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This report aims to highlight the humanitarian consequences of the dysfunction at the UN Security Council and humanitarian finance mechanisms. A few powerful states are obstructing peace processes and undermining international laws which should be equally binding for all people. There are 23 protracted crises examined in this report, with case studies on the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria and Ukraine. The growth of humanitarian needs, gaps in humanitarian funding, and the impacts of veto and penholding power are explored., Ahead of the Summit of the Future in 2024, Oxfam urges the UN member states to use this opportunity to take decisive and bold action to rebuild a more equal, inclusive, efficient, and responsive system. This will ensure that they fulfil their roles in reducing and resolving crises to avoid the spiralling humanitarian consequences of protracted conflict.

This report contains learning from a pilot implementation of the Locally Led Emergency Response Fund (LL-ERF) Project in three countries. The LL-ERF is a funding innovation that provides flexible, quick humanitarian funding to local actors in order to save lives during emergencies, advocate for the rights of people affected, and advance the shifting of power to local actors in the humanitarian sector. In the pilot, the LL-ERF was designed and managed by a consortium of local actors in each of the three pilot sites. Feedback from communities showed that this funding facility helped reduce suffering caused by low-attention disasters. This learning report identifies good practices and challenges and documents the experience of local actors in managing funds and designing response options., The learning in this report presents opportunities to explore how best to increase and direct funding to local actors. At the same time, it identifies barriers encountered during the LL-ERF Project that stakeholders in this sector must continue to overcome together.

In the Gaza Strip, 80% of the population receives humanitarian assistance. The level of need is overwhelming, and the political and socio-economic context has crippled the traditional social protection system. Efforts to build a stronger social protection system are under way, and cash interventions are on the rise., This report explores the humanitarian cash assistance landscape in the Gaza Strip and how it interacts with social protection. It sets out a vision for a social protection architecture that supports coherence, protection, accountability and the building of resilient systems, and achieves complementarity between actors and programmes. The report also provides recommendations on how the implementation of programmes can be improved.

Between 2017 and 2022, Oxfam examined aid to DRM from multiple donors provided to multiple low- and middle-income countries. This synthesis report seeks to draw lessons across these studies. The key issues examined include tradeoffs between efficiency and effectiveness in generating revenues on the one hand, and equity on the other; whether donors support direct or indirect taxation; the progressivity of instruments supported; whether aid to DRM explicitly links revenues to poverty reduction (health, education, social protection); whether aid supports country ownership; and whether aid explicitly seeks to advance gender equality.

This document introduces the key concepts of decolonial theory that inform many current calls to decolonize. It provides examples from Latin America, Africa, and North America of how activists have envisioned or realized decolonial futures. These movements led by Indigenous Peoples, people of color, women, and queer people articulate and define the possibilities of decolonial futures., Since decolonial theory suggests multiple futures and not one single solution, this document does not address what decolonizing particular systems, such as international development, should look like. Rather, the document aims to introduce the reader to the tools of analysis that decolonial theory offers, give examples of decolonial theory in practice, and discuss some potential shortfalls of the decolonial framework., Ce document présente les principaux concepts de la théorie décoloniale sur lesquels s’appuient de nombreux discours actuels qui prônent la décolonisation. Grâce à des exemples tirés d’Amérique latine, d’Afrique et d’Amérique du Nord, il aborde la manière dont les militants ont envisagé ou réalisé des projets de futurs décoloniaux. Ces mouvements à l’initiative de peuples autochtones, de personnes racisées, de femmes et de personnes LGBT expriment et définissent les possibilités d’un avenir décolonial. Puisque la théorie décoloniale suggère des multiples alternatives au futur et non pas une solution unique, ce document ne propose pas de représentation de la décolonisation de systèmes particuliers, tel que le développement international. Ce document vise plutôt à présenter au lecteur les outils d’analyse que propose la théorie décoloniale. Il fournit des exemples de mise en pratique de la théorie décoloniale et analyse les potentielles lacunes du cadre décolonial.

The 2022 Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index is the first detailed analysis published looking at governments’ policies and actions to fight inequality during the first two years of the pandemic. This fourth edition of the CRI Index reviews the spending, tax and labour policies and actions of 161 governments during 2020–2022., COVID-19 has increased inequality worldwide, as the poorest people were hit hardest by both the disease and its profound economic impacts. Yet the CRI 2022 Index shows clearly that most of the world’s governments failed to mitigate this dangerous rise in inequality. Despite the biggest global health emergency in a century, half of low-and lower-middle-income countries saw the share of health spending fall during the pandemic, half of the countries tracked by the CRI Index cut the share of social protection spending, 70% cut the share of education spending, while two-thirds of countries failed to increase their minimum wage in line with gross domestic product (GDP). Ninety-five percent of countries failed to increase taxation of the richest people and corporations. At the same time, a small group of governments from across the world bucked this trend, taking clear actions to combat inequality, putting the rest of the world to shame., See also the CRI Index website: www.inequalityindex.orgThe Index has been audited by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. Read more here., L’indice de l’engagement à la réduction des inégalités (ERI) 2022 est la première analyse détaillée publiée portant sur les politiques et les actions des gouvernements pour lutter contre les inégalités au cours des deux premières années de la pandémie. Cette analyse passe en revue les politiques et actions de 161 gouvernements en matière de dépenses, de fiscalité et de travail sur la période 2020-2022., La COVID-19 a creusé les inégalités dans le monde entier, les plus pauvres étant les plus durement touché·es par la maladie et ses profondes répercussions économiques. Pourtant, l’indice ERI 2022 montre clairement que la plupart des gouvernements du monde n’ont pas réussi à atténuer cette dangereuse augmentation des inégalités. Alors qu’il s’agit de la pire urgence sanitaire que le monde ait connue depuis un siècle, la moitié des pays à revenu faible et intermédiaire de la tranche inférieure ont vu la part des dépenses de santé diminuer pendant la pandémie. La moitié des pays suivis par l’indice ERI ont réduit la part des dépenses de protection sociale, 70 % ont revu à la baisse la part des dépenses d’éducation, tandis que deux tiers des pays n’ont pas augmenté leur salaire minimum en fonction du produit intérieur brut (PIB). 95 % des pays n’ont pas augmenté l’imposition des personnes et des sociétés les plus riches. Dans le même temps, quelques gouvernements dans différentes parties du monde se sont démarqués de cette tendance en prenant des mesures claires pour lutter contre les inégalités, couvrant de honte le reste du monde.

In Haiti, the traditional centralization of power in Port-au-Prince has far-reaching effects, one of which is the limited influence of ordinary citizens on holding local officials accountable for providing basic services like trash removal, water and sanitation, and maintaining healthy and safe marketplaces. From 2013 to 2018, USAID carried out a project known as LOKAL+ that was aimed at supporting and strengthening ten district-level governments., Oxfam studied the outcomes in three of the districts, interviewing local officials, experts on local government, community members, and representatives of community organizations. Participants reported that the project did not lead to tangible, sustainable improvements in providing local services; however, there are indications that it helped strengthen important capacities among local mayors, and there is potential for sustainable impact on the mayors’ ability to collect taxes and manage their budgets and accounting systems—a modest step forward on the path to decentralization.

Oxfam America has been recommending reforms to US foreign aid practice to make it more responsive to and supportive of countries’ own development priorities. A first step in this direction is improving the information the US providesrecipient countries on its foreign aid. In particular, Oxfam is calling for the US to provide countries with information that is more transparent and predictable., How would more transparency and predictability improve the usefulness of US aid on the ground? To find out, Oxfam interviewed 200 representatives from governments, civil society organizations, and US aid agencies, contractors, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that implement aid programs in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, and Rwanda.

Why is it so important to improve US foreign aid? One billion people have been left behind by current global development trends. Aid, used in smart ways, can save lives and help people get themselves out of poverty. Better yet, smart aid can help make other local, national, and global economic and political forces work for people experiencing poverty., This research report covers information about informing countries about what donors are doing, capacity and helping countreis lead and control. US foreign aid should be at least transparent and hopefully predictable; the US government should make our technical assistance more demand driven and empower local efforts to improve domestic accountability; and the US should limit earmarks and overall increase budget support.

In 2013, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) launched Appui à la Valorisation du Potentiel Agricole du Nord, pour la Sécurité Économique et Environnementale—Aid to Realize the Agricultural Potential of the North, for Economic and Environmental Security, or AVANSE—in northern Haiti. This $87 million project, also known as Feed the Future North, runs through the end of 2019., Oxfam examined AVANSE utilizing an aid effectiveness lens. The research found that the project is generally well-aligned with Haiti’s national agricultural plans. However, USAID did not engage either the Haitian government or the beneficiary farmers in project design. Consequently, AVANSE has not adequately addressed local concerns about access to water, despite periodic severe droughts. Nor has the project targeted key local food crops, such as yams, or livestock, despite the desires of participating farmers., AVANSE has provided resources to women farmers. However, Oxfam found that the project has tended to engage women in rather traditional activities, such as soil and water conservation and marketing, and has not sought to transform gender relations in rural northern Haiti., Like Oxfam’s previous assessment of Feed the Future West in Haiti, the study determined that AVANSE lacks well-developed plans to maintain gains in farmer income and productivity beyond the life of the project. The study recommends systematic stakeholder engagement to ensure such sustainability.

This paper provides recommendations for the US government as it continues grappling with ways of improving foreign aid, taking lessons from successful donor partnerships with recipient countries. The underlying field research comes from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Malawi, and Tanzania., Our research findings suggest that aid works best through genuine partnerships; partnerships that truly support the visions and efforts of people and their governments., This report argues that instead of trying to avoid risk, donors should accept and manage the risks associated with building more-effective partnerships. The report does not aim to provide a blueprint or roadmap for donors. There is no blueprint for effective partnership, and what’s 'best' practice depends on the context. As the US government adopts the partnership model for more-effective aid, however, it can learn from the experience of other donors in how to place more trust in recipient leadership.

Total Official Support for Sustainable Development, or TOSSD, is a new statistical metric that has been in the making for almost 10 years. It is meant to capture a broad range of global flows of public money in support of sustainable development. These include aid, loans on non-concessional terms, and public funds aimed at mobilising private finance for development., ActionAid, AidWatch Canada and Oxfam are publishing this discussion paper to shed light on how TOSSD works in practice, its ambitions and shortcomings and the range of political perspectives on this new metric.

Transparency in international aid is not just about fulfilling a requirement based on people’s right to access information, but also about making aid more effective. Transparency can help improve coordination and planning, enable accountability and build trust. Accomplishing these goals can be a challenge when there are many partners involved in channeling funds through a complicated web of service delivery without clear public information explaining who did what where., This research looks at the information needed by in-country development stakeholders with an emphasis on accountability actors including civil society organizations, charities, government workers, and the media. To collect this information, semi-structured interviews were conducted in Sierra Leone and Liberia., The majority of interviewees wanted information about financial resources and the channels they flowed through, and all respondents wanted information on the services provided and where the work was happening subnationally, suggesting that these two sets of information may be the most important. Unfortunately, information on subnational locations and services provided is infrequently available through open aid data portals, implying a need to update what aid information is shared.

US foreign assistance is a valuable tool for achieving a more stable and prosperous world. The US government spends less than 1 percent of its budget on foreign assistance. Despite this small investment, it’s one of the best value-for-money investments in support of strengthening US national security, providing new economic opportunities, and fighting extreme poverty., As lawmakers, however, we rarely have the opportunity to raise an important caveat to this claim: US foreign assistance is most effective when provided in a manner that ensures local participation and ownership. What does this mean for the way US international assistance is implemented on the ground in developing countries? Oxfam and Save the Children believe that when development assistance efforts are driven by local citizens in collaboration with their governments, the results are more effective and enduring. The how and with whom the US partners in host countries are central to the long-term success of its international assistance., Oxfam and Save the Children have analyzed projects cited by the MCC and USAID as successful instances of applied-ownership approaches that empowered local actors to drive their own development. We hope these examples not only highlight the value of pursuing ownership, but also provide analysis, findings and recommendations that are useful to practitioners and policymakers who want to strengthen the US’s commitment to ownership.

Americans don’t want their foreign aid to be lost to corruption—or worse, to fuel corruption. However, by seeking to avoid corruption rather than changing its approach to aid, the United States is missing out on the vast, untapped potential of local actors to strengthen accountability, improve governance, and fight corruption., The US has the opportunity to make its actions match its rhetoric. With the right changes to US laws, policy, and practice, the US can adopt a more locally driven approach to fighting corruption, and thereby sharpen its tools to support people in partner countries in their fight against corruption., As the stories in this report show, citizens and leaders in countries around the world are taking action and working to make their governments accountable. The US government needs to change its practices to seize opportunities to invest in leaders who are already working to hold their governments to account.

In this booklet, we share the perspectives on questions regarding aid effectiveness from aid practitioners and intended beneficiaries in El Salvador. This material draws from conversations with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) country mission and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), US contractors, government of El Salvador staff, civil society organizations, beneficiaries, and other donors., In trying to improve US foreign aid, we should listen to those who know aid best: the professionals who deliver aid and the people who receive it. They know more than anyone how aid can and should work, how the way aid is delivered affects its outcomes, and how aid can motivate governments and communities to invest in their own development. Oxfam America seeks to bring voices from the field to the Washington debate on aid reform, enabling them to weigh in on the following issues: Getting the purpose right, modernizing US foreign aid, promoting ownership by governments and citizens.

Oxfam America is advocating for reforms of US foreign aid to make aid more supportive of the development priorities of effective governments and citizens. One challenge inherent in this approach is how to reconcile “letting countries lead” with the very low capacity to manage development often prevalent in many countries receiving aid. This is where aid for capacity building comes in., Through our field research, Oxfam America saw firsthand some of the striking ways in which US support helped governments do their jobs better and helped citizen groups hold their governments accountable. We also learned about many of the shortcomings with US support for capacity building: how the US foreign aid system tends to be too supply driven, overrelies on a flawed contractor model, and underutilizes country systems. What reforms could help US aid for capacity building overcome these shortcomings? To answer this question, Oxfam convened a discussion in Washington, DC, in March 2010 with representatives from US agencies, Congress, policy think tanks, contractors, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), as well as voices from recipient countries., The first section of this policy brief describes the importance of capacity building in supporting country ownership. The second section briefly discusses how the US performs with respect to aid for capacity building. Sections three through five present the main issues we learned from our conversations with aid recipients and US aid professionals in recipient countries. We close by presenting ideas for reform voiced at our Washington discussion with policymakers.

Oxfam America went to Cambodia to meet those working with US development dollars to understand the impact of those dollars on the ground. In this report, we present reflections from 40 interviews in October 2008 with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) country mission, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), multilateral and bilateral donors, international and Cambodian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), contractors, research institutions, and various community members.

Data on total official support for sustainable development (TOSSD) take a recipient perspective, in contrast to official development assistance (ODA) data, which take a donor perspective. The TOSSD metric captures development resource flows that are not included in donors’ reports to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee, and are intended to link resource flows to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For 2020, 98 donors reported TOSSD data, an increase of six donors from 2019. Reported net disbursements totaled $291 billion, including $62 billion reported only to TOSSD. The top five sectors in TOSSD reporting, accounting for 65% of net disbursements, were energy, donor administrative costs, in-donor refugee costs, health, and government and civil society., For those disbursements linked to one or more of the SDGs, 61% went to the Health, Poverty Eradication, Climate Change, support for Decent Work and Sustainable Economic Growth, Ending Hunger, and Partnerships SDGs. The gender equality SDG was allocated just 4.5% of total net disbursements. TOSSD data provided a foundation of activity level detail to enable further research on allocations to SDGs. The picture that TOSSD data provide could be more complete if additional donors submitted reports to TOSSD, and if all donors reported on links to SDGs.

Oxfam s’est engagé depuis 2016, en partenariat avec des organisations internationales et nationales du Tchad, du Burkina Faso, du Niger, de la Mauritanie et du Mali, dans la mise en oeuvre des projets de renforcement de la résilience dans des zones fragilisées du Sahel financés dans le cadre du Fonds Fiduciaire d’Urgence de l’Union Européenne pour l’Afrique (FFUE)., À travers notre expérience et celle des organisations avec lesquelles nous travaillons dans le cadre des projets FFUE, nous avons constaté que les différentes dynamiques de mobilité humaine présentes dans les zones d’intervention avaient des impacts sur les communautés et les projets. C’est ainsi que nous avons entamé un processus d’apprentissage croisé entre les projets FFUE où Oxfam participe afin de mieux comprendre les enjeux entre résilience et mobilité humaine dans le contexte des zones d’intervention dans ces cinq pays du Sahel., Since 2016, Oxfam has been involved in the implementation of resilience-building projects in fragile areas of the Sahel, working in partnership with international and national organizations in Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania and Mali, with funding from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF)., Our experience and that of our partner organizations in EUTF projects has taught us that the different human mobility dynamics present in the intervention areas have an impact on communities and projects. We therefore initiated a learning process across the EUTF projects in which Oxfam is involved, in order to better understand the links between resilience and human mobility in the intervention areas in these five Sahel countries.

The purpose of this document is to provide an analysis of the critical factors that influence decision-making behaviour related to misconduct reporting, based on a human-centred design approach. Findings have been analysed across three research locations: Myanmar Iraq Ghana, The intended primary audience includes the accountability, safeguarding, protection, gender justice, and technology teams from Oxfam Great Britain (Oxfam GB) and members of Oxfam country offices across the world., This document is also intended for other sector audiences interested in understanding the critical factors that influence misconduct reporting., There are three sections to this document: The first section provides some background information on this initiative and the approach guiding this work. The second section presents an analysis of the key findings and trends identified. The final section offers some high-level considerations for moving forward.

A paragraph that is shorter than one would usually expect. With two sentences. Or three., A second paragraph to check the spacing. Now for some bullets: bullet number one bullet number two bullet number three, And now a list with order first item second item third item, Now for a quote. This one is from Martin Luther King, The first principle of value that we need to rediscover is this: that all reality hinges on moral foundations. In other words, that this is a moral universe, and that there are moral laws of the universe just as abiding as the physical laws. I'm not so sure we all believe that.

The purpose of this document is to provide a summary of the critical factors that influence decision-making behaviour related to misconduct reporting in Ghana, based on a human-centred approach., The intended primary audience includes the accountability, safeguarding and technology teams from Oxfam Great Britain (Oxfam GB) and members of the Oxfam in Ghana country offices. This document is also intended for other humanitarian audiences interested in understanding the critical factors that influence misconduct reporting in Ghana., There are four sections to this document. The first section provides some background information on this initiative and the approach guiding this work. The second section provides specific details on the research process, ethical considerations and limitations. The third section presents a summary of the key findings and themes. The fourth and final section offers some high-level recommendations for moving forward.

The purpose of this document is to provide a summary of the critical factors that influence decision-making behaviour related to misconduct reporting in Iraq, based on a human-centred approach., The intended primary audience includes the accountability, safeguarding and technology teams from Oxfam Great Britain (Oxfam GB) and members of the Oxfam in Iraq country offices. This document is also intended for other humanitarian audiences interested in understanding the critical factors that influence misconduct reporting in Iraq., There are four sections to this document: The first section provides some background information on this initiative and the approach guiding this work. The second section provides specific details on the research process, ethical considerations and limitations. The third section presents a summary of the key findings and themes. The fourth and final section offers some high-level recommendations for moving forward.

From May 2021 to January 2022, Oxfam, in partnership with Sejajar Indonesia, the Tamdeen Youth Foundation in Yemen, and the Palestinian Agricultural Development Association (PARC) in Palestine, convened a total of 10 learning series through online convenings on local humanitarian leadership (LHL). Approximately 450 people participated, of whom 60% were from local and national NGOs representing approximately 30 countries. This document offers a snapshot report on the state of LHL across the four regions based on discussions, insights, and materials shared by the resource persons and audience members who participated in the series.

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the extreme inequality in Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, and pushed millions into poverty. The economic crisis continues due to the obscene global vaccine inequality. As of end March 2022, a dismal 14% of SADC citizens had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, compared with 65.5% in the United States and 73% in the European Union., In 2021, with infections rising in SADC, the critical health, social protection and economic programmes put in place by most governments in 2020 were rolled back and replaced with austerity, in the context of growing debt burdens and lack of external support for country budgets. Such austerity has been built into IMF programmes in the region., Recovering from the pandemic, however, offers SADC governments a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do what their citizens want: increase taxes on the wealthy and large corporations, boost public spending (especially on healthcare, education and social protection), and increase workers’ rights as well as tackling joblessness and precarious work. With external support, including through debt relief and aid, they could reduce inequality drastically and eliminate extreme poverty by 2030., Crise des inégalités extrêmes dans la SADC Combattre l’austérité et la pandémie de COVID-19 La pandémie de COVID-19 a aggravé les inégalités extrêmes dans les pays de la Communauté de développement d’Afrique australe (SADC) et a précipité des millions de personnes dans la pauvreté. La crise économique se poursuit en raison de l’inégalité vaccinale obscène dans le monde. Fin mars 2022, 14 % seulement des citoyen·nes de la SADC avaient un schéma vaccinal complet contre la COVID-19, contre 65,5 % aux États-Unis et 73 % dans l’Union européenne5., En 2021, en pleine flambée des infections dans la SADC, les programmes critiques en matière de santé, de protection sociale et d’économie mis en place par la plupart des gouvernements en 2020 ont été réduits et remplacés par l’austérité, dans un contexte d’augmentation du fardeau de la dette et de manque de soutien extérieur aux budgets nationaux. Les programmes du FMI dans la région ont intégré cette austérité., La sortie de la pandémie offre toutefois aux gouvernements de la SADC une occasion qui ne se présente qu’une fois par génération de faire ce que veulent leurs citoyen·nes : augmenter les impôts sur les grandes fortunes et les grandes entreprises, accroître les dépenses publiques (notamment en matière de soins de santé, d’éducation et de protection sociale), renforcer les droits des travailleurs et des travailleuses et lutter contre le chômage et le travail précaire. Avec un soutien extérieur, notamment par le biais d’une aide et d’un allègement de la dette, ils pourraient réduire radicalement les inégalités et éliminer l’extrême pauvreté d’ici 2030.

This report analyses the first round of Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) data from European Union (EU) Institutions., The EU is a key stakeholder in the development of TOSSD, as Co-Chair of the International TOSSD Task Force, and in the promotion of this as an essential metric in the implementation of Agenda 2030. It is our hope that this paper’s detailed examination of the scope of what has been reported by the EU Institutions identifies trends and issues arising from the first reporting round for TOSSD, which can be addressed going forward., It is timely to acknowledge the level of transparency in the proceedings of the TOSSD Task Force, which has been open to comments and suggestions since its inception, and has recently seated CSO representatives as observers. This transparency has put into practical effect the notion that data validation can, to some extent, be entrusted to third parties provided that the relevant information is available to all interested stakeholders on a timely basis., Good norms, such as good reporting instructions, can help steer the development agenda in the right direction for the benefit of the communities of the Global South.

As the Philippines approaches upper-middle-income status, it continues to face the challenge of fighting poverty and economic and gender inequalities, while also confronting COVID-19. Public debt is set to dramatically increase, and donors are likely to ramp up funding to help foster recovery from the pandemic. Transparency and accountability are essential to guarantee efficient and judicious use of funds. The Philippines might have to consider a “debt brake” if government borrowing exceeds manageable levels, and donors should emphasize grants over loans. Aid should focus on building self-reliance based on localization, untying assistance and support for progressive revenue-raising.

The global call for localization and locally led emergency response acknowledges the reality that the humanitarian system is currently organized around international actors. More than the limited access to direct funding, the core issue is the power imbalance between local and international actors., In the Philippines, national and local networks of humanitarian, faith-based, developmental organizations and private sector foundations have been conducting and leading small- and large-scale disaster responses for decades. However, the discourse and struggle for localization have grown in recent years due to the prominence and dominance of international humanitarian actors, especially during large-scale emergencies., Oxfam is one of several international organizations that have signed up to the Grand Bargain, Charter for Change and other agreements that push for localization, and Oxfam in the Philippines has embraced the local humanitarian leadership (LHL) approach holistically.

From 2014 to 2020 Oxfam embedded an Emergency Response Fund (ERF) in its multiyear disaster risk reduction programs in Asia-Pacific and Central America. The Oxfam ERF was designed as a flexible funding mechanism to prioritize small-scale, under-the-radar, and forgotten emergencies and help local actors respond to and mitigate the impacts of disasters in their communities. ERF grants totaling US$1.9 million were disbursed and supported 24 small-scale responses led by 15 local organizations in nine countries. The ERF, through the support of a donor who values local leadership, helped local actors shape humanitarian responses, and the simplicity of fund administration unlocked creativity and delivered speed without compromising the quality and accountability of humanitarian aid.

Total Official Support for Sustainable Development, or TOSSD, is a new statistical metric that has been in the making for almost 10 years. It is meant to capture a broad range of global flows of public money in support of sustainable development. These include aid, loans on non-concessional terms, and public funds aimed at mobilising private finance for development., Metrics matter. It is essential to track the resources that the international community is allocating to turn the ambitions of Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into reality. Without such data, it is impossible to determine whether there is progress., ActionAid, AidWatch Canada and Oxfam International are publishing this discussion paper to shed light on how TOSSD works in practice as well as on its ambitions, shortcomings and the contending political perspectives on this new metric. The paper emphasizes that TOSSD could significantly shape the future of development finance.

Delivering aid in a conflict setting is complex and often frustrating. Oxfam has been delivering humanitarian aid in response to the conflict in Syria for a number of years, but there are still access restrictions that limit capabilities. Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria is particularly hard to reach, and there are a large number of displaced people returning to an area severely affected by the collapse of markets and public services. Due to a number of factors women are shouldering an increasing number of responsibilities, both within and outside the home. This case study examines how conducting a remote assessment that takes gender into consideration can benefit aid distribution.

This research paper explores the different challenges related to menstrual hygiene faced by Syrian refugee women residing in Informal Tented Settlements (ITSs) in the Bekaa valley in Lebanon. The piece first looks at women’s distinct lived experiences and practices, focusing on products, safety and health, and delving into the implications of those challenges on paid work and domestic responsibilities and care work. The report then tackles communal perceptions and social stigma, and looks at how those affect women’s practices, bodies and lives, with a particular focus on knowledge and informal support systems amongst women. The research finally provides potential solutions and programatic recommendations for integrating menstrual hygiene management in humanitarian responses, particularly targeted at the WASH, protection, education and health sectors.

The deteriorating situation in Gaza means increasingly difficult conditions for the population, a majority of whom are already dependent on assistance to survive and who are now running out of coping strategies. In addition, newly vulnerable groups are emerging who in normal times would be productive members of society – fishers, farmers, merchants, new graduates and even government employees. The Palestinian National Cash Transfer Programme (PNCTP) and other assistance programmes are bridging the poverty gap to some extent, but are not adequate to meet increasing demand. This study looks into responsiviness and the effectiveness of the PNCTP and other programmes and explores options for extending their reach in supporting vulnerable families in Gaza.

Research by PAPDA (the Haitian Advocacy Platform for Alternative Development) and Oxfam found that peanut value chain actors in Haiti face a number of serious constraints, including nonexistence of state support; weak organization; use of traditional production methods; and lack of access to irrigation and inputs, including herbicides to control aflatoxin, all in a context of poverty and vulnerable livelihoods. Most of those interviewed have peanut-related earnings insufficient to cover living expenses. However, most expressed satisfaction with their value chain activities. Women in particular reported achieving a measure of economic empowerment, despite limited earnings. With the right policies and agricultural programs, Haiti has the potential to achieve self-sufficiency and pursue export opportunities., The US peanut value chain, in contrast, features highly subsidized production, precision technologies, and politically well-organized farmers who engage in unabashed rent seeking. This leads to overproduction and pressures to develop foreign markets and use peanuts in food aid, such as the 2016 donation of 500 metric tons of dry roasted peanuts to Haiti. But such surplus dumping is incoherent with longstanding US agricultural aid aimed at boosting Haitian peanut productivity and overcoming severe aflatoxin issues., The paper recommends that the Haitian government provide significant support to the peanut value chain. It encourages the United States and other donors to continue providing aid to Haitian peanut production, while avoiding agricultural trade policies that undermine such assistance.

Critiques of international humanitarian aid have long suggested that it needs to be more inclusive of actors from crisis-affected countries. Increased attention to this issue over the past decade or so has coalesced into a set of agendas often referred to as the “localization” of humanitarian assistance, “local humanitarian leadership” (LHL), and “local humanitarian action” (LHA). However, there is little consensus about key definitions and concepts related to these terms. What does “local” actually mean? Who qualifies as a “local humanitarian actor”? What are the goals of these agendas? In general, these conversations have been led by and focused on the experiences of international humanitarian actors, which in turn has shaped the discourse about both the status quo and necessary reforms. Recently, there have been increased efforts to re-center the voices of local humanitarian actors in these conversations. This paper offers deep insight into fundamental questions of this discussion in three different contexts: a region of Haiti recovering from a hurricane, displacement and political crisis in Iraqi Kurdistan, and the overlapping pressures of migration, conflict, and climate change in Colombia.

The United Kingdom is preparing for its post-Brexit place in the world at a time when the principles of liberal democracy and the rules-based world order are being challenged. In a fast-changing world with new powers rising, old institutions struggling and future challenges emerging, a strong values-based foreign policy is essential., This calls for bold, collaborative action to advance the values of democracy, human rights, free and fair trade and the international rule of law, while also tackling the entrenched unequal power relations in the current international order, including the UK’s own privileged position., Edited by Oxfam and the Foreign Policy Centre, this collection brings together proposals for how the UK can put values at the heart of its foreign policy in the decades to come. Written by policy makers, academics and NGO leaders, the essays cover themes including aid, inequality, security, climate change, feminist foreign policy, trade, multilateral institutions and the well-being of future generations. The authors argue for a vision of ‘Global Britain’ that is defined by commitments to human rights, inclusive representation at home and abroad, and making a substantial impact on poverty and inequality.

There is an increasing focus on gender equality in development and humanitarian aid, including in donors' self-reported contributions to gender equality. More policies and laws are calling for an increased focus on gender equality, and some nations are calling for feminist aid or feminist foreign policy, all positive steps to address one of the world's largest challenges: gender inequality., Donors' self-reported gender equality funding figures have increased, but it is unclear if the funding is actually for gender equality work. Evaluations of donor equality policies suggest that they are inconsistently implemented. And until recently, assessing the quality of gender equality projects was problematic because it was difficult to link the reported funding figures to more detailed project information., This report draws on Oxfam's research using publicly available information to examine 72 projects from seven donors across various sectors that provided over $6bn worth of gender equality funding. Its findings suggest there is a major gap between self-reported funding and high-quality gender equality projects. This is especially concerning given the massive challenges to achieve gender equality and the incredible gains that could come from it., Donors and other partners need to act to fix these deficiencies in their gender equality projects by gender marking projects in the pre-design phase, and not allowing projects to be counted as gender equality projects if they do not include critical components.

Humanitarian agencies can unintentionally increase risks associated with livelihoods activities, including the risk of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). This study captures the risks and risk mitigation strategies related to livelihoods support in the Gaza Strip as identified by women survivors of GBV, adolescent girls, and adolescent boys. Through the results of this research, Oxfam and other humanitarian actors can better under-stand current and potential risks resulting from women’s livelihoods activities in Gaza and can use the results to inform the design of safer programming.

Blockchain technology has seen increasing support in the aid sector as a means of delivering financial assistance in place of traditional in-kind support, especially among the unbanked. The technology has potential to address existing pain points of traditional cash and voucher assistance (CVA), now widely accepted as the most dignified and appropriate form of humanitarian assistance., In the Unblocked Cash pilot, Oxfam investigated whether blockchain can reduce the cost and transaction time of CVA, while improving transparency, security, and overall user experience in Port Vila, Republic of Vanuatu., Oxfam worked with private sector partners Sempo and Consensys to distribute 966,443 Vanuatu Vatu to 187 households and 29 vendors via the Ethereum token DAI, ‘wrapped’ in a Crypto Collateralized Voucher and issued near-field communication cards designed for low-connectivity environments as a means of payment for goods through a local vendor network., The pilot demonstrated modest cost and time savings related to operational activities including a reduction in recipient enrolment time to an average of 3.6 minutes per individual compared to over an hour during previous cash assistance programmes. Additionally, the tested system eliminated slow identity verifications and reduced dependency on post offices or banks to deposit cheques and/or withdraw cash.

Asia is exposed and vulnerable to a wide range of natural and manmade hazards. In many respects, it is the global epicenter for disasters. Its location makes it prone to destructive hazards that are exacerbated by climate change, leading to an increasing number of cyclones, sea level rises, severe drought, and other extreme climate effects. This vulnerability is compounded by poverty. The majority of the world’s poorest people today live in Asia, thus protection and recovery from these disasters remain difficult., In Asia, Oxfam continues to work with partners and vulnerable communities to promote resilience against existing risks and new risks from natural and human induced disasters that impact disadvantaged poor people in Asia. This map provides an overview of the extensive work in 11 countries in Asia and features different kinds of approaches towards building resilience: small holder agriculture and enterprises; water resilience; urban resilience; natural resource management; working with the private sector to build resilience; and climate finance and gender justice, among others.

Despite commitments made under the Grand Bargain and other international instruments to direct a greater share of humanitarian funding to local and national actors, there remains limited data (quantitative or qualitative) at the national level on the barriers local agencies face in accessing funds to respond to needs., Commissioned by Oxfam and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework in Uganda, this paper assesses the current situation of humanitarian funding in Uganda and the perceptions of the actors involved. The study puts forward recommendations on how to involve local actors more effectively to strengthen their access to funding for emergency responses.

As Vietnam graduates from IDA, the World Bank’s concessional finance window, there will be a major change in the types of development finance the country can access. Oxfam is concerned about what this changing financial landscape might mean for Vietnam’s fight against poverty, inequality, and gender inequality. This discussion paper explores these challenges by assessing the relationship between official development assistance and the resources needed to support social services, civil society organizations, and avoiding debt. The paper offers recommendations to the World Bank, bilateral donors, the global community at large, and the Vietnamese government.

Development practitioners often view impact investing as an important tool for alleviating poverty. They tout the ability of impact investing to leverage private sector investment to complement limited public sector, foundation, or development assistance funds, as well as the potential to harness efficiencies of market-based approaches. With such a focus on attracting investment capital, research on impact investing is often conducted from the perspective of the investor, failing to account for the perspective of the impact entrepreneur on the ground. In particular, little primary research has concentrated on those who applied for impact investment funding but were turned down., This research focused on the experiences of 38 local impact entrepreneurs in Kenya, India, and Mexico, conducting interviews with entrepreneurs who received impact investments, and those who were turned down. It found that there is a perception that investors have not sufficiently considered the nuanced dimensions of the local context in which the entrepreneurs operate. This report details the ways in which local impact entrepreneurs have experienced the impact investing process, including the expectations of and communications with investors., A comprehensive literature review on impact investing was conducted as a way of grounding the primary research. This report discusses findings from interviews mapped to the different stages of impact investing, provides recommendations, and creates an entrepreneur-centric checklist that impact investors can incorporate into their decision-making process. The checklist may prove particularly helpful given the wide interest in impact investing as a tool for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a global program adopted by the United Nations in 2015 for alleviating poverty and improving environmental and other outcomes by 2030.

This report evaluates the Oxfam confederation's strategic plan for the years 2013–2019. The Strategic Plan was based on "change goals," the outcomes Oxfam aims to achieve with its work: The Right to be Heard Gender Justice – Social Norms to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls/Gender-Based Violence Sustainable Food Financing for Development Resilience (cross-cutting change goal), These goals help Oxfam to communicate about its ability to contribute to change and the ways in which it adds value., The report also analyzes the success of Oxfam's approaches to achieving these goals, using case studies from programs around the world and interviews with staff. These approaches focus on how we can "win" against poverty., The documents on this page include the full Oxfam Strategic Plan evaluation report in English; executive summaries of the report in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic; and executive summaries of reports on the five change goals.

Climate change, conflict, growing inequality and escalating humanitarian needs are galvanizing questions about the effectiveness and efficiency of current humanitarian and development programming., Accompanying this are structural shifts across the aid system, which are changing how aid is planned and financed. Under the 'Triple Nexus' this will have profound implications for what we do, how we do it and with whom we do it., As a multi-mandated organization, Oxfam has a unique contribution to make in sharing learning and encouraging good practice in this space. This discussion paper puts forward some of this thinking from across our programme, policy and funding expertise and draws on case studies to highlight critical questions and recommendations for furthering the debate., Le changement climatique, les conflits, les inégalités croissantes et l’intensification des besoins humanitaires soulèvent des questionnements sur l’efficacité et l’efficience des programmes humanitaires et de développement actuels., En outre, l’ensemble du système d’aide fait face à des transformations structurelles qui influencent la planification et le financement de l’aide. Au regard du triple nexus humanitaire-développement-paix, cela aura nécessairement un impact profond sur nos actions, nos méthodes et nos collaborations., En tant qu’organisation multi-mandatée, Oxfam a un rôle unique à jouer en matière de partage des connaissances et de diffusion des bonnes pratiques dans cet espace. Ce document de discussion fait état de certaines de ces réflexions issues de nos programmes, de notre expertise en matière de politiques d'orientation et de financement et met en lumière, au moyen d’études de cas, des questions et recommandations essentielles pour approfondir le débat.

UK international development actors – from government to private sector and NGOs – can play a key role in fighting extreme economic inequality to beat poverty in developing countries. This paper shares key principles, policies and programmes that have emerged from Oxfam’s work with partners around the world in recent years, so as to encourage a sector-wide response to the inequality crisis. There will be no end to poverty unless we can close the gaps between rich and poor and between men and women, and adopt a development agenda based on feminist principles and a human economy.

One of the key challenges of working well in partnerships is ensuring a good level of engagement from all sides, so that everyone feels equally responsible and accountable for the delivery of the project, and ultimately for helping to improve the lives of marginalized and vulnerable people. So, how do we achieve this? This paper examines a specific case of a network that went wrong, and how it was rebuilt more successfully thanks to accountability and feedback mechanisms. Partnering for Impact series To do the work it does, Oxfam works closely with partners at all stages of the programme, in all kind of contexts: humanitarian, influencing, development, etc. But what does it mean for our staff? Each day brings new challenges and opportunities, so how do they do it? Following a reflective and productive writeshop, this Partnering for Impact series was developed to share and explore learning from experienced practitioners about what it takes to ‘work well in partnership’.

Evidence shows a strong link between gender equality and peace. Countries where women are empowered are vastly more secure. Helping women realize their rights in fragile countries helps prevent conflict and increases the likelihood of sustainable peace., This Oxfam Canada report examines the challenges women and girls face in conflict settings and recommends concrete actions that the Canadian government can take to empower women in conflict. Canada, with its feminist agenda—including its Feminist International Assistance Policy—has made a bold commitment to gender equality., Canada is well-positioned to make a strong contribution to world peace by tackling gender inequality before, during and after conflicts. To do this, the government must continue to transform the way it delivers humanitarian assistance—and adopt a coherent feminist foreign policy.

This report uses 2013–2015 International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) data to trace Swedish aid to Tanzania to its end use. It finds that general budget support (GBS) accounted for much of Swedish aid in 2013 and 2015, but could not determine final expenditures using IATI data. In the absence of GBS, the authors could only confirm that in 2014, 28 percent of Swedish aid arrived in Tanzania, via the government and Tanzania-based organizations. A key constraint to traceability is that Sweden does not require aid implementers to report to IATI. The report recommends that Sweden encourage such reporting.