The British Council’s work in the Middle East and North Africa in response to the Arab Spring has been praised by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI).
In its report FCO and British Council Aid Responses to the Arab Spring, the Commission describes the British Council’s work as ‘considered, strategic and a good complement to the FCO’s’. The report says the British Council has a ‘strong delivery model based on good local partnerships and beneficiary engagement and has proved effective at its core goal of skills development and individual empowerment, with some wider impact through social mobilisation.’
Responding to the report, the British Council’s Director of Strategy, John Worne, said: “At a time when the UK's international development efforts sometimes get a mixed press, it's worth remembering that around the world in times of great social change, the people we are reaching in Asia and Africa value the skills, educational opportunities, access to justice and contribution to stronger societies.
“We welcome the Independent Commission's verdict that the British Council's role in response to the Arab Spring, has been ‘considered and strategic’ and that we have ‘a strong delivery model based on good local partnerships’ which makes a real difference to the direct beneficiaries of UK Aid - namely the people whose lives and life chances the UK has set out to help improve.”