Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department spent on the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) in the last year; how often the ICAI audits the projects of her Department; and under what criteria such audits are carried out.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) does not audit DFID projects, this is the responsibility of DFID’s Internal Audit Department. Instead ICAI produces detailed studies covering the impact of any UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). The criteria for selecting studies is entirely ICAI’s concern as an independent body. They develop plans based on their criteria including coverage, materiality, interest and risk and also after public consultation. Priorities are agreed with the International Development Committee (IDC).

In 2014/15 ICAI’s expenditure was £3.4m. Since May 2011 ICAI has published 46 reports.