Reforms to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office are expected to bring “morale” and “focus” to the beleaguered department, according to a senior insider.
The FCDO announced Thursday it was creating a position for a second top civil servant solely responsible for international development to work alongside the current permanent under-secretary, or PUS, Philip Barton. Speculation over who will be appointed has already begun.
The new PUS, who will begin later in the year, will be the accounting officer for all government aid spending and be accountable to Parliament and the National Audit Office, the United Kingdom's public spending watchdog, according to the FCDO source.
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About the author
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.
