes prioritised accessibility concerns and concrete ways to address them, while helping CALP to determine ways to solve them.
6. Train and support CALP staff in Digital Accessibility, according to their different roles in creating and delivering digital products.

KEY DELIVERABLES / MILESTONES

The following are the final deliverables, at minimum, to be completed by the end of the consultancy, unless otherwise discussed and agreed upon by the ACF-USA and Consultant. We are open to discussing the format and scope of these deliverables (dates are indicative):

1. Deliverable 1, due date 06/03/2023
   A session/talk or presentation to raise awareness about digital accessibility targeted to CALP’s team.

2. Deliverable 2, due date 20/03/2023
   A written vision for digital accessibility at CALP (one or two pages) resulted from a workshop and/or interviews with key internal stakeholders to develop this vision.

3. Deliverable 3, due date 30/04/2023
   Report of findings and recommendations as a result of usability/accessibility testing by using the least the following methods:

   1. Conducting automated accessibility testing of www.calpnetwork.org, utilizing various web-based tools or software, and running code reviews of the website.
   2. Performing manual audits using WCAG 2.1’s success criteria (at level AA)
   3. Running usability testing to assess
      1. Usability of website’s key sections (using tools such as HotJar, currently installed on our website, in combination with remote or in-person tests with users).
      2. Website’s accessibility, including participants with different impairments and disabilities.
      3. Considering testing with people that natively speaks our four languages: Arabic, English, French and Spanish.

4. Deliverable 4, due date 30/04/2023
   Carry out an accessibility audit of a selection of content pieces from the following key digital channels: YouTube channel, Kaya Connect, Social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn), PDF Publications, PowerPoint Presentations, Cash Cast Podcast, and Online Events. Consultants must propose an achievable scope for this analysis, and the criteria to be used and provide a report with key actionable takeaways.

5. Deliverable 5, due date 15/05/2023
   Grounded on the results of all these audits and assessments, create a roadmap for CALP’s digital accessibility transformation (to be executed in the next two years), with a list of specific tasks to remediate the issues raised, classified by difficulty and helping CALP to identify which can be performed in-house and externally. Along with the roadmap, the consultants must provide the web development agency with the technical specifications to implement the necessary fixes.

6. Deliverable 6, due date 30/05/2023
   Deliver two training sessions targeted to two different audiences:

   1. CALP team. This session should cover good practices on readability, documents, web articles, presentations, online events, e-learning, and other relevant areas.
   2. CALP’s Communications team. This session must focus on how to improve and ensure accessibility standards in the team’s daily work.

7. Deliverable 7, due date 30/05/2023
   Write and deliver an accessibility statement (one page) specifying how CALP is addressing accessibility to be published on its website.

Payment schedule

Deliverables

Payment amount

Deliverables 1-3

50%

Deliverables 4-7

50%

TENTATIVE TIMELINE & ACTIVITIES

This scope of work will cover approximately 30-40 days between February and 31 May.

Any additional days and/or modification of Start/End dates must be completed before additional work is commenced.

MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

This consultant will report directly to the Responsible Manager, listed above, who will be responsible for approving deliverable(s) and invoice(s). The CALP Digital Platforms Manager will provide overall oversight.

Action Against Hunger is a host of the CALP Network; we are a U.S.-based organization, and as such must comply with U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules and regulations. If you are selected for the consultant work, and choose to work with Action Against Hunger USA, you must provide the proper IRS form to determine your tax status either with a W-9 form or W-8 form, depending on your tax situation. Please visit www.IRS.gov for more information. Any tax questions should be directed to your tax advisor. Contracts and payments are dependent upon receipt of the signed IRS form. Payment of Invoices are net 30 days. Additional details provided in service contract.

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the consultant may be required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a consultant to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• Must provide own computer, internet, software, and other basic office supplies required to complete the duties for this consultancy
• Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as needed or required by contact with the Project Team or other partners.