A couple of years ago, it seemed possible that the future of the Department for International Development as a freestanding Cabinet-level department of the British government might be in play.
No longer. DfID’s role as the “conscience” of government and a focal point of Her Majesty’s government’s commitment to sustainable development is widely supported, including by all the main political parties.
Instead, attention has begun to focus on a different question, namely what changes DfID needs — in a rapidly evolving development context — to its mandate, organizational structure, competences and accountability.