The 9th Annual CABRI Seminar, titled “Exploring the Missing Links in PFM Reforms”, took place in Nairobi, Kenya from 28-30 August 2013.
Many senior budget officials (SBOs) have been experiencing reform fatigue. Over the past few decades, countries across Africa have moved from one budget reform to another and have observed limited improvements in the way budget systems function. In the pursuit of PFM systems that contribute towards effective and efficient service delivery, SBOs are tackling the following questions and challenges:
- What have we been doing wrong?
- Why have international best practice “solutions” not adequately addressed our critical challenges?
- What are the missing links and gaps in our approaches to reform?
- We want to deliver PFM reforms that are needed, relevant and accepted, and successfully implemented
- How do we do things differently to get there?
The 9th Annual CABRI Seminar looked closely at the missing links and how to close the gaps in how we currently approach PFM reforms.
The seminar comprised two parts. Day 1 was devoted to a workshop on “Promoting Budget Transparency and Public Engagement in the African Continent”, jointly organised with the International Budget Partnership. The workshop brought together governments and civil society organisations from about 30 African countries to discuss budget transparency and citizen engagement in budget processes in Africa, based on the results of the 2012 Open Budget Index.
Days 2 and 3 focused on “The Nature of PFM Reforms: Exploring the Missing Links” and aimed to inspire SBOs to approach the reform challenges differently. The two days equipped SBOs with the techniques and tools they need to manage change and sustain reforms.
A series of facilitated discussions provided the space for senior budget officials to tackle their common and unique reform challenges. In doing this, SBOs were supported by persons who are leading experts and academics in the field of PFM reform.
