The landscape for overseas development assistance (ODA) is undergoing profound and rapid change. The UK, like many donors, is scaling back its aid budget amid growing political and public pressure to prioritise domestic defence needs and spending at home. At the same time, the global context is becoming more volatile: climate change, pandemics, economic instability, and geopolitical tensions are converging in ways that intensify fragility and risk. And the threat of international conflict – once seen as remote – is now a present and growing danger, fuelled by state aggression, proxy wars, and weakened multilateral norms.
In this context, traditional arguments for aid – rooted in charity or global solidarity – are no longer resonating. As a monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) consultancy working at the intersection of policy, strategy, and delivery, we believe the UK needs a clearer strategic narrative for ODA – one that elevates development alongside defence and diplomacy, and reimagines ODA not just as a tool for poverty reduction but as a strategic instrument for global stability, resilience, and peace.
A clearer strategic narrative: development as a key pillar of national and global security
The UK’s ODA programme and commitment to global development has historically been a global benchmark – not only contributing to poverty reduction but also delivering significant strategic value through soft power, influence, and the ability to address threats to UK security and interests at source, from climate change and pandemics to organised crime and violent extremism. Yet this value has often been under-recognised.
At Itad, our work with the UK Integrated Security Fund (ISF) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO’s) Global Mine Action programme has shown how well-designed ODA programmes can strengthen diplomatic relationships, build trust and partnerships, support the strategic interests of the UK and its international partners, open channels for the UK to influence and shape international agendas, and advance the UK’s international standing.
In a time of political and economic uncertainty, when traditional aid narratives are faltering, a clearer strategic narrative is urgently needed – one that positions development alongside defence and diplomacy as a vital pillar of national and global security, and recognises its unique ability to tackle the root causes of instability and insecurity that military and diplomatic tools alone cannot resolve.
Diplomacy and influence are the new multipliers
Amid increasing global insecurity and shrinking ODA budgets, the UK will need to rely more heavily on diplomatic engagement and strategic influence – alongside hard power tools such as military capability, economic sanctions and more coercive forms of diplomacy – as a means of safeguarding national interests and maintaining its global relevance. Against a backdrop of reduced financial leverage, soft power, relationship building, and targeted diplomatic engagement are more critical than ever for shaping international norms, building coalitions, and driving collective action on pressing global challenges such as conflict, climate change, and migration.
Despite the clear strategic potential of overseas assistance and engagement, its benefits have too often been poorly defined, inadequately measured, and under-communicated. What’s needed now is a more deliberate and systematic approach to articulating how defence, development, and diplomacy can work in concert to multiply the UK’s influence and maximise the return on investment. This requires both the right tools to capture impact and compelling narratives to demonstrate it.
For example, Itad’s work on measuring political access and influence (PAI) for the UK’s ISF has helped to build an evidence base that demonstrates how whole-of-government approaches can shape and influence change in partner countries. It has also highlighted how the strategic integration of defence, development and diplomacy can deliver significantly greater influence and impact than any single lever alone – proving that when used together, the UK’s bang is far greater than its buck.
Smarter and more proportionate use of MEL tools
As MEL practitioners, we must recognise that we’ve sometimes been part of the problem. Too often, our tools and approaches haven’t kept pace with the rapidly changing, politically complex world in which ODA operates. Theories of change can be overly elaborate and detached from reality. Indicators frequently miss what truly matters. Evaluations can arrive too late to inform meaningful decisions.
We need a smarter and more proportionate approach to MEL – one that supports decision-makers navigating complexity and uncertainty, not just in hindsight but in real time. That means practical, agile, and low-burden tools that are rooted in strategic context and purpose. Tools that measure what matters – including diplomacy and influence – that help decision makers to respond quickly to shifting political landscapes, and allow early assessments of value for money so that the right decisions can be made at the right time. And it means developing evidence-informed narratives that surface the human stories behind change, not just the metrics.
At Itad, we believe the path forward requires a collective shift in mindset – from MEL practitioners to policymakers and programme designers alike – focused on four key elements:
- Timely political analysis to understand risks and seize opportunities.
- Practical tools for navigation that enable adaptation in volatile contexts.
- Support for negotiation, helping teams to manage trade-offs and align interests.
- And, above all, courage to back informed judgement and act on learning, even when data is incomplete and decisions can’t wait.
Building coalitions for smarter development
A new world order is taking shape and the UK’s place in it will not be determined by policymakers alone. The nature and scope of UK aid will play a role in shaping others’ perceptions as the UK navigates the complexity of global and local challenges which affect everyone all the time. Only a new coalition of champions – from parliamentarians to diplomats, defence leaders to delivery partners but also the thought leaders, the private sector, and voters too – will be able to make the political space for smarter, more strategic ODA that supports the UK’s security and prosperity and that of our allies and partners around the world.
Our role as MEL practitioners is not just to provide the evidence and the insight. It is also to help inform the choices and actions which shape the narratives and relationships which sustain that new coalition, making it as broad and inclusive as possible, and which demonstrate how UK aid provided by the UK taxpayer is delivering direct and indirect benefit for the UK.
Our call to action
This is a pivotal moment for the UK’s development strategy. The question is not whether to spend more – but how to spend better.
When used strategically, evidence is more than a tool for accountability – it’s a powerful enabler of smarter decisions, stronger influence, and greater impact. But to realise this potential, we need to tell a new story. One that moves beyond outdated binaries – of aid vs trade, values vs interests – and instead reflects how defence, development, and diplomacy can work together to serve the UK’s global and domestic priorities.
A more secure and prosperous UK is possible – one where development is not an afterthought, but a core pillar of our strategic approach. Where development champions and national security leaders share common goals. And where our investments abroad create resilience, influence, and opportunity both at home and overseas.
We call on UK policymakers, diplomats and development leaders to:
- Reposition ODA as a strategic tool, aligned with the UK’s priorities at home and overseas.
- Invest in evidence that demonstrates the full value of ODA – especially its impact when integrated with defence and diplomacy.
- Modernise MEL approaches to enable fast, politically-smart decision-making in dynamic contexts.
- And most importantly, craft a compelling new narrative – one grounded in today’s realities and tomorrow’s global challenges, that speaks to both the British public and the world.
