DFAT disability inclusion technical partnership

Iag, Stories | November 19, 2021

CBM Global’s Inclusion Advisory Group (IAG) and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) have a technical partnership including development of an online help desk platform where DFAT staff can request short-term, tailored technical advice. 

We have worked with DFAT (then AusAID) since 2011 in a series of technical partnerships to implement their strategy Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program. DFAT has taken a leading role on disability-inclusive development since being among the first bilateral donors to create this specific disability inclusion strategy for the aid program. The partnership between DFAT and IAG is the mechanism through which IAG provides support to help DFAT achieve its objectives as set out in the strategy.

“DFAT’s partnership with CBM Australia is an essential enabler for accessing quality disability inclusive technical assistance and capacity building support.” – Excerpt from evaluation of implementation of DFAT’s Development for All strategy.

IAG is providing disability inclusion advisory support towards four shared outcome areas:

1. The disability inclusion awareness, capacity, policy and practice of DFAT and implementing partners is improved.
2. Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) are supported to engage in and influence development processes.
3. Evidence of good practice disability-inclusive development is collected, disseminated and used.
4. Australia demonstrates global and regional leadership in disability inclusive development.

IAG has been responding to help desk tasks through the online DID4All system since November 2014. So far, 626 tasks have been raised in total. Feedback consistently indicates that IAG’s advice in response to help desk requests is high quality, well targeted, timely and usually practical.

In order to embed disability inclusion within international development it is important that staff and partners have access to disability inclusion technical support, including capacity building, evidence and learning, and access to technical advice when they need it.

Our IAG Australia team works together with the DFAT Canberra-based Disability, Indigenous and Social Inclusion Section (DIS) to help systematise and embed disability inclusion practice within the work of DFAT and its partners. This is done through the provision of both short- and long-term demand-driven technical assistance and analytical support to design, implement, monitor and evaluate disability-inclusive policies and practice.

“The advice provided by the Helpdesk has been incorporated into our new program design which will help to ensure that DI is mainstreamed in all our activities. Additionally, inputs have been provided into an online training module that the Post is developing on Safeguarding which will help to ensure the training content is inclusive and takes into consideration people with disabilities.” – DFAT staff member, Annual Report 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2021.

The partnership continues to build disability inclusion understanding and capacity amongst both DFAT staff and implementing partners. This increases the reach of Australia’s development program, the quality of life of people with disabilities and their contribution to economic development.

More information

Find out more about the work of our Inclusion Advisory Group in Australia

Learn about our disability inclusion help desk for World Food Programme

Visit the Inclusion Advisory Group Global website

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