Strengthening Institutions to Improve Public Expenditure Accountability

The Challenge

The way in which governments allocate and use their financial resources differs dramatically and is often not the product of evidence-based analysis. This is particularly true in developing countries, where resources may be scarcer and social sector needs are often higher.

Considerations of cost, equity and efficiency should be part of policymakers’ allocation decisions, yet far too frequently they are not. If such factors were regularly taken into account, development outcomes in these settings could be greatly enhanced.

The Opportunity

Led by the Global Development Network (GDN) and R4D since 2008, the five-year Strengthening Institutions to Improve Public Expenditure Accountability (SI) project supports and empowers local research institutions and think tanks to produce reliable public expenditure analyses and reform proposals in fourteen low and middle income countries.

These analyses and reform proposals are focused on areas of great need and where there are measurable impacts to be achieved. They are intended to shape policy debates, and thus improve the effectiveness with which governments allocate and use their resources in the health, education, and water sectors. Our work is meant to bolster the capacity of local institutions in order to ensure that independent, high-caliber policy analysis is done regularly in these countries.

Our Work

GDN and R4D are able to strengthen the capacity of local organizations to produce rigorous public expenditure analyses by facilitating customized technical training by international experts and providing regular opportunities for peer learning and networking, We work closely with each partner institution to provide timely, consistent feedback on their emerging work, thus equipping them with the tools necessary to achieve their intended aims.

These approaches are meant to support the development of pragmatic, methodologically sound policy proposals that apply three analytical techniques: program budgeting, cost-effectiveness analysis and benefit-incidence analysis. Moreover, R4D and GDN work closely with the partners to ensure that these proposals are disseminated effectively and that their messages are heard by relevant governmental actors in order to maximize impact.

SI is supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) through its Governance and Transparency Fund. Our partner think tanks are:

Advanced Social Technologies (Armenia)
Centre for Budget and Policy Studies (India)
Center for Economics and Development Studies (Indonesia)
Center for the Implementation of Public Policies Promoting Equity and Growth (Argentina)
Center for Research and Communication (Philippines)
Centre for the Study of Economies of Africa (Nigeria)
Fundación para el Desarrollo de Guatemala (Guatemala)
Graduate School of Public Administration and Public Policy (Mexico)
Institute of Economic Affairs (Kenya)
Integrated Social Development Centre (Ghana)
Policy Research and Development (Nepal)
Research Center of the University of the Pacific (Peru)
Unnayan Shamannay (Bangladesh)