more than just understanding growth constraints) is set out here. Our attempt at creating a ‘thicker’ (i.e. To do this well, you need a diagnostics tool that embraces the complexity of the system and genuine desire to explore. Whilst it is unrealistic for BII to completely change its approach to its deeply honed, project-first culture, a deeper exploration of how development finance interacts with what Stefan calls ‘development bargain’ would be welcome. There is therefore scope for a more ambitious role linking BII into this as part of a country strategy, something that has always felt missing in FCDO (previous DFID) country strategies/ diagnostics. But what areas these projects are in to genuinely achieve impact and additionality that works for long-term development and not just achieve some project-level impacts, is important. The private sector will finance commercially viable projects that is what they do. To take two quite different areas highlighted in the strategy: the role of British International Investment (BII) and girls’ education. The new strategy risks trying to do a lot with less, but at country and programming level, the “long term, patient approach”, hints at whole-system thinking. This is crucial as there is less money (and soon to be fewer staff) available to achieve everything outlined in the strategy, from trade to girls’ education.Ģ) If implemented well it will prioritise integrated thinking rather than lots of one-off investments Putting in the lead skills in political diplomacy – indeed accepting what we all know that all aid is political - with the nitty-gritty of how development works via public policy, under the FCDO roles of Ambassador and Development Directors, should also mean having a greater understanding of where to intervene – or as Stefan says – “who to dance the tango with (and be led by)". This implies not just working with Ministers, but as Dercon points out, the important role of technocrats from central banks, special advisors, insider elites, and so on to understand how public policy works. So even though it is unapologetically more business-orientated, it refocuses the debate on the importance of government and limits of aid compared to these more powerful forces for development. Many groups have expressed worries over the prominence given to the private sector and commercial aims of foreign policy, but the strategy accepts the importance of the messy world of public policy to achieving growth and public service improvements. Therefore, in an effort to be more positive about the world, as the UK sunshine made a rare appearance, it triggered some hope that the IDS could be compatible with Stefan’s call for understanding and working with development elites - whose decisions provide the basis for long-term development gains: 1) It accepts the limit of aid and acknowledges the role of public policy However, reading Stefan Dercon’s (a former official and adviser with FCDO) book over the recent UK bank holiday prompted some alternative thoughts on the ‘ how’. NGOs voiced concerns over the sidelining of mentions of tackling poverty, the private sector supported an integrated approach to development assistance (alongside other foreign policy tools), and most highlighted that whilst it was great to have a strategy, at times it lacked coherence on the how - for example, its focus on bilateral aid whilst supporting many global public good objectives such as health security or climate change.Ī broad strategy allows for various interpretations, with concerns that the renewed focus on trade with some high-profile exits of development expertise, risks the UK development policy being increasingly subsumed by a desire to project hard power and commercial necessity, and a short-termism that can follow from such objectives. It was within this context that the UK’s International Development Strategy was published last month to a fairly predictable response. From a UK perspective this comes alongside massive Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) cuts and challenges to long-term programming as the DFID-FCO merge plays out. It’s a despairing time now, with the crisis in Ukraine and knock-on impacts to the poorest countries, alongside Covid effects which have wiped off years of development.
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