Introduction 

This statement shows how the Defra International (DI) indicators in Defra’s Official Development Assistance Annual Results Report have followed the principles of the Code of Practice for Statistics, where possible. The Code is framed around three main concepts or pillars:  

• trustworthiness - the confidence in the people and organisations that produce statistics and data 

• quality - data and methods that produce assured statistics 

• value - statistics that support society’s needs for information 

This publication presents results achieved through Defra’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programming which supports developing countries to reduce poverty, tackle climate change and half and reverse global biodiversity loss. From 2025 onwards Defra publishes annual results estimates that monitor the impact of their portfolio of programmes through standardised DI Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The data collection and quality assurance are undertaken by the Defra ODA Hub.  

The following sections explain how the Defra ODA Hub have applied the pillars of the Code in a proportionate way, demonstrating Voluntary Compliance. This approach is in line with the Guide for Voluntary Application of the Code. Please note that these results estimates do not represent Official Statistics due to variable quality in the underlying data resulting from the context ODA spend often works in.  

The three pillars

1. Trustworthiness 

The DI results estimates are collected and quality assured by analysts in Defra. These analysts also work collaboratively on indicator development, interpretation of methodologies, and dissemination of results. The Defra ODA Hub team represents multiple analytical professions including Government Statistical Service (GSS) statisticians, economists and social researchers.  

The DI results publication aims to present results estimates in an objective manner, including: 

• narrative for each KPI which explains what the indicator measures, the number of programmes contributing to each indicator, and the change compared with the previous year (in future)

• information on the revisions policy, which sets out our procedures in the event of revisions and corrections to results data

• methodology notes for each of the DI KPIs and previous years’ results publications on the website 

• clear signposting on the frequency of the publication, and pre-announcement of the publication dates in future.  

2. Quality 

Information on DI results is collected from Defra programme teams and their delivery partners. The results data collected originates from a variety of sources, including representative sample surveys of households, management information systems held by partner country governments, and individual project data generated from routine project monitoring by implementing partners, often in challenging environments. Given the range of data sources used, the accuracy of the results data varies and is subject to the quality of the underlying data source. In many cases Defra uses data collected by others (e.g. partner country governments or international or local organisations) and therefore has limited control over the quality of the data. Verifying the quality of the data provided by partners can be challenging in the context of developing countries. 

DI results estimates are produced in line with published methodology notes which set out the requirements for Defra ODA programme results to be counted towards each indicator. The methodologies have been developed in liaison with external topic experts and departmental specialists. Analysts in Defra undertake quality assurance of the results data to minimise errors and improve adherence to the prescribed methodologies. During this process a double independent quality assurance occurs, meaning the data is reviewed by two separate analysts who are not involved in the running of the programme. Examples of the types of error we aim to minimise include: 

• double counting – counting the same beneficiary more than once in a programme across different years; 

• attribution errors – claiming more results than can be directly associated with Defra ODA-funded interventions; 

• additionality errors – results that would have occurred without the Defra ODA-supported intervention; 

• methodology alignment – including results that are not measured in accordance with the published methodology or in relation to the chosen indicator focus. 

3. Value 

The DI results estimates enable Defra to report publicly on the impact of its ODA spend and demonstrate to the UK public what has been achieved through ODA investments. DI results will also be used by ministers, policy makers and external stakeholders. By publishing these results, we are maximising the value of our partners’ ODA monitoring and reducing the administrative burden on all sides for accessing information in the public interest. Publishing our KPI methodologies improves our transparency and accountability to the public to support our results publication, and makes it easier for analysts and programme teams to share KPI methodologies with our delivery partners to promote shared understanding and high quality reporting that accurately reflects our agreed methodologies.  

The DI results will be continually reviewed and improved through each annual reporting cycle: 

1. The KPI framework will be kept under review to ensure relevance, optimise use of resources, adhere to latest best practice, and reflect evolving priorities for Defra’s ODA portfolio. Some KPIs may be updated over time for increased accuracy and viability.  Others may be replaced with more suitable KPIs if they are not capturing many relevant programme results. We will however strive to provide continuity through a comparable time series where results remain relevant over time.  

2. Reporting data quality will be improved over time with a particular focus on increasing disaggregation of people-focused results by sex and other priority dimensions in line with the Inclusive Data Charter.

3. The publication will be improved to provide additional background information and clarity to enable users to understand the strengths and limitations of DI results estimates and use and interpret them appropriately.

4. Users can provide feedback to Defra ODA analysts via the email address provided in the results publication.  

The DI results estimates are published annually on a dedicated Defra ODA results page on GOV.UK. This page includes the results report and DI indicator methodologies; reports for every year will be available from the same location. In future we intend to publish HTML versions of documents to aid accessibility.