Consultancy

The Role

Oxfam International is looking for a consultant to provide short term support to the coordination and delivery of Oxfam’s Conflict Transformation Action Plan in the HECA region, while longer term resources are put in place. Over 3 months, from January 2023 to March 2023, with a possible 3-months extension to June 2023.

This consultant therefore will:

a) Liaise regularly with key focal points within Oxfam country offices in the HECA region, key partner organisations, Oxfam’s Regional Platform(s), and technical support staff within Oxfam GB to support the delivery of the plan by the country focal points.

b) Arrange planning/coordination meetings with the stakeholders listed above and lead discussions to agree on priority goals and activities under the action plan.

c) Lead the delivery of some of the activities in the plan, with technical support from other stakeholders, such as face to face trainings on conflict analysis in the HECA region and learning workshops on Oxfam’s peacebuilding programming in the region.

The successful applicant needs to have the following skills:

• Proven experience and competencies in gendered conflict analyses, rapid conflict analysis approaches, peacebuilding/conflict transformation, triple nexus approach to programming, integrating conflict sensitivity into INGO processes, safeguarding, protection and security within the Horn, East and Central Africa.
• Be fluent in written and spoken English. An ability to also work in French language would be a strong advantage
• At least 3 years’ experience in conducting similar tasks/assignments.

Kindly refer to the attached TORs.

Terms of Reference for a Peacebuilding Consultant to support the coordination and delivery of Oxfam’s Conflict Transformation Action Plan in the HECA Region

December 2022

Conflict in the HECA region

The Horn, East, and Central Africa region is significantly impacted by conflict. The civil war in Ethiopia that erupted 2020 has escalated and expanded, with dire humanitarian and human rights impacts. In South Sudan,there is persistent intercommunal conflict at local levels and an extremely precarious transitional government at the national level. Elections, scheduled for 2023 under the terms of the 2018 peace agreement, are likely to inflame existing tensions among political actors. DRC has more IDPs than any other African country—approximately 5.2 million. In the east of the country, a complex array of armed groups carry out regular attacks on civilians, including sexual violence, killings, and destruction of property. In Somalia, the armed groups continue to carry out attacks on civilians, inter-clan conflict persists, and elections risk triggering political violence. On top of their own internal dynamics, countries in the region also confront the cross-border impacts of conflict, such as heavy flows of refugees. Uganda, for example, hosts over 1.5 million refugees, mostly from South Sudan and DRC.

Oxfam’s Commitment to Conflict Transformation

Much of Oxfam’s work in the HECA region involves responding to the humanitarian consequences of conflict, including displacement and increased needs for basic services such as food and water. But beyond mitigating the impacts of conflict, Oxfam is also committed to transforming conflict by addressing its root causes—injustice, inequality, poverty and poor governance—and by building capacities and creating opportunities for those impacted by conflict to build peace. Through our country programs and regional initiatives, Oxfam HECA is already making substantial efforts towards transforming conflict. But as new conflicts emerge and old ones persist, we are increasingly conscious of the urgency to do more.

Oxfam’s Conflict Transformation Action Plan in the HECA region

In 2021, Oxfam developed a Conflict Transformation Action Plan for Oxfam in the HECA region. This plan documents Oxfam’s programming and advocacy in the HECA region that contribute to transforming conflict; reviews approaches, methodologies, and good practices; and defines strategic priorities and a common agenda for future work. The intention is that the plan will be used to strengthen our current work and inspire more country, regional and organization-wide programming and advocacy that has conflict transformation as a key objective.

Linkages to other Oxfam strategies

The plan complements Oxfam’s Global Strategic Framework, which incorporates a commitment to transform conflict in two major ways: 1) Addressing root causes and 2) Supporting those affected to participate in building peace. In relation to addressing root causes, the Global Strategic Framework states that we will: tackle the underlying inequalities that contribute to fragility and humanitarian crisis and work with communities to help them address the inequalities that create and increase the risk of conflict.

Oxfam has also made efforts to strengthen internal understanding of the “triple nexus” and develop common perspectives on how it should be reflected in our programming. A discussion paper in 2019[i] and a briefing paper in 2021[ii] have helped advance our thinking about how we should programme across the nexus. In defining peacebuilding as it relates to Oxfam’s identity and added value, the 2021 briefing paper identifies the following key areas for Oxfam peacebuilding interventions:

Enhancing local capacities for peace;

Strengthening inclusive politics, political processes and accountability;

Engaging in inclusive peacebuilding (women, peace and security; youth, peace and security);

Addressing conflict related to land and natural resources;

Advancing cross-border and sub-regional peacebuilding; and

Participating in state-civil society engagement.

The Rights, Resilience and Response (RRR) Horizon Plan sets out expectations for our work in “10 fragile countries” (which include DRC, Somalia and South Sudan). In relation to peacebuilding, the Horizon Plan highlights opportunities for Oxfam to contribute through local partnerships and support for local organisations in becoming stronger peacebuilders, including through community-based protection programming.

Purpose and scope of this consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide short term support to the coordination and delivery of Oxfam’s Conflict Transformation Action Plan in the HECA region, while longer term resources are put in place. Over 3 months, from January 2023 to March 2023, with a possible 3 month extension to June, the consultant will be expected to:

• Liaise regularly with key focal points within Oxfam country offices in the HECA region, key partner organisations, Oxfam’s Regional Platform(s), and technical support staff within Oxfam GB to support the delivery of the plan by the country focal points.
• Arrange planning/coordination meetings with the stakeholders listed above and lead discussions to agree on priority goals and activities under the action plan.
• Manage the finances available to support the plan.
• Lead the delivery of some of the activities in the plan, with technical support from other stakeholders, such as face to face trainings on conflict analysis in the HECA region and learning workshops on Oxfam’s peacebuilding programming in the region.
• Arrange for other technical specialists to support delivery of the plan within countries, or as part of a regional approach.

The consultant will be managed by Oxfam’s Rights in Crisis Adviser within the HECA Regional Platform.

This work is expected to take 3 months, on average 2.5 days a week, but at times it may be less and during times of peak intensity, such as face to face training events, it may take more. The consultant is expected to be based in the HECA region, within one of Oxfam’s country offices (Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, DRC or Kenya). The work could be done entirely from Oxfam’s offices, or through a hybrid (home and office) format. Although some of the work could be done from home, the consultant will be expected to spend some time in Oxfam’s offices in the region, including Oxfam’s Nairobi office for face to face meetings with the Rights in Crisis Adviser. Some travel to other Oxfam offices within the HECA region is likely to also be needed.

Required competencies

The consultant will be expected to:

• Be competent in carrying out gendered conflict analyses in the Horn, East and Central Africa region and using the results to inform programmatic/strategic choices
• Be competent in building the capacity of others on rapid conflict analysis approaches and ways to integrate conflict sensitivity into the project lifecycle, through face-to-face workshop facilitation and training, as well as remote technical advice and accompaniment
• Understand the problems of integrating conflict sensitivity into INGO processes, and be able to find ways to overcome these
• Have experience in peacebuilding/conflict transformation, which can be used to advise Oxfam staff and local partners in programme design and strategy formulation
• Understand a triple nexus approach to programming, which integrates humanitarian, development and peacebuilding pillars to build an integrated package of support to communities
• Understand the differences and areas of overlap between conflict sensitivity, gender sensitivity, peacebuilding, safeguarding, protection and security.
• Be fluent in written and spoken English. An ability to also work in French language would be a strong advantage.
• Support the core values of Oxfam, particularly feminist and indigenous-led peacebuilding, as part of our wider commitments to Gender Justice and decolonisation of the aid sector.

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