A story of shifting power and changing systems: the new learning and accountability framework for Oxfam Great Britain

Oxfam Great Britain’s new strategy in 2020 triggered the quest for a new learning and accountability framework. Two drivers were at its heart: shifting power and changing systems. It required frank discussions about where OGB held power about data and sensemaking, as well as trying out ways to make systems change visible and debated. Trust had to be built with senior leadership that we would be able to create robust stories of systems change despite the very diverse and dynamic portfolios of work. A confounding factor was that our ambitions for systems change vary per area of work: climate justice, valuing women’s work, decolonizing partnerships, speaking out and the triple nexus approach (humanitarian, development, peacebuilding). After 2 years of trial and refinement, we have new learning partnerships, an intentional sequence of strategic discussions, and a richer and targeted set of outputs. More work is needed on several fronts, for example on data ambitions that require new architecture, aligning discussions with data availability, and respecting context-specific achievements while seeking aggregate perspectives.