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Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Title
Please provide a name for your action learning plan.
Disability Inclusion Community of Practice
Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
BIG BET
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Our challenge is that communities of practice (CoPs) for disability inclusion in Syria lack the necessary capacity, tools, and support systems to effectively foster collaboration, share knowledge, and drive advocacy. This limits their potential to empower persons with disabilities (PWDs) and address the unique challenges they face in a resource-scarce and crisis-affected context.
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
The prolonged conflict in Syria has significantly impacted the well-being and inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs), who now comprise 27% of the population aged 12 and above. PWDs face stark disparities in employment, access to essential services, and education, with 62% unemployment among PWDs compared to 48% among non-disabled individuals. The social protection system is under-resourced, leaving PWDs to rely heavily on informal safety nets such as family and community support.
Key Drivers:
Systemic Inequalities and Crisis Impact: The ongoing conflict has eroded traditional social structures and trust in institutions, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups like PWDs.
Limited Institutional Support: Inadequate formal services and infrastructure hinder the development of inclusive practices and resources for PWDs.
Digital and Capacity Gaps: Many potential leaders and community members lack the digital literacy and leadership skills necessary to establish and sustain effective CoPs.
Stakeholders Involved:
Persons with Disabilities (PWDs): Direct beneficiaries and key participants in CoPs.
Caregivers and Families: Primary support networks for PWDs.
NGOs and Development Organizations: Providers of technical support and advocacy for inclusion.
Youth Leaders and Advocates: Potential facilitators and drivers of CoPs.
Government Entities: Potential supporters for institutionalizing successful practices.
Current Situation:
PWDs often face social isolation due to the breakdown of informal safety nets and limited access to collaborative spaces where they can share experiences and solutions. Efforts to establish CoPs remain fragmented, with limited capacity and support for sustainable operations.
Undesired Effects:
Isolation and Marginalization: PWDs and their families feel disconnected and unsupported.
Knowledge Loss: Valuable community knowledge and solutions are not documented or shared widely.
Underutilized Potential: Community leaders and advocates lack the tools to mobilize and sustain CoPs, limiting the collective impact on disability inclusion and advocacy.
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Growing Social Isolation Among PWDs:
Community discussions reveal increasing reports of PWDs feeling disconnected from traditional support networks, such as family and community groups, due to the prolonged crisis and migration patterns.
Emergence of Informal Support Groups:
There has been a rise in informal online groups where PWDs and caregivers share experiences and advice, signaling a demand for more structured and resourceful platforms like CoPs.
Increased Advocacy for Digital Inclusion:
Local advocates are pushing for better digital literacy and access, highlighting that many PWDs and youth leaders lack the tools to engage in online learning and collaboration.
Youth Interest in Leadership Roles:
During recent UNDP-led workshops, young participants, including PWDs, expressed strong interest in taking leadership roles within their communities but cited a need for capacity building in areas like public speaking and digital engagement.
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
Specialization in Human-Centered Design:
We excel in applying human-centered design to develop tailored solutions that prioritize the experiences and needs of PWDs, ensuring CoPs are inclusive and user-friendly.
Expertise in Capacity Building:
Our Lab offers specialized training in public narrative, motivational knowledge, and campaign tools, empowering young leaders to effectively manage and sustain CoPs.
Focus on Co-Creation and Innovation:
We leverage co-creation methodologies, engaging PWDs, caregivers, and advocates in the design and operation of CoPs, fostering ownership and sustainability.
Rapid Prototyping and Iteration:
Unlike traditional actors, we utilize agile methods to quickly test, refine, and scale community-driven solutions, ensuring responsiveness to evolving needs.
Digital Platform Development:
We provide the technical support to establish and launch CoPs on digital platforms, enhancing their reach and impact, especially in a context with limited physical mobility and resources.
Why Invest?
High Impact Potential: Establishing well-supported CoPs will strengthen social cohesion and advocacy for disability inclusion, directly improving the lives of PWDs.
Sustainability and Scalability: Our capacity-building efforts ensure CoPs can sustain themselves and scale, creating a long-term impact.
Catalyst for Systemic Change: Investing in this challenge positions UNDP as a leader in promoting inclusive, community-led innovation, fostering resilience and development in Syria.
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
We’re empowering Syrian communities to build inclusive Communities of Practice for persons with disabilities! 💪🌍 Through capacity building and digital tools, we’re fostering collaboration, advocacy, and leadership to drive sustainable change. #DisabilityInclusion #UNDPAcceleratorLab
Partners
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
DAL for PWDs
What sector does our partner belong to?
Civil Society
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
This collaboration brings essential on-the-ground expertise, ensuring that CoPs are tailored to the unique challenges and needs of PWDs. Together, we aim to enhance capacity building, foster leadership, and create sustainable networks that drive advocacy and social cohesion.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
How can we effectively build the capacity of young leaders and community members to establish and sustain inclusive Communities of Practice (CoPs) for persons with disabilities, ensuring these CoPs foster collaboration, advocacy, and long-term impact in a resource-scarce environment?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Test, Grow
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Human-Centered Design (HCD):
Engage PWDs and community members in the design of CoPs to ensure the platforms and processes meet their specific needs and preferences.
Value: Ensures CoPs are accessible, user-friendly, and aligned with the real-life experiences of participants, fostering greater engagement and ownership.
Solution Mapping:
Identify and document existing community-driven solutions and best practices for disability inclusion, drawing insights from PWDs, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
Value: Helps CoPs build on proven strategies, avoiding duplication of effort and accelerating the implementation of effective solutions.
Storytelling:
Train participants to use storytelling as a tool to share their experiences, advocate for disability inclusion, and highlight the impact of CoPs.
Value: Amplifies the voices of PWDs, fosters empathy, and drives awareness and support for CoP initiatives within and beyond the community.
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Limited Understanding of PWDs’ Needs and Preferences:
Current data often overlooks the nuanced needs of PWDs in CoP design and participation.
Value: Human-Centered Design bridges this gap by directly involving PWDs in the design process, ensuring CoPs are tailored to their specific challenges and preferences.
Scattered Local Solutions:
There’s a lack of centralized knowledge on existing grassroots solutions for disability inclusion.
Value: Solution Mapping consolidates and documents these solutions, providing CoPs with a robust resource base to build on and adapt.
Underutilization of Personal Narratives:
Data on the personal impact of disability inclusion efforts is scarce and fragmented.
Value: Storytelling captures and amplifies these narratives, offering qualitative insights that highlight the lived experiences of PWDs and the transformative role of CoPs.
Closing
Early leads to grow: Think about the possible grow phase for this challenge - who might benefit from your work on this challenge or who might be the champions in your country that you should inform or collaborate with early on to help you grow this challenge?
PWDs and Caregiver Networks:
Benefit: Gain access to inclusive, supportive communities and capacity-building resources.
Role: Early adopters and active participants, driving CoP engagement and sustainability.
Local NGOs and Advocacy Groups for PWDs:
Benefit: Strengthen their impact through collaboration and access to shared tools and knowledge.
Role: Champions for scaling CoPs, offering on-the-ground expertise and networks.
Youth Leaders and Advocates:
Benefit: Develop leadership and digital skills, becoming key facilitators in CoPs.
Role: Mobilize peers and advocate for disability inclusion at community and national levels.
Government Entities (e.g., Ministries of Social Affairs and Education):
Benefit: Leverage CoPs to inform policy and improve service delivery for PWDs.
Role: Institutional supporters, enabling policy alignment and resource allocation.
International Organizations and Donors:
Benefit: Access a tested, scalable model for disability inclusion.
Role: Provide funding, technical support, and visibility to expand CoP initiatives.
END OF ACTION LEARNING PLAN: Thank you! The form saves automatically and your submission has been recorded. You may now exit this window.
4Quality education
10Reduced innequalities
17Partnerships for the goals
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