Corporate report

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) : Corporate Plan 2021 to 2022

Published 14 March 2022

Mission statement

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) provides the main UK government scholarship scheme led by international development objectives. It operates within the framework of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) and offers a vivid demonstration of the UK’s enduring commitment to the Commonwealth. By attracting individuals with outstanding talent and identifiable potential to become leaders and innovators on returning to their home countries, the CSC’s work combines sustainable development with the UK national interest. The CSC uses rigorous procedures to ensure that its programmes promote equity and inclusion, reward merit, and deliver widespread access, especially to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In everything we do, we aim to be:

Development-focused: by placing the international development agenda at the heart of our activities.

Collaborative: by working with a range of stakeholders.

Inclusive and accessible: by ensuring that our portfolio of awards offers opportunities to all who are capable of benefiting from them and qualified to do so.

Relevant: by providing opportunities that address the evolving development needs of Commonwealth countries and the knowledge economy.

Efficient and accountable: by ensuring that our work delivers value for money, is effectively and proportionately reviewed, and that emerging findings are used in our future planning.

Governance statement

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (CSC) was established by Act of Parliament in 1959 in order to manage the UK contribution to the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP), launched by Commonwealth Education Ministers in 1958. Its status was subsequently reaffirmed in the International Development Act of 2002 (the Act).

The CSC is a non-departmental public body, for which the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the lead department and main sponsor, focusing exclusively on awards that deliver on poverty reduction. Other financial contributions are received from the Department for Education (DfE), for scholarships for candidates from high income countries. The CSC is independent of Government in its decision-making and operations; the Act legislates that the Secretary of State may not give any direction for the selection or rejection of any particular person for an award or as a candidate for an award. The CSC submits an Annual Report on its work each year to the Secretary of State; this forms the basis of a report submitted by the Secretary of State to Parliament, to which (s)he is ultimately responsible for the work of the CSC.

In addition to regulations provided in the 1959 Act (which have been confirmed in subsequent Development Acts) and subsequent Ministerial Directives, detailed governance arrangements for the CSC have been set out in a framework document. The framework includes an associated financial memorandum and the CSC’s 3 year corporate and one-year business plans. The FCDO Internal Audit Department (IAD) provides the CSC’s internal audit function. The CSC’s annual income and expenditure are incorporated in the overall accounts of FCDO, and the CSC account is held with the Government Banking Service.

The Commission normally comprises 15 members, including the Chair, who are appointed in accordance with the principles of the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies. Commissioners are appointed by the Secretary of State for an initial period of 3 years, with the possibility of reappointment for one further 3 year appointment. The Chair and other relevant officials normally meet with relevant Ministers at least annually to discuss the work of the CSC. The Chair of the Commission is the Accounting Officer for the CSC, with responsibility to the Secretary of State for its conduct and performance.

The full Commission meets 3 times per year. It is supported in its work by specialist committees, made up of Commissioners, which deal with Finance, Audit and Risk Management, Awards Policy, and Evaluation and Monitoring, as well as an Executive Group made up of the Chair, Deputy Chair and Committee Chairs which normally meets twice a year. Separate committees of Commissioners are convened to handle the selection of scholarship recipients. The CSC has no employees, contracting out its Secretariat and other management functions to 2 external bodies: The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and the British Council. The effectiveness and value for money of these arrangements are formally evaluated annually by the Finance Committee, which recommends appropriate action to the full Commission. The CSC operates an Evaluation and Monitoring Programme which provides evidence of the impact of its work, through interviews and surveys of alumni and other stakeholders. The results of this programme influence the CSC’s decision-making processes.

Context

UK Commonwealth Scholarships empower individuals to tackle global development challenges – helping to transform societies and build a safer, healthier, more prosperous world for all. The CSC is committed to supporting candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds and from low and middle-income countries (LMICs) to gain the skills and knowledge required to innovate for and lead sustainable development.

Commonwealth Scholarships were established with the aim of being flexible and demand led. Alongside a cutting-edge evaluation programme, innovations such as Shared Scholarships (jointly funded by UK universities), Distance Learning Scholarships, and Split-site Scholarships (for those studying PhDs in their home countries) have ensured that the CSC delivers impact as well as value for money to the UK taxpayer – attracting £5 million of partnership funding. Further information on the Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships offered by the CSC can be found in Appendix 2.

This corporate plan outlines the activities to be undertaken during what will be the fourth year of an ambitious strategy to ensure that Commonwealth Scholarships have maximum impact on achieving the UK Aid Strategy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while retaining the strengths of the scheme. The Time Limited Programme in Girl’s Education being offered during 2021/22 and our focus on supporting work in climate change leading up to COP26 demonstrates both the Commission’s ability to be flexible and reactive as well as our ability to directly support the FCDO’s Global Challenges.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which is still ongoing, has been an unprecedented challenge to the CSC and has tested its resilience and resourcefulness. The CSC has been able however within its existing management and oversight structures to respond quickly and effectively to this challenge. Whilst there is still ongoing uncertainty the CSC remains strongly positioned to maintain its high levels of service and agility in delivering development impact. The CSC’s priority throughout the Covid-19 pandemic was to identify and respond quickly to the welfare needs of Scholars and Fellows. The duty of care to Scholars and allocation of resources to support Scholars and Fellows already on award has continued into the 2021 to 2022 financial year.

In addition to our distinctive contribution to the UK’s commitment to international development, the CSC plays an important role in attracting the best and brightest talent to UK universities. The CSC promotes research excellence and innovation through international collaboration, enabling individuals and institutions across the Commonwealth to build sustainable partnerships, in particular through our Split-Site Programme. In recognition of this, DfE supports a small number of Commonwealth PhD Scholarships for candidates from high income Commonwealth countries.

Commonwealth Scholarships are also one of the Commonwealth’s best-known successes. Over its now 60-year history, the CSFP has supported over 37,400 individuals, with over 30,000 funded through the CSC. The scheme is a prestigious and well-recognised brand in the Commonwealth and beyond, and its impact was acknowledged by member governments at the 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers held in the UK in February 2018. The CSC is proud to reaffirm its commitment to development, equity and access, and relevance and we will continue to highlight our successes in these areas.

The Strategy for the 3 years from 2022 to 2023 is currently being developed.  

Objectives

Over the current Strategy period, from 2018/2019 to 2021/22, the CSC’s objectives are:

1. To provide a world-class scholarship scheme that contributes to sustainable development across the Commonwealth.

In pursuing Objective 1, the CSC will:

• offer scholarships and fellowships to Commonwealth citizens. We will apply selection criteria which ensure that those chosen are able to demonstrate academic excellence, high-quality research/study plans, and the greatest potential for development impact

• select candidates for DFID-funded scholarships on the basis of their specific potential for impact in one of 6 development-related themes:

  • science and technology for development
  • strengthening health systems and capacity
  • promoting global prosperity
  • strengthening global peace, security and governance
  • strengthening resilience and response to crises
  • access, inclusion and opportunity
• offer a range of study, research, and professional development options to maximise the opportunities available to citizens of Commonwealth countries, with a particular focus on the needs of least developed and lower middle-income countries
• build our community of scholars, alumni, and partners
• support UK government objectives in promotion of the Commonwealth

2. To ensure that our programmes promote equity and inclusion, reward merit, and deliver widespread access, especially to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In pursuing Objective 2, the CSC will:

• consider personal circumstances in all applications to ensure that, all other things being equal, candidates from disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds are chosen
• work with our nominating partners to ensure that their processes are robust and transparent in order that we are able to attract high quality candidates including those from disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds
• review our policies for delivering our awards to ensure that they are inclusive and don’t impose significant barriers to particular groups
• monitor and evaluate our work, establish best practice, ensure key performance indicators (KPIs) are met, and commission research into the development impact that our scholarships have on recipients’ communities and societies
• adapt our programmes in line with research findings

3. To support and encourage cutting-edge research, innovation, and knowledge exchange throughout the Commonwealth.

In pursuing Objective 3, the CSC will:

• design and implement programmes at a range of academic and professional levels within higher education institutions, public sector bodies, and civil society organisations
• fund award holders to produce high-quality research with the potential for development impact
• build relationships with and between universities in the UK and throughout the Commonwealth in order to encourage new and support existing collaboration and research
• raise additional funds to supplement UK government contributions
• prioritise applications that demonstrate the potential to develop existing or new partnerships and international collaboration between the UK and other Commonwealth countries
• showcase the achievements of our Scholars and alumni in research, innovation, and knowledge exchange

Priorities and key performance indicators for 2021 to 2022

Over the current Strategy period between 2018/19 and 2021/22, the CSC’s objectives are:

• to provide a world-class scholarship scheme that contributes to sustainable development across the Commonwealth

• to ensure that our programmes promote equity and inclusion, reward merit, and deliver widespread access, especially to those from disadvantaged backgrounds

• to support and encourage cutting-edge research, innovation, and knowledge exchange across the Commonwealth

The CSC’s priorities during 2021 to 2022 will be:

• to continue to monitor the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on Scholars and Fellows; to assign necessary financial resources where necessary; to adapt our approach as needs require; and to offer an enhanced wellbeing and welfare service to Scholars and Fellows throughout this unprecedented time

• to ensure that all FCDO-funded scholarships are focused on 6 development-related themes, and that prominence is given to ‘Science and technology for development’ and ‘Strengthening health systems and capacity’, awarded against the background of continuing global efforts to address and mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic

• to maintain selection procedures that ensure that FCDO-funded scholarships are awarded to candidates who would not otherwise be able to undertake the programme of study, and that, all other things being equal, candidates demonstrating social or economic disadvantage receive preference during selection

• to maintain the target that 90-95% of new FCDO-funded awards will be for citizens of least developed and lower middle-income countries and fragile states

• to deliver a comprehensive Evaluation and Monitoring Programme that reports Impact against the CSCs Evaluation Framework and Theory of Change

• to deliver a time limited programme of Professional Fellowships in Equity and Access in Girls’ Education

• to continue to strengthen our relationship with nominating bodies, to ensure that processes are robust and transparent, and that the programme continues to attract the best candidates, whose work is relevant to national needs as well as attracting candidates in line with the Commission’s Equity and Inclusion Strategy

• to deliver a comprehensive Engagement Strategy which ensures that the newly developed virtual activities are embedded alongside face-to-face activities (should it be possible to hold these) to maximise engagement opportunities for our Scholars and wider stakeholders

• to deliver the CSC’s Alumni Strategy, integrating new virtual activities, in order to demonstrate the impact of CSC’s awards and to further develop measures to demonstrate its outputs and outcomes

• to deliver a workplan of activities to showcase the impact of the work of CSC Alumni on climate change and to maximise networking opportunities for Scholars and Alumni around COP26

• to agree the Commission’s Strategy for 2021/22 to 2023/24

The CSC has agreed 7 key performance indicators which will be used to measure success against our objectives and priorities:

1. The highest number of FCDO-funded scholarships will be awarded under the ‘Science and technology for development’ and ‘Strengthening health systems and capacity’ themes, with all FCDO-funded scholarships awarded under 6 development-related themes.

2. 90 to 95% of new FCDO-funded awards will be made to citizens of least developed and lower middle-income countries and fragile states as recognised by FCDO.

3. Selection committees will ensure that, all other things being equal, excellent candidates demonstrating social or economic disadvantage or who are from marginalised or underrepresented communities receive preference, with an increased proportion of candidates from a disadvantaged background being selected year on year.

4. Priority for awards will be Commonwealth Split-Site, Master’s, Shared, and Distance Learning Scholarships, with the balance of funding allocated to FCDO-funded Commonwealth PhD Scholarships held at or below 2018 and 2019 levels.

5. That the gender balance of candidates selected for a FCDO-funded Scholarships will be at least 45% female and 45% male.

6. At least £5 million in 20201/22 in matching contributions will be generated through partnerships with UK universities.

7. The Alumni Strategy will ensure alumni are engaged in activities designed to demonstrate their impact at a local, national, and international level as well as the contribution of their Commonwealth Scholarship or Fellowship in achieving positive change for the intended communities and end users.

Financial plan

The budget for the CSC in 2021-2022 can be found in the CSC business plan and in this document as Appendix 4. In the circumstance that the FCDO grant-in-aid is modified, and on receipt of the DfE grant-in-aid the figure shown in the business plan may be subject to change. The CSC framework document and financial memorandum outline the procedure and timetable for agreeing budgets for future years.

It should be noted that the budget refers only to direct income and expenditure. In addition, the CSC benefits from the in-kind support of UK universities, nominating agencies, advisers, Commissioners and others. In financial terms based on the programme budget in Appendix 4, we estimate the aggregate UK university contribution to have a value of at least £5 million per annum (equivalent to around 17% of the grant).

Against this background, the main components of our financial planning will be as follows.

Annual budgeting and budget review

The framework document and financial memorandum, revised by the CSC and DFID/FCDO in 2021, reaffirms the procedure and outlines a transparent process for the formulation of a detailed expenditure budget in advance of each financial year. These documents are due to further update by the end of March 2022 in line with the new Strategy period. Commission Committees are asked to contribute ideas and priorities by mid-September. These are incorporated into a draft budget, to be considered by the Finance Committee at its autumn meeting, followed by a budget that is presented to the full Commission at its December meeting. This budget is reflected in recommendations for the number of selections to be made by Commission selection committees, normally in the following April and May. The agreed budgets run in financial years, from 1 April to 31 March, and are reviewed by the Finance Committee at its meeting in June/July. In addition, the Chair of the Finance Committee and the CSC Secretariat meet on a monthly basis to review recent developments and propose any modifications necessary.

Supplementation with income from external sources

The CSC will seek to add value to government support wherever possible, by attracting contributions and support from third parties. Such support should, however, be consistent with the principle that candidates are selected on merit and in accordance with the CSC’s criteria. It will not normally be CSC policy to allocate awards to particular sponsors or candidates where they would not otherwise have been selected, or to agree jointly funded programmes where these involve a disproportionate increase in administration costs.

It is expected that the main source of such contributions during the funding period will be UK universities, with which agreement has been reached for tuition fee waivers of at least 20% on selections for Commonwealth PhD and Master’s Scholarships for low- and middle-income countries. In some areas of our work, it has been possible to arrange even higher university contributions. In particular, for Commonwealth PhD Scholarships for high income countries and Commonwealth Shared Scholarships, UK universities typically meet between 33-50% of the total cost of scholarships. In addition, the CSC seeks to negotiate advantageous tuition fee rates with suppliers of distance learning courses, reflecting the fact that groups of students are normally being supported. The CSC also recognises that hosts of Commonwealth Medical and Professional Fellowships make significant in-kind contributions to these programmes. The CSC receives further substantial in-kind benefit from the work of Commissioners, academic advisers, nominating agencies, and others, who provide their time without payment or at rates significantly below their market value.

Matching income with expenditure in each financial year

As an NDPB, the CSC seeks to spend its annual budget as exactly as possible in the year of allocation and does not aim to accumulate reserves between financial years. It is recognised, however, that some safeguard is necessary against uncertainty and to maintain cash flow. In this regard, the CSC framework document and financial memorandum provide for the possibility of cash balances being maintained. However, funds shall be kept at a minimum level consistent with the efficient operation of the Commission. We believe that the availability of such funds is critical to our ability to be a well-governed organisation.

Supporting strategic priorities

The allocation of funds will reflect the priorities of the CSC as identified in this corporate plan, and, where appropriate, the financial objectives of funding bodies.

Rigorous control of administration costs

Efficient and streamlined administration is a critical element in our current strategy, which commits the CSC to ensure that its administrative costs do not account for more than 10% of total expenditure. The CSC does, however, view this figure as a maximum, rather than a target, and has decreased the rate to significantly lower than this level through successive annual reductions.

The CSC’s financial memorandum provides mechanisms through which it will continue to keep expenditure in this area under review by:

• ensuring that administration fees are approved annually as part of the budgeting process for the following financial year. This involves detailed discussion of proposals by the Finance Committee at its November meeting, and the necessity for administrative fees to be approved explicitly (rather than simply as part of the overall budget) by the full Commission
• undertaking periodic comparison between the administrative costs of the CSC and those of other comparable scholarship schemes funded by the UK government and other international programmes

Risk management

The CSC has an Audit and Risk Management (ARM) Committee in line with recommendations in the Cabinet Office document Managing Public Money (MPM). This Committee, whose membership comprises at least 3 members, including an independent member, who do not sit on the Finance Committee or serve as Chair or Deputy Chair, meets 3 times a year and reports directly to the Commission at each of its meetings on any aspects that it considers to be of concern.

The CSC operates a risk management framework that overarches the full programme cycle and joins up risk management activity at Commissioner and Secretariat levels. This provides assurance but doesn’t add extra burden or unnecessary process. Within the framework the Committee maintains (and presents to the Commission for review at regular intervals) a register of risks – set out at Strategic, Tactical and Programme level - with the potential to seriously impair the effective performance of the CSC, together with an assessment of the potential impact of each risk, and a list of mitigating measures in each case. In addition to the work of the Committee, the CSC’s framework document includes other measures to mitigate and ensure transparency in its policies towards risk. These can be found in particular in paragraph 4.6.

In addition to external financial inspection, the CSC benefits from reviews of its operation by a programme of internal audit, currently provided by the FCDO Internal Audit Department (IAD). This programme is managed by the ARM Committee, which determines the list of topics to be reviewed on an annual basis. During the current strategy period, FCDO IAD has reported on an audit they had carried out in March 2018 of CSC’s Fraud Governance, as well as undertaking an audit of CSC’s own Governance arrangements in March 2019, an audit of CSC’s Board Effectiveness in March 2020 and an audit on GDPR in March 2021.

Appendix 1: Founding principles of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan

The Plan should be additional to, and distinct from, any other plan in operation.

The Plan should be based on mutual cooperation and the sharing of educational experience among the countries of the Commonwealth.

The Plan should be sufficiently flexible to take account of the diverse and changing needs of the countries of the Commonwealth.

While the Plan will be Commonwealth-wide, it should be operated through a series of bilateral arrangements, to allow for the necessary flexibility.

Awards should be designed to recognise and promote the highest standards of intellectual achievement as well as technical and professional performance and have regard to any expressed human resource or development needs of nominating countries.

Appendix 2: Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships offered by the CSC

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships

Purpose: to enhance individual teaching and research capacity leading to development impact as well as increased institutional capacity in academic and other sectors in eligible Commonwealth countries, and to contribute to UK higher education and research by attracting high-calibre international candidates and encouraging links and collaboration

Intended beneficiaries: high-quality graduates (from least developed countries and fragile states) who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK but who have the potential to become influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries, and whose proposed research topic has a developmental focus

Focus sector(s): CSC’s 6 development themes

Award duration: three years. The scholarships are offered for an initial tenure of 22 months and extended following confirmation of upgrade to PhD status

Application process: applications are accepted via national nominating agencies, invited NGOs, and selected universities in least developed Commonwealth countries and fragile Commonwealth states. Nominating bodies are encouraged to identify their own priority areas and nominate candidates accordingly

Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships

Purpose: To widen access to UK equipment and expertise for quality doctoral candidates from Commonwealth countries, and to contribute to UK and Commonwealth higher education and research through collaboration and partnerships.

Intended beneficiaries: high-quality graduates from Least Developed and middle- income countries who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK but who have the potential to become influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries, and whose proposed research has a developmental and leadership focus.

Focus sector(s): CSC’s 6 development themes. The scholarships are offered to students in all disciplines registered for PhDs at universities in low and middle-income Commonwealth countries.

Award duration: twelve months, which can be taken as a single 12-month period or separated into 2 six-month periods.

Application process: applications are accepted directly from candidates.

Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships

Purpose: to contribute to development needs of Commonwealth countries by providing training for skilled and qualified professionals and academics, and to contribute to UK higher education and foreign policy aims by encouraging collaboration and links.

Intended beneficiaries: high-quality postgraduate students from Least Developed and middle-income countries who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK but who have the potential to enhance the development of their home countries with the knowledge and leadership skills they acquire.

Focus sector(s): CSC’s 6 development themes. Courses provide knowledge and skills likely to have a significant development impact.

Award duration: twelve months. The scholarships are wholly tenable at universities in the UK.

Application process: applications are accepted via national nominating agencies and invited NGOs. Nominating bodies are encouraged to identify their own priority areas and nominate candidates accordingly.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for Master’s study

Purpose: to contribute to development needs of Commonwealth countries by providing training for skilled and qualified professionals and academics who would not otherwise have been able to study in the UK.

Intended beneficiaries: high-quality postgraduate students from Least Developed and lower-middle income countries, who have not studied for a year or more in a high-income country before, who would not otherwise afford to study in the UK, and who have the potential to enhance the development of their home countries with the knowledge and leadership skills they acquire.

Focus sector(s): CSC’s 6 development themes. Courses provide knowledge and skills likely to have a significant development impact and must be pre-approved by the CSC as having a development focus.

Award duration: normally 12 months.

Application process: UK universities bid for scholarships for specific courses with demonstrable development impact and must agree to fund the living cost component of the scholarships. Applications are made via successful universities, which make the initial selection of candidates, who are subsequently approved by the CSC.

Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships for Master’s study

Purpose: to contribute to development needs of Commonwealth countries by providing training for skilled and qualified professionals in key development areas.

Intended beneficiaries: high-quality postgraduate students from Least Developed and lower-middle income countries who wish to access training not available in their home countries, who wish or need to remain in their home country while they study, and who have the potential to enhance the development of their home countries with the knowledge and leadership skills they acquire.

Focus sector(s): CSC’s 6 development themes. Courses provide knowledge and skills likely to have a significant development impact and must be pre-approved by the CSC as having a development focus.

Award duration: up to 6 years. The scholarships are funded on an ongoing basis, due to the modular nature of the courses.

Application process: UK universities bid for scholarships for specific courses. Applications are made via successful universities, which make the initial selection of candidates, who are subsequently approved by the CSC.

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (for high income countries)

Purpose: to support world-class research and scholarship, and to contribute to UK higher education and research by attracting high-calibre international candidates and encouraging links and collaboration.

Intended beneficiaries: high-quality graduates from high income Commonwealth countries who have the potential to become influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries, and whose proposed research topic has been described to the satisfaction of the selection committee as having a focus on innovation and leadership, for the benefit of wider society.

Focus sector(s): all sectors.

Award duration: three years. The scholarships are offered for an initial tenure of 22 months and extended following confirmation of upgrade to PhD status.

Application process: applications are accepted directly from candidates.

Commonwealth Professional Fellowships

Purpose: to provide professionals with the opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills in their given sector, and to have catalytic effects on their workplaces.

Intended beneficiaries: mid-career professionals (with 5 years’ relevant work experience) working in development-related organisations in Least Developed and middle-income Commonwealth countries.

Focus sector(s): CSC’s 6 development themes

Award duration: between 6 weeks and 3 months.

Application process: applications from UK organisations willing to set up a programme of activity are considered by the Commission and successful organisations then recruit and nominate Fellows for their programme for selection by the Commission.

Commonwealth Medical Fellowships

Purpose: to provide mid-career medics with the opportunity to enhance their clinical skills, and to have catalytic effects on their workplaces.

Intended beneficiaries: mid-career medics working in university or affiliated teaching hospitals in Least Developed and middle-income Commonwealth countries.

Focus sector(s): strengthening health systems and capacity

Award duration: typically 6 months.

Application process: applications are accepted directly from candidates.

Appendix 3: Review of recent activities

The normal timetable is for the corporate plan to be produced in December each year, referencing performance against the previous year’s business plan (i.e. the one which ended on 31 March that year). The CSC’s 2019-20 business plan identified 6 key performance indicators (KPIs), performance against which is shown below:

*Awards during the 2019/20 Financial year were funded by DFID.

KPI

1. The highest number of DFID-funded scholarships will be awarded under the ‘Science and technology for development’ and ‘Strengthening health systems and capacity’ themes, with all DFID-funded scholarships awarded under six development-related themes.

• Science and Technology for Development: 31%
• Strengthening Health Systems and Capacity: 27%
• Access, Inclusion and Opportunity: 14%
• Strengthening Resilience and Response to Crises: 10%
• Strengthening Global Peace, Security and Governance: 9%
• Promoting Global Prosperity: 8%

2. At least 90% of new DFID-funded awards will be made to citizens of least developed and lower middle-income countries and fragile states as recognised by DFID.

• 96% of selections made were for citizens of least developed and lower middle-income countries and fragile states.

3. Specialised advice to be provided to selection committees to ensure that, all other things being equal, excellent candidates demonstrating social or economic disadvantage or who are from marginalised or underrepresented communities receive preference.

• 100% of 2019 scholarship applicants declared that they did not have the private means to undertake their programme of study
• the 2018 process of flagging disadvantage has been further developed for the 2019 round, Guidance for Commissioners in assessing disadvantage in selection meetings in 2019 was approved at the December 2018 Commission meeting and used in the 2019 selection round
• in the 2019 scholarship selection round, 31% of selected Masters, 27% of selected PhD and 8% of selected Split-site applicants (86 in total) were identified by two or more CSC Commissioners as having a disadvantaged background or coming from an underrepresented group

4. There will be an aggregate increase in the number of Commonwealth Split-Site, Master’s, Shared, and Distance Learning Scholarships, with a reduction in the balance of funding allocated to DFID-funded Commonwealth PhD Scholarships.

• 10% of scholarship selections for 2019 were for PhDs (12% and 13% in 2018 and 2017 respectively)
• 8% of selections were for Split site scholarships (6% and 5% in 2018 and 2017 respectively)
• 20% of selections were for Agency Masters (22% and 18% in 2018 and 2017 respectively)
• 31% were for Shared Scholarships (31% in 2018 and 2017)
• 31% were for Distance Learning scholarships (29% in 2018 and 33% in 2017)

5. The gender balance of candidates selected for a DFID-funded scholarship will be at least 45% female and 45% male.

• 46% of candidates selected for a DFID-funded scholarship were female

6. At least £4.5 million in matching contributions will be generated through partnerships with UK universities.

• £5m

Appendix 4: Budget and resources 2021 to 2022

A budget is illustrated, based upon the award of £28.224m by FCDO in June 2021 and an anticipated Grant-in-aid of £250K from DfE. Confirmation of a DfE grant is still forthcoming. The CSC’s administration resource will be £424,000 in 2021/22 the same as in 2020/21. Table 1 below shows the full budget illustrated for 2021/22 as approved by the CSC Finance Committee in July 2021. £342k remained unallocated at the July 2021 Finance Committee meeting to be allocated once the cost of quarantine for the 2021 cohort of scholars is known.

Table 1: CSC Income and Expenditure 2021 to 2022

CSC Income and Expenditure 2021-22	21/22 Budget
	£000
	Jul-21
FCDO Grant-in-aid programme	27,800
FCDO Grant-in-aid admin	424
DFE Grant-in-aid programme	250
Total Grant-in-aid to CSC	28,474
FCDO Programme Expenditure Scholarships	Total
PhD research	8,107
Agency Master’s	3,917
Split-site PhD	1,827
Shared Scholarships	4,604
Distance Learning	3,138
Visas / Health Surcharges	655
Award Extensions	500
Travel /Quarantine costs	500
Award Hardship	50
Disability mainstreaming	50
Scholar support	525
Total	23,873
Other Programme Expenditure (FCDO)
Evaluation	304
Engagement	1,164
Recruitment and Outreach	265
Time Limited Programme	282
VAT	256
Total	2,271
FCDO Programme Expenditure	26,144
OGD Programme Expenditure
DFE Grant-in-aid (PhD research)	210
BEIS Grant-in-aid (Postdoc research)
OGD Programme Expenditure (Total)	210
CSC Administrative Expenditure (FCDO)
Commission Costs via ACU	116
ACU Management Fees	193
BC Management Fees	64
VAT	51
Total	424
Programme Management Costs
Programme Management Costs FCDO	1,095
Programme Management Costs BEIS
Programme Management Costs DFE	33
VAT	226
Total	1,354
FCDO Programme Expenditure	26,144
OGD Programme Expenditure	210
CSC Administrative Expenditure (FCDO)	424
Programme Management Costs	1,354
Total CSC Expenditure	28,132

Table 2: FCDO programme (awards) allocation 2021/22, July 2021

	Deferred from 2020	Selected in 2021	Total Selected	Target take up
PhD Scholarships	10	101	111	101
Master’s Scholarships	47	91	138	120
Shared Scholarships	11	197	208	208
Split-Site Scholarships	9	N/A	N/A	57
Distance Learning Scholarships	1	213	214	214
Professional Fellowships	N/A	N/A	N/A	23
Total	78	602	680	700