NGO Government Dialogue in Gender Responsive Budgeting

1
NGO Government Dialogue in Gender Responsive
Budgeting

• Diane Elson
• University of Essex
• UK Womens Budget Group

2
Requirements for Effective Gender Responsive
Budgeting

• Progressive elected politicians
• Effective government institutions staffed with
  well trained officials
• Active and well-informed womens NGOs

3
Some key features of government budgets
expenditure

• by administrative agency, specifying how much
  money is allocated to/spent by each Ministry or
  public sector agency
• by economic function, breaking down total
  expenditure into a current account (e.g. salaries
  and consumables) and a capital account ( e.g.
  equipment , such as computers, and construction
  of buildings)
• by programme, specifying the type of activities
  to be funded ( health care training income
  roads)
• performance-oriented budgeting specifying
  targets and performance indicators for each
  programme

4
Some key features of government budgets revenue

• Revenue may be raised from
• taxation( direct taxes, such as income tax and
  corporation tax indirect taxes, such as Value
  Added Tax (VAT) and import duties (tariffs)
• charges for public services (user fees)
• sales of public assets (including privatisation)
• transfers from other levels of government
• foreign aid

5
Budget Cycle

• Formulation of proposals for financial
  allocations and revenue raising measures
• Presentation of budget for approval to elected
  representatives, followed by legislation to enact
  the budget
• Implementation, including, collection of taxes
  and other revenues disbursement of funds and
  delivery of programmes
• Audit of use of funds and evaluation of
  performance

6
Entry points for dialogue Budget formulation

• Consultation on possible new measures
• Does government conduct an open and accessible
  consultation process?
• Participation in making expenditure plans
• Does government organize participatory
  budgeting?
• Training officials
• Are NGOs invited to provide this?

7
Entry points for dialogue Budget presentation
and enactment

• Briefings for parliamentarians
• What role does legislature play in budget
  process?
• Meetings with Ministers
• Are there any sympathetic Ministers?
• Briefings for press
• Are there any sympathetic journalists?

8
Entry points for dialogueBudget Implementation

• Monitoring ( eg using tracking studies)
• Is information readily available?
• Are officials and other public employees
  accessible?
• Participatory assessments
• Can partnerships be formed with grassroots
  organizations?

9
Entry points for dialogueEvaluation and Audit

• with parliamentary committees
• Do they invite evidence from NGOs?
• with Audit Office
• Does it invite evidence from NGOs?
• With Ministries
• Do they engage NGOs to conduct evaluation?
• What are the criteria for evaluation?
• Participatory auditing and evaluation
• Is there a participatory process?

10
Dilemmas and dangers

• Lack of resources
• Lack of expertise
• Possibility of co-option
• Difficulty of establishing impact