The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg and the Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell yesterday unveiled the Department for International Development’s (DFID) Structural Reform Plan, which sets out the main actions and milestones for DFID to deliver “better value and more effective aid”.

The plan sets out six priorities for the department. Among these the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted a new emphasis on girl’s education and family planning as a key element of the reform plan. The plan also contains a commitment to “use the aid budget to support the development of local democratic institutions, civil society groups, the media and enterprise” with the aim that 5% of all budget support should go to accountability institutions.

The six priorities are as follows:

• Role of Women: New programmes to get more girls into primary and secondary education; to promote economic empowerment of women and pilot new approaches to eliminate violence against women.
• Value for Money: Developing more results-based aid and cash on delivery contracts.
• Wealth Creation: Developing new projects on property rights, investment and microfinance.
• Conflict and Stabilisation: Revising DFID strategies for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Develop a strategy for more integrated post-conflict reconstruction, building on the Stabilisation Unit.
• Climate Change: Help poor countries to take part in international climate change negotiations.
• International Commitments: Honour the UK’s commitment to spend 0.7% of national income on overseas aid from 2013 and enshrine this commitment in law.