Select Committee · International Development Committee

FCDO and disability-inclusive development

Status: Closed Opened: 12 Jul 2023 Closed: 23 May 2024 8 recommendations 9 conclusions 1 report

Report and Government response published This inquiry considered consider the adequacy and effectiveness of the FCDO’s disability and inclusion rights strategy, launched in February 2022, including the consequences for disability-inclusive programmes of the decision to cut aid spending from 0.7% to 0.5% of GNI. Stakeholders noted that Organisations of Persons with Disabilities are consulted arbitrarily …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - FCDO and disability-inclusive development HC 107 4 Apr 2024 17 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

7 items
2 Conclusion Third Report - FCDO and disability-incl… Accepted

Major shortcomings apparent in application of FCDO's Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy.

The Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy provides an excellent framework for improving the disability-inclusivity of the FCDO’s development portfolio. However, major shortcomings have become apparent in the application of the strategy, which are set out in later chapters of this Report.

Government response. The FCDO committed to explicitly referencing the definition in any future iterations of the strategy and delivery plan.
4 Recommendation Third Report - FCDO and disability-incl… Accepted

Include UN Convention definition of disability in future delivery plan and Strategy updates.

The Department should include in future iterations of the delivery plan, and any update to the Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities definition of disability, to ensure that stakeholders are clear on who the Department is targeting development spending towards, …

Government response. The government agrees and commits to explicitly referencing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities definition of disability in all future iterations of its strategy and delivery plan.
5 Conclusion Third Report - FCDO and disability-incl… Accepted

Disability inclusion not sufficiently integrated into FCDO policy-making procedures and departmental strategies.

Despite Government commitments, disability inclusion has not been sufficiently integrated into the FCDO’s policy-making procedures: the Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy receives little to no mention across other departmental strategies, suggesting that disability inclusion is not at the forefront of departmental thinking.

Government response. The FCDO stated that its current value for money approach already prioritizes equity, including people with disabilities. It committed to updating its equity and value for money guide and sharing it across its network, with an additional update to be …
9 Recommendation Third Report - FCDO and disability-incl… Accepted

Include specific, measurable disability data disaggregation policies in the DIRS delivery plan.

We recommend that the FCDO includes specific, measurable data disaggregation policies, guided by the UNCRPD definition of disability, in the upcoming iteration of the Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy delivery plan, which it should then share with stakeholders and delivery partners. All bilateral ODA projects should include these targets from …

Government response. The government agrees and is developing a new Inclusive Data Charter Action Plan (IDCAP) to meet commitments to disaggregate data by disability, sex, age, and geography in development programs. The current delivery plan already includes explicit references to disaggregated data.
12 Recommendation Third Report - FCDO and disability-incl… Accepted

Review FCDO value for money approach to safeguard people with disabilities in programmes.

The FCDO should review its approach to securing value for money in development programmes, to ensure that these considerations do not impact on the ability of programmes to effectively safeguard people with disabilities, reporting progress to the Committee within one year of publication of this Report.

Government response. The government agrees, stating that their value for money policy is consistent with safeguarding people with disabilities and already prioritizes equity. They intend to update and share the equity and value for money guide across their network and will provide …
14 Conclusion Third Report - FCDO and disability-incl… Accepted

FCDO is failing to adequately engage with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs).

The FCDO is not adequately fulfilling its commitment to the “Nothing about us without us” campaign for engagement with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), which risks undermining support and buy-in for its development programmes from people with disabilities and OPDs.

Government response. The government agrees with the conclusion, stating it has published internal and external guidance for staff to engage more meaningfully with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and its current strategy delivery plan includes key actions to improve consultation and …
15 Recommendation Third Report - FCDO and disability-incl… Accepted

Amend DIRS delivery plan to ensure consultation with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs).

The next iteration of the DIRS delivery plan should be amended to ensure that Organisations of Persons with Disabilities are consulted on any policies that may affect them. (Paragraph 68) Humanitarian response and climate change

Government response. The government agrees that Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) should be actively involved in FCDO's disability inclusion work. They confirm the current strategy delivery plan includes actions for improving consultation with OPDs, and they will consider additional commitments in …

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
23 Jan 2024 Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office View ↗
17 Oct 2023 Anna Landre · Disaster Strategies, Iryna Tekuchova · Fight for Right, Kevin Sudi · CBM, Ms Lauren Watters · Able Child Africa, Ophia Bwanali · Leonard Cheshire Zimbabwe, Sunday Isiyaku · Sightsavers View ↗