The Organizations Values Oxfam - Report Example

Oxfam Oxfam is a humanitarian organization that tasks itself with fighting poverty and injustice across various nations around the globe. The organization is well revered for its efforts in alleviating human suffering across the globe. The organization’s work is grounded on the basis of empowering individuals against poverty (ECBP 88). An in-depth look at the working of this organization reveals just how sophisticated and complex the organization’s leadership and management operate. To carry out its mandate, Oxfam upholds a set of values and mission that guides its operation and functions. Oxfam’s mission is with thousands of local partner organizations and people living in poverty who strive to exercise their human rights as well as assert their dignity as full citizens and take control of their lives (Oxfam). The organization’s values are the rights to; be heard, life and security, basic social services, sustainable livelihood, and an identity (Oxfam). A close look at Oxfam’s background history, structure, and activities reveals how its mission and values are achieved. Oxfam as an NGO can be defined by both its level of orientation and level of operation. By its level of orientation, Oxfam has tasked defined itself as a multi-faceted organization. The organization is defined through its service, charity, empowerment, and participatory orientation towards its target population (ECBP 64). Through its level of operation, Oxfam can be defined as an international NGO that is responsible for funding projects, institutions, local NGO’s, and also implementing projects. Founded in 1942, Oxfam’s initial primary concern was to provide food to famine hit populations (Lang 56). The organization has greatly diversified and shifted its focus from simply delivering emergency relief but rather focused on implementation of long-term developmental programs in vulnerable populations across the globe. As an amalgamation of a group of independent non-governmental organizations, Oxfam international got born in 1995. The organization has 17 affiliates in various countries that assist it to carry out its mandate according to its vision and mission (Oxfam). The organization carries its operation through its member affiliates in over 90 countries across the globe. As an NGO, Oxfam works in various fields but its main task gets associated with overseeing social transformation and the uplifting of quality of life. Oxfam can get defined as both a developmental and humanitarian emergency organization (Rugendyke 100). The organization acts both as a lobbyist while also conducting activities and programs in the countries it is based. Oxfam centers its efforts around working with local partner organizations as well as people living with poverty to help alleviate their problems through their exercise of human rights. Through development, the organization strives to work with partners and communities on programs that combat injustice and eradicate poverty (Leather 66). During emergencies, the organization works to deliver life-saving assistance to populations affected by conflict or natural disasters. As a lobbyist, Oxfam seeks to raise public awareness on the causes of poverty while also pressing policy makers into instituting policies and practices that fight poverty and injustice. The organization undertakes research to disseminate information to policy makers on issues pertaining to injustice and poverty. Oxfam’s corporate structure provides the organization with a well-established format that is characterized by efficacy and proper leadership in filling the operational gap in relation to their strategic objective from every department in the organization (Brand 132). Oxfam is highly professionalized relying on both paid and volunteer staff to achieve its target objectives. The organization relies on government and donor funding to formulate its annual budgets. The organization also tasks itself with generating funding via its shops which sell donated items and fair-trade items. Proper coordination is essential for the efficient provision of services across the diverse geographical locations that the organization is placed. The organization has offices placed in strategic locations that help it to fight and combat poverty at the international stage. These offices get used to coordinate the organization’s work in an efficient manner that sees service delivered to target populations. Outline Title: OXFAM I. Introduction a. Describe Oxfam, its mission, and set of values (Oxfam). b. Thesis: Oxfam’s mission and set of values guide its organizational and operational structure in carrying out its mandate of fighting poverty and injustice. II. Organizational Background a. State when and how Oxfam got formed b. Discuss the intentions and purposes of Oxfam when it was founded c. Discuss the evolution of Oxfam into Oxfam International d. Current state of Oxfam III. Oxfam Organizational structure a. Governance. How is the Oxfam as an international NGO governed? How does its administration monitor the organization’s activities? (Brand 43) b. Oxfam affiliates. Mention the 17 organizations or branches affiliated to Oxfam and how they operate. c. Accountability. How is Oxfam accountable to its partner organizations, donors, and the local communities in which it carries out its functions? IV. Oxfam’s work Expound on the various functions conducted by Oxfam in its goal towards achieving its mission (Oxfam). a. Development b. Campaigning c. Emergencies d. Advocacy e. Policy research V. Role of Oxfam in international relations a. Role of Oxfam as an advocate, campaigner, and policy researcher and how it’s work impacts on global issues (ECBP 75). How the organization implements its strategic plan towards achieving global equity. b. Partners: Discuss partners such as governments, local communities and partner NGO’s and how they assist Oxfam to fulfill its mandate. How does Oxfam get to work with its various partners? c. Rivals: discuss any rivals that compete and hinder Oxfam towards achieving their mission and values VI. Organization’s Project a. Oxfam’s work in securing Democracy and human rights. Examine the organization’s work in securing gender justice as well as holding government’s accountable in delivering their mandates to citizens in a fair and equitable manner (Lang 98). b. Impact of Oxfam’s work in fighting for democracy and human rights on International relations. How does Oxfam’s work in securing democracy and human rights impact on the overall human population across the globe VII. Evaluation of Oxfam work a. Positive and negative contributions of Oxfam. What impact has the organization made on the lives of the populations where it has worked? (Brand 109) Has Oxfam assisted to improve the quality of life and injustice or does the organization work in reverse? b. Successes and failures of Oxfam in relation to its mission. Discuss whether Oxfam has been successful in working with partner organizations and people living with poverty, in alleviating poverty and injustice (Brand 34). c. Impact of Oxfam on international stage and its response to challenges and change. How has the organization reacted to criticism and challenges it has faced from international bodies d. Suggestions on how Oxfam can improve itself. How the organization can institute the five pillars of practical management that are feedback, transparency, dialogue, resource allocation, and verification in improving its operations (Lang 109) e. Other opinions on Oxfam. General conclusion on whether the operation of Oxfam is vital in the present day life Works Cited Brand, Nicole. Operations Strategy and Management within Oxfam. New York: GRIN Verlag, 2007. Lang, Sabine. NGOs, Civil Society, and the Public Sphere. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Leather, Chris. Bridging the Divide: The reform of global food security governance. London: Oxfam, 2009. Oxfam. Oxfam international. 27 May 2014. 27 May 2014 . Project, Emergency Capacity Building. Building Trust in Diverse Teams: The Toolkit for Emergency Response. London: Oxfam, 2007. Rugendyke, Barbara. NGOs as Advocates for Development in a Globalising World. New York: Routledge, 2007. Read More