Merging Departments, Deprioritising Development

This chapter explores the various structures, interests, practices, and ideas that shape UK development policy, as well as how government directives and policies are translated into development projects and programmes. It uses new data from interviews with civil servants who have worked at DFID, the FCO and the FCDO. While focused on UK development policy between 1997 and 2022, the interviews were dominated by the 2020 merger of DFID with the FCO. Interview participants emphasised the relative loss of autonomy within UK development policy resulting from the merger. Other trends highlighted include the increased importance of optics in UK development policy, growing volatility of aid strategy, in line with frequent turnover of foreign and development ministers, and greater emphasis on the links between UK aid and national interest. Despite government assertions of improved value for money and increased coherence since the merger, concerns persist among academics and civil servants regarding the UK’s committed to and expertise in development, and its international reputation.