At the cutting edge >>The UK's International Development Agenda


First published: 2009-07-01

SDDirect was one of the organisers of the 2009 Global Retreat for DFID's Social Development Advisers (SDAs). The retreat brought together both SDAs and DFID's statisticians to discuss themes at the cutting edge of the Government's International Development Agenda.

The retreat was designed around the soon-to-be-published White Paper, and included sessions on the impact of the economic downturn on poor people, conflict and climate change, and a deeper examination of DFID's work in conflict and fragile environments. This latter session included a presentation of DFID's new framework on Statebuilding and Peacebuilding. Guest speakers coming from the Ministry of Defence and the Stabilization Unit helped SDAs identify how to work effectively with other government structures in fragile and conflict states.

Highlights of the retreat included keynote presentations from DFID's Chief Economist, Alan Winters and Guy Standing (Professor of Economic Security at Bath University) focusing on the impacts of the downturn on developing countires and what might be needed next such as new systems of regulation, redistribution and social protection.

Other popular guest speakers included Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, authors of The Spirit Level, and Simon Szreter, an economic historian from Cambridge University. Wilkinson and Pickett presented hard data which explained "why equal societies almost always do better". Szreter also presented historical evidence ffrom between 1600 and 1830 which highlighted the huge advantage (in economic terms as well as in social development) to England at that time of universal social protection. Szreter explained how English landowners contributed to parish social funds which were used to support unemployed workers, single parent households and the elderly. Economic historical analysis shows how urban growth in England was considerably greater over this period than urban growth in comparable European countries over the same period. Economic historical analysis indicates that the difference was due to the presence of social protection in England at this time compared with the absence of such measures in France and the Netherlands.

The final session brought together many of these strands into a robust professional focus for social development advisors on the challenges ahead. Good social policy helps identify the best ways of providing efficient services to the poor; defines equitable and cost-efficient ways of enhancing wellbeing among the poor; helps DFID measure results more effectively and accountably (balancing power); and is crucial throughout DFID's programmes especially more fragile states with high poverty levels.