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ICAI infrastructure review published today

Today ICAI with support from Agulhas published a performance review on DFID’s investment on transport and urban infrastructure. DFID’s investments on transport and urban infrastructure over 2015 and 2016 consisted of 57 programmes with combined budgets of £3.9 billion. The review found that: DFID’s transport and urban infrastructure work clearly supports three out of four […]

12.10.18

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Today ICAI with support from Agulhas published a performance review on DFID’s investment on transport and urban infrastructure. DFID’s investments on transport and urban infrastructure over 2015 and 2016 consisted of 57 programmes with combined budgets of £3.9 billion.

The review found that:

  • DFID’s transport and urban infrastructure work clearly supports three out of four strategic objectives in the UK aid strategy: promoting global prosperity, strengthening resilience and response to crisis, and tackling extreme poverty and helping the world’s most vulnerable.
  • DFID has identified its comparative advantage alongside other development actors but its strategy needs further articulation, including how its infrastructure work fits alongside other UK aid spending departments’ activities.
  • While some of DFID’s transport and urban infrastructure work has a pro-poor focus, its larger economic growth-focused programmes lack a systematic approach to including the poorest and most vulnerable groups.
  • Programme performance has been mixed, with some strong results offset by frequent delays.
  • DFID’s research and technical assistance has been very effective, in influencing both host country and multilateral programmes.
  • DFID relies on the safeguarding policies of its multilateral partners, but is not active enough in ensuring that these are effectively implemented.
  • DFID is increasing its engagement with China on infrastructure issues, but could do more to help partner countries make informed infrastructure finance choices.

Read the report

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