{UAH} Fwd: The DRC's funding problem, Oxfam's fallout, and a new tax push: This week in development

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From: Devex Global Development Briefing <info@devex.com>
Date: 22 February 2018 21:35:30 GMT
To: georgeokello_8@hotmail.com
Subject: The DRC's funding problem, Oxfam's fallout, and a new tax push: This week in development
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To ensure delivery to your inbox, please add info@devex.com to your address book. Feb. 22, 2018 THIS WEEK'S MUST-READ DEVELOPMENT STORIES The DRC's funding problem, Oxfam's fallout, and a new tax push: This week in development By Michael Igoe @AlterIgoe Donors fight to put the Democratic Republic of Congo's crisis in the spotlight, Oxfam faces more fallout, and the U.K. Department for International Development invites Adam Smith International back to the bidding table. This week in development. Oxfam bosses were grilled by British members of Parliament for nearly two hours on Tuesday about their handling of the 2011 scandal, which saw a number of senior Oxfam staff sacked, or allowed to resign over allegations they had used sex workers. Oxfam GB's CEO Mark Goldring apologized for the "damage Oxfam has done both to the people of Haiti but also to wider efforts for aid and development," and acknowledged many mistakes were made. He also said the charity had received another 26 allegations since the scandal broke and that 7,000 regular donors had canceled their payments to the charity. Later that day, DFID chief Penny Mordaunt told Parliament the U.K. was taking the lead on cleaning up the aid sector and updated MPs on steps taken to date. DFID announced a U.K. safeguarding summit would take place on March 5 and another, broader conference will be held later in the year. On Tuesday, Mordaunt also met with U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green to talk about the safeguarding crisis. This week, CARE International also released its figures on sex abuse cases and Devex spoke with CARE's interim Secretary General Laurie Lee, who said the scandal-hit industry needs to act decisively to "stamp out something we don't want to have as part of our sector." The European Union has put on hold signing new contracts for development projects with all Oxfam affiliates while it assesses the group's ability to prevent future cases of sexual misconduct, as well as its complaints handling procedures. European Commissioner on International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica told Devex this week that it was too early to say what kind of heightened scrutiny measures for NGOs could emerge from the review, but he did not rule out a register of aid workers to prevent perpetrators moving between organizations. On Feb. 15, the European Commission wrote to more than 200 EU-funded charities to clarify how they prevent abuse. Mimica said the need to clarify the procedures of organizations that have already been cleared to receive EU funding also signaled a possible need to revise how Brussels approves its implementing partners in the first place. International aid donors are battling to raise the profile of an underfunded — and worsening — humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The European Commission, United Nations, and Dutch government have announced plans to co-host a pledging conference in Geneva in April, with funding needs for the country expected to double in 2018 to $1.7 billion. "In a context where there are multiple, very big crises in the world and humanitarian needs are increasing globally, reaching anywhere near that figure would be a huge challenge," Androulla Kaminara, a director at the Commission's humanitarian aid arm, ECHO, told reporters. The World Food Programme is currently able to meet only 30 percent of its funding requirements for the next six months, the organization's DRC country director told Devex Reporter Vince Chadwick last year. The disaster in the DRC combines political crisis, food insecurity, and brutal violence. An estimated 4.1 million people have been displaced, and 7.7 million are food insecure. President Joseph Kabila's refusal to hold elections and step down from office has fueled political instability, while the 120 armed groups currently in the country make humanitarian access difficult and perilous. Four big development institutions hosted a first-ever global conference on tax collaboration last week at the U.N. headquarters in New York. The World Bank, International Monetary Fund, U.N., and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are trying to ensure their efforts to help countries raise more tax revenue and cut down on tax evasion are working in support of one another. Both donor organizations and developing country representatives stressed the need for additional capacity building so that tax administration bodies can ease taxpayer compliance and capture more economic activity in their tax systems. "This is a long process. I mean we know that institution building, this is going to take a while, and it has to be steady and sustained over time,"  Jan Walliser, the World Bank's vice president for equitable growth, finance, and institutions, told Devex. The U.K. Department for International Development has invited Adam Smith International, one of its main contractors, to resume bidding on contracts, one year after the contractor "voluntarily stepped back" from DFID funding when a media report alleged ASI falsified beneficiary testimony and that company staff acquired DFID documents in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage over competitors. While the documents were eventually proven to be innocuous, investigators pressured ASI into a large-scale reform of its governance structure and codes of conduct. The news comes only two months after the company also came under scrutiny by the BBC show Panorama for allegedly funding extremist groups in Syria. An investigation by donors later disproved the allegations and funding resumed to the Free Syria Police program in late January. FROM THE EDITOR Top picks this week By Devex @devex One NGO's way to stop staff paying for sex? Hire fewer single men Jan Weuts, a humanitarian adviser at Caritas Belgium, says the NGO has a way to avoid its staff engaging with sex workers in developing countries: Hire fewer single men. Instead, the aid group tries to send young women or men with families to its field offices. World Bank refinancing of Uganda's Bujagali hydropower scheme under the spotlight The World Bank is considering refinancing the controversial Bujagali hydropower project in Uganda amid a high-profile campaign calling for unresolved social and environmental issues to be settled. The stakes are high as the project is an early example of a major public-private partnership — a model the bank is pushing as part of its new "cascade approach" to investment decision-making. The development industry has a sexual harassment problem. Here's how to combat it. Devex, in partnership with Quantum Impact, is exploring how the global development sector can "walk the talk" on issues ranging from sexual harassment to microaggressions to avoiding bias in the workplace. This week, we hear an anonymous story from a woman who was forced to leave a prestigious junior professionals program prematurely due to unwanted sexual harassment from her superior. Intimidation and harassment by a co-worker or supervisor — resulting in discomfort and work disruption, and possibly transferring or quitting altogether — is sadly common in international development. Quantum Impact weighs in on how leaders can combat sexual harassment in an organization and make the workplace safer for staff. We also hear from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee Chair Charlotte Petri Gornitzka on how development professionals must channel anger into action. Read her op-ed: Opinion: Restoring trust starts with corporate culture Devex series: Who are the donors taking on GMOs? Devex readers are weighing in on our series about the polarizing issue of genetically modified food. In part three of this series, we look at what role GMOs are playing in development assistance — and why they attract support. Public information remains scarce, but two donors have been particularly open about their efforts to use GMOs to help fight malnutrition and improve food security: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Catch up on Part one: Are GMOs the key to global food security? and Part two: Understanding the continued opposition to GMOs Latest humanitarian plan for NE Nigeria focuses on long-term solutions As the conflict in the northeastern area of Nigeria enters its ninth year, a recently-launched 2018 humanitarian response plan focuses on merging humanitarian, development, and peace efforts into a long-term coordinated response. SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENT FMD Pro Introduction: Learn the essentials of financial management As a development or humanitarian worker, you know that everyone in your team plays some part in managing project finances. Many organizations already have systems in place to manage project finances, develop budgets, and implement financial controls — FMD Pro goes further; it provides proven tools and guidance to build your skills and those of your team and build a common, sector-wide approach to good financial management practice at the program level. Join Humentum and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy for this first-time offering: FMD Pro Introduction: The Essentials of Financial Management. This free, four-week massive open online course aims to provide nonfinancial managers with stronger financial management skills, leading to a more effective humanitarian response. Join us and learn how to: Week 1: Create and manage accounting records  Week 2: Plan project finances  Week 3: Monitor progress  Week 4: Establish internal control systems  The MOOC begins on Feb. 26, 2018. Sign up today and take your financial management skills to the next level. SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENT Make an impact: Apply to be a MovingWorlds Institute Fellow by March 15 Are you looking to make a bigger impact with your career? Then join the MovingWorlds Institute, where purpose-driven individuals become impact leaders through training, networking, and an overseas experience. Previously featured in Fast Company, Devex, SSIR, and many more, the MovingWorlds Institute helps skilled professionals find their social good career calling. Whether you want to grow in your current company or change industries, the MovingWorlds Institute is the catalyst you need. Find your purpose. Grow your skills. Make an impact. Apply now! Important: This email contains links that automatically log you into your Devex account. Copyright 2018 Unauthorized commercial reapplication, reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is prohibited. Global Development Briefing - Your inside guide to the week's must-read development stories. Manage your newsletter subscriptions |  Read the latest Devex News |  RSS Feed Connect with us Devex is the media platform for the global development community. Corporate Headquarters: 1341 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA Main +1.202.249.9222  |  Fax +1.202.318.2456   www.devex.com

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