FOCUS AREAS & SERVICES
Oxfam Consults is committed to addressing issues surrounding Food and Economic Security, Gender, Logistics, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) and Protection.
FOCUS AREAS
Our network of specialist consultants and local partners bring key skills to each of these focus areas. Together, and individually, they are dedicated to creating a world that is just and sustainable, through enabling transformational change and promoting community resilience.
The Oxfam Consults network enables us to make Oxfam’s skills and experiences across each technical area available to others:
FES (FOOD & ECONOMIC SECURITY)
Crisis and disasters impact people’s livelihoods, food security, and access to critical needs for survival. Oxfam’s FES programmes support all people affected by crisis to have the necessary food and economic resources, access to social protection, and to mitigate the effects of shocks before, during, and after a crisis.
Oxfam works with individuals, communities, markets, partners, and other actors to save lives by supporting people and communities to meet their basic needs, including food.
GENDER
Humanitarian crises exacerbate pre-existing vulnerabilities and women, girls, men, boys and gender-diverse individuals are often exposed to vastly different impacts, risks and experiences. Oxfam considers gender and intersectionality systematically in each phase of a humanitarian response, guided by our minimum standards to promote the safety and survival of all those affected by crises.
Our aim is not only to help people to survive, but to ensure that disaster and conflict is an opportunity to build back better, especially in promoting positive gender norms. Our approach rests on both our ability to effectively mainstream gender throughout the programme management cycle, from initial assessments to final evaluation, and our capacity to implement gender stand-alone programmes in partnership with local organisations and communities.
LOGISTICS
Supply and Logistics is a support function that enables the delivery of Oxfam’s international programmes. It manages all activities relating to materials and services, allowing projects to function effectively and with proper accountability. This includes coordination and collaboration with partners, affiliates, local governments, suppliers and other key stakeholders.
With a long history of delivering goods to programmes all over the world and working in crisis environments, Oxfam’s Global Supply and Logistics team is highly experienced in managing export documentation and ensuring goods are delivered in accordance with local import requirements.
WASH (WATER SANITATION & HYGIENE)
Oxfam provides clean water, sanitation, and public health promotion in rapid and high-quality emergency responses at scale, enabling communities to prepare for and mitigate public health risks in a dignified way. Our specialists combine engineering and community engagement to support community resilience in disaster prone and fragile contexts, and enhance national capacities to improve WASH coverage for the most vulnerable.
Three key areas are at the heart of our thinking: people, technology, and systems.
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- We make sure we understand and respond to people’s needs.
- We look for technology that will provide environmentally, financially, and socially sustainable long-term solutions.
- We work with local partners and affected populations to build systems that can be maintained and operated by local utilities, organisations and community groups.
MEAL (MONITORING, EVALUATION, ACCOUNTABILITY & LEARNING)
The concept of MEAL has risen to prominence in the humanitarian world in recent years, for its recognised value in the development and execution of high-quality humanitarian programmes.
Assessments, monitoring and learning from current and past responses inform the design and implementation of all of Oxfam’s programmes. Participatory learning reviews and evaluations are standard practice, capture learning and inform adaptive management. Oxfam and partners establish multiple channels and processes for those affected to be active participants, to share their feedback, hold Oxfam to account and ensure that no one is left behind.
PROTECTION
Oxfam is an influential and professional protection actor within the humanitarian community and has heavily influenced the development of protection standards, training and approaches.
The strategic combination of community-based fieldwork and international advocacy is widely regarded as Oxfam’s greatest strength in protection.Our work in protection is aimed at improving the safety and coping capacity of civilians in conflict and crisis situations, focusing on three complementary groups of activities:
- Supporting community-based structures that work to protect them, for example, by negotiating with the military or making emergency plans in the event that armed actors enter communities.
- When the worst happens, and people are subjected to violence or abuse, helping them access emergency and protection services in a timely manner, such as medical clinics or legal assistance.
- Oxfam, its partners and community groups work together on advocacy for those responsible to fulfil their protection role, and on campaigns to build a global environment where people enjoy better protection and increased access to justice.
Oxfam is committed to developing protection strategies that outline the target areas and populations, objectivesand activities, and the resources and collaborations required to achieve those objectives.
SERVICES
Through our global network, Oxfam Consults offers the following services across each focus area:
Our dedicated consultants work alongside communities to ensure both sustainability and long-term resilience building.