SPB Newsfeed: Program Budgeting, Evaluation and Spending Review
The CEF organized, with the help of experts from the IMF, Dutch and Australian universities, a workshop on program budgeting. The workshop addressed the design of a program oriented budget classification, program evaluation, steering of arm’s length agencies (i.e. the role of performance information), and spending reviews.
Many countries have in the last decade revised the budget classification with a view to improve the use of the budget as a tool to allocate financial resources over government programs – the so-called allocational function of the budget.
The workshop discussed new approaches applied in other countries, and what Central, Eastern and South Eastern European countries can learn from reform experiences of those countries. Particular attention was paid to the role of performance information in both policy and budget processes, and evaluation of program effectiveness and efficiency with an emphasis on accountability. Participants discussed also the role of spending review procedures as a tool for governments and ministries of finance to periodically assess the priority of programs in the light of new social and economic developments and new political demands.
The objective of this workshop has been to help participants better understand the challenges in implementing program oriented budgets. It provided an intense exchange of experience among professional staff and managers who participate in budget preparation process in ministries of finance, budget departments, spending ministries/agencies, local governments or any government organization impacted by budgets. Participants worked in groups to discuss country specifics in introducing and implementing program budgeting reforms.
The workshop has been delivered as part of the CEF's SPB project, which is financed by the European Union and has the objective to help strengthening beneficiary countries’ capacity to design and implement medium-term macrofiscal policy.
