DFID recently funded a study by the Peace Dividend Trust entitled 'Afghanistan Compact Procurement Monitoring Project', the purpose of which was to measure the impact of international assistance to Afghanistan. It found that aid spent through the Government of Afghanistan's systems was four times more effective than funds spent through international companies or NGOs. This is one of the reasons why DFID currently puts over 80 per cent. of its bilateral aid programme through government systems.
In 2005, DFID commissioned King's College London to undertake a review of its support to Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). The purpose of the review was to make recommendations on future engagement with PRTs. The review recommended the deployment of three Development Advisers to PRTs focussing on Helmand as a priority and the existing programme was reconfigured to better articulate DFID's approach to stabilisation.
DFID also provides funding to the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU), an independent research institution that conducts and facilitates research to improve practice and increase the impact of humanitarian and development programmes in Afghanistan. DFID uses research findings to inform policy.