This paper outlines the methodological framework for the preparation of country briefs focusing on the status of fiscal transparency. The key objectives of preparing the country briefs are to identify if there are gaps in macro-economic monitoring in public finances. The country briefs would thus focus on how countries report their finances, incorporating the classification of revenues and expenditures, whether the data is available on a central or consolidated basis, the frequency in reporting, transparency of budgetary assumptions, the availability of amortization and redemption schedule including debt sustainability, as well as the accounting system and availability of data to the public. The country briefs should incorporate details on the Open Budget Index, availability of fiscal rules and independent audit. The paper starts with a quick overview on fiscal transparency, explains the rationale for highlighting certain fiscal parameters and includes the various data sources/website links where a researcher can obtain the data/information.
