UK aid spending during Covid-19: management of procurement – forthcoming information note

29 Oct 2020

The UK’s approach to procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic will be the subject of a forthcoming information note by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI).

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the UK aid programme, requiring a reprioritisation of resources, and pausing or slowing down of some non-COVID planned activities. This came at a time when a fall in the UK’s gross national income also resulted in a significant reduction to the 2020 aid budget.

ICAI’s information note will explore how the UK’s management of procurement of UK aid programming since January 2020 reflected its international priorities for its global COVID-19 response, including to minimise the impact of the pandemic on developing countries and the most vulnerable populations, and to minimise disruption to the supply chains needed for the delivery of UK aid.

As an information note, it will not reach evaluative judgments or make recommendations, but instead provide insights and transparency about a key period of decision making. The note is expected to be published later this year.