About this event

Spread across eight policy areas and to be implemented over a three-year period, structural reform measures outlined in the ERPs are set to tackle the most important structural obstacles to competitiveness and inclusive growth of a country. However, in light of the Covid-19 outbreak, the continuity of key structural reforms should also be assured by adjusting them to this new situation while also focusing on long-term development priorities and stability of the macro-fiscal framework.

The ERP for period 2021-23 is expected to reflect the evolving Covid-19 health and economic crisis in a country. It should be designed to focus on measures providing an immediate fiscal, economic and social policy response to mitigate the impact of the pandemic as well as on the transition from these short-term to more structural measures to foster the medium-term recovery.

In the situation of undepictable and volatile fiscal risks (such as those caused by the Covid-19 pandemic), it is even more important that all recovery and structural reform measures included in the ERP are fully costed and funded. 

This online course will provide a platform for assessing the adequacy of direction and objectives of measures proposed for inclusion in the 2021 – 2023 ERP, the accuracy of envisaged implementation costs and their sustainability within the overall macro-fiscal framework.

The overall objective of this online course is to strengthen the skills needed for assessment of fiscal implications of structural reforms, which is expected to result in more realistic cost estimates and reduced delays in their implementation.

At this online course, the officials working on design and planning of policies will practically implement the Methodological Guidance for Costing of Structural Reforms to ensure realistic and consistent estimation of implementation costs of their measures, and therefore prepare them for inclusion in the 2021 – 2023 ERP. In addition, they will appraise how well-articulated measures’ description and sequencing can contribute to secure funding for their implementation in the medium-term budget process.

The online course will complement the European Commission‘s Guidance for the ERP 2021-2023 while answering country-specific learning needs.

What will you learn?

During this course, you will:

• Understand the principles of Methodological Guidance for Costing of Structural Reforms and how to practically implement it in preparation of inputs for the ERP
• Assess how to streamline the process of cooperation and information exchange between line ministries, the Ministry of Finance Budget Department, and the ERP Coordinator.
• Examine elements of the European Commission‘s Guidance for the ERP 2021-2023 relevant to costing and financing of structural reforms
• Appraise how to strengthen existing structural reform sand define new ones to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 impact to the economy.

Who should attend?

Invited to participate are the officials involved in the design, costing and budgeting of structural reforms outlined in the ERP, which include: 

• National ERP Coordinator and Coordinator for the ERP Chapter 3 on Structural Reforms
• Members of the working group for the ERP preparation
• Officials working at the finance and policy departments of line ministries
• Officials working at the budget department of Ministry of Finance
• Policy planning experts from the government’s policy coordination body and/or Prime Ministers’ office.

Lecturers

• Janez Šušteršič - CEF Associate Fellow, Professor of Economic Policy; former Minister of Finance of Slovenia
• Valmira Rexhëbeqaj - CEF expert, former Director of the Department for Economic and Public Policy in Ministry of Finance

Practical information

This online event will take place on November 19 and November 20. Additional learning materials will be shared with participants beforehand.

Applications need to be submitted by November 18, 2020 via an online application form. 

• This course will be delivered online
• It will feature multiple online meetings with specific line ministries
• To participate at it, the basic information technology is needed (internet connection and computer)
• The course will be held in Albanian and English language
• Upon successful completion of this online course, you will receive a certificate.
• No participation fee will be charged.

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*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

Partners

This event is delivered as part of the EU funded multi-country project “Strengthening Line Ministries’ Capacities to Assess Fiscal Implications of Structural Reforms” implemented by the Center of Excellence in Finance.