June
25
As bonus material to the
Tutorial on Fiscal
Transparency: a
User-Centered Development,
we have published three
interviews with GIFT
Stewards and partners that
provide significant
insights and tips about
the process of developing
digital tools for fiscal
transparency from
government, civil society
or through coalitions.
We are sure that these
interviews will be of
great use to all of our
Stewards from governments,
civil society and
international organization
who already manage or want
to develop CivicTech tools
•
Developing
tools from a coalition
between civil society
and government –
Interview with Zukiswa
Kota from the Public
Service Accountability
Monitor (PSAM), South
Africa.
•
Developing
tools from civil society –
Interview with Daniel
Carranza from DATA
Uruguay.
•
Developing
tools from government
– Interview with Paula
Manera from the Office of
Planning and Budget,
Presidency, Uruguay.
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Important
updates on the Fiscal
Openness Accelerator
Project
June
Global Initiative
for Fiscal Transparency
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| This
month Hon. Minister of
Finance, Budget and
National Planning,
Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed
and Hon. Minister of
State Budget, and
National Planning,
Prince Clem Ikanade
Agba, of Nigeria
formally inaugurated
the public
participation pilot
advisory group for the
country, through which
government officials
and civil society
representatives will
design and monitor the
implementation of
public participation
mechanisms. We are
delighted to see this
initiative moving
forward, even with the
added challenges that
social distancing
brings at the time.
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We
are delighted to announce
that the Minister of Economy
of Benin,
Romuald Wadagni, has signed
a Memorandum
of Understanding with
the International Budget
Partnership/GIFT to
formalize the Fiscal
Openness Accelerator project
in the country, through
which we will support the
improvement of fiscal
transparency in the country
and implement a pilot on
public participation.
Stay up to date on the
Fiscal Openness Accelerator
by visiting the repository
section in our website.
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The
impact of COVID-19 on
fiscal transparency and
public participation
June
23
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Following
the lessons from the book of
de Renzio, Khagram and
Fung—The political economy
of fiscal transparency,
participation, and
accountability around the
world—the author argues that
after the emergency, the
incentives for governments
to enhance transparency are
going to be strong. He also
sees that post-crisis,
countries may have an
opportunity to realign their
priorities towards
development objectives. Read
the blog post here.
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Open
Data and Covid-19:
Looking Forward Towards
Government Readiness and
Reform
June
11
OECD
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Government
Data, with the topic of Open
Data & Covid-19: Looking
forward towards government
readiness & reform. As
part of this virtual event,
a specific break-out group
was dedicated to Trust –
Open data and financial
integrity. In it, together
with the participants, we
reflected on the current
fragmented data architecture
and the challenges for
gathering quality fiscal
data that can be readily
available in cases of
emergency, such as the one
we are facing now.
Remarkably, we continue to
witness a generalized
preoccupation on the lack of
integration among data and
flexibility of internal
systems.
As
part of the event, the OECD
has also recently presented
the Open,
Useful and Re-usable data
(OURdata) Index: 2019
and is preparing the 2021
edition. This index includes
provides a detailed analysis
of the results for each
pillar and sub-pillar and
assesses the main
advancements and challenges
related to the design and
implementation of open
government data policies in
OECD member and partner
countries.
In
the coming weeks the Network
will also be invited to
provide comments and react
to the draft Good Practice
Principles for Data Ethics
in the Public Sector
prepared by the Thematic
Group on Data-Driven Public
Sector of the OECD Working
Party of Senior Digital
Government Officials
(E-Leaders). We will keep
you informed about ways to
engage!
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| GIFT
COORDINATION TEAM NEWS
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Juan
Pablo Guerrero was
confirmed as Network
Director for the period
2020-2023
June
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We
are pleased to inform you that
the GIFT’s Lead Stewards
evaluated and approved Juan
Pablo Guerrero’s performance,
review and agreed to renew his
contract as GIFT’s Network
Director for the period
2020-23. This endorsement
signals a strong engagement of
the lead stewards to continue
working with GIFT’s
Coordination Team to advance
the mission of the network.
GIFT’s Lead Stewards include
the IBP, World Bank, IMF,
IFAC, and the National Budget
Authorities of the Governments
of Brazil, the Philippines and
Mexico.
In thanking the lead stewards,
Juan Pablo stated: “Your
unanimous endorsement
honors me and motivates me to
work even harder. As you know,
we have been through a
difficult time in which the
sustainability of the network
was at the center of
challenging discussions while
we faced
funding difficulties coupled
with the issue of leadership
renewal. To move through this
period, your trust and
encouragement were essential.
I thank you all for the time
you spent thinking, with me
and as a group, about the
relevance and future of the
network.
I particularly appreciate the
IBP and its board members,
who agreed
to continue nesting our network,
as this discussion
continues. I am also deeply
grateful to the GIFT’s
coordination team, who ensure
that the network continues to
be innovative, responsive and
a resource for those members
determined to push our cause.
We are now ready to continue
building together a network
that complements its parts
individually, while it
enhances the impact when
acting together, in the cause
of guiding fiscal transparency
and public participation norms
and helping members and
partners in having a more open
and effective use of public
resources. More so now, after
the catastrophic and long-term
effects of COVID-19 in many
areas, including public
finances”. |
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Tarick
Gracida is moving forward
to continue building up an
outstanding career
June
30 |
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After
five years of amazing work
and contributions to the
GIFT Network, Tarick Gracida
is moving on, advancing his
great professional career.
We are very proud and
endlessly grateful, but we
also know we will miss him
greatly.
Tarick has, no doubt, been a
crucial component of the
success of our network. As
Coordinator for Technology
and Communications, Tarick
has been instrumental in
making our messages
compelling, remarkable and
persuasive. His versatility
is legendary, including the
development of our graphics
and communications, as well
as providing technical
assistance to GIFT’s
stewards on communication
strategies and engagement
with the public. He has
brought to the agenda of
fiscal transparency, the
development of user-centered
tools and communications,
which has certainly
strengthened the aim of
achieving a meaningful
publication and engagement.
From the beginning, Tarick’s
creative and innovative
capacity was remarkable, and
over time, the scope and
strength of his graphic and
artistic expression have
grown, becoming one of the
most forceful
characteristics of the
network.
We congratulate the Avina
Foundation for making Tarick
part of their team. We are
very proud of Tarick. And on
behalf of the network:
gracias Tarick, un millón de
veces gracias.
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GIFT
Coordination team has
joined civil society
organizations from Latin
America pronouncement on
the COVID-19 crisis
management
May
15
Directorio Legislativo
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GIFT’s
Coordination Team has joined
Directorio Legislativo and
other civil society
organizations that work in
Latin America, in the
positioning on some points
that, we believe, will be
critical and on which Latin
American and Caribbean
governments must move
forward as quickly as
possible to guarantee
quality public policies that
respond to the crisis. Read
more here.
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GIFT
Coordination team has
undersigned the Principles
on the right of Access to
Information during the
health emergency
May 27
Regional Alliance
for Freedom of Expression
and Information
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In
the last months, the absence
of policies and principles
on transparency and access
to information in times of
health catastrophes is
reflected in the
authorities’ lack of
coordination, as well as
limited performance of
primary tasks by the very
agencies that comprise the
oversight body. In certain
countries of the region,
this situation has led to
infringement of the right to
access citizen information
−a right that is imperative
if we are to preserve the
health, security and
physical safety of persons,
as well as understanding
other rights.
Because of that, the
Regional Alliance for
Freedom of Expression and
Information, with the
support of more than a dozen
organizations and regional
networks with expertise in
the themes of transparency
and access to information,
presented a proposal of
Principles on the right of
ATI in times of health
emergencies. The GIFT
coordination team has joined
in undersigning this
initiative. Read more here.
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2020
Fiscal Transparency Report
Jun 15
United States
Department of State
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The
United States Department of
State in accordance to the
Department Of State, Foreign
Operations And Related
Programs Appropriations Act
has released the Fiscal
Transparency Report of 2020.
The report assesses whether
governments meet minimum
requirements of fiscal
transparency, including
having key budget documents
that are publicly available,
substantially complete, and
generally reliable and the
review of the processes for
awarding government
contracts and licenses for
natural resource extraction.
The Department concluded
that, of the 141 governments
evaluated, 76 met minimum
requirements of fiscal
transparency. Two
governments, Samoa and Togo,
met minimum requirements in
2020 after not meeting
minimum requirements in
2019. Sixty-five
governments did not meet the
minimum requirements of
fiscal transparency. Of
these 65, however, 14
governments made significant
progress toward meeting the
minimum requirements of
fiscal transparency.
This
link
contains the report,
including the description of
the challenges faced by the
countries that do not meet
the minimum requirements of
fiscal transparency.
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Luminate’s
Open Call for Proposals on
Audit Reform
Jun 30
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There
is a real human cost when
audit fails. Audits are also
a vital contributor to the
trust and confidence that is
required in a modern
economy. Failure in audit
undermines public trust both
in the companies being
audited (and often
delivering public services)
and in the state
institutions that should be
regulating them.
Continuing Luminate’s work
from this side, they have
now launched an open call
for proposals on audit
reform. They are
seeking to support a small
number of initiatives that
will address:
1.
Policy work to inform the UK
Government’s current reform
agenda in the next 12
months, especially the
forthcoming consultation on
reform of the Financial
Reporting Council.
2.
Building a stronger
narrative around the public
interest and business cases
for audit reform.
3.
Addressing broader
dimensions to audit reform
that may require
multi-jurisdictional action.
For
more context on the need for
audit reform, please see
Luminate’s ‘Call for Action
on Audit Reform’ blog post.
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Did
COVID-19 find digital
governments prepared?
June
26
Barbara Ubaldi, OECD
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How
prepared were digital
governments to enable an
agile and effective response
to COVID-19? The COVID-19
pandemic is challenging
governments to take the most
adequate decisions rather
than blindly accelerate
their digital
transformation. In this blog post,
Barbara Ubaldi Digital
Government and Open Data
Lead at the OECD reflects on
key questions on digital
government maturity.
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Fiscal
Transparency in Times of
Emergency Response:
Reflections for Covid-19.
Now in Georgian!
May 27
Europe Foundation
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Thanks
to the avid work of the
Europe Foundation of
Georgia, the publication
of Fiscal Transparency in
Times of Emergency
Response: Reflections for
Covid-19 is now available
in Georgian!
Additionally,
Lorena Rivero from the
GIFT Coordination Team
participated in an
interview with Viktor
Baramia from the Europe
Foundation in support of
fiscal transparency in the
emergency response of
Georgia. Watch it
in English with Georgian
subtitles.
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Police
reforms require budget
reforms
June
23
Vivek Ramkumar,
International Budget
Partnership
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While
much attention has
been focused on
specific demands for
police reform, justice
is like all government
functions: It has a
significant fiscal
dimension. In this
blog post, Vivek
Ramkumar touches upon
an important subject
for present
priorities, police
budget. Through the
use of budget data, he
analyzes trends
related to over and
underspending in the
matter.
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Promoting
Fiscal Transparency and
Accountability Worldwide
June
15
Mark Simeone, Bureau
of Economic and Business
Affairs, United States
Department of State
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The
U.S. Government launched
the Fiscal Transparency
Innovation Fund (FTIF) in
2012 to support global
efforts to improve fiscal
transparency and encourage
citizen participation in
budget processes. Through
FTIF, the Department of
State and USAID provide
grants, in cooperation
with U.S. embassies
overseas, to develop and
manage projects globally.
These range from programs
to train civil society and
the media on budget
transparency to projects
that provide technical
assistance to governments
to strengthen budgeting
and auditing processes.
Through this fund GIFT has
been able to develop some
of its now flagship
programs, particularly the
Fiscal Openness
Accelerator Project.
Read the
complete article from
the U.S. Department of
State
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| Job
opportunity at the
International Budget
Partnership
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IBP
is on the hunt for an
outstanding new
communications director.
They are looking for
someone who shares IBP’s
mission, is a brilliant
communications strategist
and has international
experience.
Apply here.
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