Review of UK Aid for Trade Program

Aid for Trade (AfT) refers to development assistance provided by the UK Government designed to enhance the capacity of developing countries to engage in and benefit from international trade. In a recent exercise commissioned through FCDO’s EACDS Framework, and in collaboration with Adam Smith International, OpenCities provided an independent review of the UK Government’s portfolio of AfT programmes. The review assessed the performance and strategic coherence of the AfT Portfolio, In so doing, the Review aimed to offer the newly established Centre of Expertise for Trade a basis for enhancing the strategic alignment of trade interventions, identifying opportunities and roadblocks for improving the effectiveness of future and current AfT projects, particularly in terms of benefiting the poor; and providing learning opportunities for wider UK Government department.

The approach to this Review involved desk-based research using publicly available data sources such as DevTracker, the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), and the OECD-DAC Creditor Reporting System (CRS). Some 100 programs with AfT features were identified and examined. A significant component of the Review was the development of a Data Tool, led  by OpenCities, designed to offer a fact-based perspective on the AfT Portfolio. The Data Tool provided a complete picture of ongoing and previous Aid for Trade programmes delivered by the UK Government since 2015 – including a detailed overview of all significant programme details and their alignment with overarching strategic priorities. The Data Tool was designed to account for future use and represents a foundational resource for ongoing enhancement within the Centre of Expertise for Trade, with a view to supporting evidence-based decision-making.