Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Accepted
FCDO lacks current review of its significant multilateral aid spending since 2016.
Conclusion
We recognise that multilateral organisations can offer good VfM in many circumstances. However, it is concerning that the FCDO has not commissioned a review of its multilateral aid spend since 2016, despite £2.8 billion of core ODA funding being spent through multilaterals in 2024. (Conclusion, Paragraph 58)
Government Response Summary
The government disagrees with the concern, stating that multilateral aid spending is regularly scrutinized through various internal processes (PrOF, Central Assurance Assessments) and external assessments (MOFAN), and is evaluated during Spending Reviews.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Disagree. The FCDO’s funding to multilateral development organisations is scrutinised regularly in line with the PrOF. This specifies the rules which must be applied when delivering the FCDO’s policy and programmes. These include reviewing performance against objectives and alignment to UK priorities and conducting Central Assurance Assessments of each multilateral organisation that are given core funding. As well as these internal tools, HMG also uses external assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of the multilateral organisations that the UK funds. This includes the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network which carries out regular assessments of multilateral organisations that receive ODA. During Spending Review processes, the FCDO evaluates how well the multilateral portfolio aligns with UK objectives and assesses the impact and VfM of multilateral programmes. As part of the current ODA allocation process, the FCDO is prioritising funding for multilateral organisations that deliver the greatest impact for UK priorities.