Seminar on Performance Budgeting and Fiscal Transparency

Transcription

1 African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development World Bank Seminar on Performance Budgeting and Fiscal Transparency Learning activity on PFM and Regional Development in MENA Concept Paper April 2009 Tangier (Morocco).

2 1. Background: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has faced the challenges of good Governance and has implemented initiatives to improve the quality of governance. Public financial management is a core area that a number of MENA countries have taken measures. For example, some countries established the basic financial management to allocate public resources in a timely fashion. Some countries also introduced performance management and multi-year framework in budgeting and tried to enhance transparency ensuring internal and external audit. Although it varies and is not easy to generalize, the MENA region still has the need to improve the quality of governance and enhance public accountability. The World Bank Group identified public sector efficiency and governance as one of the cross-cutting challenges and has assisted the MENA countries in the area of PFM. Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) reports have been made for Syria, Jordan, West Bank and Gaza, Iraq and Yemen 1. In addition, risk assessment in fragile states, audit assessments (Egypt, Yemen) and FM transaction reviews (West Bank and Gaza and Yemen) have been carried out in the region 2. To support the Bank s strategy, this multi-year program is designed to strengthen capacity of policy makers in public management and support the country-led PFM reforms. It will encompass a wide range of topics including fiscal reforms, procurement, transparency and accountability, regional development strategy, inter-government fiscal relations, and local financial management. 2. Purpose and Objective: Fiscal transparency and accountability has emerged as a key development issue to make progress in improving governance and public financial management. As the first learning activity in a series of regional program, this seminar will focus on fiscal transparency and accountability and will discuss principles and practices of Public Financial Management (PFM) reform initiatives to enhance governance. It will highlight good practices from various countries including the experiences of OECD countries and will initiate establishment of a network of practitioners for peer-to-peer support in MENA region. The topics will include multi-year budget planning, Treasury functions, internal and external audit, financial reporting, and public procurement. The main goal of proposed program is to strengthen the capacity of policy makers and budgetary practitioners in public expenditure and fiscal management in order to implement more accountable and transparent public finance system. This activity aims to i) provide current perspectives and guidance on public management; ii) introduce and equip participants with principles, practices and technical guidance of PFM; iii) share experiences and knowledge among policy makers in PFM; and iv) facilitate the use of analytical tools to improve the overall efficiency of PFM. This activity will provide participants with in-depth technical skills in public management and enable them to perform budgeting in a more sound, accountable, and efficient manner. 1 World Bank, 2008, MENA Governance News and Notes, Vol.2, Issue 3, p.5. 2 World Bank, 2008, Strengthening World Bank engagement on Governance and Anticorruption, p

3 Moreover, it will promote sharing of knowledge and experiences in public management and promote partnership in the MENA region. 3. Topics to be addressed: The main theme of the workshop is Budget Performance and Fiscal Transparency.The sub-themes include the following: - Performance Budgeting Overall Framework; - Application of Performance Management to Sectoral Budget; - Challenges to Performance Budgeting; - Budget Formulation and MTEF; - Budget Execution; - Public Procurement; - Internal and External Control; - Monitoring and Evaluation; - Integrated Financial Management Information Systems. 4. Target Audience / Participants: The participating countries in the seminar will represent a mix of countries with ongoing and future World Bank support in PFM and also represent low income and middle income countries in MENA region. The primary target audience for this activity will be decision makers and high-level officials involved in budget, auditing, inspecting, controlling and managing public resources from various Ministries including Ministry of finance and senior researchers in MENA countries (e.g; Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, etc.). Two or three participants will be invited from each country. The expected number of participants for the seminar will be approximately Resource Persons: Five international experts and professionals with extensive experience in the different areas of the seminar will serve as resource persons. They will introduce topics, and lead discussions, while case studies and individual experiences will also be brought to the fore by participants, in order to enrich the general debates in the seminar. 6. Delivery Mode: In order to achieve this goal, a face-to-face three-day seminar will be delivered in April The seminar will bring together representatives from MENA countries, some donor (OECD) countries, World Bank staff and other stakeholders to share their knowledge, experience and research in public financial management. Each session will include presentations, discussion and Questions and Answers (possibly with panel discussion). 2

4 7. Expected Results and Impacts: It is expected that, after the seminar, participants will become better acquainted with the new tools of performance and results based financial auditing, inspection, control and management. After the seminar, participants will become more capable of introducing reforms in financial management and budget and will conduct programs on the implementation of performance and results based auditing, inspection, control and financial management in their various countries and institutions. Through this seminar, it is also expected that MENA countries will introduce new methods of financial management and budget in order to improve the control of financial resources of their countries, and enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency. 8. Out Put / Out Come of the Seminar: The documents to be used and/or produced during the seminar will be published and disseminated. The knowledge gained, the capacity built and the experience got will enhance the performance of participants in their respective countries. This acquired knowledge will also improve the performance and the efficiency of the public services in the MENA region. 9. Follow Up of the Seminar: The follow-up activities will be catered to several countries which are planned to prepare and implement specific initiatives. 10. Accommodation and Travel : Accommodation has been reserved for all invited participants and paid for by the Organizers at INTERCONTINENTAL Hotel, (with half board: Breakfast and Lunch Buffet). All other expenses will be borne by the participants. The World Bank will pay for the cost of economy class round trip air ticket, by the most direct route, for participants from low and medium income countries. Participants from high income countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates, will pay for their trips even as they are most welcome to participate. However, should you prefer to travel business class or first class, you can do so, but you will pay the difference. As for the Moroccan Participants, they will be paid a mileage allowance, according to the UNDP rate for April 2009 (1 Km = US $ 0,143). 11. Registration Fees: There will be no registration fees to be paid. Venue : Tangier (Morocco) Date : April, Duration : 3 days. Languages: English / French, with simultaneous interpretation). 3

5 For more information about the seminar and/or about CAFRAD, please contact: Dr. Simon Mamosi LELO Director General CAFRAD Pavillon International Boulevard Mohammed V Tangier Morocco Tel. (212) Mobile: (212) Fax (212) cafrad@cafrad.org Web site: 4