Amid a global pandemic that is forcing governments around the world to launch new spending measures, IBP has released the findings of the 2019 Open Budget Survey (OBS), showing weak transparency and oversight in government spending.
Aug 08, 2022
Effective climate budgeting requires meaningful participation and systematic public engagement. Without these it is difficult for governments to provide climate financing that aligns with household priorities, and households will continue to spend large amounts of money responding and adapting to climate change without, and sometimes against the flow of, public financing.
Aug 07, 2022
This report summarizes the results of the survey conducted by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) and the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government of the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DPIDG/UNDESA) on the experience of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) in auditing the credibility of government budgets. The purpose of the survey […]
Jul 26, 2022
In a three-part learning series, we explore how SPARK has built the capabilities of grassroots groups to collectively engage with fiscal governance systems – the politics, institutions, policies, and processes that govern the use of public funds and how they are utilized and implemented accountably to provide services. In this note, we consider the ways in which we have supported grassroots groups – from smallholder women farmers to people with disabilities to women seeking better maternal health – to forge informal coalitions with civic groups that can broaden their expertise and base of support, and identify allies like government officials, auditors, legislators, the media, and others who may share their goal of strengthening accountability of public spending.
Jun 27, 2022
Ghana’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 face major challenges, with rapid progress still needed in sectors related to the goals on hunger, gender equity and health. To accelerate progress toward development goals, Ghana needs to effectively mobilize domestic and international financing for programs that can address these challenges.
Jun 02, 2022
This brief focuses on the OBS performance of a number of countries in Central America, where some countries are sustaining progress while others are falling behind on accountable budget practices. Notably, El Salvador experienced the biggest decline in budget transparency. Guatemala continues to lead the region on transparency practices but saw a dip in its participation score.
May 31, 2022
This brief focuses on the OBS performance of South Asia, which is the only region in the world that has seen a steady and substantial downward trajectory in budget transparency since 2017. The region shows clear signs of stresses on democratic norms as checks and balances are undermined and civic space shrinks.
May 30, 2022
This brief focuses on the OBS performance of a number of countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The region is 1 point away from reaching the threshold of sufficient budget transparency and joining the “61+ club”. The report breaks down the levers and incentives that have driven progress and explains the constraints and varied political commitments to further progress on more transformational budget openness measures.
May 30, 2022
This brief focuses on the OBS performance of a number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The region has achieved notable gains in budget transparency over the past decade despite a dip in scores in 2017. Between 2008 and 2021, the regional average transparency score improved by 16 points among the countries with available data, from 23 to 39. This amounts to a nearly 70% increase, making it one of the better performing regions in the OBS.
May 30, 2022
This brief focuses on the OBS performance of a number of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. With a few exceptions, the region is close to consolidating budget systems that generate and publish sufficient information for citizens to understand how their governments spend.
May 30, 2022
This brief focuses on the OBS performance of a number of countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. These countries have made strides towards budget transparency, but it is still within limits. There is room for progress in expanding public participation in budget processes.
