Oxfam 2020: Transforming Oxfam for the future A timeline of key directions set and decisions taken by the Oxfam Executive Board and Board of Supervisors.
Hanoi, March 2013
Berlin, October 2013
Boston, March 2014
Istanbul, June 2014
Barcelona, October 2014
hanoi, march 2013 As a new Strategic plan was adopted, EDs and Board engaged with the reality of a to the programs.
What was decided (high level)
Main conclusion from this meeting
• Oxfam Strategic Plan 2013-2019 adopted, sharpening focus on challenges of inequality, and theory of change with
The new OSP sharpens the focus on the
• The arrival of a number of new EDs stimulated some work by EDs on their leadership role and a leadership statement • Commitment by EDs to lead some thinking on the future shape of Oxfam post SMS implementation, and in light of the new
It anticipates that inequality, volatility, and scarcity are mega-trends that will continue to Oxfam will maximize its impact through SMS has enabled Oxfam to take some steps towards harnessing the collective strengths of the confederation more coherently, but (as the visit to Vietnam made clear) our current
Oxfam 2020 Overview
Oxfam 2020: Transforming Oxfam for the future berlin, october 2013 A shared vision for the future emerges, generating excitement and enthusiasm.
what was decided The Executive Board engaged with a diverse Together, the Executive Board and Board of Supervisors agreed: 1. There is a compelling case for change. Oxfam must adapt to remain relevant
3. An Organizational direction: Oxfam 2020 was born… Oxfam 2020 will: • and increase the number of non OECD (Organization for Economic Co-
accountability and legitimacy, and to ensure sustainability into the future 2. A vision statement for Oxfam 2020 As a rights based international development organization we recognize we need to further build our internal arrangements to allow us to be the legitimate, relevant, accountable, impactful, sustainable and inclusive organization our partners expect and our stakeholders deserve, and that will enable staff to deliver
• •
more global uild our role as a global
• Use segmentation and a revised Global Program Investment and (GPIIF) to inform • Simplify and streamline ways of working through one integrated country program, with a single
• Review the role of regional groupings. • A single/central emergency capacity will be established for Cat 1 and some • The role of knowledge is vital to our
• •
simplify the way we do things and make ourselves more cost effective
• Relocate the OI Secretariat to the
trust, interdependence and common ownership
Oxfam 2020 Overview
Oxfam 2020: Transforming Oxfam for the future Berlin, October 2013 Main conclusions from this meeting Oxfam must continue to re-invent itself to achieve impact and to remain relevant and changes in the dynamics of power and improving our collaboration through SMS; however we have to do more to make our
EDs aligned around a common vision The Berlin decisions generated enthusiasm within Oxfam and excitement about new ways of working – as well as lots of questions about what change will actually look like, and how
Oxfam 2020 Overview
Oxfam 2020: Transforming Oxfam for the future Boston, March 2014 Deepening the vision, and setting direction for a more transformative agenda for change
What was decided 1. Drivers for change strengthened Oxfam 2020 is about enabling Oxfam to: • Ensure it is globally positioned to respond to a changing world, where the geopolitics of • Increase our impact, relevance, legitimacy • • Simplify and streamline processes and
Today, we are an organization of mostly
driven by empowered leadership at country, • Strengthened campaigning. continue to be known as the go to global • funds more collectively, aligned with our strategic priorities • Knowledge hubs. excellence in global strategic themes by investing in expertise, evidence and innovation supported by a network of • Shared services. work together by sharing services (Finance,
to becoming a global organization of through a shared management information program quality. 3. Stronger decisions on organizational direction were made • Globally represented. Our interdependent
• Humanitarian coordination. acknowledge that we have to improve the coordination of our humanitarian responses and are committed to releasing a proposal • Changed behavior. Structure is only
• how we operate at country/regional level in
in our mindset, culture, behavior and accountability that will determine our
• governance model to accommodate a • Collective decision making. increasingly make collective decisions about global resources and strategy and will be
Oxfam 2020 Overview
Oxfam 2020: Transforming Oxfam for the future Boston, March 2014 Main conclusions from this meeting EDs analyzed emerging propositions worked
EDs recognized complexity and that it will take more time to agree on how
breadth and complexity of making change were agreements relating to their area of work a review of progress, raised questions about whether the thinking so far was bold enough for the long term stronger collective resolve that changes were needed, and a deeper, more transformative vision of an interdependent global network built for impact on some new key areas such as resource moving to a single Regional Director were
Oxfam 2020 Overview
Oxfam 2020: Transforming Oxfam for the future Istanbul, June 2014 The Executive Board held an extra-ordinary meeting on Oxfam 2020. The purpose was to continue to lead together, to learn from peers in the sector, to take decisions in implementation plan. Building on agreements reached in Boston in March, the EB (Executive Board of EDs) made further decisions to clarify the road towards the Oxfam 2020 vision.
5 key decisions 1. Humanitarian: The EB has agreed to a Single Humanitarian Unit (SHU) led by one Humanitarian Director who can take operational decisions about deployment of staff to category 1 and 2 responses, and enable The SHU will comprise of staff from different expertise (regions, language, thematic) and
3. Program: The EB considered and agreed Investment Framework (GPIIF), which is a tool to classify countries from the perspective of The GPIIF will be used in conjunction with other criteria to make decisions on where Oxfam will work, the type of program, and what resources 4. Public Engagement: Engaging people with Oxfam’s mission is fundamental to how we
They will also be part of a future humanitarian be shared with the EBs ahead of their meeting 2. Campaigning:
campaign function has a good track record be extended further with more adequate and
The EB agreed that public engagement (communication, fundraising, constituencybuilding) will be deliberately built into all Strong Centre: The EB recognized that we will achieve more by investing in a stronger center, A center that is a foundation on which we locate our standards, our brand and the global
Campaigns will be more rooted in country backbone for ensuring mutual accountability, overseeing our organizational effectiveness and The EB agreed to focus resource and expertise on three campaigns – Inequality: Financing for Development and Essential Services; Rights
services to the entire confederation, increasing center that supports and enables the whole
agreed that a campaign focused on gender equality should be developed and discussed at
new) in delivering together, rather than a center
Oxfam 2020 Overview
Oxfam 2020: Transforming Oxfam for the future Barcelona, October 2014 of the Oxfam 2020 changes and an implementation framework – which will guide the sequencing and pacing of changes. The EB will receive 4 key documents: Design document Implementation Framework Financial Coherence document
Oxfam 2020 Overview