Bond Consultation Process

Bond organised a comprehensive consultation process on the 2009 DFID White Paper. An initial White Paper Consultation meeting was organised on 13 March 2009 which over 100 Bond members and representatives of partner networks attended. Read a summary of the meeting.

The Bond submission

Bond groups and drafting committees

Bond Consultation Meetings

Bond Consultation Questions

Contact

The Bond submission

The Bond process in responding to the consultation was two fold. Firstly, some initial headlines were sent to DFID in April including key messages in regard to the themes of the White Paper and beyond.

Secondly, Bond coordinated a detailed Bond submission based on the questions set out in the DFID Consultation Document. However, we did not restrict ourselves to the questions DFID put forward but also raised other matters relevant to our network's priorities and work including the role of civil society in international development.

The detailed submission included input by Bond groups working on thematic issues, individual organisations and Bond partner networks.

Bond groups and drafting committees

Many Bond groups such as the Bond Development and Environment Group and the Bond European Policy Group discussed the themes of the White Paper within their groups. The joint positions coming out of these and other Bond groups' discussions were vital to inform the overall Bond submission.

Bond groups inputted considerably into the four themes of the White Paper Consultation Document but also dealt with questions so far not addressed such as the role of youth or disabled people in development. A full list of all Bond groups can be found here.

Besides the Bond groups, some drafting groups were formed at the 13 March Bond White Paper Consultation meeting which contributed input particularly for the themes of ‘Conflict and Security' and ‘International Institutional Reform (IIR)'.

Bond Consultation Meetings

Over the course of the White Paper Consultation Process, Bond organised a series of consultation meetings. One major meeting took place on 13 March where Bond members had the opportunity to discuss key themes and concerns around the White Paper. Read a summary of the meeting.

Bond together with DFID also organised consultation meetings on International Institutional Reform and on Economic Growth to give Bond members a chance to directly discuss with DFID their key priorities for the White Paper.

Bond Consultation Questions

Bond invited members to consider the following questions in their contributions broadening the perspective of the White Paper Consultation Document:

Which overarching themes are clearly missing in the White Paper Consultation Document?
Which are key areas in which DFID/UK Government needs to change their strategy and approach in, particularly taking into account the context of the current financial and economic crisis?
What, if anything, should the financial and economic crisis change for DFID's economic growth model?
Which commitments of the UK government as set out in previous White Papers and other international or European agreements need to be reinforced?

Which are the areas DFID has achieved progress in over the last years?

What is the role of UK and international civil society as development actors? What is DFID's and wider UK government's role in enabling fulfilment of this potential?

How can the relationship between the UK government and civil society be reinforced for progress on international development on the UK and international levels?