Client: Oxfam International, Global Humanitarian Team, Protection
Funder: Swiss International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
Dates: March 2023 – March 2025
Countries involved: Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Colombia, Chad, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine, Yemen
Program description:
The Frontline Community Protection Capacity program managed by Oxfam International’s Global Humanitarian Protection team seeks to bolster protection capacity globally by strengthening three core areas:
- Participatory and feminist Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) for protection;
- Protection advocacy; and
- Community-led protection work.
It will support up to four national NGOs through direct funding and mentoring, thereby enhancing local leadership in protection work and increasing representation in thematic protection task-teams.
The aim of the program is to strengthen community capacity for negotiation, influencing and community-led protection in order to reduce risks of violence, abuse, coercion, and deliberate deprivation.
The program works with four national organisations or networks as strategic partners through direct funding and mentoring, thereby enhancing local leadership in protection work and increasing representation in thematic protection task-teams.
What we did:
Drafted process for strengthening capacity of community protection structures in evaluation and learning skills, tools (including Theory of Change and development of monitoring plans), and processes so that they are able to adapt, advocate and take action on local protection issues. Developed and co-facilitated four week-long workshops to strengthen capacity of Oxfam country teams and partners to support community protection structures in evaluation and learning processes. Provided coaching for Oxfam Ukraine response team to pilot tools and processes with two community partners. Supporting second pilot in countries still to be determined. Participants attending came from 15 countries and accommodated 2-3 different languages. Provided coaching for Oxfam Ukraine response team to pilot tools and processes with two community partners. Developed a case study to capture lessons learned and best practices that will be publicly published in 2025.
How we shifted practice:
Strengthened the capacity of Oxfam partners to apply community-led principles to their MEAL practice as they support community-led protection in fragile contexts. Results from pilot in Ukraine resulted in strengthening Civil Society Organizations to respond effectively to intersectional needs in their communities and gain a voice in local government decision-making processes.