UK development partnerships
A review focused on lessons learnt from the past to inform the impact and value for money of UK's new approach to bilateral development partnerships
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We expect to publish this review in Autumn 2026.
Summary
The UK’s approach to development partnerships has evolved over time from a traditional aid for service delivery model to one of mutual benefit and investment. Policy developments in 2025 have put partnerships at the centre of the UK approach to development, in a shift that moves the UK ‘from a donor to an investor’. Development Minister Baroness Chapman described the current approach to partnership during a visit to Ghana in September 2025, saying it was ‘typical of the UK’s new modernised approach to international development – one where we invest in and work with countries, as partners’.
This review will build on past ICAI work to inform the UK’s new approach to bilateral development partnerships. It will focus on the UK’s approach to country partnerships since 2021-22, including the extent and ways in which the UK has combined aid funding, expertise, and policy influence in partnerships. It will also set out recommendations for how to maximise impact and value for money through a partnerships approach. The review will include three country case studies – Kenya, Myanmar, and Zimbabwe – examining all government departments involved in partnerships with these countries’ governments and other non-state actors.
Review questions:
- Has the UK’s approach to partnerships reflected global commitments?
- How well has the UK built and managed bilateral partnerships since 2020/21?
- To what extent has the UK ensured that its recent and current bilateral development partnerships can maximise impact and value for money?
Read the terms of reference for more information about the review scope.