CHRISTIAN AID NEWS

COMMENT
all companies are required to be more
transparent – not just the ones that we
might name and shame.’
I much enjoyed the summer issue
of Christian Aid News – it contained
a lot of interesting information. I
am supportive of the aims of the
tax justice campaign, but there is
one aspect which is almost never
mentioned in your articles, and that
is the creaming off and corruption
on the part of officials in many of
the countries to which aid is being
directed. I realise that you, along with
many other charities, try to circumvent
that by working with projects in the
community. I also recognise that it is
no help if Christian Aid workers are
expelled from a country because of
unfavourable comments about its
leaders. However, when making the
general case for tax justice, I think you
should at least acknowledge that the
problem is not confined to corporates –
there is tax dodging and manipulation
within the countries themselves that
contributes to the poverty of the
general population. That’s not an
argument for not giving aid – but it is a
factor that should be recognised when
assessing why so many people remain
in an extreme state of poverty around
the world.
Lesley King, via email
The Campaigns team replies: ‘While
Christian Aid actively works to ensure
more accountable governance in
developing countries, it is important
not to assume that all developing
country governments are corrupt and
that state funds will automatically
be used fraudulently. However,
the secrecy of our financial system
currently provides cover for tax
dodgers and corrupt officials alike. Our
tax justice campaign calls for greater
transparency and an end to tax haven
secrecy which, as well as ensuring
governments receive the taxes they’re
due, would mean that it would be
much harder for ill-gotten gains to be
hidden away from view.’
VALUE FOR MONEY:
A BALANCE
BETWEEN RESULTS
AND RESOURCES
When you donate to Christian Aid, you rightly expect that your
money will be put to the best possible use. Amanda Farrant,
donor communications advisor, explains how we go about making
sure that is exactly what happens
Christian Aid/Elaine Duigenan
WHEN ANDREW MITCHELL became
UK Secretary of State for International
Development, he committed to targeting
taxpayers’ hard-earned cash where it
can do the most good and provide the
best value for the world’s poorest people.
Christian Aid aspires to see an end to
poverty, and to get there we also need
to achieve the most impact by getting
the most value out of our supporters
and donors’ contributions. Unarguable
aspirations.
The conundrum, however, is how
to know where our money does the
most good and where it achieves the
most value. Who’s to say that spending
money on a maternal health project
does more good or provides better
value than spending it on an agriculture
programme?
Some might perceive value for money
as a project that costs less, but going for
the cheapest option can risk sacrificing
lasting impact for short-term savings.
Others could argue that development
funds are best spent on helping citizens
to hold governments to account over
policies or spending, which ultimately
In Kenya’s urban slums, Christian Aid
partner Maji na Ufanisi trained young people
to lobby their local government for regular
rubbish collections. As a result, 60,000
people have been benefiting from fortnightly
collections since 2009 and slum conditions
have improved enormously
benefits more people, permanently.
Others still might feel that value lies in
an emotional and personal connection
between donor and recipient.
Christian Aid recently hosted an event
in London with the UK Department for
International Development, the Overseas
Develop ment Institute and others to
discuss ways to improve value for money
in development. Most agreed that value
needs to include the results achieved for
poor people, not just savings on costs per
item or per individual. Daniel Jones, head
of Programme Innovation and Learning
at Christian Aid, believes that value for
money is about management, not
measurement. ‘There’s no magic wand.
It’s about making better decisions – it’s
about always working for the best
balance between results and resources.’
Christian Aid believes that we will get
most value for money by bringing about
the most lasting and far-reaching change
for as many of the world’s poorest, most
marginalised people as possible. This
is why we invest in campaigns such as
Ekta Parishad’s land rights fight in India
(see page 16) and the global tax justice
campaign; why we support vulnerable
communities to become resilient to crises
and disasters, and why we invest in
learning about what we do well.
Christian Aid’s approach is outlined in
our new Value for Money briefing paper
and case studies, on the Christian Aid
website. See christianaid.org.uk/valuefor-money
Christian Aid News 27