Blog
The Open Budgets Blog features the opinions of the International Budget Partnership’s staff and associates on government budgets, poverty reduction, budget transparency and citizen participation.
Du défi au plaidoyer : comment Social Justice Côte d’Ivoire met les enfants au cœur du budget
Le bruit court. Les conversations sur les réseaux sociaux sur YouTube, les webinaires avec des journalistes et des blogueurs et des réunions avec des hauts fonctionnaires de l’Etat étaient tous axés sur la question des cantines scolaires en Côte d’Ivoire. Le Ministre du Budget a reconnu la nécessité d’améliorer le financement et la reddition de compte sur les cantines qui contribuent à maintenir les enfants à l’école. Comment en sommes-nous arrivés là ?
Cash Transfer Programs as a Safety Net during COVID-19: The good and the bad
Social protection policies play a fundamental role in sustaining minimum living conditions for the most vulnerable, and during COVID-19, an increasing number of countries are adopting specific social protection measures to counteract the economic impact of the pandemic. This blog explores five of the many issues around cash transfer programs that we hope to explore further as an organization and alongside our Learning Network partners.
Part Two – From challenge to advocacy: how Social Justice put children at the heart of the budget
This is part two of a three-part series on the budget analysis and advocacy learning journey of IBP’s civil society partner, Social Justice in Cote d’Ivoire. The first part focuses on the partnership between IBP and Social Justice and how they started their budget analysis journey.
Du défi au plaidoyer : comment Social Justice Côte d’Ivoire met les enfants au cœur du budget
Il s'agit de la deuxième partie d'une série en trois parties sur l'analyse budgétaire et le parcours d'apprentissage du plaidoyer du partenaire de la société civile de l'IBP, Social Justice, en Côte d'Ivoire. La première partie est disponible ici. Les défis de...
From challenge to advocacy: how Social Justice put children at the heart of the budget
This is part one of a three-part series on the budget analysis and advocacy learning journey of IBP’s civil society partner, Social Justice in Cote d’Ivoire. The first part focuses on the partnership between IBP and Social Justice and how they started their budget analysis journey.
Du défi au plaidoyer : comment Social Justice Côte d’Ivoire met les enfants au cœur du budget
Il s’agit de la deuxième partie d’une série en trois parties sur l’analyse budgétaire et le parcours d’apprentissage du plaidoyer du partenaire de la société civile de l’IBP, Social Justice, en Côte d’Ivoire.
Promoting women’s equal participation in the economy
This blog explores the Indian state government’s intent to recognize women as workers and to present policy measures to advance this shift and include them in the paid economy.
Understanding the role of citizens in promoting equitable taxation: A peek at upcoming IBP publications
This blog introduces new resources IBP has developed as part of our Tax Equity Initiative to help civic actors deepen their engagement with tax reform and learn from each other.
Help our children make it through COVID-19: we need transparent budgets
In this post, Matthew Cummins of UNICEF, explores the impacts of COVID-19 on children and how open budgets can be an effective tool in creating a better future for our children and their families.
How persistence, proactiveness, partnership and social media bridged the access to information gap in Mombasa
Kenya has a firm legal and regulatory framework governing access to information. The Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Article 35, further elaborated by the Access to Information Act 2016, guarantees citizens the right to access information. Section 7(3) of PFM...
Friend of the Court? The role of judiciaries in tax reform
This blog explores a handful, but possibly growing, number of occasions where citizens have used the courts to challenge tax policy. Traditionally, it has been difficult, if not impossible, for public interest groups to press their tax policy claims in court.
Citizens, Civil Society and Auditors: COVID-19 requires an “ecosystem” approach to accountability
During the COVID-19 crisis, governments are taking the necessary steps to save lives and prevent families from falling into poverty and hardship in the short term, however, it is likely that funds meant to strengthen public health infrastructure and reach vulnerable groups will be mismanaged. This is an opportunity for public auditors to ensure that public money is well spent during and after the crisis.
As COVID-19 spreads, CSOs argue that government budgets should address inequality and discrimination
“We are all in this together”—or, at least that was the message early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus does not discriminate and anyone can catch it. However, it did not take long for it to become obvious that this was far from reality in a story that is still unfolding.
Large-scale debt swaps can help fight debt, climate change and nature loss together
This post, authored by Paul Steele of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), explores their report on a new form of debt swaps that could provide developing countries with an opportunity for a green post-COVID-19 recovery that would also help reduce poverty.
ASHA workers lead the way in the fight against COVID-19
Accredited Social Health Activists, commonly referred to as ASHA workers in India, have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the charge to ensure the most vulnerable community members get the resources they need. This blog tells the story of one of those workers, Kalpana, who has emerged as a community health advocate in her village.
Dalit woman sparks hope for manual scavengers during COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the most vulnerable people in India have been particularly hard-hit and face challenges accessing relief programs. This post tells the story of Ranjitha – a Dalit woman who has sparked hope by leading relief distribution efforts in her community.
Blind Budgets: How governments hide the impact of fiscal policies on poverty and inequality (and what they could do instead)
One of the key questions ordinary citizens ask about government budgets is “how will it affect me?” This is even more relevant during times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, when poverty and inequality worsen, and governments are called on to provide assistance to those most in need.
Budget analysis and advocacy is a vital step in defunding police and instituting needed reforms of justice systems world-wide
The murder of George Floyd by police officers in the United States sparked waves of Black Lives Matter protests across the country and around the world. Rising out of the movement came a call, one with a specific budget emphasis: Defund the Police. In order to understand what this means and how we can reform policing and institute change, budget analysis and advocacy is a necessary step.
A new social contract for a post-pandemic world
The COVID-19 crisis presents an opportunity for civic actors to push governments in the direction of realizing more equitable and inclusive societies. However, realizing that vision will mean a new social contract between citizens and governments – one that benefits everyone, rather than a privileged few.
Benin as a regional leader: expanding fiscal transparency and inclusion during a time of crisis
This blog explores how Benin – which now ranks as the most transparent country in Francophone Africa on the Open Budget Index (OBI) – has expanded fiscal transparency, inclusiveness and accountability in recent years.