The project PARCEL addresses gaps in logistics and operational management supporting local and national actors, as well as international actors, to effectively manage end-to-end supply and logistics processes.
The initiative supports the localization agenda and aligns with global commitments such as the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), Sphere Humanitarian Charter, the Charter for Change, and the Grand Bargain.
PARCEL centers local humanitarian actors in PARCEL activities, representation and decision-making —Nothing about us without us—fostering equitable partnerships and local humanitarian leadership.
PARCEL has been facilitated by Oxfam, in partnership with a diverse range of allied INGOs and Humanitarian Supply and Logistics related sector actors. PARCEL resources, knowledge products and learning activities developed during the 2024-2026 period, funded by DG-ECHO, have been co-created with broad participation and co-creation among local, national and international agencies..
Purpose & Approach
To strengthen local humanitarian logistics capacity, improve coordination between local and national humanitarian actors and international agencies, and promote sustainable collaboration through shared standards and co-created resources.
- Co-design and co-develop logistics standards, training materials, and assessment tools.
- Embed gender, environment, and localization principles.
- Offer open-access materials and training opportunities in multiple languages.
- Share knowledge, resources, experience and leadership in humanitarian logistics
PARCEL story
The PARCEL journey began in 2013 through a consortium of 11 international humanitarian organizations and supported by ECHO funding. The original PARCEL consortium included::
- Action Contre la Faim
- Oxfam (five affiliates)
- Concern Worldwide
- Mercy Corps
- Save the Children
- Tearfund
- World Vision International
After the initial ECHO-funded project, individual consortium members continued to invest in roll-out of the PARCEL training materials, training events, assessment tools, etc., incorporating PARCEL into their organisations’ capacity strengthening strategies and activities. PARCEL resources were freely downloadable from the PARCEL website and were used by many different agencies, contributing to enhanced logistics capacities across the globe.
In 2024, a second phase of funding support from DG ECHO allowed PARCEL to update its resources, ensure alignment with the Universal Logistics Standards, strengthen engagement with local and national humanitarian actors as key collaborators and co-creators of PARCEL activities and resources, and update the PARCEL website for easier access to updated PARCEL resources, knowledge and collaboration opportunities.
PARCEL is supported by many like-minded organisations across the humanitarian sector,far beyond the initial consortium agencies, often through (non-financial) contributions of staff time and effort, strategic and technical expertise, convening and collaborations, and leveraging knowledge and networks increase PARCEL’s positioning and impact on shifting the humanitarian sector’s ways of working.
Key milestones to date:
- 2007 — Humanitarian Principles of Partnership established.
- 2009–2012 — Oxfam’s PALL Project piloted learning and partnership approaches.
- 2013 — ECHO funded the first PARCEL Project, led by Oxfam.
- 2014 — PARCEL standards launched across key logistics functions.
- 2015 — Global PARCEL training rollout; Charter for Change signed.
- 2019 — PARCEL materials translated into Portuguese.
- 2021 — Universal Logistics Standards (ULS) launched.
- 2024–2026 — PARCEL Project 2.0 launched
- 2025 – PARCEL Network established as a global network of diverse local, national and international actors
- 2026 – PARCEL Network website goes live with updated PARCEL 2.0 resources and tools
Advisory Committee
The PARCEL 2 Advisory Committee brings together local and international logistics and humanitarian experts who provide strategic and technical guidance, ensuring the project reflects the priorities of humanitarian actors.
Working voluntarily and in collaboration with the PARCEL Project Team, members review progress, identify opportunities for learning and advocacy, and help disseminate tools and standards across their networks.
Mohamed Ahmed Maalim
Nomadic Assistance for Peace and Development (NAPAD) Kenya
Finance and Administration Manager
Abdiaziz Hassan Halane
Zamzam Foundation – HQ Somalia
Procurement and Logistics Officer
Jyotsana Rani Roy
Barokupot Ganochetona Foundation
Bangladesh
Raghda Ramadan
MA’AN Development Center – Gaza Branch
Procurement and Logistics Manager
Cynthia Habib
International Rescue Committee
Senior Manager | Global Supply Chain Risk and Compliance
Katherine Ely
Environmental Sustainability in Humanitarian Logistics (WREC)
Projectmanager
Sue Hodgson
Save the Children International
Head of Humanitarian Supply Chain
Bassam Ibrahim
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
Head of Global Supply Chain Management
We welcome your feedback and ideas! If you have any comments, suggestions, or technical advice about any of the PARCEL resources or activities, we’d love to hear from you. Your insights help us improve the experience for everyone.
Please reach out to share your thoughts, submit a complaint or report an issue, or suggest new topics you’d like to see featured in a PARCEL resource or activity. /p>
You can reach us at info@parcelnetwork.org or simply fill out the form below — whichever is more convenient for you. Submit your message in any language.
PARCEL maintains zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, fraud, and corruption. Anyone involved in PARCEL activities can report concerns confidentially through Oxfam’s Speak Up line. To be redirected to the page to report misconduct and/or integrity concerns, Click here
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