How is IDRC different from other government agencies and departments involved in international development?
IDRC’s mandate — “to initiate, encourage, support, and conduct research into the problems of the developing regions of the world” — is also its defining characteristic. To meet the challenges of its mandate, IDRC’s founders felt it necessary to grant it a degree of autonomy not normally associated with crown corporations. The IDRC Act states that the Centre is “not an agent of Her Majesty.” Therefore, IDRC is not strictly bound by the government’s foreign policy and has, at times, used this autonomy to further Canadian causes. For example, IDRC was able to help the democratic movement in apartheid South Africa before the Canadian government could officially become involved. Despite this measure of political autonomy, IDRC remains accountable to the Parliament of Canada. The Centre’s operations are audited annually by the Office of the Auditor General. For the past 3 years, IDRC has won or been named a finalist in the Auditor General’s Award for Excellence in Annual Report by Crown Co
