1

Given the emphasis we place on relationships and our wish to conduct the best possible exit process, we asked partners a series of questions to gauge where the partnership is at. These were done during the monitoring visits in early 2015 and we received 33 responses. From the collective feedback we found that1:

1 It should be noted that although this report focuses on what the majority of partners are

experiencing, the individual experiences of partners is equally important and should not be disregarded.

oau program

closure in SA:

Where are we at?

Some understanding

Good understanding

Understanding CONFIDENCE COMMS

FEELINGS

June 2015

Not confident

Some confidence

Confident

Some value

Valuable

Appreciation for

partnership and exit process

Sadness/ Loss

Anxiety

No concerns

Partner responses to the ‘Mood Survey’

2

Overall the partnership shows a high level of resilience in the face of this change.

A number of partners voiced their worries, uncertainty, and/or frustrations. Key areas of

concern included spend for next financial year, funding, staff (both within their

organisations and Oxfam staff), the direction and approach of OZA, and their own internal

organisational changes. However, the majority talked about their appreciation of the Oxfam

partnership and a sense of loss that it will be ending. The value gained from Oxfam’s

particular approach to meaningful relationships and support was highlighted. Although a

very difficult time, partners also in the main felt happy with the exit process as it has

occurred to date. In the words of one partner, ‘we are disappointed that it has happened,

but we are happy with the way it is happening’. Organisations appreciate the extra support

being offered, the notice given, and the professionalism in handling the process. More than

one partner indicated that this is much better than any other donor exit they have

experienced.

Challenges notwithstanding, the mainly nuanced, reflective and optimistic feelings voiced by

most partners indicate that overall they have accepted this change. This is reinforced by the

high level of confidence reported. The vast majority of partners are confident that they will

adapt to the closure and many have already indicated that they have taken concrete steps

forward. Although this confidence is encouraging, partners still acknowledged that this will

result in some very difficult decisions including potential retrenchments, project closures,

and in some cases even office closures. For many partners, this confidence in the face of

adversity comes from having experienced donor exits before. Indeed, changes in funding are

a part of the civil society working environment resulting in a high level of dynamism and

flexibility inherent in many individuals and structures.

Most partners (80%) had a good understanding of the exit process. Those that expressed

some uncertainty were predominantly around the sharing of this information effectively

within their organisations, as well as an understanding of the strategic decisions that led to

the closure.

All partners who responded found the Exit Communications sent to date valuable, with the

majority finding them very useful. The most appreciated aspect of these communications

has been the interpersonal dimension where management and program coordinators take

the time to interact directly with partners.

These findings on the exit process are encouraging as they show that communication

channels are working relatively well, and that most partners understand the closure and are

positioning themselves to adapt. However, this should not take away from the impact

(institutional, financial, emotional) that this process will have on partners particularly as

many named Oxfam as a unique donor.

What does this mean for us?

3

The main aims of this process were to:

Give partners a space to air their views on the OAU exit;

Allow OAU (Durban and Head Office) to understand where partners are at and

mitigate against risks where possible;

Reflect aggregated results from the discussions back to the entire partnership so that

partners can support one another during this process.

Thank you to those who participated so that we can better understand one another during

this difficult time. We hope that you have found it a useful space for reflection and

engagement.

From these results, we have confirmed that OAU must continue with the exit process as it

started. The level of communication and close engagement with partners is in fact assisting

these organisations to minimize the impact of the office closure. Consistency with

messages, openness, and direct interaction with organisations and individuals will be

essential going forward. Although OAU has tried to adhere to these principles since the first

notice in January, this has not always been the case.

In this light, specific concerns raised by partners through this process are being filtered to

Oxfam Program coordinators and the Management team in order to address them where

possible and feed back to the specific partners. This report will also be shared with the OAU

Head Office in Melbourne.

If you have any comments/questions/thoughts regarding this process and the results, then

please contact Caili on cailif@oxfam.org.au or 031 277 0352. Let us keep the conversation

going.

Where to from here?

“Suffice to say that OAU should continue in the same manner as up to now.”