DfID hires comms chief in wake of tsunami work

Sarah Robertson 21-Jan-05

The Department for International Development (DfID) has appointed a new director of knowledge, comms and information as it channels the Government’s £75m aid programme to tsunami-hit countries.

DfID head of Western Asia Joy Hutcheon took up the post this week, overseeing more than 100 staff. The department is charged with halving world poverty by 2015 and promoting sustainable development.

Hutcheon reports to Mark Lowcock, director-general for corporate performance and knowledge sharing. She takes responsibility for three teams. The first, information and civil society, covers press relations, publications, development awareness and the website; evaluation investigates the effectiveness of DfID’s work; while the third team, research, manages research programmes with the academic community on issues that affect developing countries, such as malaria, HIV and poverty.

Head of the information and civil society department Michael Green said: ‘Joy will be working to promote long-term economic and social development programmes, which get children into schools, improve healthcare, economic management and governance.’

Future campaigns include promoting the book, The Rough Guide to a Better World, funded by the DfID and part of the Rough Guide series, which was published at the end of last year to inform people how they can help eradicate world poverty via donations or voluntary work.

Hutcheon replaces Owen Bader who joined US think-tank The Center for Global Development last August (PRWeek, 20 August 2004).

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