For Start Network, through Oxfam Pilipinas

Philippine Nationals Only

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

Background

Start Network is a global networked organization, having more than 140 member organizations across five continents, ranging from large international humanitarian agencies, national, and local NGOs. These varied network members are united by a shared recognition that the current humanitarian system remains largely reactive, centralized, and inefficient in addressing the needs of crisis-affected communities.

As a network, it aims to address the limitations of traditional humanitarian approaches and promote an alternative system that is locally led, anticipatory, collaborative, and accountable. Specifically,

• Enabling locally led action, by shifting power and decision-making to local and national organisations through a Hub mechanism, which is a collective of NGOs that come together at a national level to tackle common issues in humanitarian responses within their own countries;
• Making early and rapid financing accessible to more organisations through two financial instruments – Start Fund and Start Ready – which focus on anticipatory action or early response, therefore shifting away from reactive and slow funding mechanisms and creating more readily accessible funding available to local and national organisations; and
• Supporting a culture of innovation and learning, to transform humanitarian practice by being innovative, risk-willing, flexible, and anti-colonial.

As mentioned, one of its programmes is Start Ready (more information here), a financing mechanism that provides pre-positioned, pooled funding to support national stakeholders in acting earlier for predictable crises. It operates through three components:

1. Scientific modelling for forecastable hazards, and pre-determining thresholds / triggers to release funding based on severity of the hazard and impact on communities.
2. Contingency planning that brings together relevant stakeholders to design and coordinate relevant activities for different impact scenarios and triggered events.
3. Pre-positioning financing to ensure that when triggers are activated, funding is disbursed faster to implementing organizations to conduct activities before the peak of the crisis.

Through these approaches, Start Network aims to support national stakeholders in implementing anticipatory actions that mitigate the impacts of predictable crises in a more cost-effective, timely, and dignified manner. In May 2026, Start Ready launched Risk Pool 5, which aims to protect at-risk populations in the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Madagascar, Senegal, Somalia, Zimbabwe, DRC, and Guatemala from climate risks such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, and tropical cyclones.

Scope of the Work

As the DRF system has evolved, internal reflections and discussions have identified the need to review the effectiveness of existing mechanisms on the selection, retention, transition, and potential rotation of Implementing Consortia. Strengthening these mechanisms is essential to ensure that the system continues to uphold the principles of transparency, fairness, localization, accountability, and sustainability.

Start Network in the Philippines seeks to engage an external consultant to conduct an independent review and develop operational frameworks that will guide future decisions related to Implementing Consortia transitions, implementation area changes, and overall system strengthening. The consultancy is also expected to provide recommendations that respond to both current operational needs and be adaptable to future governance and Hub integration initiatives within Start Network.

Activities and Deliverables

The following activities and deliverables are expected from the consultant:

1. Kick-off Meeting and Discovery Phase
   The consultant will begin by reviewing existing Implementing Consortium documents, such as Consortium Selection process, Contingency plans and reports of both Cyclone and Flood Consortia, to understand when and how they operate.
2. Refinement of the Research Scope and Methodology
   Based on initial findings, the consultant will submit an inception report outlining the methodology, work plan, and data collection approach. This will be validated through consultations with key stakeholders to ensure alignment and relevance.
3. Data Collection
   The consultant will conduct data collection based on the approved methodology.
4. Draft Operational Documents
   Following data collection, the consultant will submit a first draft of the operational documents that show the recommended rotation and succession mechanism & scorecard/ KPIs. Templates, including but not limited to assessment tools, scoring sheets, and decision logs, are also included in the draft.
5. Sensemaking Workshop
   The consultant will facilitate a sensemaking workshop to present the draft documents and other findings. The session will serve as a platform to validate the findings, frameworks, and mechanisms. As well as seeking recommendations from Start Ready stakeholders.
6. Final Operational Documents
   The consultant will submit the final Operational Documents, all templates and tools, and implementation protocols related to these documents
7. Final presentation
   The consultant will present the final findings and recommendations to the Governance Team, Implementing Consortia, and relevant stakeholders.

Qualifications

The consultant should have the following skills and qualifications:

• Relevant experience in disaster risk reduction, humanitarian, development studies or other related discipline
• At least five (5) years of experience in monitoring and evaluation methods and approaches (including quantitative, qualitative and participatory); planning, design and implementation of M&E systems; research; and report writing.
• Excellent communications skills and experience of workshop facilitation
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken
• Ability to manage the available time and resources and to work to tight deadlines
• Experience engaging communities in the areas of work of Start Network.

Submitting a proposal

We ask interested parties to submit a proposal no longer than 8 pages (excluding appendices), with the following sections:

1. A statement describing why you are interested in and how you are well-placed to support this work, including a summary of particular areas of expertise as well as areas where you may need support.
   Please provide examples of work that show relevant experience
2. Approach to the consultancy, including the principles guiding your work. Please note any policies and practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
3. Proposed methodology
4. Project Plan and budget
   
   1. The price and rates quoted shall include all costs (taxes, services, travel and expenses, reimbursement of interview participants, together with all general risks, liabilities and obligations, set out or implied).
   2. Other costs: If there are any further costs or expenses that you propose charging, please detail them in your proposal. Start Network will not be liable for any additional costs that are not set out in the Bidder’s proposal.
   3. Assumptions: Please set out any assumptions you have made in determining your proposed cost.
      Risk matrix, including mitigation strategies, and
5. Risk matrix, including mitigation strategies, and
6. 1-page CV
   

If working in a team, please also submit a short description of the team, including expected roles and responsibilities, and attach 1-page CVs for each team member in the appendix.

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

How to apply

Application must include a curriculum vitae and letter of intent in a single file and the proposal.

For the proposal, we ask that all interested applicants address them to: Arvin Caro, Country Crisis Financing Advisor

Applicants may submit their applications to ophrecruitment@oxfam.org.ph and Gel Lopez, MEAL Officer, gel.lopez@startnetwork.org,CC: Lia Gonzalo, CARF Officer, lia.gonzalo@startnetwork.org.

Please use the email subject format: Position Applied For - Surname, First Name.

Note: All offers of consultancy will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening