FCO-DFID merger

Foreign Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 18 Jun 2020 Closed: 24 Sep 2020 Parliament page
15 Recommendations
1 Conclusion
1 Report
1 Oral session
1 Letter
1 Event
Activity timeline 4 events
24 Sep
2020
Report published
23 Jul
2020
Report published
7 Jul
2020
Oral evidence
7 Jul
2020
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
7 Jul 2020
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Foreign Affairs Committee
Lord Macpherson of Earl’s Court · HM Treasury Tim Durrant · Institute for Government
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report: Merging success: Bringing together the FCO and DF… HC 525 23 Jul 2020 16 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
Clear
5 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Second Report: Merging success: Br…
To integrate the Departments successfully, the new PUS must have the skills and experience necessary...
To integrate the Departments successfully, the new PUS must have the skills and experience necessary to effectively oversee both diplomatic and development projects. Above all else, they must have exceptional knowledge and experience of change management and major project delivery … Read more
Government Response
The government states that many of the recommended selection criteria were used for the new Permanent Under-Secretary. However, it rejects the recommendation for pre-appointment hearings for the role, stating it is not appropriate for a Civil Service appointment.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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7 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Second Report: Merging success: Br…
We welcome the Foreign Secretary’s assurance and his pledge to engage with staff throughout this...
We welcome the Foreign Secretary’s assurance and his pledge to engage with staff throughout this process, but clarity on the nature of future roles is needed as soon as possible. We recommend that the Government presents a clear plan to … Read more
Government Response
The government confirms there will be no compulsory redundancies in the new FCDO, and staff who previously would not have met nationality requirements will transfer into their current roles. However, long-term decisions on nationality requirements are deferred pending an ongoing review.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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10 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Second Report: Merging success: Br…
The merger presents an opportunity for the FCO to learn from DFID’s positive record on...
The merger presents an opportunity for the FCO to learn from DFID’s positive record on transparency, and to be more proactive in publishing details of project expenditure. We recommend that the UK sets ambitious new commitments to aid transparency, to … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to maintaining the Development Tracker tool and consolidating data systems for aid transparency, while stating it anticipates FCDO will be assessed in the next Aid Transparency Index in 2022. It does not explicitly commit to ambitious new transparency commitments or striving for a 'Very Good' score in the FCDO's first year.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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13 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Second Report: Merging success: Br…
The Government has made clear that the intention of the merger is not to save...
The Government has made clear that the intention of the merger is not to save costs but has suggested better value for money is available through it. This could be through reducing administrative costs. We recommend that the Government reports … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the importance of recording and reporting merger costs and savings, stating work has commenced on monitoring short-term costs. They expect to publish figures in the FCDO’s annual report and accounts for 2020–21, but indicate more time is needed to determine a clear picture, implicitly not meeting the requested six-month post-merger timeline.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 16 of 15 classified
Accepted 4
Accepted in Part 4
Acknowledged 2
Deferred 3
Not Addressed 3
Total 15 recs + 1 conclusion
Correspondence 1 letter
7 Jul 2020 Correspondence with the Foreign Secretary on FCO-DFID Merger dated 23/6/2020 and 1/07/2020
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