Unpredictable International Development Funding
Lack of predictable and long-term funding for UK-funded international development initiatives, risking their quality and expertise.
Source spread
Where this theme appears
This theme appears across 4 independent accountability sources, so the source mix matters as much as the headline total.
1 inquiry rec
240 committee recs
2 NAO recs
2 IMB recs
Browse by source
Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Select committee recommendations(240)— showing 50 strongest matches
#1 —
Recommendation: The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) was established to deliver a cross- Government response to challenges overseas which threaten UK national security, using both Official Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA funding. ODA programmes within the CSSF have suffered significant …
Response attribution not verified
#28 —
Recommendation: The government must factor in considerations around any future funding changes, including how best to mitigate and manage their unintended consequences, both for its international reputation and for the ability of its in-country staff to operate effectively. (Conclusion, Paragraph 89)
#27 —
Recommendation: The UK needs to be seen as a reliable partner and recognise that where sudden reductions in ODA have occurred across the portfolio, its credibility and return on investment are likely to be impacted. (Conclusion, Paragraph 88)
#21 —
Recommendation: The government is increasingly shifting its focus to using both ODA and non- ODA instruments to unlock an unquantified amount of private finance for climate and nature outcomes. This is in a bid to use the ODA element of its …
#20 —
Recommendation: The government should reconsider its decision to fund its investment in the TFFF by redirecting existing grant-based ICF towards loans, rather than drawing on new and additional sources. Nevertheless, we believe that it should continue to provide technical assistance on …
#19 —
Recommendation: We welcome the government’s long overdue decision to invest in the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), given the instrumental role the UK has played in designing the fund. The committee understand that the government must take difficult prioritisation decisions in …
#12 —
Recommendation: We urge the government to set geographic targets for the UK’s limited, highly concessional ICF resources to avoid deepening climate-vulnerable countries’ debt distress. Specifically, for LDCs, SIDS, LICs and other highly fragile countries, it should set a minimum share of …
#1 —
Recommendation: The government has prioritised maintaining headline ICF3 spending commitments under the constraints of its ODA budget, as opposed to striving to deliver genuine climate and nature outcomes. The government’s changes to ICF accounting methodology have undermined the impact, additionality and …
#20 —
Recommendation: The FCDO must set out its spending plans on these areas in Nigeria in response to this report, including detailed Integrated Security Fund spending plans. (Recommendation, Paragraph 86)
Response status not verified
#18 —
Recommendation: While many of these programmes satisfy the pleas made to us by witnesses and stakeholders for improvements in UK programming across Nigeria and the Sahel, they are clearly insufficient: conflict, extremism and banditry continue to rise, with severe knock-on effects …
Response status not verified
#11 —
Recommendation: We are concerned by evidence that funding reductions have weakened displacement monitoring. (Conclusion, Paragraph 51) 46
Response status not verified
#5 —
Recommendation: As we outlined in our report, “The Future of UK Aid and Development Assistance”, the FCDO will need to set out further details on how its four essential shifts can create a step-change in policy efficacy and implementation. A belief …
Response status not verified
#2 —
Recommendation: The Department must commit to aligning the announcement of new approaches and strategies with the release of spending plans, in order to generate confidence in its plans and its appetite for transparency. (Recommendation, Paragraph 6) The Nigeria-UK Strategic Partnership
Response status not verified
#1 —
Recommendation: We are disappointed by the delayed release of the FCDO’s Official Development Assistance country allocations for the coming years. This made deeper scrutiny of FCDO strategy in Nigeria difficult while our inquiry was under way, as we did not have …
Response status not verified
#2 —
Recommendation: In its response to this report, the government should set out its assessment of the impact of ODA cuts on international science collaboration, including on areas such as the International Science Partnership Framework. While recognising the pressures and trade- offs …
Response status not verified
#1 —
Recommendation: The Committee recognises that Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) spending has been reduced to allow the wider defence budget to be increased, but highlights the risks in making deep cuts to ODA for Research and Development (R&D). The UK has been …
Response status not verified
#5 —
Recommendation: The Government should ensure it has a full and robust assessment of the national security risks of reducing the Official Development Assistance budget, resisting further cuts that could have a damaging effect for UK strategic interests. We note the International …
Response attribution not verified
#4 —
Recommendation: Soft power is a crucial source of UK influence and security abroad. Its erosion would have direct security consequences, most clearly in Africa, where Russia and China are increasingly filling the space left by the withdrawal of the soft power …
Response attribution not verified
#13 —
Recommendation: Multilateral spending forms an important part of the UK’s ODA, but we are concerned that the merger may lead to an increase in funds provided to these organisations for generalised future spending rather than targeted funds delivering immediate benefits. As …
Response attribution not verified
#10 —
Recommendation: In the face of pandemic-related budget cuts, difficult decisions will need to be made as to how savings can be made whilst protecting the overall effectiveness of aid spending. Given the grave challenges faced by developing countries in tackling COVID-19, …
Response attribution not verified
#6 —
Recommendation: Poverty reduction should continue to form a central part of the Government’s international policy. Accordingly, it should commit to targeting the majority of the UK’s ODA spend towards the very poorest countries. The Government should also set out how its …
Response attribution not verified
#5 —
Recommendation: UK aid spending amplifies the UK’s voice on the world stage, promoting our national interest by projecting our core values, and transforming the lives of people living in the very poorest countries. A potential shift of the UK’s ODA budget …
Response attribution not verified
#1 —
Recommendation: We recommend that, as part of a renewed consistent approach to promoting global health, the FCDO should continue to fund existing programmes aimed at the eradication of previously identified diseases. The Government should use its integrated voice to lobby development …
Response attribution not verified
#69 —
Recommendation: With Ethiopia currently the UK’s largest bilateral recipient of ODA, we are surprised that the UK Government has not allocated more financial assistance to the humanitarian response to the crisis in Tigray.
Response attribution not verified
#68 —
Recommendation: A failure to adequately resource the response to this crisis increases the risk of a ripple effect of instability throughout the region. The failure to support the communities of Tigray, combined with the lack of an inclusive political settlement, compromises …
Response attribution not verified
#67 —
Recommendation: Dr Rogg, FCDO, told us £15.4 million had been announced and disbursed specifically for the crisis to date.148 Paul Turnbull called for additional funding for the crisis, telling us that: We have been a beneficiary of DfID and FCDO. If …
Response attribution not verified
#64 —
Recommendation: Paul Turnbull, UN WFP Ethiopia, told us that: The funding has not really been that great, considering the needs on the ground. We know that many donor countries we have relied on in the past are having a very difficult …
Response attribution not verified
#63 —
Recommendation: The UN regularly publishes and updates information on the funding needed and provided for the crisis in Tigray. In February it published a breakdown that showed that while the overall response was 71% funded, some sectors were a long way …
Response attribution not verified
#18 —
Recommendation: The halving of UK aid to Afghanistan in 2020/1 is an example of the harm done by aid cuts that were designed to reduce spending at speed, rather than considering wider UK strategic interests. These cuts, made at a time …
Response attribution not verified
#9 —
Recommendation: The FCDO should consider how it can restructure its funding commitments to give long-term certainty to local civil society organisations to ensure funding that has been committed cannot be suddenly withdrawn at short notice. (Paragraph 27) Communications and storytelling
Response attribution not verified
#28 — Ensure long-term financial support for RUTF/MMS and pledge £50m to the Child Nutrition Fund.
Recommendation: The Government should work with governments and organisations to ensure continued long-term, predictable financial support for Ready-to use Therapeutic Foods and Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation packs, to address the needs of children and pregnant women in humanitarian situations. This should support …
Response attribution not verified
#14 — Ensure phased transition and clear communication with partners during ODA spending cuts.
Recommendation: Where cuts are to be made as part of this spending review, we request the Government informs the Committee of the steps it will take to ensure that there will be a phased transition with clear communication to implementing partners, …
Response attribution not verified
#13 — Ensure Official Development Assistance for nutrition and food security programming is predictable and long-term.
Recommendation: We recommend that the FCDO put measures in place to ensure that all Official Development Assistance committed to nutrition and food security related programming is predictable and long term, with better safeguards against, and warnings of, any changes to funding …
Response attribution not verified
#12 — Reconsider reduction in Official Development Assistance from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI.
Recommendation: The reduction of ODA from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI in February 2025 could not have come at a worse time, with cuts in donor spending across Europe and in the United States of America and ever-increasing need. If the …
Response attribution not verified
#11 — DFID/FCO merger and spending cuts damaged UK's SDG2 efforts and reputation.
Recommendation: The handling of the merger of DFID with the FCO, and that of the subsequent sudden and drastic cuts in programme spending, was very damaging for the UK’s efforts toward SDG2. Not only did it damage the UK’s reputation as …
Response attribution not verified
#11 — Cuts to ODA funding threaten UK's global AMR efforts and Fleming Fund initiatives
Recommendation: An important part of the UK’s international work on AMR is the aid provided, particularly through the Fleming Fund, to fund AMR initiatives in low- and middle-income countries. This aid can help support the global fight against AMR, for example …
Response attribution not verified
#20 — Participate in multilateral peace process, supporting reconstruction and UN agencies in Gaza and West Bank.
Recommendation: A key component of the UK’s policy in support of a two-state solution must be participation in the reconstruction of Gaza and areas of the West Bank that have been rendered uninhabitable by military action. Institution building requires physical infrastructure …
Response attribution not verified
#14 — Reconsider cuts to women and girls-specific programming and consider ringfencing funding.
Recommendation: In the light of these impact assessments, the Government must reconsider the cuts to women and girls-specific programming announced by the Minister and should consider ringfencing funding for this programming. (Recommendation, Paragraph 80)
Response attribution not verified
#11 — Funding cuts to gender-specific programming devastate women and girls, denying vital support.
Recommendation: Funding cuts to gender-specific programming will be devastating for women and girls, starving them of vital support and services. The Government has not learned lessons from the previous Government about the severe impacts of funding cuts to programming for women …
Response attribution not verified
#2 — ODA share for poverty reduction programming has declined in recent years.
Recommendation: Programming to reduce poverty, which drives displacement and exacerbates other drivers, has received a declining share of ODA in recent years. (Conclusion, Paragraph 29)
Response attribution not verified
#1 — UK ODA cuts indicate stepping back from addressing global displacement crisis.
Recommendation: There is a global displacement crisis. The UK cannot solve it alone, and nor should it be expected to. However, significant cuts to UK ODA and development programming indicate a United Kingdom that is stepping back from the world stage …
Response attribution not verified
#16 — Detail interim private finance investments to plug ODA gap and safeguard UK conflict expertise.
Recommendation: It should also detail what interim investments it has made for private finance to plug the Official Development Assistance gap. This includes investment in civilian-led conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding. UK expertise, much of it currently concentrated in the Migration …
Response attribution not verified
#14 — Publish a timeline to restore ODA spending to 0.7%, including a protected conflict budget.
Recommendation: For the UK to continue being a lead actor within the United Nations Security Council, and a leading global actor in the prevention and resolution of conflict, it is critical that the Government sets out a pathway and 47 timeline …
Response attribution not verified
#13 — Reduced ODA budget diminishes UK global visibility, empowering adversaries in conflict zones.
Recommendation: With a reduced Official Development Assistance budget and a smaller budget allocation for conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts, the UK is less visible on the global stage and in key conflict zones. This opens up the space to our adversaries …
Response attribution not verified
#20 — Financial pressures risk undermining locally-led solutions and associated value for money benefits.
Recommendation: 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 …
Response attribution not verified
#15 — Require HM Treasury to reallocate all future unspent ODA back to the FCDO.
Recommendation: The FCDO must make formal representation to HM Treasury that any unspent ODA allocated to other Government departments is channelled back through the FCDO to continue its vital humanitarian and development work, and to ensure that overall ODA spending does …
Response attribution not verified
#10 — Require Government to return ODA spending to 0.5% GNI with a clear rebuilding schedule.
Recommendation: The Government must make every effort to return to spending 0.5% of GNI on ODA at a minimum, as soon as possible. The Government should produce a clear schedule for rebuilding aid from the interim level of 0.3%, with defined …
Response attribution not verified
#9 — Repeated UK aid budget cuts damage reputation and hinder long-term Value for Money.
Recommendation: Guaranteed, long-term funding for programmes is essential for ensuring that VfM is achieved, and that the impact of FCDO work continues to be felt long after the end of a programme. In the last five years, the UK has significantly …
Response attribution not verified
#8 — Reducing ODA to 0.3% will have devastating consequences, undermining UK soft power and security.
Recommendation: The UK’s planned reduction of ODA spend from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income will have devastating consequences across the world. The Committee recognises that increased defence spending is needed and is to be welcomed. However, to do this …
Response attribution not verified
#29 — Commit to multi-year funding for energy projects, supporting their full life cycle
Recommendation: The Government should commit to multi-year funding structures that support projects across their full life cycle. This should include not only initial deployment but also ongoing maintenance, technical assistance, and governance support. The aim is to ensure that local communities …
Response attribution not verified
NAO audit recommendations(2)
The effectiveness of Official Development Assistance expenditure
HM Treasury and DFID should set out the steps they will take, across a range of scenarios, to make sure the UK meets its legal obligation regarding the ODA target in the light of the UK's decision to leave the …
Accepted
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs
The JCDU and departments should work with HM Treasury to provide greater certainty on future funding for the strategy. This includes: - exploring the potential for indicative commitments over the life of the strategy; and - DHSC identifying and resolving …
Partially accepted
IMB individual recommendations(2)
The Verne (2023)
The Board urges HMPPS to recognise the efforts made by the senior management team to provide a resettlement service despite the absence of dedicated funding.
HMPPS
The Verne (2023)
The Board invites the Minister to ensure adequate funding for the resettlement role currently undertaken by HMP The Verne.
Ministry of Justice