Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
7th Report – Assessing Value, Ensuring Impact: The FCDO's Approach to Value for Money in Official Development Assistance
International Development Committee
HC 422
Published 29 October 2025
Recommendations
21
Acknowledged
Prioritise localised interventions for specific challenges to maximise ODA value for money.
Recommendation
The Government must prioritise localised interventions for context-specific challenges, including poverty reduction and community health. Given a reduced ODA budget, these interventions should be targeted towards areas with the highest level of impact to maximise VfM and fulfil the globally …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees to prioritize localized interventions, stating that country-led, context-specific partnerships are central to its bilateral offer and that it remains committed to the Grand Bargain and advancing locally-led development.
Conclusions (2)
20
Conclusion
Acknowledged
The Government has ambitious and earnest intentions for championing locally-led solutions. However, there is a significant risk that these ambitions could be lost amidst financial pressures, in favour of centrally managed programmes, and that the VfM benefits that localisation can offer will be lost. (Conclusion, Paragraph 66)
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the observation, affirming its commitment to country-led, locally-led development partnerships and the Grand Bargain, recognizing their importance for value for money and effectiveness.
30
Conclusion
Acknowledged
We have been glad to hear that there is a stronger evaluation culture in the FCDO than can be seen in many other Government departments, and that the FCDO’s monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) processes are strong in comparison to other international actors. There has been a clear continuity of …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the committee's positive assessment, agreeing that the FCDO is a world leader in Value for Money (VfM) and has maintained the strong legacy of monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes from DFID.