About this learning event 

Structural reform measures outlined in the Economic Reform Programmes (ERPs) are set to tackle the most important structural obstacles to competitiveness and inclusive growth of a country. However, structural reforms outlined in the ERP shall also reflect country’s medium-term priorities in the areas of public finance management, health care, green transition and digital transformation.  
By implementing these structural reforms, countries aspire to embrace the opportunities and minimize potential negative implications of such transformations. In the situation where macro-fiscal stability and fiscal risks are potentially disrupted by a substantial number of policy areas newly introduced to the ERP, it is even more important that all measures are well prioritized and realistically costed and funded.

As a response, the objective of this event is to provide a platform for assessing the scope and accuracy of envisaged implementation costs and funding sources for the measures proposed for inclusion in the 2022 – 2024 ERP, in line with the Methodological Guidance for Costing of Structural Reforms (Costing Guidance) and the European Commission‘s Guidance for the 2022 – 2024 ERP, while the descriptions of these measures will be assessed if they provide sufficient information for doing proper costing.

What will you learn

This event will be highly participatory and oriented towards practical implementation of the Costing Guidance to structural reforms to be included in the next ERP. By attending it, the participants will have a possibility to jointly work with lecturing experts and peers form other institutions involved in ERP preparation, to assess and determine the prospects for overcoming the main costing challenges. In particular, participants will have the opportunity to strengthen their skills needed for assessing fiscal implications of structural reforms by:

• Learning about the novelties from the European Commission‘s Guidance for the ERP 2022-2024 and how they influence the ERP preparation process 
• Refreshing the knowledge about the Methodological Guidance for Costing of Structural Reforms and how to practically implement it on the draft measures 
• Appraising how well articulated measures’ description and sequencing can contribute to realistic costs and secured funding for their implementation 
• Assessing how to streamline the process of cooperation and information exchange between line ministries, the Ministry of Finance Budget Department, and the ERP Coordinator.

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

This initiative will be supported by:

• Irena Drmaž, CEF expert and Director of Budget, Ministry of finance, Slovenia
• Merdža Handalić Plahonjić, Public Finance Management Specialist, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Amina Mulabdić, Expert Associate, Directorate for Economic Planning, Bosnia and Herzegovina 
• Zoran Zeljko, Coordinator of the ERP process, Directorate for Economic Planning, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Practical Information

Applications need to be submitted by September 17, 2021 via online application form. 

• This course will feature one online meeting (delivered on September 20, 2021) and one face to face meeting (delivered at the end of November, 2021 in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina).  
• To participate at it, the basic information technology is needed (internet connection and computer).
• The course will be held in Bosnian language.
• Upon successful completion of this event, you will receive a certificate. 
• No participation fee will be charged. 

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” (FISR) implemented by the CEF.