We support development, humanitarian, and civil society actors in evidence-based decision-making by qualitative research and facilitation of participatory stakeholder dialogues.
What we do
Qualitative Research
We conduct in-depth studies for humanitarian and development sectors to understand behaviours, attitudes, and experiences.
Evaluation and Design
We assess organisations, programs and projects to inform design improvements.
Context Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement
We analyse environmental factors and engage with key stakeholders to inform strategic decisions
Large Group Facilitation
We employ participatory methodologies such as Open Space Technology and Future Search Methods to facilitate meaningful group interactions and collaborative decision-making
Capacity Building & Training
Our services are designed to strengthen an organization's capabilities and skills, enabling it to achieve its goals while adapting to evolving markets and technologies. We provide a comprehensive suite of services including: Organisational Development, Strategic Planning, Performance Management, Skill Development, Change Management, Needs Assessment.
Development Networking
We host informal gatherings for professionals working in the humanitarian and development fields. These gatherings offer a relaxed and open environment for individuals from these sectors to connect, share insights, and collaborate on initiatives aimed at fostering social and economic development and providing humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
Domains of Expertise
We bring expertise in a range of key thematic areas
Humanitarian Research
We specialise in conducting in-depth perception studies on humanitarian aid, particularly cash assistance, and analysing humanitarian narratives to better understand affected populations' and key stakeholders’ perspectives and needs.
Resilience and Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus
Our team focuses on assessing community resilience and facilitating the integration of humanitarian aid with development and peace-building efforts to address crises comprehensively
Livelihood and Economic Diversification
We are dedicated to exploring diversified livelihood strategies through feasibility studies and fostering entrepreneurship to spur economic growth
Civil Society Development
Our team aims to empower civil society organisations for greater advocacy, policy dialogue, and service delivery, driving social change
Civic-Military Cooperation and Veteran Policy
We are facilitating stakeholder dialogues for veteran reintegration and enhancing civilian-military collaboration to bolster community resilience
Public Institutions Reform
We specialise in organisational assessments and capacity building for public institutions to enhance governance and efficiency
Ongoing Projects
Research
Empowering Youth in Humanitarian Action in Ukraine: Lessons Learned and Pathways Forward
In Ukraine teenagers and youth are actively engaged in community-level initiatives, they are building their skills and leadership while engaging in humanitarian action. Young people are not just passively affected by crisis and disaster crises. They have the agency and capacity to lead in the response as well as in the recovery that follows. While development and humanitarian approaches still too often ignore the power of young people as capable agents of change, young people’s role in leading and shaping humanitarian response and recovery is increasingly recognised as necessary, not optional – not least to strengthen the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Period: May 2024 - January 2025
Research
Women’s leadership in humanitarian action in Ukraine and Poland
This research will focus on understanding the work of women-led humanitarian initiatives in communities in Ukraine and Poland and explore how women-led humanitarian action is facilitating women empowerment in both countries. Through the research, we seek not only to understand the scale of this contribution, but also to understand how INGOs, such as Save the Children/HLA, can support these organisations. Gender-sensitive humanitarian responses must go beyond responding to the needs and vulnerabilities of women by recognising and facilitating women’s voices, representation and participation in decision-making through inclusive and targeted strategies. women'sfacilitateseriod: May 2024 - January 2025
Research
Mapping of the Civil Society Organizations Ecosystem in Ukraine
OSWU conducts an in-depth mapping study of CSOs within the aid ecosystem in Ukraine, with the purpose of better understanding the current landscape, its primary stakeholders, their characteristics (sector and ways of intervention, longevity and maturity, access to support and funding from international donors) and their respective roles and contributions or participation in the reconstruction and development agenda.The study focuses on regional-level CSOs and how they work with and support local CSOs.
Period:: May - November 2024
Humanitarian Studies
A qualitative study exploring community perceptions of cash assistance in Ukraine.
This study is part of a project implemented by GTS, in partnership with the Collaborative Cash Delivery (CCD) Network and funded by the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC). The findings will be used to generate recommendations directed at the CCD members and their implementing partners, other humanitarian actors and the government on how to strengthen programming in line with community feedback.
Period: January - July 2024
Humanitarian Studies
Managing narratives in the humanitarian response to the conflict in Ukraine
This two-year project is implemented by HPG in cooperation with OSWC as a research partner organization in Ukraine and aims to study how different narratives shape humanitarian policy decisions and determine humanitarian outcomes in Ukraine and the region. HPG will convene in-country workshops and a regional roundtable with relevant stakeholders to raise awareness of the impact these narratives have on the humanitarian response to the crises and explore how they could be constructively reframed.
Period: May 2023 - November 2024