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Civil society and public expenditure What can parliament gain from opening the budget process to public participation?

Civil society and public expenditure What can parliament gain from opening the budget process to public participation?. Rick Stapenhurst Governance Team World Bank Institute (WBI). Overview. What can civil society offer?

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Civil society and public expenditure What can parliament gain from opening the budget process to public participation?

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  1. Civil society and public expenditureWhat can parliament gain from opening the budget process to public participation? Rick Stapenhurst Governance Team World Bank Institute (WBI)

  2. Overview • What can civil society offer? • At what stage during the budget process can civil society input be useful? • Case study 1: supporting parliament’s role in scrutinising the draft budget • Case study 2: supporting parliament in ensuring follow-up to recommendations based on audit findings • Steps toward enabling participation

  3. What can civil society offer? • Education, e.g. budget guides & training • Independent analyses of budget systems, e.g. transparency & participation studies • Independent analyses of budget policy • Expenditure tracking • Direct participation

  4. At what stage during the budget process can civil society input be useful? Drafting Legislating Execution Audit Pre-budget statements Expenditure tracking Follow-up investigations Submissions

  5. Case study 1: civil society support of ex ante scrutiny by parliament • Budget Information Service (BIS) of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa) • Established after democratic elections to actively support the new parliament • Regular submissions to national and provincial legislative committees on draft budgets and public finance legislation • Key contribution in the design of the legislative cornerstone of budget reform, the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) • Participation has stimulated participation of other civil society groups • Similar groups elsewhere in Africa, e.g. IEA (Kenya), CCJP (Zambia), ISODEC (Ghana)

  6. Case study 2: civil society support of ex post scrutiny by parliament • Public Sector Accountability Monitor (PSAM) • Works closely with the relevant legislature • Follows-up reported cases of corruption and misconduct with the departments concerned • Interview with relevant head of department to establish what the disciplinary outcome of the case was • Interviews are recorded and made available in text and audio format on the internet • In the event of a non-response the PSAM will then request this information in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act

  7. Steps towards enabling participation • Opening parliament and its committees to the media and the general public • Example: 63% of OECD legislatures open hearings to the public and the media • Making information before parliament publicly available, including committee reports • Calling for submissions on the budget and legislation, and inviting outside experts • Educating civil society about parliamentary procedure, constraints and needs • Engaging with civil society about what is needed to establish a co-operative relationship

  8. Where to find out more about civil society’s role in the budget International Budget Project www.internationalbudget.org

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