How UK aid learns
Departments with new aid budgets are increasingly developing their understanding of how to use aid effectively - but more should be done to integrate learning into international development spending across government to ensure value for money.
International Development Committee
The International Development Committee’s ICAI Sub-Committee published correspondence with the government related to this review as part of their scrutiny work.
ICAI follow-up
Approximately one year after we publish our reports, we follow up on the steps the government has taken in response to our recommendations. This process is a key link in the accountability chain, providing Parliament and the public with an account of how well government departments have responded to ICAI reviews.
Our follow-up review found there has been a reasonably good response to our recommendations and underlying concerns, particularly in the early stages after publication. However, contextual challenges and the FCDO merger have led to progress stalling, particularly on strengthening transparency. There is potential for FCDO to take on a positive coordination and standard-setting role across government, and for transparency to be increased, but until the future of the Aid Management Platform is clear, and FCDO evaluation plans and the new UK aid strategy are in place, we will not know if this potential will be realised. We therefore score the response as inadequate and will return to this review next year.
Read the follow-up review online or download the full report.
Further follow-up
Our further follow-up review found there has only been limited action taken to date on our recommendations, despite their continued relevance. This can partly be explained by the FCDO merger, which has led to the department focusing on its own development and created uncertainty about institutional structures and processes. However, it is also clear that these recommendations are not being given adequate attention. We will therefore be returning to the recommendations next year.
Read the further follow-up review.
Third follow-up
Our third follow-up review found very limited action had been taken by the government to address the recommendations set out in this review. FCDO continues to invest in developing its own systems, and has only slowly begun to undertake modest actions to provide support to other departments to promote learning and common monitoring, evaluation and learning standards. There also seems to be little appetite to grant FCDO the mandate and resources to provide more wide-ranging support in relation to aid being spent across government.
Despite inadequate action on these recommendations, we will not be following up on this review next year. We will instead look to pick up some of the issues in other relevant reviews.