DFID White Paper 2006 - Consultation

As many of you know, there is currently a consultation round for the next International Development White Paper. Many of the key issues are ones we work on in DSA and we have been discussing with DFID how best to feed in the findings of our work. We have an important opportunity and the DSA contribution will take the following form:

There are three main stages:

1. Email contributions - Please send any comments and suggestions to whitepaper@devstud.org.uk by March 13. Please keep them to 2 pages and in presentable format.

2. Discussion meeting - This will be held at ODI on 17 March 2006. All members are welcome to attend, although we will be limited by space considerations. Book early - by emailing: whitepaper@devstud.org.uk. Agenda is below.

3. Presentation to DFID - The main points will be synthesized and presented to DFID staff working on the White Paper. We envisage the document will include a short summary followed by an annex containing the full DSA contributions made.

A copy of the Consultation Document for DFID's forthcoming White Paper can be found on the DSA website. Particularly important is to also focus on the content of the six speeches that Hilary Benn is giving. More information on these can be found at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/wp2006. A document containing the six speeches so far can be downloaded here (Word document over 200KB).

Over 100 people turned up for the Consultation meeting at ODI on 17th March and the response documents and notes are available (word documents):

DFID Research Funding Framework 2005-2007

The new Research Funding Framework is now available from DFID's website.

Below is a summary of the differences between the draft and this final version, prepared by Simon Maxwell.

1. Overall funding will rise to at least £100 million per year.

2. In the short term (to 2006/7) two thirds of available funds will be spent on four key researchable problems, which are (a) sustainable agriculture, especially in Africa, (b) killer diseases, (c) 'where states do not work for the poor' (weak states), and (d) the impact of climate change on poverty.

3. There will be 14 other research issues. These are: (i) pro-poor growth, (ii) production for different markets in a globalising world, (iii) better access to information on transport and infrastructure, (iv) improved education access, quality and outcomes, (v) women's empowerment, (vi) gender issues in agriculture and health, (vii) neonatal and child health, (viii) HIV, (ix) reproductive rights, (x) mental health, (xi) tobacco use, (xii) natural resource management systems, (xiii) chronic poverty, and (xiv) faiths in development.

4. There will also be a responsive window for grants £100-300k, possibly in conjunction with Research Councils.

5. Strong emphasis on capacity-building in developing countries, including via country programmes.

6. As for Point 5, in 'getting research to users'.

7. For the long term, there will be: a big effort to improve the way research priorities are chosen, including via horizon scanning; a push on joined up thinking in the UK, including via a new Funders' Forum; more international collaboration; and more public-private partnerships.

8. Annex 2 notes the current round of research bids. It says that 'Where states do not work for the poor' and chronic poverty will both be pursued through existing DRCs. For the rest, the timetable includes: education in winter 2004/5; women's empowerment in winter 2004/5; climate change in summer 2005/6; sustainable agriculture in agriculture following the evaluation of the RNR programme, with new programmes to start in 2006/7; for HIV, 2006/7; others (including responsive grants) to be decided. Horizon scanning to begin once the new Chief Scientific Adviser is in place.

N.B. The strategy also refers to the forthcoming report of the Science and Technology Committee which is likely to have some radical suggestions.

Simon Maxwell, ODI

DFID New Management Structure of Policy Division

Please download an organogramme and Policy Division Chart that detail the changes that came into effect on May 17th 2004.

For previous consultations with DFID, please click here

Page last updated: 30 April, 2006