Fragile and conflict affected settings
OU has a strong track record of facilitating growth and inclusion in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Our team has conducted analyses, designed interventions and supported programming in many fragile and conflict-affected settings, including South Sudan, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Somalia, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Jordon, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Timor-Leste.
Examples of our expertise
Horn of Africa Culture for Peace (HoAC4P) (2023 – 2029)
Donor: Swiss Development Corporation (SDC); Implementer: DT Global
OU applies a systems approach to the preservation and stimulation of Somali culture and creative work in Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Building Inclusive Markets and Decent Work for Syrian Refugees and Lebanese Host Communities (BOUZOUR) (2024 – 2025)
Donor: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA); Implementer: International Labour Organization (ILO)
OU established a monitoring system to capture impact on decent employment in a continuous conflict setting; funded by Sida, implemented by ILO.
Accelerating Agriculture and Agribusiness in South Sudan (A3-SEED) (2023)
Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN); Implementer: International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
OU conducted a Mid-Term Review followed by training workshop to strengthen a systemic approach to seed market development; funded by Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, implemented by IFDC.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) 2023
OU developed the approach and toolkit for systemic development at the humanitarian-development-peace nexus – The CRS approach to Market System Development for Scale, Inclusion, Resilience, Environmental Stewardship and Social Cohesion.
International Trade Centre (ITC) 2025
OU conducted a training workshop on Market System Development for Forcibly Displaced Populations
GROW Liberia (2021)
Donor: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA); Implementer: Mercy Corps (2021)
OU conducted a Market System Assessment, followed by strategy development and intervention design
OU Flagship initiative: Strengthening Host and Refugee Populations, Ethiopia (SHARPE) (2019 - 2025)
Donor: UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office; Implementer: DAI
SHARPE applied an MSD approach to develop markets and businesses in ways that were inclusive of refugees to ensure they could benefit and be linked to wider market systems and value chains. OU was a consortium partner, providing technical leadership, oversight of the results measurement system, development of learning products and ongoing training support. Our most recent publications include Understanding refugee resilience and the inclusion of refugees in markets and SHARPE Value for Money (VfM) assessment.
