Public Service Agreement

Objective I | Objective II | Objective III | Objective IV | Value for Money | International Development Targets | Who is responsible for delivery?

Aim: The elimination of poverty in poorer countries

Objectives and Performance Targets

Objective I: To reduce poverty through the provision of more focused and co-ordinated development assistance by the international community to low and middle income countries.

1. An increased focus by DFID on poor countries, particularly those with effective governments pursuing high growth and pro-poor economic and social policies, as demonstrated by:

• an increase in the percentage of DFID's bilateral programme going to poor countries, particularly those with favourable policy environments;
• an increase in the percentage of EC development assistance going to poor countries and;
• adoption and implementation of effective Poverty Reduction Strategies by 2004 in all countries accessing International Development Agency (IDA) high impact or adjustment lending.

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Objective II: To promote sustainable development through co-ordinated UK and international action.

2. To promote the integration of developing countries into the global economy through co-ordinated UK and international action, including by:

• relief of unsustainable debt by 2004 for all heavily-indebted poor countries (HIPC) committed to poverty reduction, building on the internationally agreed target that three-quarters of eligible HIPCs reach decision point by end 2000 (Joint Target With  HM Treasury) and;
• gaining international agreement on the integration of social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainable development into poverty reduction programmes.

3. Improved effectiveness of the UK contribution to conflict prevention and management, as demonstrated by a reduction in the number of people whose lives are affected by violent conflict and by a reduction in potential sources of future conflict, where the UK can make a significant contribution (joint target with Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence).

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Objective III: Improved education outcomes in key countries receiving DFID education support.

4. Improved education systems in our top ten recipients of DFID education support demonstrated by:

• an average increase in primary school enrolment from a baseline established in 2000 of 75% to 81% on the basis of data available in 2004; and
• improvements in gender equality in education, particularly primary education.

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Objective IV: Improvements in health outcomes in key countries receiving DFID health care assistance.

5. Improvements in child, maternal and reproductive health in our top ten recipients of DFID health care assistance demonstrated by:

• a decrease in the average under-5 mortality rate from 132 per 1,000 live births in 1997 to 103 on the basis of data available in 2004;
• an increase in the proportion of births assisted by skilled attendants from a baseline established in 2000 of 43% to 50% on the basis of data available in 2004; and
• improved access to reproductive health care.

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Value for Money

6. Improved value for money and effectiveness of projects in DFID's bilateral programme, as demonstrated by a year on year improvement in the index of their evaluated success.

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International Development Targets

The Government has adopted the International Development Targets (IDTs) as its long term strategic objectives. These provide milestones against which progress towards the elimination of poverty can be measured. DFID's PSA objectives and targets measure its own contribution towards these international goals.

The IDTs are:

• halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by 2015;
• universal primary education in all countries by 2015;
• demonstrated progress towards gender equality and the empowerment of women by eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education;
• reducing by two-thirds the mortality rate for infants and children under 5 and a reduction by three-quarters in maternal mortality, all by 2015;
• access through the primary healthcare system to reproductive health services for all individuals of appropriate ages as soon as possible and no later than 2015; and
• implementation of national strategies for sustainable development in all countries by 2005, so as to ensure that current trends in the loss of environmental resources are effectively reversed at both global and national levels by 2015.

Progress against these objectives will also depend, among other things, on improvements in democratic accountability, protection of human rights and the rule of law.

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Who is responsible for delivery?

The Secretary of State for International Development is responsible for delivery of this PSA. Target 3 on conflict prevention arises out of the Conflict Prevention cross-departmental review. The Secretary of State for International Development is, with the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Defence, jointly responsible for the delivery of target 3, and with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, jointly responsible for the delivery of the debt relief element of target 2.

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