From: Africa All Party Parliamentary Group, Houses of Parliament
All Party Group of MPs and Peers question Government’s choice of countries to receive UK aid
The Africa All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)2, a cross-party group of almost 90 MPs and Peers, questions the Government’s selection of countries to receive aid, in a report released today (Monday 2 January) entitled “DFID’s Aid Priorities and Africa”1. The report analyses the Government’s Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) published in 2011, which led the Department for International Development (DFID) to reduce the number of countries it operates in from 43 in 2008/9 to 27 by 2016.
The cross party group concludes that the premise that DFID should operate more effectively in fewer countries is sensible, but the lack of objective criteria, the poor quality of some of the information used to select focus countries, and the lack of transparency of the process, mean the countries selected to receive aid are not the optimum choices. The report also discusses the implications of the BAR for how UK aid should be spent in Africa.
DFID Africa Directorate: Operational Plan 2011-2015
The UK Government is determined to help reduce the inequalities of opportunity we see around the world today. We believe that promoting global
prosperity is both a moral duty and in the UK‟s national interest. Aid is only ever a means to an end, never an end in itself. It is wealth creation and
sustainable growth that will help people to lift themselves out of poverty.
In May 2010, the International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, commissioned the Bilateral Aid Review to take a comprehensive and
ambitious look at the countries in which DFID works through our direct country and regional programmes. The review focussed on the best ways for
the UK to tackle extreme poverty, ensuring that we make the greatest impact with every pound we spend. In parallel, through the Multilateral Aid
Review, DFID assessed how effective the international organisations we fund are at tackling poverty.
On the 1st March 2011, the key outcomes of the reviews were announced, including the results that UK aid will deliver for the world's poorest people
over the next four years. The Bilateral Aid Review has refocused the aid programme in fewer countries so that we can target our support where it will
make the biggest difference and where the need is greatest. The Multilateral Aid Review findings enable us to put more money behind effective
international organisations which are critical to delivering the UK‟s development priorities. In addition the independent Humanitarian Emergency
Response Review looked at how the UK can build on its strengths in responding impartially to humanitarian needs and help ensure future disaster
responses can be better prepared and coordinated.
DFID is committed to being a global leader on transparency. In the current financial climate, we have a particular duty to show that we are achieving
value for every pound of UK taxpayers‟ money that we spend on development. Results, transparency and accountability are our watchwords and guide
everything we do. DFID regards transparency as fundamental to improving its accountability to UK citizens and to improving accountability to citizens
in the countries in which it works. Transparency will also help us achieve more value for money in the programmes we deliver and will improve the
effectiveness of aid in reducing poverty.
The UK Aid Transparency Guarantee commits DFID to making our aid fully transparent to citizens in both the UK and developing countries. As part of
this commitment we are publishing Operational Plans for country programmes. The Operational Plans set out the vision, priorities and results that will
be delivered in each of our country programmes.
We will concentrate our efforts on supporting achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, creating wealth in poor countries, strengthening their
governance and security and tackling climate change
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