Paper

Program Budget Structure in the Health Sector: A Review of Program-Based Budgeting Practices in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

November 2018 | by Jason Lakin, Ph.D., Sally Torbert, and Suad Hasan, International Budget Partnership with financial and technical assistance from the World Health Organization

Program-based budgeting is about making budgets more transparent, ensuring that public money is spent on the right priorities, and linking budgets more closely to the purposes of spending. Program structure in program-based budgeting is central to some of the most fundamental questions in public finance reform. As countries introduce program budgeting or reform their existing systems, it is useful to examine global practices to shed light on how governments define program objectives as part of their broader quest to shift budgeting toward results that matter to citizens.

This paper aims to contribute to the global knowledge of program budgeting in low- and middle-income countries through the lens of program structure and its definition and evolution in the health sector.

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Further Reading

IBP’s work on program budgets, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), examines global practices related to budget program structure in health to shed light on how governments define program objectives as part of their broader quest to shift budgeting toward results that matter to citizens. The following publications are also part of this project:

 

 

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program budget structure in the health sector ibp 2018.pdf

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Authors

Jason Lakin

Senior Research Fellow, International Budget Partnership

Sally Torbert

Policy Manager, International Budget Parnership

Sally Torbert joined the International Budget Partnership in August 2017 and is based in Tbilisi, Georgia. As IBP’s Policy Manager, she leads IBP’s Budget Credibility and Debt Accountability initiatives in collaboration with IBP’s country teams and civil society partners.

Prior to joining IBP, Sally worked as a public sector and governance specialist with expertise in public financial management, service delivery, social accountability, and capacity building. She has previously held positions with the World Bank, DAI, UNCDF, and UNDP, supporting public finance and governance reforms in Afghanistan, Lao PDR, Nepal, Mozambique, and Timor-Leste. She holds a BA from Princeton University and a Masters from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Suad Hasan

Program Officer, Open Budget Survey, International Budget Parnership

Suad joined the International Budget Partnership in May of 2016 and is based in Washington D.C. As a Program Associate with the Open Budget Initiative, Suad is responsible for data collection and review of the Open Budget Survey, and coordinating and providing technical assistance to civil society partners and government through out the survey process. She also assists with other research projects related to budgets and budget transparency.

Prior to joining IBP, Suad worked as a journalist with a news organization in New Delhi assisting with the coverage of political stories. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Masters in International Relations from American University’s School of International Service.

About this resource
Related topics & Initiatives
Budget Analysis, Health, Service Delivery, Transparency
Related Countries & Regions
Global