30/10/10 14:15 Age: 65 daysThe Independent Commission on Aid Impact begins to take shape
On 29 October 2010 the UK Government unveiled plans for establishing the Independent Commission on Aid Impact (ICAI), a new independent body charged with scrutinising the impact and value for money of UK aid spending. ICAI will be totally independent from Government, and will have completely separate decision-making powers, staff and location from the Department for International Development. It will report directly to parliament, producing around 20 reports a year using a traffic light system to rate the effectiveness of aid programmes.
"The UK Government is dispensing with the power to sweep things under the carpet. The Commission will shine a light on where aid works and where improvements are needed. We will lead other donors in opening our books to independent scrutiny. We have a duty to squeeze 100 pence of value from every pound.” said Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell.
Graham Ward, former President of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, has been announced as the Chief Commissioner of the ICAI. It is expected that 3 other commissioners, including one from the international development field, will be appointed in early December 2010. A two–person secretariat has also been established, and is headed by Tom McDonald, who has ten years experience with the NAO, working mostly on health and MoD issues.
ICAI will hold a consultation on their 3 year work plan with partners, NGOs and the public in early January, lasting for 12 weeks. The recruitment of managing agencies is already underway, although they are not expected to be in place until March/April 2011. The Commission itself is expected to be up and running by June 2011.
Read the press release here.
Monday 3 January 2011
UK Aid Network: The Independent Commission on Aid Impact begins to take shape
via ukan.org.uk
