Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic

Oenone Chadburn

London

Summary

Strategic Board and Senior Leader with experience in the UN, INGOs, global networks, NNGOs and UK voluntary sector. Leadership philosophy includes: value based visioning; futures thinking and "pracademic" analysis; brokering partnerships for high level collaboration; mutuality in relationship management; power of demonstrating impact; agility in management systems; catalytic role of brand and internal communications; safeguarding and protection of communities and staff; enabling and releasing employee talent; centrality of accountability; and the agency of crisis affected populations.


Global Specialist in international aid system, strategy design, strategic partnerships, multilateral frameworks, grant management, locally led risk reduction and response. Thought leadership in programme design and policy influencing for: resilience and disaster risk reduction; risk informed development; climate change adaptation; capacity sharing and livelihoods strengthening. Brokered successful results in: anticipatory financing; innovative funding approaches; community level disaster management capacity; social action networks; organisational development of NNGOs; and local and national government planning.


Experienced Practitioner with a media and public profile including: BBC, Al Jazeera, podcasts, panelist and motivational speaker. International operational experience includes: delivery of integrated programmes in Malawi, Bangladesh, Philippines, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka; oversight for technical support in Haiti, Central America, Sierra Leone, Nepal, Ethiopia and Kenya. Live emergency responses include: Indian Ocean Tsunami, Haiti Earthquake, Cyclone Idai, Ukraine conflict, and Covid response.


Overview

32
32
years of professional experience

Work history

International Aid System Consultant

Freelance
10.2023 - Current

Working on portfolio of consultancies and voluntary roles to support future of aid and risk financing; global collaboration networks; locally led response; and good practice in resilience and climate risk management. Achieved Advance Practice in Partnership Brokering, and undertaking accreditation.

  • Clients: a) Start Ready - development of a strategic governance decision making framework for their flagship disaster risk finance mechanism; b) DEC Secretariat - redesigned membership criteria taking it to approval to the board, and undertook subsequent review to ensure eligibility and quality of membership; c) HALO Trust & MAG - developed global strategic operational framework to systematically embed sustainable development, nexus and resilience approaches into country level programmes; d) Charter4Change - supporting the design and facilitation for Annual Meeting with 900 registered for online attendance.
  • Publications & Boards: a) Trustee of Start Network (until June 24), and CAFOD Strategy & Performance Committee; b) Wrote academic chapter for FEMA funded book on Anticipatory Action and EWS; c) Session facilitator and GNDR Summit in Nairobi (Feb 2024).

Head of Humanitarian and Resilience

Tearfund
, London
04.2012 - 10.2023

As Humanitarian Director, launched and developed global service delivery department which covered strategy, advocacy, funding, impact measurement, learning, research, communications and emergency response for all countries across Tearfund. The team comprised of global roles, international matrix team, plus technical sub unit. Alongside 6 Regional Directors, role was part of senior leadership team supporting decision making, accountability and assurance.

  • Strategic Design. Initiated and wrote new corporate workstream, Crisis2Resilience, within Tearfund's overarching business plan. Designed new demand led approach to funding and authored internal "Humanitarian Identity" document to carve out Tearfund's humanitarian niche and added value.
  • Emergency Management. Initiated and oversaw launch, implementation and closure of a number of large scale appeals including Nepal Earthquake, Ebola Response, Typhoon Haiyan, Syria Conflict, Cyclone Idai, Covid Response and Ukraine conflict.
  • National Disaster Capacity. Driven by the lack of funding for small to medium scale responses, initiated, funded and rolled out Tearfund's own partner driven Disaster Management Capacity Assessment programme, to enable them to identify and initiate other funding opportunities.
  • Quality & Assurance. Worked with Strategy & Impact team on grant management and partner due diligence. Developed high level performance indicators to demonstrate that the corporate outcome was meeting Board expectations.
  • People & Change Management. Restructured team to adjust to locally led responses, including adapting procedures and systems for greater ownership and decision making at country level. Evolved team to hybrid working and remote team management in response to COVID.
  • Mobilisation of Collaboration Networks. Lead the Integral Alliance on focused journey to develop their own Statement of Intention on localisation, and to adopt the Climate Charter.

Head of Disaster Management Unit

Tearfund
, London
11.2009 - 03.2012

Part of leadership team overseeing all response and DRR projects across 32 countries. Operated with team of 8 and had oversight for: institutionally funded donor programmes spanning multiple countries; senior technical advisers and research; DRR technical publications; co-development of external policy positions; advocacy relating to DRR and CCA; and surge and capacity development for partners in disaster prone locations.

  • Integrated Programme Management. Oversight for completion of £3.2 million funded International DRR Programme, and plus a £2.8 million multi country WASH Programme which focused on value of systems based integrated WASH with national and district level government departments.
  • Research & Leverage. Co-commissioned research comparative analysis of community based cost benefit analysis (CBA) for DRR. The results were definitive in demonstrating economic viability of resilience at community level. Research was referenced in UK Aid policy.
  • Interagency Consortia and Networks. Represented Tearfund on Start Network, supporting the successful launch of the Start Fund, and later co-developed a new vision, and capacity building strategy. Co-lead on several Start Network innovation projects for localisation.
  • Cross Function Learning and Evaluations. Oversaw the co-ordination of comprehensive evaluations in 4 countries, an interagency learning review and dissemination events.

International Programme Manager

Tearfund
London
01.2006 - 11.2009

Coordination and oversight for DFID 5 year programme to strengthen community based DRR practices in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Malawi, plus undertake advocacy initiatives in further 4 countries. Project operated against DFID logframe, implemented by small team of 3 with strong inter-team working to ensure continuity, learning and quality of implementation.

  • Performance Management. Developed structure of partner grant reporting and accountability, with strong focus on financial management and impact effectiveness. Model later used for other multi country partner management programmes within Tearfund.
  • National Level Policy Frameworks. Developed recommendations on how to capture community DRR practice in national level policy. Results used to support partners develop national advocacy strategies, including India, where state government adjusted their planning and commended Tearfund and partners for their support.

Central Asia Country Director

Tearfund
, Afghanistan & Pakistan
04.2004 - 10.2005

Responsible for oversight and strategy of Central Asia programme to provide humanitarian programme for Afghan refugees and returnees. With budget of approx £1.5 million, role managed 3 field locations, international staff team of 7, and national staff team of 50.

  • Government Relations. Worked closely with Afghan Government's Department for Disaster Preparedness, supporting their capacity development and anticipation of spring floods. In coordination with UNAMA, developed special regional Disaster Awareness workshops.
  • Learning Consortium. Successfully co-launched DRR consortium to support standardisation, networking, training and capacity development of NNGOs/INGOs in DRR.
  • Troubleshooting & performance management. Turned around failing ECHO project through strong team management, including staff redeployment, learning reviews, greater emphasis on community relations. All outputs were achieved within budget and timeframe allotted.

Programme Advisor

UNDP
Colombo, Sri Lanka
06.2002 - 09.2003

Created Post Conflict Transition Team (PCT) with national and international staff, to develop initiatives supporting Sri Lankan peace process, peacebuilding and integrated development programmes. Operated portfolio of 7 projects with approx $6 million budget from bi-lateral donors.

  • Programme Management. Initiated series of projects using conflict sensitivity methodology in response to rapidly evolving opportunities. Strong emphasis on peace building and recovery through UN inter-agency initiatives including effective launch of 2 Peace Secretariats.
  • High Level Coordination & Liaison. Actively involved in consultation and write up of Multilateral Group Needs Assessment team (MGNA) to produce Needs Assessment document for Tokyo Donor Conference jointly formulated with Sri Lankan Government, LTTE and Civil Society.
  • Policy Design & Negotiation Skills. Assisted development of Joint Strategy for IDP return with government, UN agencies, mobilising $2 million for Mine Action from DFID and World Bank alone. Country Office specialist on Mine Action negotiating with both Prime Minister's Office and LTTE to establish capacity to regulate and coordinate Mine Action operators in field.

Field Coordinator

UNDP
Jaffna, Sri Lanka
09.2000 - 06.2002

Worked on formulation, planning and implementation of a new programme for conflict affected areas in Sri Lanka. Focused on economic rehabilitation and sustainable livelihoods through training, enterprise development, micro credit, and agri-business. Managed remote field office with staff team of 13.

  • Change Management in Hostile Environment. Supported close down of the previous project, continuing the M&E of sub-projects during active conflict. Restructured office, adapting work practices to new approach including re-negotiating relations with government and partners.
  • Diplomatic Liaison & Representation. Represented UNDP to incoming diplomatic and UN missions, debriefing on all Jaffna development issues and projects. Maintained indirect communications with all stakeholders (including military and armed actors) to monitor changing political and security situation.

VSO Projects Advisor

HelpAge Sri Lanka
, Sri Lanka
02.1999 - 08.2000

Resources Centre Manager

Shaftesbury Society (now Liveability)
London
03.1993 - 01.1999

Education

Master of Arts - International Development Studies (Econ)

University Of Manchester
Manchester, UK
1992

Bachelor of Arts - Geography (Hons)

University Of Manchester
Manchester, UK
1991

Skills

  • Strategic leadership Chair for Global Network for Disaster Reduction (2013-2020) overseeing transition of CEOs, signing off two 5 year strategies GNDR grew from unfunded network to global civil society movement, with 1000 members and secure funding base
  • Transformational leadership A founder collaborator of localisation agenda Co-developed portfolio of evidence to expose unequal treatment of local disaster response capacity This launched Charter4Change, and adoption of targets for increasing financing to local and national NGOs
  • Upscaling localisation Co-initiated launch of Start Network's notable "Shifting the Power" project Learning led to Tearfund internally adapting its capacity sharing approaches for community based disaster risk management Secured flexible unrestricted funding for a global roll out of programme
  • Strengthening corporate capability Identified lack of disaster management skills across 1200 Tearfund staff and initiated e-based learning platform to ensure organisational effectiveness, restructuring team to focus on learning and communications

  • Resilience & community led response Co-led interagency initiative on “Characteristics of a Disaster Resilient Community”, a globally acknowledged measurement framework for community led DRR Commissioned development of "Disasters and the Local Church", an open source e-training for national FBOs to equip themselves in CBDRM
  • Influencing through research Identified research gap in cost effectiveness of DRR at community level Commissioned community based cost benefit analysis, producing results which significantly influenced donor and institutional thinking
  • International policy frameworks Lobbying for the agency of crisis affected populations, attended at World Humanitarian Summit and World Conference for Risk Reduction in Sendai, facilitating faith based actors at side events, ensuring a faith centered voice was in the closing narrative and goals
  • Innovation & funding Developed Tearfund's Drought Risk Insurance pilot for anticipatory action Collaborated with private sector and philanthropic foundations, convincing Tearfund senior leadership of its potential

Timeline

International Aid System Consultant

Freelance
10.2023 - Current

Head of Humanitarian and Resilience

Tearfund
04.2012 - 10.2023

Head of Disaster Management Unit

Tearfund
11.2009 - 03.2012

International Programme Manager

Tearfund
01.2006 - 11.2009

Central Asia Country Director

Tearfund
04.2004 - 10.2005

Programme Advisor

UNDP
06.2002 - 09.2003

Field Coordinator

UNDP
09.2000 - 06.2002

VSO Projects Advisor

HelpAge Sri Lanka
02.1999 - 08.2000

Resources Centre Manager

Shaftesbury Society (now Liveability)
03.1993 - 01.1999

Master of Arts - International Development Studies (Econ)

University Of Manchester

Bachelor of Arts - Geography (Hons)

University Of Manchester
Oenone Chadburn