Research Consultant: Disability Access

Role Summary/Purpose:

The Research Consultant will collect and analyze data related to the accessibility of the health system of northwest Syria, and will draft thematic advocacy materials, including an analysis report detailing the state of accessibility for people with disabilities accessing health services. The report will include recommendations on how to improve the accessibility of health services in northwest Syria, which will be developed in coordination with SAMS’ Programs team.

Key Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of SAMS Advocacy Manager, and in close collaboration with the advocacy department and programs department in the US, Syria, and Turkey, the Research Consultant will perform the following:

Activity 01: Literature Review of Disability in Syria

• In order to contextualize the report, it will be necessary to conduct a literature review of existing research on disability and accessibility in Syria, including but not limited to prevalence data and previous analyses on specialized services available for PWD.

Activity 02: Conduct Primary Research

• Primary research for this product should include evaluations of health facilities (physical accessibility, presence of accommodations, staff knowledge, etc.), as well as key informant interviews and focus group discussions with people with disabilities and experts in relevant fields (disability specialists, technical experts in MHPSS and Protection, facility managers, etc.) Some of these interviews could be utilized in advocacy products as well (with the proper informed consents from the participants.)

Activity 03: Write a detailed report using collected information on accessibility and testimonies from medical staff.

• Analysis and interviews conducted in this first phase will provide a basis for the report and its subsequent recommendations. Such a report should also include the previously mentioned literature review. The report will be utilized and shared with NGO partners in the health sector to inform programmatic decisions, and would also support SAMS advocacy efforts related to this topic.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Advanced university degree in disability studies, data analysis, public health, or related field;
• Proven ability to produce policy documents, papers, reports, and analysis
• Excellent knowledge of the context in Syria; specialized knowledge of the health system or disability in the Syrian context a plus.
• At least 4 years experience in the above-mentioned fields;
• As all products will be produced in English, professional fluency in English and Arabic, both oral and written;
• Proficiency and prior experience with quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and data visualization;
• Ability and willingness to work with people of different cultural backgrounds from the Syrian social fabric;
• Experience and training in conducting research with vulnerable populations
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, as well as the ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities.
• Ability to travel internationally a plus