Evaluation of UNICEF Malaysia’s #ThisAbility Initiative

UNICEF Malaysia committed to scaling up its focus on disability with the launch of its #ThisAbility Flagship Initiative 2017-2020. The Initiative sought to make positive changes for children with disabilities in Malaysia, so that they are free from discrimination and able to access services to support their growth, development and protection. This goal was underpinned by six key objectives: children with disabilities have increased access to high quality services; children with disabilities do not experience abuse and discrimination; children and adolescents with disabilities are empowered to advocate for themselves; the general public are aware of children with disabilities; children with disabilities are socially included; children with disabilities can contribute positively in society.

Our team conducted the formative evaluation of #ThisAbility (for Equal International), working with IPSOS. Among the evaluation findings was data underscoring the importance of appropriate planning. For example, while many events and campaigns had been run with a view to changing attitudes, knowledge and practices, the lack of a clear strategy and any systematic monitoring data presented problems for determining the impact or sustainability of Initiative activities. The full evaluation report is available here.