Published by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), the latest Multilateral Development Review describes FAO as a “much improved performer” and points out that the Organization’s structural improvements have delivered significant efficiency savings.

Entitled Raising the Standard: the Multilateral Development Review 2016, this year’s report systematically assessed the performance and impact of activities of 38 multilateral institutions funded by the United Kingdom through DFID.

This is a complete turnaround from where we were before! After the 2011 Multilateral Aid Review, DFID formally warned FAO that DFID’s core funding contributions were at risk unless its performance improved in agreed areas. The Organization was subsequently placed in a special measures programme, whereby its progress was regularly monitored and reviewed at senior level, and investment was classified as poor value for money for UK taxpayers.

The latest 2016 Review affirms that FAO has improved greatly having “stepped up to the challenge and turned their performance around,” and according to the report, this improvement was underpinned by strong direction from the top of the Organization.

As he opened Council on Monday morning, the Director-General remarked, “This is an outstanding recognition of the measures we have implemented since 2012, management and member countries together, to make FAO more and more efficient and effective.” And, as he said, FAO is now classified as good – the second-highest rating – along with WFP and IFAD.

According to the report, “FAO now has a clearer strategic vision and reports on results, it has modernised its management structure, and delivered significant efficiency savings.”

Indeed, FAO has made great headway in its efficient use of financial resources and its timely application of human expertise. Such substantial praise from the UK development agency certainly underlines the momentous strides taken by the Organization. The report recognizes that FAO has made considerable efforts to improve its impact, better manage resources, more aptly apply its technical expertise, and consistently streamline costly and unnecessary programmatic frameworks.

DDG DDO, Daniel Gustafson said, “It was gratifying to see that the UK Government’s 2016 Multilateral Development Review recognized the significant improvements we have made since the previous Review of 2011. The series of DIFD assessments has been constructive in providing objective external analysis of FAO’s work, its contributions and how we manage our resources.”

He added, “The 2011 report highlighted weaknesses that helped shape our priorities for improvement. The update in 2013 acknowledged progress and the 2016 full review now confirms it, drawing attention among the 38 agencies reviewed to FAO’s considerable improvement. We hope to make it to a very good summary rating by the time the next review comes out in a few years.”

Monitoring and evaluation from our partners and stakeholders complement FAO’s own efforts to ensure that the Organization’s activities remain at the highest of standards. In this respect, the Organization is keen to ensure that its efforts are not only cost-effective and timely, but that they likewise translate into sustainable impact on its beneficiaries.

From advocating the sharing of knowledge and best practices with like-minded partners, and scaling-up initiatives alongside carefully designed accountability mechanisms, to working for the continuous improvement of development and humanitarian interventions through value-added expertise and mindfulness of wasteful spending, FAO’s mandate is strengthened alongside and thanks to our partners and donors.

The recent report not only shows that FAO is improving in terms of efficiency and delivery, but crucially it elevates the value of collaboration. If it is to successfully fulfil its mandate and end hunger by 2030, the Organization must continue to work successfully with all its partners, delivering on the ground and making even more efficiencies and improvements where viable.

Read more about FAO and DFID here.

Read more about FAO’s resource partners here.