Scoping Paper

Developing CRPD and Human Rights trainingfor DSS workforce and disabled peopleto be delivered by disabled trainers

Robyn Hunt

AccEase Ltd

04 9390445

0274 493019

Contents

1. Introduction and project overview

2. What is Human Rights Education?

3. Human Rights Education in New Zealand

4. Project Ownership and Governance

5. Selection of Programme Developer

6. General Description of Training

7. Training Components

8. Sustainability of the Training

9. Budget

10. Quality Assurance

11. Risks

12. Timeline

1. Introduction and project overview

Objective one of the Ministry of Health Workforce Action Plan is to “increase the skills of the disability workforce, (regulated and unregulated).” Outcomes within this objective focus specifically on staff understanding of, and training on, the CRPD.

Objective two of the Action Plan is to “increase the skills of people with disabilities.” Outcomes focus on increased training and development opportunities for disabled people, including disability rights and the CRPD.

This project is the development of the foundation module/s of a “mix and match” practical human rights curriculum based on the CRPD, with additional disability-specific modules being added at a later stage. Additional material might add specialist perspectives for particular disability groups, to counter any problems of the “one size fits all” approach.

This will complement, not replace, other human rights education work already being carried out by other organisations such as the Human Rights Commission.

The programme is supported by Te Pou as part of workforce development and consumer leadership programmes.

The objective of the project is to equip disabled people and Disability Support Services management and staff with practical CRPD based human rights knowledge and skills to apply directly in their work, advocacy and related activities.

There will be four pilots of the programme, two for DSS providers and two for mixed groups of disabled people. This report includes development of the education programme up to and including the pilots at the end of the year. While questions remain about the life of the programme and what happens beyond the pilots, some suggested ways forward are included.

2. What is Human Rights Education?

There are many definitions of human rights education, depending on different perspectives of various stakeholders. Human Rights Education has been broadly defined as: “the teaching of the history, theory, and law of human rights in schools and educational institutions, as well as outreach to the general public,” (Wikipedia).

For the purposes of this project a more detailed understanding seems necessary, since this project is active, practical and focused on social change.

“Human rights education is much more than providing information about human rights. It is about taking steps toward creating an environment where human rights are respected and people are given a 'fair go'. It occurs in all spheres of life and in many different ways. For example, human rights education in a workplace setting may occur through the development of shared values, policies and practices, disputes resolution mechanisms, training for management and staff and ongoing supervision and support.” NZ Human Rights Commission

The Commission also identifies three dimensions of human rights education

  • Knowledge: provision of information about human rights and responsibilities and mechanisms for their protection
  • Values: promotion of a human rights culture through the development of values, beliefs and attitudes that uphold human rights
  • Action: encouragement to take action to defend human rights and prevent human rights abuses (United Nations General Assembly (1997), as cited in Fiji Human RightsCommission, 2003). (

These practical themes should flow through the development and delivery of this programme.

3. Human Rights Education in New Zealand

Human rights education for adults already exists in New Zealand. The Human Rights Commission undertakes a number of human rights programmes which include disability, including their community-based TakuManuwaprogramme.

Some human rights practitioners and NGO’s provide human rights training on particular areas of human rights, such as sexual harassment, bullying, anti-racism, peace etc. Such human rights education may or may not include elements of disability rights.

Some disability organisations have run occasional workshops or seminars on human rights. However there is no national human rights education programme that is focused particularly on disability rights. Human rights practitioners support the need for human rights education focusing on disability and the CRPD.

4. Project Ownership and Governance

The Project is owned by DPA, which will lead the governance. A well-resourced Kaitiaki group of project owner/sponsors, people with relevant skills and experience selected by DPOs, and people with human rights education expertise will oversee the development of the training and the implementation, evaluation and follow-up. A well-developed and well-functioning group with clear terms of reference will help gain the support of all parties, necessary for the success of the training. The group should consist of eight people as a workable number, with four meetings during the project.

5. Selection of Programme Developer

The selection of the right personwill be critical to the success of the project. The training developer should be:

  • A disabled person, and have
  • Knowledge/experience/expertise in developing and delivering adult education,
  • Knowledge/experience/expertise in developing and delivering human rights education,
  • Able to work with a diverse range of disabled people.
  • Ability to deliver training in flexible and accessible ways for different audiences.
  • Experience in developing online training. This will be a cost-intensive part of the programme and careful selection of the developer of this component is critical. The development of this component will follow the trials and may be separate.

6. General Description of Training

Audiences

Two audiences will participate in the trials,

  • Disabled people: four of these willbecome trainers.
  • DSS workforce

These are the primary audiences for the trials. The trials will be conducted for both groups, separately as they are different audiences with different needs, rights and obligations.

Future audiences (beyond the scope of this project) may include health professionals, and other organisations which might benefit from the training, such as government departments which have particular relationships with disabled people and their families. This could be on a cost recovery basis.

Overall learning objectives

  • Enable participants to gain an understanding of the meaning of human rights and the human rights system as it applies in New Zealand (including the Treaty of Waitangi).
  • Develop knowledge of the CRPD and how it is relevant to them.
  • Participants will be able to apply practical knowledge in their workplace, advocacy and other related activities.

Selection and training of the trainers

Disabled people will be training leaders. They may co-facilitate the training with non-disabled trainers who meet the criteria and who have completed the training to advances level, where appropriate. Selecting and training the trainers will be critical and they will contract to deliver training, possibly through their DPOs. (peer-to-peer model.) Four will be selected and trained in the first instance to ensure the training is manageable. Prospective trainers will be included in the pilots. They will be expected to meet most of the training delivery criteria for the training developer. Their level of expertise will not need to be as high as the training developer at the outset as they will receive training. By the end of their training disabled trainers will be able to demonstrate

  • Some practical expertise in adult education,
  • Some practical expertise in human rights education,
  • Ability to work with a diverse range of disabled people.
  • Ability to deliver this training in flexible ways for different audiences.

Delivery mechanisms and approach

The training will be delivered in face-to-face and/or online environments. The online component will be developed as a prerequisite for participants after the four trials.

Although the training will be fully funded, at least initially, those attending may have time or disability related constraints, (For Disability Support Services provider’s time equals money.) The programme may be offered in short sections, each a half day for each module. This will also allow trainers to tailor the delivery of the content to be accessible to all participants.

The online learning options may be an introduction to the Human Rights module. Online accessibility is required beyond the level of government standards. It will need to be tested for accessibility.

Adaptation for online presentation could use an existing platform for passive reading and completion of a questionnaire, or development of the component inside an existing learning management system.

Given the diverse learning needs of the audience, and the variety of learning styles generally the online pre-requisite must not exclude any disabled people.

Face-to-face content will be modular, enabling participants to build their skills and knowledge on:

  • A practical introduction to human rights,
  • the human rights system and its application in New Zealand
  • the CRPD and its practical application

Through three competency levels graded in three modules:

  • entry level, module one,
  • intermediate, modules one and two,
  • advanced modules one, two and three.

Each module would educate to a higher level of knowledge, skills and expertise from the three components, introductory human rights, the human rights system and application in New Zealand, the CRPD and its practical application.

Each module will have a further resources section.

The content will include,

  • Introduction to human rights including: what are they? What they mean in practice. Their application in individual everyday situations
  • The human rights system. Brief history, UN structures, Human rights in NZ. How these human rights structures work in practice, and how to work with them. Recognize how they apply within Maori kaupapa and within the Pasifika framework.
  • The CRPD, a brief history including NZ’s role, how it works, practical, everyday application.

Themes of action, human rights values and transformative social change will thread throughout the training.

Modules on human rights implications for particular impairment groups and Deaf can be added after the trial of the first three modules. Their development is not included in the scope of this project.

7. Training Components

Design

  • Good quality, inclusive design is critical to the success of this programme.
  • While including international human rights best practice the programme must take account of New Zealand conditions and context, including the Treaty and recognition of the diversity of disabled people including gender, different cultures, LBGT.
  • The learner and programme goals need to be clearly stated and measurable. They should express both general and specific effects.
  • Outputs and outcomes should be clearly defined and differentiated.
  • While content relates specifically to disability, the introduction should emphasise the universality of human rights, and their application to everyone.
  • Human rights terminology and vocabulary should be clearly defined.
  • Selection criteria for both trainers and participants should be developed and tied directly to programme goals.
  • Training goals and methods should be clearly communicated to potential trainers and participants. Potential trainers should have their training needs assessed in advance of the training.
  • The life experiences and daily challenges disabled people face should be built into the training.
  • Participants should be seen as valued resources who are tapped for their skills and expertise.
  • Methods should be self-reflective and avoid reproducing stereotypes or other discrimination.
  • Participants should leave with an action plan in hand.
  • Trainers should be knowledgeable in human rights content and in adult education learning methods.
  • Training materials should be in accessible formats, simple, condensed and easy to use. They should be kept updated, and include alumni information.

Implementation

  • There will be four pilots, two for each audience, with one of each being held in Auckland.
  • The disabled people’s pilots will be mixed groups of disabled people and should include prospective trainers.
  • All venues should be accessible, and take into account the accessible journey for all participants and trainers, including things like sound systems and access to power points for participants’ technology.
  • Session times and lengths may need to be flexible.
  • Sessions should be tailored to meet the access needs of all participants, with attention paid especially where people in one session are not all from the same impairment group. This might include presenting the same information in different ways, for example. Cultural issues for Tangata Whenua and others will need consideration.
  • The above information must be collected well before each session.
  • Space must be provided for “downtime,” interaction and peer to peer learning. This might include access to food, access to the Internet etc.

Follow up

  • Accountability is important following delivery.
  • On completion participants should have the energy and confidence they need to make effective use of the training investment.
  • Trainers should be contracted to deliver a prescribed number of training sessions to particular groups of people.
  • Training participants should be asked to provide written or oral confirmation of their intention to use the skills and information they have gained. This “contract” can be built into the registration process, and referenced in subsequent follow up.
  • Support should mean that training and learning is on-going and should be built into the programme from the outset. Participants need encouragement to continue their own human rights learning and development.
  • Thought should be given to how alumni networks might be supported. Participants might be contacted, perhaps through their DPOs or DSS employers to help them update their knowledge, perhaps through an email network or similar. They can then be updated on further opportunities and support each other.
  • The training developer could provide some mentoring for trainers.

Evaluation

  • Evaluation should be built in at the design stage. Evaluation questions should test the success of the specific and measureable stated goals of the programme.
  • If possible pre-training questionnaires with participants can assess their level of knowledge using a simple questionnaire. This helps with self-assessment. The same questionnaire administered at the end of the programme will measure progress. The initial assessment questionnaire could be included in the online component.
  • Evaluation could be done at the end of each module.
  • Evaluation could be a mix or oral and written interviews, and of course must be accessible.
  • Evaluation should connect back to the programme goals, specific topics in each module, timing, accessibility and overall structure. Feedback should be incorporated into the next delivery.
  • DPOs, DSS organisations, trainers and other stakeholders should receive evaluation reports.

Resources

Each module should include a comprehensive section of resources appropriate to the audience.

The online component

  • Must be accessible to everyone. That is it must exceed the NZ government web standards.
  • May contain signed video, video with captions, audio, transcripts of audio and video material, text and easy read content.
  • Can be accessed and used independently or with support.
  • Will be developed after the trials, and will be particularly useful for imparting information.

8. Sustainability of the Training

The pilots and the training for trainers will be delivered free. Options thereafter might be

  • Free delivery
  • Fee for service or
  • Part subsidy, part fee
  • Options to pay for training may be different for DSS and other organisations such as government departments as contrasted with disabled people

Ongoing administration of the project will be managed by DPA, assuming it has the capacity and resources to do so. Disabled people will deliver the training and DPA will lead the project.

The ongoing project should have a set life span, with a prescribed number of deliveries to each of the audiences. Once these have been delivered, the programme should be reviewed and the outcomes, as distinct from outputs, assessed before any further deliveries.

9. Budget

Activity / Estimate
Kaitiaki group 4 meetings
Recruiting Kaitiaki including specialists maximum 8 members 40 hours $50.00 per hour / $2,000.00
Project administration, bookings etc 50 hours $50.00 per hour / $2,500.00
Travel / $3,000.00
Catering on the basis of $35 per person per day. / $1,120.00
Meeting fees where appropriate $350 per day for 4 people at each meeting, excluding GST* / $5,600.00
Recruitment of training provider
Advertising / $600.00
Selection process / $5,000.00
Development of training package
Training developer 3 x 30, 90 hours at $150 per hour / $13,500.00
Development of online component / $20,000.00**
Accessibility testing of online component / $3,000.00
Implementation
Venue hire x 4 pilots for 3 half day modules 14 days training / $3,500.00
Accessibility, interpreters technology, portable FM etc / $11,000.00
Catering / $8,330.00
Travel and accommodation / $4,000.00
Trainer set up and delivery of trials 4 x 15 hours 60 hours for three modules based on 16 participants for each $150 per hour / $9,000.00
Workshop materials produced in a variety of formats. / $10,000.00
Evaluation, reporting and including results
Conducting Evaluation process 36 hours / $5,400.00
Writing Report 30 hours / $4,500.00
Training the trainers
30 hours development / $4,500.00
One workshop 5 hours delivery / $750.00
Venue / $250.00
Catering / $175.00
Accessibility / $2,000.00
Course materials in appropriate formats / $200.00
Travel / $2,000.00
TOTAL / $121,925.00
Contingency + 15% / $18,288.75
GRAND TOTAL / $140,214.00

*Development costs for the training developer do not include GST either.