Is the FCDO getting value for money from private contractors? MPs hear evidence
On Tuesday 17 June, MPs will explore whether the Government is getting value for money from its use of contractors in development programming.
The International Development Committee will hold the final evidence session of its inquiry into the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) approach to value for money. Split across two panels, the session will focus on the FCDO’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) processes and its use of private contractors.
Data collection and MEL are vital for understanding how best to allocate resources and spend across the department. However, the Committee has previously raised concerns about the FCDO’s data collection processes, stating in a report that “we fail to understand how the Department can properly target resources or develop and disseminate best practice across development programmes if it does not know who it is helping and where.” Similar concerns have also been raised by academics.
Meeting details
In light of this, the Committee are likely to ask the first panellists how MEL is currently being applied at the FCDO, how it affects partner organisations, and whether the FCDO is sufficiently transparent in sharing information about its MEL processes.
In the second panel, MPs will consider the FCDO’s use of private contractors and whether they offer good value for money. The Committee are also likely to ask witnesses about the advantages, but also potential risks to value for money, of using private contractors.