A “Brits only” recruitment policy for senior United Kingdom development posts has led to a “loss of experts” and contributed to ongoing staff shortages, the country’s aid watchdog has warned ministers.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office still has 120 fewer advisers than before the exodus that followed the 2020 scrapping of the separate aid department DFID, with “governance, health, humanitarian, and food and agriculture” the worst hit areas, the report said.
In its annual report published on Sept. 13, the watchdog the Independent Commission for Aid Impact linked the staff shortages to the decision to make FCDO, which swallowed DFID, a “reserved” department — meaning only U.K. nationals can be appointed to senior U.K.-based roles.
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About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.
