Funder: ESRC
Dates: October 2021 – September 2024
Project introduction
When most people think of foreign aid and development, the organisations that come to mind are multilaterals, development agencies, foundations and NGOs. These are the main components of what development anthropologists have called ‘Aidland’: the actors, rules, practices and cultures within which global development acquires knowledge authority, and is framed and conducted. But another set of actors are being ever more deeply woven into the DNA of development: for-profit consultants and contractors.
By development consultants, we refer to management consultancy firms with business interests in global development. These firms take a substantial portion of the foreign aid budget that passes to the private sector, although this constitutes a relatively small (but highly regarded) part of their portfolios. By development contractors, we refer to firms for whom winning development contracts is their core business. Using Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), or foreign aid, both consultants and contractors deliver technical advisory support; project implementation; administration of multi-million-pound consortia; audit and evaluation services; and have active policy engagement and influencing roles. Together, they are increasingly prominent in shaping development knowledges, practices and cultures.
Exploring consultants and contractors in ‘Aidland’
Our project, Development consultants and contractors: for-profit companies in the changing world of ‘Aidland’ (hereafter referred to as DC&C), explores this growing role of private sector consultants and contractors within the UK’s foreign aid and development sector. We focus on seven consulting and contracting firms, selected primarily with reference to their aid-funded contracting history and we are interested in understanding their roles in producing, shaping, implementing and evaluating development knowledge and practice.
Core components of the research include a critical financial analysis to map and analyse financial flows and contracts; understanding policy contexts; understanding of personal and institutional profiles in the sector, including governance, management techniques and influencing roles. Also central to the research are detailed case studies of consultants and contractors in ODA projects in key thematic areas such as education, finance, conflict and governance, and the creation of knowledge exchange opportunities between different stakeholders.
Project aims
The DC&C project aims to:
- Make an original empirical contribution to understanding the role of development consultants and contractors within the UK development architecture
- Generate important new theory in response to the changing realities of ‘Aidland’ in the UK and beyond
- Create novel and impactful knowledge exchange opportunities between state, policy, contractors and consultants, civil society, and academic stakeholders
- Shape policy change in the roles, functions and contributions of management consultants and development contractors by creating appropriate and accessible resources for policymakers and other stakeholders, with demonstrable impact.
Conversations for knowledge exchange
As part of the project, we plan to create knowledge exchange opportunities between ourselves and different stakeholders including consultants and contractors, civil society, and policymakers. The intention is to enhance deep understanding and dialogue that can inform implications for policy and theory and create resources for policymakers and other stakeholders to shape positive change in the contribution of consultants and contractors.
- If you are interested in speaking with us as a participant in this project, please e-mail the project manager:
Jo-Anna.Russon@nottingham.ac.uk
The project team
Meet our project team.
Further information
If you would like further information about any aspect of the project, please contact project manager Dr. Jo-Anna Russon
(Jo-Anna.Russon@nottingham.ac.uk).