Overseas Development Administration

British agency

Also known as: ODA

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

The Overseas Development Administration (ODA) was a British government agency responsible for administering overseas aid. It was established in 1961 and later merged into the Department for International Development (DFID) in 1997, which itself was then merged into the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in 2020.1

Foreign aid, in general, is the international transfer of capital, goods, or services from one country or international organization to another for the recipient's benefit. This aid can be economic, military, or humanitarian, and it aims to promote development and combat poverty. The ODA played a role in this broader landscape of international development assistance.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Ordnance Survey International
…incorporated into the newly constituted Overseas Development Administration. The agency was subsumed by Ordnance Survey in 1984 and was renamed the Overseas Surveys Directorate. It became Ordnance Survey International in 1991 following the completion of its scheduled surveys. The agency then consulted for other countries before disbanding in 2001. Its…
Read More
…incorporated into the newly constituted Overseas Development Administration. The agency was subsumed by Ordnance Survey in 1984 and was renamed the Overseas Surveys Directorate. It became Ordnance Survey International in 1991 following the completion of its scheduled surveys. The agency then consulted for other countries before disbanding in 2001. Its…
Read More