Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Accepted in Part
Establish sustainability as a central tenet of FCDO's VfM assessment criteria by 2025/26.
Conclusion
The Committee recommend that sustainability should be a named central tenet of the FCDO’s VfM assessment criteria by the end of the 2025/26 financial year, and should be regularly and formally considered throughout the life of a programme. (Recommendation, Paragraph 29) The international development landscape and the UK ODA’s reduction to 0.3%
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, stating sustainability is already integrated into its VfM approach and that refreshed VfM guidance will be developed in 2026 to strengthen its assessment, but does not commit to making it a named central tenet by the specified deadline.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
Partially agree. Sustainability is already integrated into the FCDO’s approach to assessing VfM at each of the 5Es stages, rather than at a separate stage. The refreshed VfM guidance that will be developed in 2026 will have a stronger focus on assessing sustainability and the longer-term costs and benefits of an intervention. The guidance will help staff consider different types of sustainability (e.g. financial, institutional, behaviour change, environmental etc.) at each of the 5Es stages (economy, efficiency, effectiveness, equity and cost-effectiveness).