Our Legacy in Progress: Navigating the Path towards Sustainable Fiscal Openness and Lasting Impact
November 28-29, 2023 | via Zoom Teleconference
Background
On November 28th and 29th, the GIFT’s Stewards General Meeting (SGM) 2023 brought together its stewards from ministries of finance, civil society organizations, international financial institutions, and other partners and stakeholders to discuss the latest developments in the fiscal openness field. In light of the ongoing and anticipated transitions within the Network, this annual event also served as a pivotal forum for GIFT Stewards to collectively reflect and evaluate progress, exchange insights, and strategize on the future of the network.
Objectives
The main objectives of the SGM 2022 were to:
- Provide updates on GIFT membership and progress on the implementation of GIFT’s work plan;
- Facilitate knowledge-sharing on challenges, accomplishments, and lessons learned by GIFT Stewards from their latest fiscal openness efforts and innovations; and
- Address the on-going and anticipated transitions within the GIFT network and sustainability plans aimed at ensuring the network’s long-term effectiveness and continued relevance in promoting fiscal openness.
Session #1: SGM 2023 Opening Session and GIFT Stewards Updates
Time: 8h00 EST/ 7h00 CST / 21h00 PST / 14h00 CET / 23h30 ACDT
Date: Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Duration: 90 minutes
The Stewards General Meeting 2023 Opening Session marked the commencement of the annual gathering of stewards, setting the stage for subsequent topical sessions held from November, 28 to 29.
During this opening session, GIFT stewards were extended an invitation to share their accomplishments, challenges and insights gained over the past year. Additionally, they presented their future plans aimed at sustaining efforts towards fiscal openness. Stewards hailing from diverse corners of the globe, representing ministries of finance, civil society, international financial institutions and academia, delivered updates on their work in the fiscal openness domain. This exchange not only showcased varied initiatives but also brought to the fore connections between institutions, provisioning inspiration for others. Moreover, it leveraged the collaborative strength of the network to offer support to those grappling with challenges.
Session #2: User-Engagement Initiatives: Showcasing 2023 Dataquests and Data Rally Journeys
Time: 20h00 EST/ 19h00 CST/ 9h00 PST (+1) / 2h00 CET (+1)/ 11h30 ACDT (+1)
Date: Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Duration: 90 minutes
The session focused on exploring how fiscal policy makers and stakeholders can enhance government performance and public trust. It featured discussions around two key initiatives, the #DataOnTheStreets Rally and the #Dataquest for sustainable development. These initiatives encourage the use of open-format fiscal information and engage diverse audiences. The session included a panel of organizers and winners of these events from around the world, discussing their experiences, motivations for participating, and the impact of their projects.
The session delved into various case studies from Colombia, Mexico, and the Philippines, highlighting specific projects like the “ExploradatosBogota 3.0,” focusing on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the initiatives from Guanajuato, Mexico, and the Mexican Federal government, which focused on the creation of storytelling dashboards for data-driven narratives. Panelists like the Philippines’ FOI discussed the importance of leadership support, following up throughout the process, and engaging with government and academia to use data effectively. Challenges like sustaining public interest, overcoming reluctance to explore detailed expenditure data, and the need for skill development were also addressed.
Session #3: GIFT Stewards General Assembly
Time: 8h00 EST/ 7h00 CST / 21h00 PST / 14h00 CET / 23h30 ACDT
Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Duration: 90 minutes
During the GIFT Stewards General Assembly, the GIFT Coordination Team shared updates on GIFT’s work plan, specifically on recent and on-going projects in countries such as Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Liberia, and El Salvador. Addressing the on-going transitions within the GIFT Coordination Team and the Network, the session also provided a space to discuss and reflect on transition plans and sustainability mechanisms towards ensuring the network’s long-term effectiveness and continued relevance in promoting fiscal openness across the globe.
During the session, the departure of Juan Pablo Guerrero as GIFT Network Director was formally announced. His tenure will officially end in December 2023. Stewards and members of the GIFT Coordination Team expressed gratitude, appreciation and recognition of Juan Pablo’s contribution to the establishment and milestones achieved by the Network in the past decade. They honored his unwavering leadership, passion and dedication to the GIFT mission and values. The GIFT Coordination Team will now carry forward the legacy Juan Pablo has built, most notably in fostering a culture of togetherness between and among Stewards, which has allowed GIFT to be a conducive space and launchpad for pilot innovations and conversations around challenges and best practices in implementing solutions towards making public financial management systems more transparent, inclusive and accountable.
Session #4: Guidelines for Digital Solutions for Public Financial Management (PFM)
Time: 9h30 EST / 8h30 CST / 22h30 PST / 15h30 CET / 01h00 (+1) ACDT
Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Duration: 90 minutes
The last SGM 2023 session on “Guidelines for Digital Solutions for Public Financial Management,” co-organized by GIFT and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) put emphasis on the critical role of data as the backbone of digital PFM and a foundation for fiscal transparency. Sailendra Pattanayak, Lorena Rivero del Paso, and Chloe Cho of the IMF Fiscal Affairs Division led an insightful discussion on the newly published Digital Solutions Guidelines for PFM, where participants gained a comprehensive understanding of assessing, designing, and improving digital solutions across 11 PFM functions and their 30 sub-functions.
The session also featured compelling country presentations by Undersecretary Maria Francesca Del Rosario from the Department of Budget and Management of the Philippines and Director Gustavo Merino of the Ministry of Economy of Argentina, who shared their experiences in PFM modernization and in the innovative use of data for decision-making.
