The Scottish Parliament - Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee Report

The remit of the European and External Relations Committee is to consider and report on-

(d) the development and implementation of the Scottish Administration's links with countries and territories outside Scotland, the European Communities (and their institutions) and other international organisations; and

(e) co-ordination of the international activities of the Scottish Administration.

Ted Brocklebank
Malcolm Chisholm (Convener)
Patricia Ferguson (from 1 May 2008)
Alasdair Morgan
Alex Neil (Deputy Convener)
Irene Oldfather
John Park (until 1 May 2008)
Gil Paterson
Iain Smith

1. The Committee agreed at its away day in August 2007 that it would be useful to take initial evidence to help inform the remit for its inquiry into international development issues. Subsequently, the Committee held a useful roundtable discussion with a number of key stakeholders at its meeting on 2 October 2007. A list of all those who provided written and oral evidence at that stage can be found at Annexe A. The Committee agreed the remit for the inquiry at its meeting on 30 October 2007:

2. A call for evidence was launched on 5 November 2007 to which the Committee received 34 written responses. These have been published on the Parliament’s website at:

3. The Committee considered a summary of the written evidence at its meeting on 19 February 2008 and agreed to hear oral evidence from a number of sectors with an interest in international development issues. These included groups with links to Malawi, relevant Cross Party Groups, NGOs, charities, the private sector and philanthropic organisations. A list of all those who provided oral and written evidence can be found at Annexe B. The Committee is grateful to everyone who participated in the inquiry.

4. In addition to the written and oral evidence, Alasdair Morgan MSP visited Malawi from 8 – 15 February 2008 as a delegate with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) (Scotland branch) and followed up a number of themes set out in the inquiry remit during his visit. A report of the visit was considered by the Committee at its meeting on 4 March 2008 and can be viewed at Annexe C.

5. The Committee also agreed to host a conference to mark Europe Day to address a number of the key issues which had emerged during the inquiry. Schools from across Scotland were invited to participate in the conference which took place on 9 May 2008. A transcript is attached at Annexe D. The Committee would like to thank all those who participated in the conference, especially all the school pupils who contributed so enthusiastically throughout the day.

6. The primary aim of the inquiry was to look at the role of the Scottish Government in relation to international development. The Committee notes that the Scottish Government published its international development policy (IDP) on 7 May 2008. The Committee welcomes the IDP and, in particular, the increase of the international development fund (IDF) to £6 million in 2008/9 and 2009/10 and to £9 million in 2010/11. However, the Committee also expresses some concern that the policy would appear to focus primarily on funding mechanisms and that, in many respects, it does not appear to address the key issues which emerged during the inquiry.

7. Indeed, one of the key messages which arose during the inquiry is that the policy should not be restricted to allocating resources from the IDF. As the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) pointed out:

8. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Scottish Government should consider developing a more holistic approach which seeks to accommodate many of the findings of this report. At the same time, the Committee recognises that this may simply be a question of pulling together the various strands of the Scottish Government’s international development work into a coherent policy. The Committee also considers that this should include greater clarity of the strategic aims of the policy, including a clear commitment to issues such as awareness raising and mainstreaming. It would also be useful for the policy to set out in more detail, the reasoning behind the extensions of the geographic focus and whether it is intended to have a thematic focus similar to that established within the Malawi programme.

9. The prevailing consensus to emerge from the inquiry is that the strategic aim of the Scottish Government should be to support the delivery of the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and, in particular, should be focused on a commitment to poverty eradication. Oxfam in Scotland (OiS) argued that the policy ‘should have, at the heart of it, a commitment to poverty eradication and this should be made explicit throughout the whole policy.’ Network for International Development Organisations in Scotland (NIDOS) suggested the need ‘for a clear strategic focus on the needs of developing countries, with clear outcomes which focus on poverty eradication.’ Mercy Corps ‘believes that the Scottish Government should seek to complement the existing poverty alleviation policies of major development stakeholders including the Department for International Development (DfID), the European Commission and the World Bank.’ Some NGOs also suggested that it is important to build on the impact of the Make Poverty History campaign.

10. There was also a view among some organisations that there needs to be greater clarity in relation to the Scottish Government’s aims and more focus on detailing the objectives through which these aims will be met. For example, Save the Children (StC) stated that: ‘The Scottish Government’s commitment to maintaining and reviewing an international development policy is welcomed but it is not clear at present what the purpose of this policy is’, while the World Development Movement (WDM) stated that: ‘It is vital that any Scottish international development policy has a clear focus with documented aims and objectives set out’.

11. It was also suggested that, prior to finalising the strategic aims of the IDP, it would be useful to conduct a thorough review of the previous policy and that as NIDOS suggested: ‘this evaluation should be used to inform the development, content and focus of the policy and any accompanying funding schemes.’ Similarly, StC recommended that the Scottish Government: ‘must evaluate the impact of the work completed to date to inform the development, content and focus of the policy and embed robust monitoring procedures so that progress can be monitored.’ NIDOS also suggested that: ‘The successes and failures of the Scotland-Malawi relationship should be analysed in detail before there is commitment to a similar level of resource-intensive co-operation with another country.’

12. The Committee welcomes the commitment to contribute towards achieving the MDGs but recommends that the Scottish Government:

13. Another key theme to emerge from the inquiry is the need to ensure that the IDP does not exist in isolation but is mainstreamed across all government departments and, as the WDM suggested: ‘should be concerned with far more than how to spend a discrete pot of money’. The International Organisation Development (IOD) argued that: ‘the international development policy should be seen as an integral part of the Government’s wider international strategy, rather than a separate, stand alone policy.’ It was suggested that there is a need to recognise that decisions across a wide range of policy areas can impact on the interests of developing countries. In particular, education policy was identified by many stakeholders as a key policy area in which it is essential that international development issues are mainstreamed. This is discussed in more detail in the next section under awareness raising.

14. Two further specific examples were highlighted during the inquiry. First, it was pointed out that the previous Scottish Executive published a Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals in Scotland.¹ The Code contains a number of guiding principles, including: ‘developing countries will not be targeted for recruitment, unless there is explicit government-to-government agreement with the UK to support recruitment activities’. It also lists countries, including Malawi, which should not be targeted for recruitment.

15. However, despite this policy, the Committee heard evidence which pointed to difficulties in ensuring that trained health professionals remain in developing countries, including Malawi. OiS pointed out that: ‘there are more Malawian doctors and nurses in Manchester than there are in Malawi…We need to stop the migration of staff…from rural areas and cities in Malawi to here, where they can obtain better salaries’ (OR Col. 93).

16. As Patricia Ferguson MSP pointed out, this potentially leaves the Scottish Government with a dilemma as to: ‘whether it is better to bring Malawian nurses here to train to be midwives and hope that they will go back to Malawi, or to facilitate trainers going to Malawi, where they will be able to train more people…’ (OR Col. 447). In response to this dilemma, the Hunter Foundation suggested that: ‘One of the big things that the Scottish Government could do is facilitate a programme where young doctors and nurses can go out there and work for two-year stints’ (OR Col. 629).

17. A second area which was highlighted as being indicative of the usefulness of mainstreaming the IDP is public procurement. The Scottish Fair Trade Forum (SFTF) pointed out that: ‘The Scottish public sector spends £8 billion a year in buying goods and services. The attachment of fair trade and ethical criteria to the contracts that are involved in the buying of those goods and services would make a massive impact…’ and that: ‘the Dutch national Government has decided to include ethical and fair trade procurement criteria in all its contracts by 2010. There is definitely scope to explore that further’ (OR Col. 660). This was a view supported by SCIAF which argued that: ‘the procurement budget of the Scottish Government should be consistent with fair trade principles.’

18. However, in giving evidence to the Committee, the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture suggested that the Scottish Government may be constrained by EU law² from including fair trade criteria within its procurement policy. She indicated that the Scottish Government is keeping the situation under review and that it is committed to improving the procurement arrangements where possible.

19. In 2005, the Scottish Executive produced a Scottish Procurement Policy Note³ which provided guidance on fair and ethical trading. The note concluded that:

20. However, SCIAF has produced a paper⁴ looking at how the Scottish Government could interpret the EU’s procurement laws in a way which is more favourable to fair trade products. It argued that several contracting authorities have already included a wide range of Fair Trade products in calls for tender for both supply contracts and service procurement, including:

22. A core strand running throughout the inquiry is the perceived integral importance of awareness raising to the potential effectiveness of the IDP. Hamish Goldie-Scott suggested in his written evidence that an international development strategy should: ‘Harness and further develop the high level of awareness of and commitment to international development issues that already exist in Scotland’, while Ron Hockey suggested that any policy should: ‘aim to raise awareness of global justice issues and ways in which we can bring about change.’ The Edinburgh and Lothians World Development Movement Group stated that:

23.This was also a key issue for many NGOs, including WDM who suggested that the Scottish Government should:

24. Development education was identified by many witnesses as the key means through which the Scottish Government could support greater awareness raising among the people of Scotland. Jack McConnell MSP stated that: ‘Development education has a key role to play’ (OR Col. 571) while Dr Neil Thin, University of Edinburgh, argued that development education is one area: ‘where we can make one of the biggest differences’ (OR Col. 519). International Development Education Association Scotland (IDEAS) suggested that: ‘a fundamental commitment to the principle of development must be made within the Scottish Government international development policy’. The One World Centre in Dundee also recommended that: ‘the Scottish Government makes a commitment to the principle of development education’. At the same time it is recognised that this is an area where a substantial number of Scottish NGOs and voluntary organisations have been involved for some time. As SCIAF pointed out: ‘it did not start in 2005; it has been going an awful long time’ (OR Col. 538).

25. A number of organisations suggested the need to fully mainstream development education both within the Curriculum for Excellence and Lifelong Learning. OiS state that they support:

26. The Montgomery Development Education Centre (MDEC) recommended that development education:

27. This is a position supported by Karen Gillon MSP who stated that: ‘If we are trying to build a better Scotland and a better world, then of course, international development issues should be part of the national curriculum’ while the SFTF suggested that: ‘development education is integral to Scotland becoming a fair trade nation’.

28. However, concern was expressed by some organisations regarding the amount of government funding for education development. In particular, it was suggested that the six regional Development Education Centres (DECs) in Scotland are seriously under funded, despite the work which they do in providing continuous professional development support to teachers on international development issues. OiS argued that the DECs provide: ‘a massive amount of support for teachers’ and that there should be greater financial support either from international development education funding or from the education budget (OR Col. 86).

31. Concern was also expressed that development education should not be overly focused on schools but that there is a need to raise awareness throughout Scottish society. Dr Neil Thin argued that: ‘development awareness needs to expand more emphatically into public awareness, particularly among the adult population’ (OR Col. 519) while the SOLAS Educational Trust (SOLAS) suggested: ‘We should move into more community-based activities - while not moving away from the school aspect - by engaging with trade unions and employers and raising the issues with them’ (OR Col. 85).

32. IDEAS also suggested that development education should feature more strongly within the Scottish Government’s work on sustainable development. For example, it referred to Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy⁵ and the subsequent Scotland's Action Plan for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)⁶. It suggested that the plan is too heavily focused on environmental issues and that there could be a greater emphasis on promoting ‘strong, healthy and just societies.’

33. Another important area which the Committee addressed in relation to awareness raising is the links which exist between many Scottish schools and schools in the developing world, especially in Malawi. Sydreck Nachuma, a Malawian school teacher, stated that he would recommend: ‘more school partnerships, which would make Malawi known even more’ (OR Col. 636).

34. While there was broad support for this view, a number of witnesses also sounded a cautionary note. Jack McConnell MSP suggested that:

35. School twinning partnerships are difficult to achieve: we should not underestimate that difficulty, particularly when we are dealing with schools that do not have internet access or access to proper resources. There can be disappointments, but there can also be a real enrichment of both cultures. Where that is working, it is working very well (OR Col. 572).

36. In a similar vein, NIDOS pointed out that its members were concerned about the quality of twinning arrangements and argued that it is important that good practice is observed.

37. Some organisations also expressed concern about the potentially negative impacts of school twinning arrangements. OiS pointed out that: ‘We should be careful about the whole school linking process’ and that it needed to be: ‘carefully managed and supported in order for the links to be meaningful on both sides’ (OR Col. 87). Similarly, SCIAF argued that: ‘we must ask in whose interest it is that such links be established…such links are not an unqualified good’ (OR Col. 88).

38. In particular, where school linking is not adequately resourced there may be a tendency to reinforce stereotypes of life in developing countries. OiS stated that: ‘school-linking does not automatically lead to positive educational benefits and can even undermine these goals by closing children’s minds on their perceptions of poor people in the South.’ It argued that the Scottish Government’s focus should be on mainstreaming global citizenship in the Scottish curriculum.

39. It was also pointed out by some witnesses that while these arrangements may bring benefit to Scottish schools, they may inadvertently divert scarce resources in schools in developing countries, away from supporting basic educational needs. As Allan Gawani, a schoolteacher in Malawi, pointed out: ‘One problem is that we are trying to be equal partners, but one cannot run away from the inequalities that exist’ (OR Col. 632). This means that, for example, while school links may be well intentioned it has to be recognised that many Malawian schools simply do not have the resources to make such links effective. This is a point which was emphasised by Dr Thin who suggested that: ‘the capacity of schools in poorer countries to respond to the demand from Scotland for links is pretty stretched in most of the countries where it has been done so far’ (OR Col. 519).

40. Given the weight of evidence received in support of the importance of development education, the Committee wishes to express its concern about the apparent lack of emphasis placed on this area and awareness raising more generally within the Scottish Government’s IDP. As IDEAS pointed out: ‘from an education and awareness raising point of view, there is not a lot in the international development policy to be excited about’ (OR Col. 649).

42. The Scottish Government’s IDP sets out three development programmes to be funded from the IDF:

43. The Committee heard conflicting evidence as to whether the policy should continue to focus on a single country, Malawi, or whether it should have a wider geographical focus. However, if the policy is to be extended, the vast majority of the evidence is in favour of focusing on the sub-Saharan region.

44. Karen Gillon MSP stated that: ‘My assessment is that the majority of the money should, as far as possible, be spent on an individual country’, a point shared by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) which argued that: ‘We believe there is some benefit to be gained by concentrating limited resources for development aid to a single nation.’ Jack McConnell MSP stated that: ‘I argue strongly that our primary focus should remain on Malawi.’

45. A number of organisations suggested that, given the limited resources involved, any attempt to widen the focus may reduce the potential impact and effectiveness of the policy. The Scotland Malawi Partnership stated that: ‘If the commitment is widened, we see a rationale for keeping it within the same region as Malawi, rather than ending up with a policy that, dotted around the world, might overstretch our capacity.’ A similar point was made by the Hunter Foundation which argued that:

46. However, SCIAF suggested that the policy: ‘should not focus only on one country’ and that it: ‘is important to recognise that not all Scotland-based development organisations are involved in Malawi’ (OR Col. 531).

47. It was also pointed out by a number of witnesses that Scotland should continue to focus on regions where it already has a significant amount of expertise. Both the Hon. Consul for Rwanda and the Hon. Consul for Namibia argued that Scotland should concentrate on areas where it has expertise, such as sub-Saharan Africa. This point was also made by Concern Worldwide which state that the IDP: ‘should continue to focus on sub-Saharan Africa….Scottish development expertise within the NGO sector is most prolific around sub-Saharan Africa.’ It also stated that by focusing on sub-Saharan Africa:

48. Similarly, Scottish Churches World Exchange (SCWE) argued that the policy: ‘should have both geographic and thematic foci. The narrower the better. This will not suit every Scottish charity and the Scottish Government will have to be robust and not swayed by political pressure.’

49. The Committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to continue the Co-operation Agreement⁷ with the Malawi Government and to ring-fencing at least £3 million per annum to support this. However, the Committee wishes to seek clarification from the Minister, in relation to the reasoning for extending the policy to include the Indian sub-continent and an indication as to how it anticipates the non ring-fenced funds being allocated across the various programmes.

50. The previous Scottish Executive identified education, health, economic development and governance issues as its four key thematic priorities and the Committee inquiry invited views as to whether this was the best approach. Jack McConnell MSP argued that, while he was aware of some reservations being expressed in relation to the range of these priorities: ‘that it would be hard to exclude any of these four areas’ (OR Col. 569).

51. While the Committee received substantial evidence supporting the Scottish Government having a thematic policy, it is much less clear what that policy should be. For example, OiS suggested that if there is to be a thematic focus then it would support health while StC recommended education. CAS suggested that there is a consensus that: ‘the strategy needs to have a priority, but we are slightly reticent about committing to whether the focus should be on health or education’ (OR Col. 536). OiS suggested that a solution is to ask the Government(s) or indeed the people of the country being supported to identify their own priorities.

52. Some organisations pointed out that there is real value in having continuity within the IDP. The RSE suggested that: ‘One of the very long standing problems of development aid is the constant changing of priorities. The Society believes that it makes sound sense to continue to work with the same priorities.’

53. A number of organisations argued for a thematic focus on the same basis that they have argued for a geographic focus, that is, because of the relatively limited resources involved. Concern Worldwide suggested that: ‘for the amount of money that is being allocated, it would be most advantageous to have a thematic focus.’ StC argued that the policy should have a thematic focus ‘to ensure that Scotland’s aid can have a significant impact and be as strategic as possible’ and that the focus should be education.

54. It is also suggested that the thematic focus should be based on Scotland’s strengths in areas such as in health and education. LTS argued that: ‘A thematic focus for policy, playing to Scotland’s strengths in areas such as Education, Skills, Training and Health, will maximise the impact of funding.’ Similarly, Jack McConnell MSP suggested that: ‘In relation to health and education, the absolute immediacy of the need and our country’s history in medical education, research and services and in education give us a helpful focus’ (OR Col. 569).

55. There was also substantial support for prioritising the development of civic society within developing countries. However, it was emphasised that this means supporting the development of indigenous organisations. StC argued that: ‘civic society development/governance should underpin Scotland’s international development policy rather than be a separate theme.’

56. In particular, a number of respondents argued that there is a need to develop civic society in order to ensure transparency and accountability within the political process. As Hamish Goldie-Scott pointed out: ‘All too often, the Government role is so dominant that neither civic society nor the private sector is able to give effective voice to their views and the views of those they represent.’ Consequently, OiS argued that: ‘our intervention should also support civic society organisations…so that they can ensure that the Governments spend money on the people who need it and can hold their Governments to account for the expenditure’ (OR Col. 528). Similarly, the WDM suggested that IDP should support civic society organisations: ‘working on participation and accountability to ensure that other investments on areas such as health and education are sustainable.’

57. While the bulk of the evidence received by the Committee tended to focus on health, education and civic society, the importance of economic development was also emphasised by witnesses. This was a point made by Dr Thin:

58. He suggested that: ‘if there is to be a strategy or policy, it needs to get beyond small projects and civic society.’ (OR Col. 508). Dr Thin, along with Professor Struthers from the Development Studies Association, emphasised the need to involve Scottish business and finance, for example, through partnership with civic society organisations in Scotland. Professor Struthers also emphasised the need to encourage trade with developing countries through, for example, holding an annual investment forum with a focus on developing countries. Dr Carbone, from the University of Glasgow, pointed out the importance of technology transfer. However, the SFTF cautioned that this was only beneficial to the developing world if the benefits are also transferred.

59. In relation to Malawi, Jack McConnell MSP stated: ‘the more I have learned about Malawi and its economy the more convinced I have become that expertise in business is just as critical for the country’s future as expertise in those life-saving or life-enhancing professions’ (OR Col. 576). He suggested that: ‘we can contribute to economic development, partly through successful business people in Scotland giving advice, encouragement and support, and partly through Malawi taking on practices that have developed in Scotland in recent years, to create a more entrepreneurial and less dependent country’ (OR Col. 570). This was a position supported by the Scotland Malawi Business Group (SMBG) which argued that the IDF should be used ‘to promote business activity’ on the basis that: ‘to eliminate poverty, we need to have sustainable economic growth that is run by the private sector’ (OR Col. 661). It also pointed out that: ‘Many companies believe that they have a corporate social responsibility / obligation and it is important that we plug into that’ (OR Col. 671).

60. However, a number of NGOs emphasised that any business intervention needs to be pro-poor. In this regard CAS argued that: ‘We would have to be very clear about the purpose of the intervention and to whom it will go’ (OR Col. 527). As the SFTF pointed out: ‘An economic activity is pro-poor if it helps poor people to work their way out of poverty. That important principle lies at the heart of the fair trade principle’ (OR Col.665).

61. In addition to the four thematic priorities identified by the previous Scottish Executive, there was also some support for extending the priorities to include agriculture, especially in areas where Scotland has specific expertise. The Hon. Consul for Rwanda pointed out that: ‘Scotland has a considerable amount of expertise in marginal agriculture which is very relevant to farming in the Rift Valley’, while the RSE suggested that: ‘one other focus for direct action should be agriculture.’ One area of expertise which was highlighted by Jack McConnell MSP is food processing: ‘The skills that we have in food processing could be transferred to Malawi and advice could be provided, partly by our national agencies and partly by the private sector’ (OR Col. 576).

62. The Minister confirmed when giving evidence to the Committee that, at least in relation to Malawi, the Government would continue to prioritise the four key strands as agreed within the partnership agreement. Moreover, she emphasised that this was not solely a matter for the Scottish Government but is dependent on the agreement of the Malawi Government. For example, the Scottish Government has responded to a request from the Malawi Government to invest more in economic development.

63. The Committee welcomes the policy continuity in relation to Malawi and recommends that the Scottish Government:

64. As noted above, the Scottish Government has confirmed that the budget for the IDF will be £6 million per financial year in 2008/9 and 2009/10, rising to £9 million in 2010/11. It has also confirmed its intention to honour the Co-operation Agreement, ring-fencing at least £3 million per annum within the current spending review period for Malawi. This money will be allocated primarily through the challenge fund model and will be allocated across the four strands agreed within the Co-operation Agreement, although there will be a greater focus on economic development at the request of the Malawi Government. The Scottish Government has also indicated its intention to set up a Scotland-Malawi Advisory Group (SMAG) to be chaired by the Minister.

65. In addition to the commitment to Malawi the Scottish Government has also established a sub-Saharan African Development Programme covering Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda and the Darfur region of Sudan. The Scottish Government has indicated that it:

67. The Scottish Government has also announced a new programme within the Indian sub-continent although it has still to make: ‘final decisions on specific countries or allocated specific funding to the programme’ (OR Col. 684).

68. The Committee considered a significant amount of evidence in relation to the IDF and three main concerns emerged in relation to:

69. One of the key findings of the inquiry in relation to the IDF is the need to ensure transparency and accountability in the administration of the fund. Concern Worldwide stated that: ‘Transparency and accountability in decision-making are of the utmost importance as the fund continues to grow.’ However, many organisations expressed their concern that this has been lacking up till now.

70. NIDOS stated that a fundamental concern shared across their membership is the management of the funding schemes to date: ‘Assessment and decision making processes have not always been transparent, and there is great concern at the lack of international development expertise used to inform funding decisions.’ Similarly, CAS pointed out that: ‘We have not been clear about how decisions about the fund and its disbursement have been made.’ OiS suggested that:

71. StC also suggested that there should be: ‘an accompanying communications strategy so that the Scottish people are up to speed with how the money is being used and the impact that it is having’ (OR Col. 531).

72. However, the Scottish Government stated within the IDP that it: ‘is committed to fair and transparent processes for all funding activity’ and that funding criteria and relevant funding information will be published on the Scottish Government website.

73. A further key concern was the need to develop effective monitoring and evaluation procedures in order to ensure the effectiveness of the policy. The RSE stated that: ‘It is important to recognise that the monitoring and evaluation of projects is key in determining the impact of projects and should inform the process for awarding funds to applicants.’ StC argued that the policy must be able to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of the development work which it supports and introduce robust monitoring procedures. The IOD suggested that:

74. In carrying out any evaluation, a number of NGOs emphasised the need to measure the sustainability of projects. SCIAF argued that there is a need to ensure that there is sustainability in the work which has been funded in Malawi and elsewhere, while OiS argued that:

75. However, the Scottish Government stated in its IDP that it is: ‘committed to rigorous monitoring and evaluation procedures for all Scottish Government funded activity’ and that ‘a formal evaluation of the policy will also be developed to support the policy.’ The Minister informed the Committee that the Scottish Government is currently conducting a review of a selection of funding projects in Malawi with LTS International, with the findings due sometime this summer.

76. The Scottish Government also carries out six monthly and annual reporting and intends to: ‘refresh the documentation for that in discussion with NIDOS’ and: ‘will also build on project level reporting and consider what wider evaluation we can undertake’ (OR Col. 699).

77. The Scottish Government has set out three funding mechanisms which will be employed to disperse the international development fund:

78. The Committee considered conflicting evidence in relation to the type of funding which the Scottish Government should provide. This came as no surprise to Jack McConnell MSP who informed the Committee: ‘Disbursing grant schemes is the curse of ministers and government officials. It is always difficult to please everyone.’ He suggested that the IDF: ‘needs to be a combination of a grant scheme to which people apply and which is transparent in its decision making, and occasional targeted support for particular projects.’ (OR Col. 573).

79. A number of NGOs emphasised the need to focus on budget support as opposed to funding individual projects. For example, CAS stated that: ‘A potpourri of projects might be attractive and feel good to Scotland, but it would be more beneficial to have a strong and coherent programme of budget support’ (OR Col. 529). The IOD recommends that:

80. However, SCIAF argued that: ‘We probably need a mixture of the two elements. The Government cannot exclude project funding, but if it is considering strategic funding support, it should go to Scottish organisations’ (OR Col.530). Malcolm Bruce MP suggested that: ‘it would be better for Scotland to identify projects in partnership with NGOs or other relevant institutions that are already established and have good, strong Scottish roots’. (OR Col. 585)

81. There were also some organisations, such as StC, who argued for moving away from short-term funding towards projects which are long-term and sustainable and, therefore, more likely to lead towards empowerment rather than dependence. It was also pointed out that consideration is needed of the impact of funding mechanisms on organisations within developing countries. As Malcolm Bruce MP pointed out: ‘countries that have a small civil service and weak civic society should not have to spend too much time preparing bids for challenge funds’ (OR Col. 584).

82. The Committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to fair and transparent funding procedures and its commitment to rigorous monitoring and evaluation procedures.

84. One of the objectives of the Scottish Government’s IDP is to ‘support and promote Scotland’s contribution to fair trade with developing countries’ and the Scottish Government has therefore established a Fair Trade Scotland Programme within the IDF. It will also: ‘continue to support Scotland becoming a Fair Trade nation.’

85. Fair trade was also an issue which featured prominently in discussions among the school pupils at the Europe Day conference. Emily Rafferty, on behalf of Hawick High School, noted that: ‘we were struck by the complex interconnections and unfairness of trade…and that if fair trade can be the norm, it will help to solve many other problems that are linked to poverty’, while Steven Brown, on behalf of Mintlaw Academy, pointed out that: ‘Buying fair trade goods does not eat into one penny of the £9 million development budget.’ StC pointed out that fair trade is also a useful means of raising wider awareness of international development issues, for example, through Fair Trade cities.

86. While there was broad support for fair trade, a number of witnesses also emphasised the importance of trade justice and the role of the Scottish Government in promoting trade justice as well as fair trade. The SFTF stated that:

88. While the commitment by the Scottish Government to support Scotland becoming a Fair Trade nation was warmly welcomed it was also emphasised that this should not be a tick-box exercise. Rather, as the SFTF argued:

89. Consequently, as CAS pointed out: ‘The Government must ensure that, if it is to make Scotland a Fair Trade nation, it gets strong evidence about how to do that’ (Col. 542).

90. The Committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to fair trade including its support for Scotland becoming a Fair Trade nation. The Committee recommends that the Scottish Government:

91. A further issue which emerged from the inquiry was volunteering and, again, the Committee heard conflicting evidence. While there was general support for the principle underpinning volunteering, it was also emphasised that it needs to be effectively managed and that some schemes may do more harm than good. In particular, a distinction was drawn between short-term volunteering, which is viewed as being potentially counter-productive, and longer term volunteering which is seen as being much more beneficial.

94. The Committee also heard from World Exchange which has 20 years experience in sending volunteers to Malawi and which has recently shifted its approach to volunteering. World Exchange pointed out that: ‘the cost of one volunteer’s air fare is the equivalent of a Malawian teacher’s salary for a year’ and suggested the need to employ volunteers far more strategically. For example, following discussions with the University of Malawi students union, it is helping to develop a volunteer programme for Malawians (OR Col. 554).

95. Challenges Worldwide emphasised the effectiveness of volunteering among professional people, especially in relation to organisational development. It suggested that: ‘As long as we can secure a consistent supply of high quality professional volunteers, we are able to achieve results’ (OR Col. 554). It also pointed out the usefulness of such volunteers bringing back their experiences to Scotland and the impact which that can have in raising awareness in their own areas of work especially within the business sector.

96. The Committee also heard a significant amount of evidence supporting volunteering initiatives as a means of raising awareness among young people. This point was made by Patricia MacLennan, on behalf of Ullapool High School, during the Europe Day Conference, who said that: ‘We, as a group of young people, should be encouraged to participate in volunteer schemes when we finish our education.’ Support for volunteering also came from Kirsty Taylor, on behalf of Williamwood High School, who said: ‘We think that more volunteers should be involved in teaching and in offering their expertise.’

97. In terms of government support for volunteering, Jack McConnell MSP recommended that:

98. When questioned whether the Scottish Government would consider providing national funding for pension contributions for volunteers from Scotland the Minister stated that:

100. A further strand running throughout the inquiry was concern over allocating scarce resources to fund a myriad of people from Scotland to visit Malawi when the money could be better spent within Malawi. As noted above, this has proven to be a dilemma in relation to volunteering. Equally, the issue was also highlighted in relation to the role of the Scottish Government in Malawi. The Hunter Foundation stated that:

101. One alternative to such regular visits is to have a permanent representative of the Scottish Government based in Malawi. This is a view supported by the Honorary Consul for Malawi who suggested that: ‘a Scot should be appointed by the Scottish Government to Lilongwe to represent, assist, support and coordinate all the multitude of Scottish interests there.’ Jack McConnell MSP also recommended introducing such a post, which could be filled by either government or non-government personnel.

102. However, in response to questioning on this issue, the Minister stated that:

103. The Committee recommends that the Scottish Government remains open to the possibility of establishing a Scottish representative in Malawi.

104. The Committee recognises that this has been a wide ranging inquiry which in no way should be viewed as being conclusive. It is also recognised that the Scottish Government’s international development work is at a very early stage and it is hoped that the findings of this report are useful in assisting the development of that work. The Committee, therefore, wishes to commit to continuing to monitor the development and progress of the IDP and to continue to work closely with key stakeholders in working towards supporting the delivery of the UN MDGs

Christian Aid Scotland (CAS)
Development Studies Association’s (DSA) Scotland
Save the Children (StC)
IDEAS (International Development Education Association Of Scotland)
OXFAM in Scotland (OiS)
Challenges Worldwide
World Development Movement (WDM) Scotland
Honorary Consul for Malawi
Colin Cameron

Mervyn Lee (Mercy Corps)
Judith Robertson (Oxfam in Scotland)
Jenny Schwarz (Vetaid)
Leo Williams (Scotland Malawi Partnership)
Eoghan Mackie (Challenges Worldwide)
George Rawlinson (Solas Educational Trust)
Paul Chitnis (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund)
Professor John Struthers (University of Paisley)
David Christison (Christian Blind Mission)

Karen Gillon MSP, Member, Executive Committee, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Scotland Branch and Co-Convener, Cross Party Group on Malawi
Patricia Ferguson MSP, Convener and Des McNulty MSP, Treasurer, Cross Party Group on International Development
Colin Cameron, Honorary Consul for Malawi
Ken Ross, Member and former Chair of the Board, Scotland Malawi Partnership
Magnus Macfarlane-Barrow, Chief Executive, Scottish International Relief
Mhairi Owens, Head, Concern Worldwide Scotland

Dr Neil Thin, University of Edinburgh
Mozammel Huq, Convener and Professor John Struthers, Scotland Study Group, Development Studies Association
Professor John Briggs, Vice-Chair, Centre for International Development, University of Glasgow
Dr Maurizio Carbone, University of Glasgow

Judith Robertson, Head, Oxfam in Scotland
Jane Gibreel, Director, Save the Children in Scotland
Gavin McLellan, National Secretary, Christian Aid Scotland
Paul Chitnis, Chief Executive, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
Kirstie Shirra, Head of Campaigns, World Development Movement Scotland
Dr Ben Young, National Co-ordinator, Jubilee Scotland
Eoghan Mackie, Chief Executive, Challenges Worldwide
Bobby Anderson, Director, World Exchange

Jack McConnell MSP
Malcolm Bruce MP, Chair, International Development Committee, House of Commons

Ewan Hunter, CEO, The Hunter Foundation
Mary Craig, Deputy Chief Executive, Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland
Allan Gawani, Thyolo Secondary School, Malawi
Sydreck Nachuma, Thyolo Secondary School, Malawi

Kadie Armstrong, Global Education Coordinator (formal sector) International Development Education Association of Scotland (IDEAS)
Maureen Brough, Community Learning Coordinator, Working Together for Change
Karen Grant, Scottish Education and Action for Development (SEAD)
John McAllion, Chair of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum (SFTF)
Betsy Reed, Fair Trade Nation Development Officer, SFTF
George Finlayson, Scotland Malawi Business Group (SMBG)

Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) (Submission made to Scottish Government’s consultation on international development policy)
James Matheson
Dr Douglas Stewart
Hamish Goldie-Scot
Ron Hockey
Darfur Training Committee
World Development Movement (WDM) Scotland
Gordon Peters
Peter Robinson
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
Kate Robinson
International Organisation Development (IOD)
Concern Worldwide
The One World Centre
Edinburgh and Lothians World Development Movement (WDM) Group
Save the Children (StC)
Submission from Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland (NIDOS)
The Montgomery Development Education Centre (MDEC), Aberdeen
OXFAM in Scotland (OiS)
Jubilee Scotland
International Development Education Association Scotland (IDEAS)
Association Malienne pour le Developpement Integré at Participatif (AMADIP)
Mercy Corps Scotland
Helen Patrick
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Scotland Branch Executive Committee
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS)
Gillian Cummins
Scottish Churches World Exchange (SCWE)
Honorary Consul for Rwanda
Honorary Consul for Namibia
Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP
Scotland Malawi Business Group (SMBG)
Scotland Malawi Partnership
Scottish Fair Trade Forum (SFTF)

Annexe C: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) (Scotland Branch) Visit to Malawi, 8 - 15 February 2008

At the meeting of the CPA Scotland Branch Executive Committee which was held on Wednesday 5 December 2007, the Branch Executive Committee agreed that another visit to Malawi should be arranged during February recess. The main focus of the visit would be to strengthen the ongoing relationship with the National Assembly of Malawi at a number levels looking at the specific areas of governance, institutional management, participation and training opportunities but that the programme should also include visits to projects linked to Scottish voluntary organisations involved in activity which contributes to the aims of the Millennium Development Goals.

The visit programme was designed to provide all Members of the delegation with a deeper understanding of the relationship between Scotland and Malawi and strengthen existing links. The visit also covered three distinct geographical areas to allow Members the opportunity to appreciate the regional differences that exist within Malawi. The delegation split on occasion to cover as many meetings as possible.

The programme covered the thematic strands of the Scottish Government’s collaboration agreement with Malawi; however not all projects visited had received support from the Scottish Government, although all projects did have links with Scotland.

Numerous people were responsible for ensuring that meetings and visits took place. It is not possible to mention everyone involved, either in Scotland and Malawi, however I appreciated and valued efforts made by all concerned to put in place arrangements and also was indebted to those Malawians who turned out to meet myself and other members of the delegation during visits to villages. These efforts contributed to a rounded worthwhile visit.

During the course of the visit at least 45 meetings were arranged in total and the delegation met over 20 parliamentarians, several Scottish volunteers and hundreds of Malawians from all walks of life.

For the purposes of this report a selection of visits and meetings have been highlighted to illustrate what types of activities are being supported by Scots and where appropriate issues raised are highlighted. Further information on the programme can be obtained from the CPA Secretariat.

I arrived in Lilongwe on Saturday 9 February. That afternoon, I visited Paradiso House, a community based organisation (CBO) which is sponsored by Malawi Tomorrow. The main purpose of the project is to increase the readiness of the community in one of the most deprived areas of Malawi’s capital city to undergo voluntary counselling and testing for HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. A related aim is to meet the basic needs of the area’s elderly and orphans, many of whom are already known to have HIV/AIDS.

This project has difficulty accessing funding from donor agencies to expand and sustain its work. The main reason for this seemed to be that often the umbrella organisations, which are often used by larger aid agencies as a means of distributing funding to community based organisations, would not consider granting assistance to smaller Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) who lacked proper office accommodation, even although some of these organisations had access and ability to build community based networks with similarly minded CBOs, allowing information and support to be shared over a larger area, thus making a difference at grassroots level.

This particular project is led by a committed enthusiastic individual who appeared to have the skills, experience and vision to make best use of limited resources to reach the greatest number of people by co-ordinating efforts in other places and setting up structures to share best practise and information. However funding is still needed for administration and to assist income generating schemes to allow CBOs to expand and sustain their work.

During discussions concern was raised by a number of representatives that there was a perception that larger NGOs used donor funding to improve infrastructure within their own organisations, thus reducing resources available to reach particular areas, in this case CBOs, who had the capability of delivering real benefit to the communities that they served.

Communication was a major difficultly. Lack of transport and finance to travel to meetings was a major challenge for community based networks particularly those operating in rural areas.

Malawi now has wireless internet capacity in certain geographic areas. The project leader felt that this was a significant development which would have far reaching benefits for effective communication in the future.

On Sunday 10 February the delegation drove to Blantyre which is situated in the south of the country, approximately 4 hours by road from Lilongwe. I visited Open Arms Orphanage which is a very good example of what can be achieved if regular support is received from donors and well wishers.

On Monday 11 February I travelled further south to visit the Chikwawa area, part of which had been very recently badly affected by flooding. The visite was arranged by Dr Tracy Morse, a Scot who has lived in Malawi for several years and runs the Scotland Chikwawa Health Initiative (SCHI).

The Scotland Chikwawa Health Initiative is a three year programme funded by the Scottish Executive International Development Fund which aims to achieve measurable reductions in major causes of disease and death in four villages within the Chikwawa District of Malawi alongside improving the hospital environment for the good of both staff and patients. The initiative has developed a holistic approach to health improvements, through both the provision of infrastructure at health facilities and within communities, and also training of government personnel and community volunteers.

Specific areas targeted have included water and sanitation, maternal health, and communicable disease control with provision of training and materials to facilitate interventions and health education. The programme hopes to act as a model for the district to follow in other communities to achieve its obligations under the Malawi Ministry of Health Essential Health Package

The core funding has been provided by Scottish Executive International Development Fund, however additional donations to the programme have allowed the project leaders to increase the work completed, particularly with regard to community infrastructure.

The delegation visited the District Hospital and met with the District Medical Officer (DMO) who provided a briefing about the administrative challenges the hospital faced as well as covering the health issues prevalent in that area of Malawi.

Although the area was in the grip of a cholera epidemic the villages covered under the programme had reported no cases of cholera which was clearly a significant achievement. Cholera is still a major killer in the southern area of Malawi which is prone to flooding during the rainy season.

It is now government policy to increase the number of maternity referrals to hospitals. The success of the SCHI has also contributed to the increased number of referrals to the hospital therefore a challenge for the hospital for 2008 will be to encourage more referrals and manage this increase. Whilst additional resources have been provided there is still a shortage of beds and midwives, a common problem throughout Malawi, in most areas it has been a challenge to persuade mothers to seek early referral to hospital even although maternal services are now free. People are reluctant to change their habits for a number of reasons and prefer to continue to use the services of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs).

The DMO is looking at ways in which to encourage midwives to locate in areas with health centres. Without adequate housing and facilities midwives are often not keen to work in rural areas. The government had provided additional funding for houses for medical staff, however the Budget Bill delays had impacted on service delivery. Funds for running costs were available, but delays had been experienced in developing programmes.

Another issue raised was the challenge the hospital faced in getting patients to hospital. Often the dirt roads were washed away by floods which added to the difficulties. Development of proper infrastructure may be a long way off, therefore it was hoped that capacity would be increased at health centres to ensure that at least people could access some form of medical care sooner. Bush ambulances were increasingly being used: similar to a rickshaw, they could be pulled, propelled by bicycle or motor bike. Family members or friends may borrow these to take the sick to hospital.

I also visited Mwalija and Sekeni villages to speak to villagers to understand their roles and involvement with the project and listen to their opinions and views about the project first hand. The Senior Environmental Health Officer who works closely with the villages informed the delegation that the work carried out under this project had had a major effect on the health and welfare of the communities involved.

I was informed that a safer environment had been provided for women to have babies in villages. Due to the addition of chlorine powder into water supplies there had been a reduction in the number of illnesses associated with dirty water.

The SCHI had constructed a purpose built shelter which was used a meeting area for the community and included a small office for the local health clinician and a birthing room from which TBAs could operate in a clean environment. Women went to the shelter at the onset of labour. The TBAs had been trained and, as soon as it appeared that there might be complications, referred women to hospital.

It is government policy that mosquito nets should be issued free to pregnant women and those with babies although NGOs are experiencing difficulty in purchasing mosquito nets. All supplies are purchased by the Ministry of Health for distribution to hospitals and NGOs. Mosquito nets are often required by other vulnerable groups particularly in areas where there is a high incidence of malaria.

Villagers understand that the measures taken by the SCHI have benefited them and expressed the hope that funding will continue from Scotland to allow other villagers to benefit from similar schemes.

The Senior Environmental Health Officer also asked that the project be extended to incorporate more villages and asked that we take back the message to Scotland that the funding provided by Scots is saving lives.

During this visit I also inspected a District Nursing Officer’s House which was almost complete and visited the traditional birthing facilities within Mwalija village, which is used for safe deliveries, antenatal classes, and growth monitoring.

The Scottish Government contributed £250,000 for this project which by all accounts has been successful in reducing the number of cholera cases to zero, despite the southern region being in the grip of a cholera epidemic.

On January 25 2008 Chikwawa was hit by severe flooding and I visited that area to see first hand the devastation caused by the floods. Villagers had taken shelter in the local church and all that was left of some homes were the thatched roofs which were lying in the mud. I met villagers who had lost everything including their meagre belongings. There is a strong sense of community in Malawi but it is difficult to help neighbours when there is nothing spare to share. The Scottish Government had provided £5,000 in emergency aid to the area and the village chief asked the delegation to ensure that his message of appreciation and gratitude was delivered back to the people of Scotland.

Later that day I visited the Kasinthula Sugar Cane Growers Scheme (KSCGS). This, one of potentially many similar schemes within Malawi, is an irrigated smallholder sugar cane scheme supplying cane for processing at the Illovo owned mill in Nchalo in the Chikwawa district of Malawi.

Kasinthula currently has 282 small grower farmers producing sugar-cane under furrow irrigation with a total area of 754ha. KSCGS was established in 1997 by Illovo through commercial finance mechanisms, later refinanced through the Government of Malawi, European Investment Bank and Illovo Group Holdings London Ltd, but has been drastically affected by the continuous devaluation of the Malawi Kwacha.

I met with members of the management committee. The group consisted of 22 men and 6 women. Brian Namata, General Manager of KSCGS, outlined the history of the scheme. Topics discussed included training, how the Fair Trade premium was spent, how the group managed dissent and the challenges involved in registering to achieve Fair Trade status. Brian explained that the community had benefited from clean water, better houses, improved education including grants to students in the community to allow them to access university education amongst other things. Workers were paid more than the minimum wage.

He explained that in Malawi due to communication difficulties, particularly in rural communities, many farmers did not know about Fair Trade. The delegation heard that, although the scheme produces 9,000 tons of sugar per annum, for complex reasons partly due to international trade regulations only 500 tons attract the Fair Trade premium. Another substantial benefit from Fair Trade premium is that due to communities having a greater disposable income, this encouraged small businesses to develop, which led to improved economic development throughout the area increasing other employment opportunities.

The KSCGS are currently experiencing difficulties caused by debt and have decided that the best way to tackle this problem is through expansion. The management committee thanked the delegation for visiting and were please that Scotland had aspirations to become a Fair Trade nation. Brian had visited Scotland in November 2007 and was proud to be associated with Scotland and understood that Scots had a genuine desire to help Malawi develop. He asked the delegation to ensure that his thanks were passed on to the people of Scotland.

On the basis of the operational success of the current scheme, the potential profitability of the crop and the real demand for more sugar in Malawi, coupled with additional milling capacity at the mill, SVCGT together with the potential beneficiaries has requested additional funding from the EU to expand the small- holder production base. The aim of the expansion is two-fold: to produce more cane for increased revenue to service the existing debt and to involve increased numbers of farming families. The proposed expansion will accommodate 200 farmers with equal areas. The strategy is to use the revenue from cane sales from this additional area and the benefits of economies of scale to support the repayment of the debt.

The proposal estimates that the cost of developing the project infrastructure, planting and managing the cane to point of harvest and building the capacity of the stakeholders to be USD$4.8 million. The EU has allocated €2.55 million from the Accompanying Measures fund for the actual project development and a further approximately €1.2 million for stakeholder capacity building.

Although the allocation is a grant provision, the proposal suggests that the grant be treated as a low interest loan due to the underlying business basis of the scheme, interest being repaid into a ‘Community Development Fund’ along with a development levy to be paid by farmers once the project reaches profitability. The development of this fund will facilitate further spread of wealth across the community and the provision of social development projects.

It was suggested that if people in developed countries were made aware of the substantial benefits to basic living conditions within the local communities who received the Fair Trade premium, the demand for Fair Trade products would increase and market forces would ensure that the demand was met.

The management group felt that not enough producers in Malawi knew about Fair Trade or how to register. He further explained that although the KSCGS had found it fairly easy to register this would likely not be the case for the majority of producers who lacked access to the internet and could not afford consultancy fees to pay for agencies to register them.

On Tuesday I travelled to the Mulanje area and made a brief visit to the hospital, including a village served by this hospital, where I had the opportunity to talk to representatives from the surrounding area about their particular situation. The issues raised were not dissimilar to issues raised elsewhere. The group I met however were mainly counsellors who provided advice to the community on a range of issues. They had all received training and the main issue that they wished to raise was that they desperately needed a meeting place. They were presently renting a building for meetings but felt that they could achieve so much more if they had a modest fixed meeting place from which to operate.

On Tuesday afternoon travelled North West to Chiradzulu to meet with representatives from Oxfam Malawi to visit a village which had benefited from Scottish Government funding.

The Scottish government has part funded a project to the extent of £250,000. The programme is helping poor families in 81 villages in Chiradzulu District and Blantyre Rural who are affected by HIV/AIDS through two distinct projects in each area: home-based healthcare and support, and food and income security.

I visited a village close to Chiradzulu where I met with representatives from various village committees including Home Based Care, People Living with Aids (PLWA), Health, Adult Literacy, amongst others. The project trains volunteers to work in the various areas covered by these committees. The villagers told the delegation that they were indebted to Oxfam for the work that they had done and felt that, even if Oxfam left the area, the villagers would be left with a strong foundation to build on and would continue to meet the goals which had been set.

On Tuesday evening the delegation attended a reception hosted by Krishna Savjani the British Honorary Consul to Malawi to launch the Youth Business Malawi (YBM) programme which is expected to give an opportunity to local youth who show entrepreneurial flair but lack access to start up capital. The reception was attended by dozens of local businessmen and Linda Fabiani MSP, Minister for External Relations, gave a speech outlining the projects goals.

The Scottish Government had set aside funds for these ventures following the July Joint Commission Review meeting, when the Government of Malawi requested that economic development should be included as a priority and asked that more emphasis be placed on supporting enterprise. This YBM scheme has the capacity to transform the lives of young Malawians, thereby changing the economic landscape of the country in general. YBM is expected to help young Malawians to start and manage their own businesses in an effort to stimulate wealth generation, self-employment and sustainable business creation. The programme, modelled after the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT), which a highly successful youth business programme in Scotland that has created youth-owned businesses for over 18 years, is intended to develop business skills among young Malawians.

On Wednesday the delegation returned to Lilongwe to spend 2 days with members of the National Assembly. More information about these meetings will be available in the full visit report.

The International Relations Committee in Malawi has proposed a twinning arrangement with the EERC in Scotland. The EERC in Scotland could assist their Malawian counterparts by sharing good practise in scrutinising the work of the government and in exchange the International Relations Committee in Malawi could monitor the impact that Scottish international development funding was having in Malawi.

On Thursday 14 February the delegation spent the entire day with women MPs to discuss areas of mutual interest and future collaboration. Despite many initiatives aimed at empowering women in Malawi, progress is slow. The deeply embedded culture and traditions is a barrier to women achieving full equality of status and even women who have achieved a high degree of education and hold important positions within the country are affected by these norms.

On Thursday evening the delegations attended a reception as principle guests along with Linda Fabiani MSP Minister for External Relations.

On Friday 15 February the delegation met DfID Malawi, who outlined the current position in Malawi from a development perspective. According to DfID, exchange visits, particularly one-offs, often held no particular value in the long run although exchanges could assist if sustainable outcomes could be gained by such activity.

On Friday afternoon I also met with Enock D.A Chibwana, the Ombudsman and Alan Msosa, Chief Investigator. Success in promoting the Office of the Ombudsmen had caused an administrative overload for a while, as more people made use of the service, but the Ombudsman Office was now seeking ways in which to reach out to more people in rural areas.

The delay in passing the Budget Bill had hindered progress in taking forward planned initiatives.

The SPSO has worked with Queen Margaret University (QMU) in Edinburgh to develop an accredited training programme in complaint handling. The course aims to bring about a more consistent approach to the development of investigation/complaint handling skills and to increase the credibility of investigators through the independent and academic scrutiny of skills. The Managing Customer Complaints module has a distance learning option, which the staff of the Office of the Ombudsman of Malawi would like to utilise. The SPSO and the Office of the Ombudsman in Malawi are seeking means of progressing the project with the Scottish Government and the British Council.

Members are invited to consider my report in the context of the Committee’s inquiry into international development.

Members are also invited to consider and note the proposal of the International Relations Committee of

¹ http://www.infoscotland.com/nhs/files/CodeofPracticeFinalVersion.pdf

² The relevant EU directive is 2004/18/EC on the coordination of procedures for the award of public work contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts.

³ SPPN 02/2005

⁴ http://www.sciaf.org.uk/policy/trade/idc_enquiry_fair_trade_and_development