A twenty-first century development policy
It drives me crazy that so many people equate development policy with foreign aid.
The Pledge
I have resolved not to participate in a panel that does not contain at least one woman (not including the chair of the panel).
No smoking gun – DFID and the surge in spending
Press reports about the NAO report on DFID budget management in 2013 are wholly misleading. DFID actually comes out of the report pretty well. There is a cautionary tale here for DFID, but it isn’t about the way it manages its budget. It is that the sharks are circling, and they do not seem to be very interested in the facts.
Migration and Development: Small Tweaks for Big Benefits
With immigration policy potentially in flux, this might be a good time to think about how migration policies can make a more positive contribution to development.
Thirty years a vegetarian
Reflections on the thirtieth anniversary of becoming a vegetarian
The governance deficit
I gave evidence this morning to the LSE Diplomacy Commission, which “seeks to understand Britain’s place in the world and make recommendations for the future strategy of British foreign policy.” I was part of a group of panelists (all much more eminent than me) which was asked to speak for Read more…
Ending the Exaggeration of Aid: A Modest Proposal
The current rules for counting loans in the aid statistics are a mess. Owen Barder and Stephan Klasen review the emerging consensus for reform, and suggest three improvements.
Finding a cure for Ebola
The lessons of Ebola: first, set sensible cost-effectiveness thresholds for investments in global health, and so increase our willingness to invest; second, make an Advance Market Commitment to accelerate the development of new vaccines, for Ebola and for other neglected diseases.
The development agency of the future
The International Development Committee of the British House of Commons has asked: Does a stand-alone Department for International Development have a long-term future? In a memorandum submitted to the Committee in evidence, Alex Evans and I argue that it should.
Why “beyond aid” matters
In evidence for the House of Commons International Development Committee, we argue that “beyond aid” policies are likely to have a bigger impact than aid alone, address the underlying causes of poverty rather than the symptoms, and benefit rather than cost the UK.