In this review, the ICAI/Agulhas team looked at the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), one of the UK’s main instruments for tackling conflict and instability overseas.
The review assessed whether the CSSF takes a relevant and evidence-based approach to spending ODA on addressing conflict, instability and insecurity, whether its programming is likely to be effective, and how well it is learning from the available evidence and its own experience.
The review gave the CSSF an amber-red score. It recommended that the CSSF needs to be clearer on how it intends to support diplomatic access and influence and that it should put together country or regional plans that specify how it will achieve the NSC objectives in country/in the region. The fund needs to address more carefully the risks of doing harm as well as VfM and results management; it should facilitate evaluation and synthesise evidence of what works in this programming area.
Country case studies: Colombia, the Caucasus, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan and the Sahel.
The review will be discussed at the International Development Committee (IDC) in Parliament.
Media Coverage: The Guardian, BBC, Daily Mail, The Telegraph.
Areas of Expertise
- Conflict and fragility
- Aid effectiveness
- Performance management
- Security and justice
