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Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • Opinion
    • The Future of DfID

    Debate on the future of aid ‘makes me worry’

    The aid industry needs urgent reforms, yet the political space to make the case for aid is shrinking — and so is the opportunity to rethink the way aid works. Marta Foresti, governance, security and livelihoods director at the Overseas Development Institute shares her assessment for the #FutureofDfID series.

    By Marta Foresti // 02 April 2015

    In my job I strive to understand how policy reform happens: what, how and — crucially — who makes change possible.

    Much of it has to do with the political realities and power structures in any given country or sector. With this in mind, the debate on the future of aid and of the Department for International Development in the United Kingdom — but also in other Western economies — makes me worry.

    I worry that, on one hand, we know that the aid industry needs urgent reforms and, on the other hand, that the political space to make the case for aid is shrinking — and so is the opportunity to rethink the way aid works.

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    Read more on the #FutureofDfID:

    ● UK #GE2015: The moment of truth for DfID?
    ● DfID to increase trade role in future — Greening
    ● As long as there's extreme poverty, there's a need for DfID
    ● Labour MP: DfID has 'lost its way' under Cameron
    ● DfID is changing — but is it changing fast enough?
    ● Time to recognize private sector role in UK aid
    ● DfID's importance 'shouldn’t be understated'

    • Humanitarian Aid
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
    The views in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect Devex's editorial views.

    About the author

    • Marta Foresti

      Marta Foresti

      Marta Foresti is director for governance, security and livelihoods at the Overseas Development Institute. Marta’s interests include the political economy of development, service delivery, conflict and fragility. She has over 15 years of research, evaluation, policy and management experience and has an interest in applied social research methodologies and policy evaluation.

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