The overall aim of the training programme was to deepen capacity in the budgeting institutions of participating African countries to manage reforming budget systems. The training workshop provided middle-management participants with an overview of the key principles, theoretical frameworks, practical implementation challenges and lessons learnt surrounding the full policy/budget cycle in modern public finance systems. The workshop programme offered opportunities to apply the presented frameworks practically through the use of case studies, exercises and smaller discussion groups. The training workshop was followed by a two-day study tour of the South African National Treasury. The study tour programme built on the training workshop by allowing participants to engage in depth with key workshop themes in an applied setting.