Development and Peace subject of external review

Another layer of scrutiny has been added to the long-running investigation into Development and Peace and its partners abroad.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has commissioned the consulting firm Deloitte Canada to prepare “a review to facilitate greater alignment of the way in which CCODP (Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace) works with the expectations of the bishops of Canada,” said CCCB spokesperson Lisa Gall.

“This review is organizational in nature and is considered an internal matter between the two organizations. When the review is concluded later this year, a final report and recommendations will be presented to the bishops of Canada and the CCODP National Council for review and consideration,” Gall said.

Gall refused to answer questions about the specific mandate of the latest review, its cost and who is paying for it.

Development and Peace is also dodging questions.

“In the current context, our interviews will be limited until the partner review is over,” said Development and Peace director of communications Kelly Di Domenico.

This latest, external review of Development and Peace operations is in addition to a review of partnership policies and partners that began in 2017. Both reports will be presented to the bishops at their annual plenary meetings Sept. 23-27.

Early in the review process, Internet-based research by CCCB staffers found reason to suspect over 40 Development and Peace partners were in some way offside with Catholic teaching on abortion, contraception, gay marriage or gender theory.

A 290-page report delivered to the bishops in August of 2018 was sent back for clarification. At the same time Development and Peace suspended funding to 52 partners and the bishops cleared the way for their development agency to continue raising funds in parishes through Lent of 2019.

Deloitte would not discuss the terms of the D&P review.