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British MPs recommend greater use of local organisations

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The International Development Select Committee has recommended that the UK's Department for International Development (DfID) make greater use of local organisations.

  • Published

    11 February 2013

  • Written by

    Peace Direct
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The International Development Select Committee has recommended that the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) make greater use of local organisations. Its report on UK aid for 2011/12 says:

We recommend that DFID develop specific strategies for engaging with NGOs and civil society organisations (CSOs) which ensure that the Department's bureaucratic procedures and funding mechanisms facilitate partnerships with effective, smaller NGOs and CSOs.

The report on DfID’s accounts notes that the proportion of the UK aid budget going to large international organisations is increasing. These large organisations, however, can sometimes offer poor value for money. The Select Committee is encouraging DfID to look at the way it works with local organisations and make the most of what they offer:

DFID should carefully examine its growing multilateral expenditure and ensure that it has thoroughly examined other options such as greater use of local NGOs and sector budget support, especially as multilaterals have high costs and too often limited effectiveness. We recommend that DFID develop specific strategies for engaging with NGOs and civil society organisations (CSOs) which ensure that the Department's bureaucratic procedures and funding mechanisms facilitate partnerships with effective, smaller NGOs and CSOs. We welcome the Permanent Secretary's willingness to look at making more use of 'sector' budget support.

In 2013 DfID’s budget will increase to from 0.56% of UK GDP to 0.7% – its biggest ever increase. The Select Committee wants to ensure this aid is spent well and is effective. The Select Committee is the group of MPs in Parliament scrutinising the work of DfID

Peace Direct welcomes the Committee’s recommendations. We believe that local organisations are too often overlooked and their contributions to peace and development missed. We have recently launched the Local First campaign to show the value of local organisations.

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