The Relevance and Coherence of UK Aid Programmes and Projects

This chapter marks a transition in the book, from a macro-level analysis of UK development policy to micro-level examination of UK aid programmes and projects in Kenya, Nepal, and Nigeria. Over three chapters, we evaluate the aid programmes and projects using the OECD evaluation criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability. This chapter explains our country case selection, provides a historical context of the UK’s relationship with these countries, and explores the first two evaluation criteria—relevance and coherence. While many projects that we reviewed appeared relevant in addressing recipient countries’ concerns, coherence with other interventions was lacking, indicating a potential duplication of efforts. We also observed that the emphasis on linking aid projects to UK interest increased over time, mirroring a similar increase in official UK development policy. Project narratives frequently incorporated the themes of liberalisation, privatisation, anti-corruption, and migration, in which they sometimes diverged from the UK’s domestic political discourse.