Community Engagement during COVID-19: Oxfam Resources

"The Covid-19 pandemic is a fast-changing situation, and access to communities can quickly become limited due to restrictive measures. Start planning now, as there may be limited time to devise alternative engagement plans."

Oxfam, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) that takes a rights-based approach to its work, is concerned about the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people experiencing humanitarian crises, especially refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs), as they are vulnerable and have limited access to basic services. The NGO's experience in humanitarian situations - and in the Ebola and Zika outbreaks - has demonstrated the importance of building trust in communities and services, understanding community perspectives and sharing information, and working with communities to determine how to keep people safe. This set of 3 Oxfam resources captures good practice for community engagement during epidemics. They include:

• "A Guide for Community-Facing Staff", which is intended to support teams working directly with communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides guidance on community engagement during outbreak responses, including how to undertake outbreak prevention and how to support an integrated response. Contents include:
  • Working safely
  • Adapting to the new context
  • Working with people vulnerable to COVID-19 [includes a box outlining some simple ways to minimise and address stigmatisation]
  • Information and communication
  • Participation: Communities must be at the centre of your responses
  • Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning
  • Advocacy
  • Coordination and collaboration
  • Your personal safety
• A checklist, which includes a series of questions to remind the practitioner of the essential components of community engagement in the response, including when movement restrictions may be in place. It is organised into these categories: adapting to the new context; working with vulnerable people; information and communication; participation; monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning; capacity building; and coordination, collaboration and advocacy.
• "13 Practical Tips", which provides key messages and tips for community engagement in the context of COVID-19-related restrictions on movement and physical distancing. Sections focus on: remote engagement; intracommunal engagement; and support to communities.