Over the past year and half the CEF has been carrying out the project “Strengthening Financial Management Functions of Line Ministries”, with support of the World Bank’s SAFE Trust Fund, established by the EU and SECO. The project was aimed at building capacities of officials from line ministries and ministries of finance from 7 SEE countries. Project included learning initiatives on topics ranging from fiscal programming of structural reforms to budget submissions of line ministries. Initiatives were delivered as workshops held in Ljubljana and had a regional character.

At the meeting held in Belgrade, on September 12, 2018 and organized with the support of the Serbian Ministry of Finance, officials from Serbian institutions who participated at the learning initiatives of the project shared their positive impressions from their participation and described how they implemented the new knowledge in carrying out their work. In particular they expressed appreciation for the topics covered, learning approach, expertise, and timeliness of the learning initiatives offered within this project.

Officials present at the meeting expressed the need for continuing efforts in building capacities of line ministries on both local and regional level. Moreover, it was concluded that the CEF provides a unique platform for strengthening regional knowledge exchange, empowering reform initiatives and sharing useful practices and examples. Participants expressed also that the online learning space offered within the Line Ministries Portal  is handy and user-friendly tool that can support knowledge and experience exchange in public financial management among officials working at ministries of finance, line ministries and other public institutions in South East Europe.

This learning initiative is primarily supported by: