U.K. lawmakers have called on the government to pause sweeping reforms to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, warning that rapid staffing cuts and structural changes risk undermining poverty reduction and weakening scrutiny of the country’s shrinking aid budget.
In an interim report published Thursday, the House of Commons International Development Committee said the pace and sequencing of reforms under the department’s “FCDO 2030” program — which include staff reductions of between 15% and 25% — could lead to irreversible losses of expertise.
It urged FCDO not to forge ahead until it has completed a “structured assessment” of staffing required to deliver its priorities both in the U.K. and overseas; a skills and equalities impact assessment, and an analysis of how recent aid programming decisions affect the world’s poorest people and the U.K.’s diplomatic capacity.
About the author
Susannah Birkwood
Susannah Birkwood is a Devex contributing reporter focusing on U.K. aid policy and international development. She has reported on foreign aid budgets, peacebuilding, and the politics of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, drawing on more than 16 years of experience across newsrooms and NGO press offices. She has overseen major media campaigns for international NGOs, including WWF, ActionAid, and Plan International, and has advised a wide range of charities and INGOs on media strategy and press outreach.
