In designing the program we reviewed our past work and analyzed inputs, both from participants in our events and from partners who have contributed to the success of our work, including the CEF Coordinators, who are representatives from the CEF constituency that are responsible for capacity development at their institutions; CEF Liaison Officers, who are practitioners from the CEF constituency with knowledge and experience in the thematic areas of our work; International Monetary Fund (IMF) Regional Advisors, who provide technical assistance within our constituency using the CEF as the hub for their missions; and CEF Advisory Board Members, who are representatives of donors and partner organizations committed to supporting reforms in SEE.

In Public Financial Management our program will continue to support the constituency’s efforts to strengthen all stages of the budget cycle as they move towards European integration. The Tax Policy and Administration program will focus on modern risk-based approaches to tax compliance in line with the EU recommendations. The Central Banking program will concentrate on strengthening central banks’ financial stability role; and the Leadership program will focus on strengthening the managerial skills of key mid-level finance officials in the region.

We will support capacity development for finance officials through four distinct types of learning solutions: collaborative; expert-based; online; and structured learning. Many of the planned 2016 learning initiatives will focus on providing expert-based solutions, accompanied by online learning modules to intensify each individual’s learning experience. The learning initiatives will also have strong collaborative features, building on our understanding of the power of peer-to-peer learning in supporting reform processes. Our structured learning initiatives targeting public sector accountants and internal auditors will continue in four members of our constituency: Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovenia.