Recommendation 9

We welcome work being done to increase in-country collaboration, and believe that in-country leadership of projects should be enhanced, not diminished. The new Department has the opportunity to build on examples of excellent in-country work completed by both the FCO and DFID, and to build on existing cooperation between the two Departments. While the structure of the new Department is not clear, it is important that it continues to show strong in-country leadership on both diplomatic and development projects, and that this merger is taken as an opportunity for greater cooperation between these areas, rather than greater competition. We recommend that the FCDO’s ODA programming continue to be led by in-country UK staff, who have strong local knowledge and networks. (Paragraph 26) Spending and Transparency