Our partners share with us their reform successes in public financial management and central banking in South East Europe and tell us where further knowledge exchange activities are still required.

In our efforts to effectively support our member countries’ institutions to develop their capacities in public financial management and central banking, our clear understanding of their needs is indispensable. An important channel of communication is the group of our CEF Coordinators who are involved in the development of strategic learning capability of our member institutions. They work on ensuring that their institutions are ready for challenges of an uncertain and fast-changing global environment. As human resources professionals, they focus on strategic personnel retention and talent development, and meet periodically with us.

At the 2014 meeting, our Coordinators were, for the first time, augmented by several groups of other key liaison officers in our member countries who provided additional insight into capacity development needs in the main thematic priorities of our learning program and regional cooperation efforts.

The meeting participants helped us shape a joint learning agenda, ensuring that all voices are heard, reflecting on the process of discussions, creating a shared memory, and communicating with external audiences.

See below the four thematic groups identified as the main capacity development challenges, and ways how to address them in the CEF post-2015 agenda.

 

CENTRAL BANKING

Capacity development priorities:

• Financial stability
• Statistics, analytics
• Payment and settlement systems
• Accounting and financial reporting
• Fraud prevention, cybercrime, security
• Soft skills

 

Capacity development responses:

• E-learning
• In-country events, visits
• Consultancies / expert visits
• Conferences on EU accession challenges

 

 

TAX ADMINISTRATION

Capacity development priorities:

• Tax evasion and avoidance issues
• Influencing taxpayers’ behavior
• Managing large taxpayers
• VAT system

 

Capacity development responses:

• Seminars, workshops
• Experts visits
• Case studies
• Trainings in local languages
• Addressing change management issues

 

 

ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING

Capacity development priorities:

• Financial controls
• International standards in internal auditing
• IPSAS/EPSAS and financial reporting
• Cost accounting
• Risk management

 

Capacity development responses:

• Peer-to-peer learning

 

 

BUDGETING

Capacity development priorities:

• Strengthening capacities of line ministries
• Strengthening capacities of finance ministries
• Strengthening coordination among finance ministries and line ministries
• Through all of the above contributing to strengthen medium-term expenditure frameworks in the region

 

Capacity development responses:

• Blended learning: e-learning + face-to-face meetings
• Targeting training events to different levels of seniority of officials
• Regional knowledge sharing events, also facilitated by regional knowledge providers
• Understanding how the training events influence participants’daily work and contribute to our improved performance
• Finding opportunities for line ministries to come together to share experiences