Oct

15

2024

VIRTUAL
7:30—8:30 AM EDT | 12:30—1:30 PM BST

What Can Donors Learn from the Rise and Fall of DFID?

Presenter

Sir Mark Lowcock, Senior Fellow, CGD - former Permanent Secretary, DFID UK 

Speakers

Ranil Dissanayake, Senior Research Fellow, CGD 

Stephan Klingebiel, Head of Inter- and Transnational Cooperation, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) 

Nilima Gulrajani, Principal Research Fellow, Development and Public Finance, ODI

Moderator

Mikaela Gavas, Managing Director, Europe and Senior Policy Fellow, CGD

As many global leaders—faced with constrained budgets and political pressure to spend aid in the national interest—contemplate the future of international development, the rise and fall of the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID)’s offers critical insights. 

DFID’s existence coincided with a period of remarkable progress in human wellbeing. Renowned for its stellar international reputation and a respected body of expertise, DFID was celebrated for its significant role in improving lives. A new CGD book, The Rise and Fall of the Department for International Development  traces the history of DFID, providing timely lessons for governments in the UK and beyond. 

Through an introduction from the book’s co-author, CGD Senior Fellow and former DFID Permanent Secretary, Sir Mark Lowcock and a discussion with a panel of international experts, key lessons for today will be drawn out, and experiences and questions from other donor countries will be brought in.  

This conversation is set to offer valuable insights on mergers between public departments, and on models for development agencies cultivate and retain expertise and allow for resilience and effectiveness under different political leadership.

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