Supplementary review: Management of the 0.7% ODA spending target in 2020

4 Mar 2021

A new ICAI review will look at how the UK government managed the 0.7% Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending target in 2020 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ICAI has today published details of the scope and approach for the review, which builds on its earlier rapid review of the government’s management of the aid target between 2013 and 2019.

The UK economy was severely impacted by the pandemic during 2020, with significant implications for the aid budget. Management of the target also changed following the establishment of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in September.

ICAI’s earlier review, published in November 2020, found that the processes in place for managing the target had become increasingly effective and well-coordinated across government, but may not be sufficiently robust during times of significant external shocks.

The new supplementary review will aim to capture lessons from the management of the ODA spending target in the context of a decline in gross national income in 2020, but will not comment on events in 2021 or the government’s decision to lower the target temporarily to 0.5%.

Find out more about our forthcoming review.