The first report of the UK Public Opinion Monitor, Aid to Developing Countries: Where does the UK Public Stand, shows that around 52% of the British public view UK aid as ineffective.

Published on 8^th September by The Institute of Development Studies (IDS), the report goes on to reveal that holding this view increased by 15% the likelihood that the respondent would also support cuts to aid spending.

This statistic highlights the importance of transparency in aid information not only to improve aid allocation, country ownership and budget mapping, but also to ensure the public know where their money is going and what it is being spent on. This is particularly important at a time when government departments are making cutbacks, and people are feeling the tightening of purse-strings at home. As Lawrence Haddad, Director at IDS said to the Guardian, “We should do more to understand what UK taxpayers need to hear to be convinced that aid works. And we need to be honest about what works and what doesn’t, so we can learn for the future." To do this we need the data which will let decision makers and the public see where aid money is going and the impact it is making.

Read the conclusions of the study and the Guardian article.