A key body which scrutinised Australia's overseas aid program was quietly shut down last month, sparking accusations from the opposition that the Morrison government is trying to avoid independent evaluation of the development program | Gallo_Ways
A key body which scrutinised Australia's overseas aid program was quietly shut down last month, sparking accusations from the opposition that the Morrison government is trying to avoid independent evaluation of the development program.
The Office of Development Effectiveness, established in 2006 by the Howard government, was an independent branch of DFAT which reported directly to the department's secretary on the effectiveness of Australia's aid programs.Appearing before a parliamentary inquiry into the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, DFAT acting deputy secretary Kathy Klugman confirmed the ODE was "no longer a standalone entity".
Labor's spokesman for international development, Pat Conroy, said Australians could no longer be confident their aid dollars were being spent effectively. “ODE’s evaluations have repeatedly confirmed that Australia’s Development Cooperation Program is a high impact, value-for-money foreign policy tool," she said.
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