Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 94
Trade and investment are proven means of reducing poverty, but the Government cannot rely on...
Recommendation
Trade and investment are proven means of reducing poverty, but the Government cannot rely on “trickle-down development”. Policies based on trade and investment must include the world’s poorest people. As the Government increases ODA spending through development finance, it is vital that such spending targets the poorest and is not just invested in middle-income countries where returns may be higher. The BII Impact Framework should be updated to include scoring based on the new World Bank definition of extreme poverty of $2.15 a day, in addition to its current metric of $5.50 a day. The BII annual report should set out the proportion of investments meeting the new metric, which would ensure that BII investments support the world’s poorest communities. Other investment partnerships, such as those planned with G7 partners, should also establish clear frameworks targeting poverty reduction in low- and-middle-income countries.
Government Response Summary
The FCDO is developing a Monitoring & Evaluation framework for the International Development Strategy and working to deliver its disability inclusion and rights strategy 2022–2030.
Paragraph Reference:
94
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
FCDO is required by HMT to publish Outcome Delivery Plans for the forthcoming financial year. These coherent, published delivery plans set out how we will deliver our priority outcomes. The FCDO is currently in the process of developing a complimentary Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) framework for the International Development Strategy. This will allow us to: track inputs to ensure priority areas are adequately resourced; measure the delivery of outputs; observe outcomes to test the theory behind the IDS; comment on impact and ensure our strategy is resilient to emerging trends. Equality and inclusion remain at the heart of FCDO’s integrated approach. We are working to deliver our disability inclusion and rights strategy 2022–2030, which includes commitments to mainstream disability inclusion across the FCDO and utilise our diplomatic network to promote the empowerment and inclusion of people with disabilities globally. The FCDO reports to an external disability board every six months to help monitor progress and delivery. Taken together, the frameworks will help to ensure we are delivering against our strategic objectives and providing real-world impact.