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Your chance to get involved

When developing policies, DFID recognises that consulting with a wide range of interested groups helps to ensure that the impact of its proposals on different sectors of society is taken into account.

The Code aims to increase the involvement of individuals and groups in public consultations, minimising the burden it imposes on them, and giving them enough time to respond.

This guidance is used in conjunction with the Compact between the government and the voluntary and community sector which includes a specific code of good practice on ‘Consultation and Policy Appraisal’.

If you would like to take part in DFID public consultations, information will be posted on these pages.

DFID public consultations:

New DFID policy on Evaluation

DFID takes very seriously the responsibility to ensure high quality, independent evaluation of its programmes, to provide reliable and robust evidence to improve the value of its global work to reduce poverty. In December 2007 the Independent Advisory Committee on Development Impact was established to help DFID strengthen its evaluation processes.

DFID and IACDI have therefore been working closely together to define a new policy which will set the course for evaluation in the future. We have also produced a topic list of potential areas for evaluation over the coming 3 years. So you will see here two documents on which we would like your feedback, the Draft Evaluation Policy(230 kb) and the Evaluation Topic List(111 kb).

Further details and background information

Please send your comments in as early as possible to evaluationfeedback@dfid.gov.uk. The consultation period will end on 3 March 2009.

Draft DFID Strategy on Nutrition and Development

DFID is developing its strategy on Nutrition and Development. Examination of evidence available on the determinants, impacts and interventions related to nutrition has been considered in outlining the action plan and evidence paper.

Rt Hon Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development, launched the public consultation process on 19 November during his visit to India. The full version of the Evidence Paper and Action Plan are available below under background information. We will use your feedback to help us develop the recommendations and the choices to present to the UK Parliament in early 2009.

Background information

DFID Nutrition Task Team Evidence Paper (523 kb)

DFID Nutrition Task Team Action Plan (1,615 kb)

Please send your views and comments by 19 January 2009 to: nutrition_consultation@dfid.gov.uk.

UK’s Development Plan for Cambodia

DFID Cambodia is beginning a new country planning process. The aim is to consider how we can best focus on the challenges that Cambodia faces in terms of poverty reduction, building an effective and accountable state, and increasing inclusive economic growth.

To help us with the country planning process, we would like to invite you to answer a set of questions about the possible future direction of DFID assistance. We will use your feedback to help us develop the issues and choices we will present to the UK Secretary of State for International Development in early 2009.

Consultation questions

What do you think are the key challenges to reducing poverty in Cambodia over the next five years?
In what ways do you think development assistance can make a difference to help Cambodia make progress towards the MDGs?
What can DFID learn from Cambodia’s experience of poverty reduction to date to inform our future approach?
Is DFID’s current focus on making aid more effective making a difference? If so, how?
In what ways can DFID work most effectively in a fragile state like Cambodia?
We are currently working in the areas of: health, livelihoods, public financial management, local governance and support for civil society. If we were to focus our efforts in fewer areas, which should they be?
What should be DFID’s role in ensuring that economic growth benefits the poorest?
How can DFID most effectively give the poor a voice in the future of their country, particularly within our areas of focus?
What more can DFID do to address concerns around corruption and human rights in Cambodia?
What processes will have the most significant impact on the future lives of the poor in Cambodia?

Background information

DFID Cambodia – Our current programme (120 kb)

Country Governance Analysis (325 kb)

Cambodia country profile

Links

Royal Government of Cambodia

Asian Development Bank

United Nations

World Bank

Please send your comments by 30 January 2009 to: c-consultation@dfid.gov.uk

We will not reply to individual contributions during this period. However, a consolidated reply addressing the key issues raised will be sent to all respondents after the consultation has closed.

Working in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). New DFID institutional strategy 2009/10 – 2011/12

UNICEF is mandated to advocate for the protection of the rights of the child, to help to meet their basic needs, and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Cooperating in over 150 countries, responding directly to each country’s operational environment, it is considered a close, trusted and impartial partner of national governments.

DFID is carrying out a public consultation as part of a process to develop a new Institutional Strategy (IS) with UNICEF. A major component of the IS will be a Performance Framework (PF). The PF will be developed from UNICEF’s Medium Term Strategic Plan (MTSP) and the Joint Institutional Approach (JIA)(686 kb). The JIA was developed in partnership with Canada and Sweden and identifies cross cutting issues such as Gender, UN reform and Results Based Management that were identified as weak areas in the MTSP.

DFID is committed to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the UN in contributing to the MDGs. Therefore the Performance Framework will include a number of indicators and annual targets which will be used to measure progress in areas where we want to see UNICEF make significant progress and on which we will base our funding decisions.

Further details and background informationn.

As part of our consultation process, we are inviting comments and views from people and organisations with an interest in UNICEF. We welcome your views and ideas which will help us produce a final version of the IS.

Questions you may want to consider

How can the UK government best work with UNICEF to reduce poverty and deliver a world fit for children?

How can the UK government best support UNICEF’s collaboration at country level with other UN and international organisations?

How can the UK government work with UNICEF to improve their organisational effectiveness, leadership of humanitarian response clusters and their gender equality focus.

How can we best measure and monitor progress with the IS, JIA and UNICEF’s own strategic plan?

Please send your views and comments to: unicefis2008@dfid.gov.uk

This consultation will run until 27 January 2009. We will consider comments received as we develop the IS although we cannot provide a response to them all.

We will hold a consultation workshop in London on 11 November 2008. If you are not a member of BOND and wish to attend please send an email to the address given above.

UK's Development Plan for Nepal

The UK is currently developing a new strategy for its programme in Nepal. The key aim is to consider how we can improve our development programme to better address the challenges that Nepal faces in terms of poverty reduction, building an inclusive and effective state, and increasing inclusive economic growth. Our current strategy comes to an end in March 2009. To help us with our country planning process, we would like to invite you to answer a set of questions about issues facing Nepal and our response to them. In order to improve the way we work and help us better define roles in Nepal, we are undertaking this consultation jointly with the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. We will use your feedback to help us develop the issues and choices we will present to the UK Secretary of State for International Development early next year.

Consultation questions

Background Information (61 kb)

Links

Government of Nepal Ministry of Finance

ADB Nepal

WB Nepal

Please send your comments by 8th December 2008 to nepal-enquiries@dfid.gov.uk

We will not reply to individual contributions during this period. However, a consolidated reply with a summary of the key issues raised and our response to them, will be sent to all respondents once our country plan has been approved by the Secretary of State.

Summary Responses to a Consultation on Proposals for an Access to Medicines Research Network

(1 – 30 June 2008)

153 responses were received to the consultation from 41 different countries (46% from respondents based in developing countries). Just over one third of respondents (35%) were from academic organisations and 14% worked in charitable organisations. Respondents were also affiliated with government/public sector, research networks, consultancy organisations, think tanks, bilateral or multilateral donor organisations, private foundations and other private sector organisations.

Respondents supported the need to establish a network that could improve the evidence base for policies to increase access to essential medicines for the poor. Responses were mixed on what topics should be priorities, with some differences of opinion on the quality of the current evidence base on some issues. Respondents emphasised that a network should improve the sharing of data and analysis and actively support the translation of research into policy. They noted barriers to the participation of developing country institutions and researchers in such a network. And they recommended a variety of approaches to address these including small grant funding, partnering with developed country institutions (with leading roles for developing country partners).

A fuller summary(86 kb) of findings can be found here and summaries of quantitative responses(43 kb) here.

Findings will inform an assessment of the case, focus and recommended management options for an ATM research network.

If you would like to remain informed of further developments with this initiative then please send your contact details to: atmrnconsult@dfid.gov.uk

Update on DFID’s Caribbean Forward Strategy

Caribbean Regional Assistance Plan

DFID would like to thank the wide range of people and organisations who contributed, for taking time to comment on our draft Caribbean Regional Assistance Plan for the Caribbean for 2007 – 2010. Our consultations in the region, in the UK and on our website all provided helpful insights which we have incorporated into our thinking about DFID's forward direction the region.

On the basis of this and other input, we have decided to deepen our analysis of the prospects for growth and poverty reduction in the region, upon which our forward strategy will be based. Over the next few months, we will be outlining a plan and timetable to conduct this analysis and to update the overall medium-term approach for our work in the region. .

We remain committed to working with others to help reduce poverty and promote growth in the Caribbean.

DFID Vietnam new Country Assistance Plan

DFID Vietnam's "Draft for Consultation" of the Country Assistance Plan (CAP) 2007-2011(625 kb) is now available for your comments.

During the three-month consultation period, we will hold a number of events both in Vietnam and the UK

Please refer to the Consultation Document, and send your written comments to VietnamCAP@dfid.gov.uk

Your views and ideas will be very helpful to us in producing a final version

Last updated: 7 January 2009