Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Third Report - FCDO and disability-inclusive development
International Development Committee
HC 107
Published 4 April 2024
Recommendations
3
Accepted in Part
Para 24
Publish the delivery plan alongside the Department's report response and subsequent iterations.
Recommendation
The Department should publish the delivery plan alongside its response to this Report, with all subsequent iterations published on completion.
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, committing to publish the updated delivery plan after the ongoing strategy review process is completed, rather than alongside its current response.
4
Accepted
Include UN Convention definition of disability in future delivery plan and Strategy updates.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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.
9
Accepted
Include specific, measurable disability data disaggregation policies in the DIRS delivery plan.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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.
11
Accepted in Part
Para 59
Ensure FCDO programming does not perpetuate the negative impacts of mass institutionalisation.
Recommendation
We have heard worrying indications that mass institutionalising of people with disabilities can have negative impacts. The FCDO should consider this in its programming, and to ensure that none of its programming perpetuates the negative impact of mass institutionalisation.
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Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, recognizing the harm of institutionalisation and reaffirming its commitment to de-institutionalisation in its Disability Inclusion and Rights strategy. The FCDO will consult on related actions for future delivery plans and explore further advocacy and programme work to support de-institutionalisation globally.
12
Accepted
Para 60
Review FCDO value for money approach to safeguard people with disabilities in programmes.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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 a progress update by April 2025.
13
Accepted in Part
Set out FCDO steps and metrics for ending mass institutionalisation of children with disabilities.
Recommendation
In its response to this Report, the FCDO should set out what steps it has taken to end the mass institutionalising of children with disabilities, as well as sharing with the Committee the metrics by which the Department measures its …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, acknowledging the issue and committing to consult on actions for future delivery plans to improve monitoring and evaluation, and to explore further work on de-institutionalisation. However, they note a lack of current robust data makes setting performance metrics challenging.
15
Accepted
Amend DIRS delivery plan to ensure consultation with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs).
Recommendation
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 Summary
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 the upcoming delivery plan review.
17
Accepted in Part
Lead review of humanitarian and climate policies for stronger disability inclusion commitments.
Recommendation
Led by its Gender & Equalities Department and Disability Inclusion Team, the FCDO should lead Government efforts to review all humanitarian response and climate change adaption policies, ensuring that each includes stronger commitments on ensuring that disability inclusion is properly …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, stating that while they accept the importance of disability inclusion in humanitarian and climate policies, the recommended cross-governmental leadership role goes beyond the capacity of the FCDO's Disability Inclusion Team. They detail ongoing internal efforts to build capability and mainstream disability inclusion, and will upgrade inclusive climate action within their own strategy review.
Conclusions (9)
1
Conclusion
Deferred
Globally, the UK has been at the forefront of advancing disability inclusion across development programmes. However, as equality impact assessments published in recent years confirm, the FCDO knew that Official Development Assistance cuts would significantly harm people with disabilities. (Paragraph 12) Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy 2022–30
Government Response Summary
The FCDO's response focuses on the disability strategy's delivery plan, stating that the updated plan will be published following the completion of a strategy review process currently underway. This does not directly address the committee's observation that FCDO knew ODA cuts would significantly harm people with disabilities.
2
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 23
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 Summary
The FCDO committed to explicitly referencing the definition in any future iterations of the strategy and delivery plan.
5
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 36
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 Summary
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 provided by April 2025.
6
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 37
ODA spending on disability inclusion, as measured by the OECD-DAC markers, falls short of our expectations. Whereas efforts to improve gender equality across the Department’s development programmes are assessed against measurable spending targets, disability inclusion does not receive the same focus.
Government Response Summary
The FCDO's response is a vague commitment to explore further advocacy, policy, and programme work related to de-institutionalisation and children's social care reform globally, without directly addressing the committee's concerns about ODA spending targets and OECD-DAC markers for disability inclusion.
7
Conclusion
Deferred
The FCDO must introduce Department-wide targets on disability inclusion, as measured by the OECD-DAC markers, by March 2025, reporting progress to this Committee by September 2025. (Paragraph 38) Data collection
Government Response Summary
The FCDO's response focuses on the importance of engaging Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs) and has published guidance for staff, stating it will consider additional commitments as part of an upcoming delivery plan review. This does not address the recommendation to introduce department-wide targets on disability inclusion measured by OECD-DAC markers by March 2025.
8
Conclusion
Deferred
Para 43
The FCDO acknowledges the importance of disaggregated data collection, and has in the past made repeated commitments to disaggregate data by disability. However, as acknowledged by the Second Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO, Nick Dyer, this has not been undertaken. We fail to understand how the FCDO and disability-inclusive development …
Government Response Summary
The government's response addresses a recommendation for the FCDO to lead government efforts on disability inclusion in humanitarian and climate change policies, acknowledging its importance but stating the scope is beyond the Disability Inclusion Team's capacity. This response completely avoids the actual conclusion about the FCDO's failure to undertake committed disaggregated data collection by disability.
10
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 58
People with disabilities are significantly more at risk of sexual exploitation, as well as other forms of exploitation, highlighting the importance of their appropriate safeguarding. However, we are not convinced that the FCDO is doing all it can to properly safeguard people with disabilities in its programming.
Government Response Summary
The government states that equity and safeguarding considerations are an integral part of delivering good value for money in the FCDO and intends to update the equity and value for money guide and share across its network, providing an update by April 2025.
14
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 67
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 Summary
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 capacity building. They will also consider additional commitments in an upcoming review.
16
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Despite the increasing importance of climate change adaption, as well as the constant threat of conflict, disability-inclusive programming is not sufficiently mandated across FCDO policy documents, risking persons with disabilities being overlooked at times of crisis. (Paragraph 83) 30 FCDO and disability-inclusive development
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, acknowledging the importance of disability inclusion in humanitarian and climate change policies. The FCDO Disability Inclusion and Rights strategy already recognizes this, and inclusive climate action will be upgraded as part of a strategy review, alongside ongoing work to build capability and mainstream equality across the organisation.