Consultancy Services Required for Exploration of Oxfam Affiliation in Kenya

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Introduction
Oxfam is a global movement of people, working together and with partners to end the injustice of inequality and poverty. That means we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Together, we save, protect, and rebuild lives when disaster strikes. We help people build better lives for themselves, and for others. We take on issues like land rights, climate change and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.
Oxfam continues on a journey to transform itself to be more reflective of the world in which it works and more diverse in its leadership. This is a project that shapes how Oxfam acts in the world including supporting local humanitarian and development leadership as well as devolving power within its confederation by exploration creation of new affiliates, independent entities, in underrepresented regions of the world where it works, including in Africa. Kenya is one of currently five countries in which affiliation is being explored.
Oxfam is looking for a consultant to support with the exploration of affiliation of Oxfam in Kenya.
Objectives of the Consultancy
Oxfam is looking for a consultant, with deep organizational development and institution building experience and expertise, to support with conducting a study exploring the affiliation of Oxfam in Kenya. The consultancy aims at:
  • Provide an analysis of views, perceptions and suggestions of key stakeholders to Oxfam in Kenya, including but not limited to Oxfam in Kenya staff, internal teams, draw lessons from existing and emerging Southern Affiliates, local partners, peer INGOs, donors, thought leaders and activists, community representatives, national and county government authorities Oxfam has worked with, to share this decision and obtain a diverse range of views and ideas for how best to approach Oxfam affiliation in Kenya.
  • Analyze and present to Kenya Country Program and SFF Department a viable best option for affiliation of Oxfam in Kenya given the research findings.
  • A proposal for an approach to affiliation, or affiliation roadmap?
Background and Context
In March 2020, Oxfam International’s Board approved Oxfam’s 10-year Global Strategic Framework. Even before the coronavirus crisis, the world was changing in profound ways that require us to reshape where and how we work. To maximize the impact of our work in the context of the Global Strategic Framework and the coronavirus pandemic we must make changes to our model, to our affiliate network and our governance, to our partnerships, to our presence and to the types of work we support in countries around the world. Especially with the added financial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, our new model and presence must be more affordable and sustainable, while maintaining our impact and relevance.
To achieve wider and impact at scale, Oxfam recognizes the world has changed and therefore it is imperative to reconfigure, adapt and to be a more globally balanced and diverse network of interdependent but autonomous Affiliates.
To achieve this, the Executive Board in early2020 agreed that Oxfam will make changes to Oxfam’s presence and scope of work in all but eight of our current global program portfolio of country offices. These changes will start now and will be phased between now and 31 March 2022.
In Kenya, as in 4 other countries, Oxfam would start the exploration of a transition to full new Oxfam affiliates, with their independent Boards and independent decision-making powers. Oxfam in Colombia has already embarked on this path and is now a fully-fledged affiliate. Alongside Oxfam’s existing affiliates in India, Turkey, Mexico, Brazil, and South Africa, this will mark a significant step in Oxfam’s journey to in becoming a more diversified confederation, independently rooted in the global South. The final decision seats with the Oxfam International Board and Affiliate Business meeting that will review recommendations of the viable best option for affiliation of Oxfam in Kenya.
It is thus anticipated that the Kenya affiliation exploration process would mobilize cross-sector voices, ideas and propositions that are about bringing and reasserting southern voices, achieve a more responsible exercise of power and through an indigenous organization, contribute towards a globally balanced international partnership of diverse network. Central to the emergence of Kenya as a new Southern and Pan African affiliate would be its ability, along with other existing and emerging African Affiliates, its (their) ability to be consciously rooted locally, respond to contextual realities and act in solidarity-in whatever form and shape.
Role of Kenya in East Africa and at a continental level?
Since the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Kenya has made significant political and economic reforms that have contributed to gains in economic growth and social development. Kenya became a lower-middle-income country in 2014, and between 2010 and 2019 averaged an estimated 5.85% GDP growth. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on this in 2020, with an estimated GDP of 1.4%, but the economy is expected to rebound. Kenya is a key economic hub in the region and Africa, an important gateway and channel through which capital, trade, development aid flows. The establishment of the Nairobi International Financial Centre for example seeks to establish Kenya as such, for promoting inclusive development or driving up inequality by establishing Kenya as a tax haven. An affiliate in Kenya has the potential to be a critical influencing office for Oxfam in Kenya, region and the continent, with independent governance and management facilitating ease and flexibility of establishing links with initiatives in these spaces, supporting movements and helping shape the trajectory of socio-economic development that reduces poverty and inequality.
Oxfam in Kenya is currently registered as a country office of Oxfam Great Britain. The Oxfam Kenya Country office works within an overall Oxfam International Global Strategic Framework, working with partners to fight inequality to end poverty and injustice. Oxfam is committed to and is working hard to advance Local humanitarian leadership and work with local partners across all spheres of work on governance and accountability including in natural resources sector, and women’s rights and gender justice. The affiliation process should advance this and position Oxfam to add greater value to national and county level actors and link itself to efforts in-country, in the region and across Africa.
These terms of reference are to solicit for a rightly qualified consultant to facilitate the exploration of the affiliation process within this changing context.
Scope of the Assignment
  • A review of the Country Presence Review decision documentation affiliate and/ or related conversations; and decisions to this effect to provide solid grounding for the research itself.
  • Develop and refine the detailed research proposal for the affiliation exploration
  • Identification of a master list of potential stakeholders to reach out to
  • Present at a validation workshop with representatives of key stakeholders the findings of the research.
  • Finalize a report to the Kenya Country Director (team), Confederation development Manager and SFF department for internal review and next step decisions, inclusive of a SWOT analysis of affiliation in Kenya Country Program.

Proposed Road Map

Descriptions

  1. Desk review of Country Presence Review documentations, affiliate and/ or related conversations; and decisions to this effect.September2021
  2. Consolidation of a Key stakeholder master list September 2021
  3. Finalization of research proposal September 2021
  4. Fieldwork and data collection and report writingOctober2021
  5. Validation workshopOctober2021
  6. Submission of report to Kenya Country Program and SFF. November 2021

Required Skills and Experience

The Consultant will have:

  • Experience conducting exploration and/or research on a similar topic
  • Excellent analytical skills especially in qualitative data
  • Previous experience with civil society organizations
  • Fluent in English is essential; knowledge of Swahili is an asset.
Deliverables
  • Refined research proposal for Kenya OI CD, Kenya and Confederation Development Manager for review and Approval.
  • Validation workshop for draft findings
  • Final report

Timelines

The assignment is a 30-daytask that is expected to be completed between 1st October and 30th November 2021.

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