About this learning event

The webinar topics will focus on Moldova specifics while also adding a perspective from other countries. Below are descriptions for each webinar.

Webinar 1: Fiscal Impact Assessment and Costing of Structural Reforms (November 19)

This webinar is aimed at improving the understanding and the ability of participants to cost and appraise fiscal implications of structural reforms for their integration into the national budget.

At this webinar participants will: 

•    Acknowledge the importance of fiscal impact assessment and examine the main preconditions for effective incorporation of structural reform costs into fiscal constraints of medium-term budgets of institutions;
•    Get a better understanding of the behaviour and nature of the costs  and what approach can be used to allocate/distribute indirect and overhead costs by programs;
•    Review the main principles and steps to apply in costing of structural reforms and the main characteristics of the structural reforms proposals that should be taken into account in the costing process;
•    Identify main categories of cost drivers and how they influence the change in inputs and resources needed for implementation of envisaged structural reform(s);
•    Addresss challenges and limitations of the costing exercise and how to deal with uncertainty in the costing process;
•    Identify how the costing exercise is integrated with medium-term planning and budgeting, and opportunities to further enhance it;
•    Look into available budgetary and costing tools, approaches and guidance documents, and capture opportunities to further develop them.

Webinar 2: Integration of Structural Reforms  into the National Budget (December 3)

This webinar is aimed at the understanding of budgetary tools used in the process of appraisal of fiscal implications of structural reforms, and how to apply them in order to assure their integration into medium-term budgetary framework and annual budgets.

At this webinar participants will: 

•    Get a better understanding of the country’s hierarchy and the relation between different strategic planning and budgeting documents;
•    Review the main features of the budgetary process and acknowledge the role of the medium-term budget framework and sector expenditure strategies  in linking policy actions with resource framework; 
•    Review the main steps and principles to apply in the preparation of sector expenditure strategies and in the annual budget proposal;
•    Understand the role and the structure of expenditure limits, acknowledge the importance of regular updates of  the baselines estimates and identify efficiency savings thus creating financial coverage for new policy measures; 
•    Review how new funding initiatives (NFIs) are prioritized and then integrated into sector expenditure strategies and national budget;
•    Assess the specific of  capital investments planning and budgeting;
•    Acknowledge the role and main features of program budgeting and performance information in justifying budget proposals;
•    Understand the structure of budget classification and how to create a budget line for resources and for expenditure; 
•    Assess the main preconditions for effective budget planning and incorporation of structural reform costs into fiscal constraints of medium-term budgets;
•    Discuss challenges, limitations and opportunities to strengthen the budget planning process in Moldova.

Webinar 3: Management of Public Investments (December 10)

This webinar is aimed at improving the understanding of principles, rules and procedures for the preparation, budgeting and management of capital investments projects financed from the national budget to assure a sustainable implementation of structural reforms.

At this webinar participants will: 

•    Acknowledge the importance to approach public capital investments as an integral part of the national public budget and get a better understanding of particularities of forecasting and planning of capital investments in the budgetary process; 
•    Review the legal framework and main principles applied in planning, approval and management of public capital investments projects, as well as principles used in the decision making  process for resource allocation;
•    Learn what the project cycle is and the main steps of each project, as well as the requirements at each stage;
•    Acknowledge the role of the preparatory stage of a project and what are mandatory requirements and information to be included in a proposal for a capital investment project;
•    Clarify the responsibilities of line ministries, ministry of finance and other actors in the process of preparation, analysis, assessment and approval for the integration into the MTBF and annual budgets;
•    Look into the main criteria used for eligibility assessment and prioritization of projects to be included in the budget or to get additional resources from the budget;
•    Discuss main challenges and perspectives for improvements related to planning and budgeting of capital investments projects in Moldova.

Who should attend

The webinars are prepared (but not limited to) for Moldovan officials from the Ministry of Finance and line ministries, in particular: 

• Officials of central and local public authorities (and other budget beneficiaries) engaged in planning, analysis and budgeting of structural reform measures and their monitoring;
• Officials working at finance and policy departments of line ministries;
• Officials working at finance and sector departments of local public authorities;
• Officials working at the Ministry of Finance dealing with sector budget planning and analysis. 

Faculty

The webinars will be delivered by:

• Viorica Neclea, CEF Expert, PIU Deputy Director, Financial Specialist – World Bank Second Competitiveness Enhancement Project
• Janez Šušteršič, CEF Associate Fellow, former Minister of Finance, Slovenia

Practical information

Apply at this application form. Applications closed.

Webinars will be delivered online on dates specified starting at 10:00 Moldovan time ( 9:00 CET time). Webinar links will be provided  in time to all applied participants.

• Webinar 1: Fiscal Impact Assessment and Costing of Structural Reforms | Friday, November 19,  10:00—11:30 Moldovan time

• Webinar 2: Integration of Structural Reforms into the National Budget | Friday, December 3,  10:00—11:30 Moldovan time

• Webinar 3: Management of public investments | Friday, December 10, 10:00—11:30 Moldovan time

All the webinars will be delivered in Romanian and English—interpretation for both languages will be provided.

Partners

The learning event is part of the project “Strengthening Line Ministries’ Capacities to Assess Fiscal Implications of Structural Reforms – a Case for Moldova” funded by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic.