Transparency International published the 2012 Corruption Perception Index yesterday. Corruption has become a dominant theme in the media these days. The media doesn’t seem to be very interested in reporting improved anti-corruption efforts in countries around the world.
Yet, many countries have dramatically reduced corruption perception over the past year. These include remarkable achievements by FreeBalance government customers.
Timor-Leste has improved 30 places
Mongolia has improved 26 places
Liberia has improved 16 places
Sierra Leone has improved 12 places
Kosovo has improved 7 places
Government Resource Planning and Anti-Corruption
FreeBalance is a provider of GRP software and services. The FreeBalance technology has been used by governments to reduce corruption. Of course, GRP is a tool within the anti-corruption toolkit as I‘ve written in detail in a previous blog entry. GRP systems can prevent and detect corruption in public finances. But, there needs to be government commitment to reduce corruption.
There I was on a business trip consulting with one our customers when we received a request to advertise in a Timor-Leste-based weekly paper, on twitter. We don’t advertise because advertising doesn’t have returns for our business. And, we’d have to charge developing nation government customers more if we did. Cost control is an ethical issue for us because we need sustainable customers to have a sustainable business. (Hence the focus of this blog.)
At any rate, the Timor civil society organization began a series of tweets that gained some momentum. First thing to note is that we don’t have interns handling tweets, it’s mostly me. I did attempt to provide some answers via twitter, but there seems to be an underlying distrust of Western companies. You’re basically guilty until proven innocent.
I started to collect material for a blog entry on the impact of Government Resource Planning (GRP) on corruption because the NGO asked. (Finished today).
How much activity is there in the Timor-Leste transparency portal?
FreeBalance provided three of the portals and Development Gateway one of the portals. See: www.transparency.gov.tl The requirements were adapted to meet Government stated requirements. The Government of Timor-Leste (RDTL) hosts these portals. FreeBalance has no right to know basic usage information. (In the same way that Toyota has no right to know the mileage of the government fleet or Oracle to know how many transactions are hitting the back-end database. Or, WordPress, for that matter, to know the usage on this blog.) I know that it is fashionable for social media providers to own this data. That’s dubious from an ethical standpoint – but at least they own the servers.
Did FreeBalance just deliver software and leave?
That’s a problem in the ICT industry as a whole. All manufacturers of COTS software used for GRP at the national level in developing countries sell via a systems integration channel, except for FreeBalance. (And one other exception that isn’t going well, so I won’t mention it.) We take part in the implementation so that we can improve the chances for success. There’s enough evidence that this is working, even in more underdeveloped countries with low capacity and weak institutions. (Our competitors have deniability when something goes wrong – blame the victim. We don’t.)
FreeBalance also sets up a local office and hires local staff in order to build capacity. Mentoring is critical to capacity building. There are some minor exceptions to the rule like when we already have an office in an adjacent country or when hiring local would take people away from the government. We also want to use local people at local rates in order to keep costs down – so that we don’t have to pass expensive foreign consulting rates to the government.
It should be noted that customers get regular engagement visits and set our product roadmap through the FreeBalance International Steering Committee. It’s a level of engagement that is unique in our industry. None of the big ERP vendors, who are orders of magnitude larger than FreeBalance, bother with this kind of engagement.
Did FreeBalance train civil society?
Yes, there were training courses for civil society. The Transparency Portal was translated to Tetun and Portuguese. The NGO suggested that the portal was too “fancy” to be intuitive. Then they used information from the portal to continue the “discussion”. Hmm.
We have people in Timor-Leste. Let’s see if we can facilitate more training.
Did FreeBalance get all that money just for a portal?
That’s one of the disadvantages of transparency, I suppose. Civil society can find out how much you’ve made and leap to conclusions like it was MM$$ for the portal. I’m not sure if this is an exhaustive list, but the two contracts for 2010 and 2011 (look it up on the portal) covers:
Budget transparency portal
E-procurement portal
E-results portal
Data warehousing
ETL for 3rd party data
Back-office procurement (the whole tendering process, creation of procurement documents, commitments, purchase orders, contract management)
Assets and Inventory modules
Minister’s and Manager’s dashboards (performance data including integration with Sharepoint)
Human Resources including full payroll for all RTDL employees and human resource functions like workforce management
Additional users for the core financial management applications
User training across 2 years
Custom report development
Product support and maintenance
So, this was what we call “back-office” and “front-office” functionality. Frankly, this is a lot of software delivered for the price, based on evidence from the ERP world.
Why does the portal run slowly?
The portal was optimized to run with a low bandwidth, but the bandwidth is poor in Timor-Leste. We recommended mirroring to handle requests from outside Timor, but the government was not comfortable with financial data hosted on foreign servers.
Of course, we’re not a telco provider. I hope that the bandwidth problem is temporary, given the introduction of new telcos in Timor.
Final thoughts
It’s a challenge to build a social enterprise focused on good governance. We’re neither “fish nor foul” by being treated by some as a typical private sector company with dubious intentions in the developing world. By others: as some bleeding heart do-gooders and part of the “aid industry” with dubious incentives.
It’s hard to stick handle (as we say in Canada) through the narrative. Hopefully this clarification is adequate. If not, please add some comments – and make use of more than 140 characters!
Independence Day in the United States reminded me of recently independent countries like Timor-Leste. The struggles for independence and sustainable development in the former Portuguese colony has been well documented. I’ve collected a few of these documentaries and news programs ahead of the July 7 parliamentary elections.
Some of these documentaries are disturbing. Discussions are frank. Words or not minced. Some of the footage is raw. There are points of view taken in the heat of the moment that you may disagree with.
These documentaries are useful for understanding the development context: what has been accomplished and the challenges that remain.
I’ve used the descriptions used by the content providers.
“The Diplomat follows East Timor’s freedom fighter and Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos Horta in the final tumultuous year of his campaign to secure independence for his country. The former Portuguese colony was invaded by Indonesia in 1975. Exiled soon after, José Ramos Horta exchanged his gun for the suit and tie of a diplomat. He spent 24 years as a roving ambassador, fighting to ensure the world did not forget East Timor’s desire for freedom. His is a life driven not by personal political ambition but by the debt of blood he owes to fellow Timorese who have died in the conflict, including two brothers and a sister. “The Diplomat” takes up Ramos Horta’s story in the final dramatic stages of his long journey – the fall of Indonesia’s President Suharto, the referendum to determine East Timor’s future, the overwhelming vote for independence, the devastating carnage that ensued, the intervention of United Nations peacekeepers, and Ramos Horta’s final triumphant return to his homeland. José Ramos Horta allowed the film-makers extraordinary access to his public and personal life. The film reveals his strengths and weaknesses, his moments of doubt and frustration, his anger and disappointment, his elation and triumph, his charm and his dry humour. Ramos Horta emerges as a tenacious and beguiling character whose role as a diplomat and peacemaker was crucial to achieving independence for his country.”
“This feature documentary follows Canadian police constables Martine LeRoyer of Montreal and Debbie Doyle of Edmonton on a 9-month tour of duty in East Timor with the United Nations Civilian Police. Combining intimate interviews, up-close footage and diary cams, the film documents the enormous challenges LeRoyer and Doyle face, from adapting to a new culture and gaining the trust of frightened communities to performing perilous and heartbreaking police work.Women on Patrol is a riveting look at the rebuilding of a nation, and how the experience profoundly transforms these women – as police officers and as humans.”
“An act of genocide on the East-Timorese people carried out by Indeonesian Troops with the backing of Western Nations ie., Australia. East-Timor is a country with substantial resources such as oil, which naturally, sparked controversy on the intentions behind the brutal genocide of its people.”
Capacity Development
“This short documentary showcases UNDP support to the government of Timor-Leste to develop the capacity of newly established institutions, namely the Judiciary system. In particular, the documentary looks at the work of the Judiciary Training Center, established under a UNDP project to train Timorese law graduates to become judges, public defenders, layers, etc. for an effective and efficient judiciary system. The documentary also touches upon UNDP support for the introduction of systems and processes to improve the performance of judiciary institutions in Timor-Leste.”
East Timor Documentary – Noam Chomsky
‘In the mid-1970s, the United States was completing a painful retreat from Indochina. A staunchly anti-communist Indonesia was considered by the United States to be an essential counterweight, and friendly relations with the Indonesian government were considered more important than a decolonization process in East Timor. The United States also wanted to maintain its access to deep water straits running through Indonesia for undetectable submarine passage between the Indian and Pacific oceans.
On the day before the invasion, U.S. President Gerald R. Ford and U.S. Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger met with Indonesian president Suharto and reportedly gave their approval for the invasion. In response to Suharto saying “We want your understanding if it was deemed necessary to take rapid or drastic action [in East Timor].” Ford replied, “We will understand and not press you on the issue. We understand the problem and the intentions you have.” Kissinger similarly agreed, though he had fears that the use of US-made arms in the invasion would be exposed to public scrutiny, talking of their desire to “influence the reaction in America” so that “there would be less chance of people talking in an unauthorised way.” The US also hoped the invasion would be swift and not involve protracted resistance. “It is important that whatever you do succeeds quickly,” Kissinger said to Suharto. Kissinger’s main fear appears to have been that a violent take-over by the partly communist FRETILIN party might inspire similar Communist victories throughout Asia and possibly even lead to secessionist revolts threatening the very survival of Indonesia as a state.
The US supplied weapons to Indonesia during the invasion and the subsequent occupation. A week after the invasion of East Timor, the National Security Council prepared a detailed analysis which found that the vast majority of the military equipment was U.S. supplied. While the US government said they had suspended military assistance from December 1975 to June 1976, military aid was actually above what the US Department of State proposed and the US Congress continued to increase it, nearly doubling it. Between 1975 and 1980, when the violence in East Timor was at its climax, the United States furnished approximately $340 million in weaponry to the Indonesian government. US military aid and arms sales to Indonesia increased from 1974 and continued through to the Bush and Clinton years until it was stopped in 1999. US arms provisions to Indonesia between 1975 and 1995 amounted to approximately $1.1 billion.
The UN’s Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor (CAVR) stated in the “Responsibility” chapter of its final report that U.S. “political and military support were fundamental to the Indonesian invasion and occupation” of East Timor between 1975 and 1999. The report (p. 92) also stated that “U.S. supplied weaponry was crucial to Indonesia’s capacity to intensify military operations from 1977 in its massive campaigns to destroy the Resistance in which aircraft supplied by the United States played a crucial role.”
Evidence presented by Fretilin suggests that the degree of U.S. support for the Indonesian government’s efforts in East Timor may have extended beyond that of diplomatic support and material assistance. A UPI report from Sydney, Australia dated June 19, 1978, quoted a Fretilin press release, which stated: “American military advisers and mercenaries fought alongside Indonesian soldiers against FRETILIN in two battles … In the meantime, American pilots are flying OV-10 Bronco aircraft for the Indonesian Air Force in bombing raids against the liberated areas under FRETILIN control.”‘
The Shadow Over East Timor (1987)
“Summary: In December 1975, 20,000 Indonesian troops launched a takeover of East Timor. Australia turned a blind eye and the United States increased its military aid to Indonesia. This conflict is the least reported in modern history and this film brings to light eyewitness accounts of the real events. The people of East Timor are still continuing their struggle for independence.
Producers and directors: Denis Freney, James Kesteven, Mandy King.
Produced with the assistance of the Australian Film Commission.
“Is East Timor ready for a future without the foreign influence of the UN and other international forces?”
01 East – East Timor oil – Nov 13
“Six years after independence, East Timor is mired in poverty. But it also sits on a future oil and gas boom. But will it be a blessing or a curse?
Fauziah Ibrahim interviews Xanana Gusmao, the East Timor prime minister.”
Part 1
Part 2
Capturing Xanana
“Dateline obtains unseen footage of the 1992 capture of guerrilla leader, and now East Timor’s Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão.
For more on Mark Davis’s report, go to the SBS Dateline website…http://bit.ly/iHkKYf“
East Timor: 10 Years On
“The BIR travels to East Timor to examine nation-building in Asia’s newest country, 10 years after its people voted for independence from Indonesia. Part of the Fragile States series with PBS Newshour and the Pulitzer Center of Crisis Reporting.”
Blue Berets: ‘Welcome to Timor’
‘Graffiti in East Timor reads “I love you military kanada.”‘
This weekly news update provides the Government Resource Planning (GRP) community with a brief overview of recent FreeBalance developments and relevant industry news.
What Canada can learn from Developing Countries on Public Financial Management sustainability [Part 1]
Sustainability has become a “meme” – a pervasive cross-cutting concept. It’s crept into our vocabulary: a standard bullet point for any government initiative or criticism of the initiative. (I’m waiting for the following question in the House of Commons: “Mr. Speaker, the Right Honourable Prime Minister’s haircut is clearly unsustainable. When will the barber resign?”) The notion of “sustainability” gets lost in the noise in Canada. It’s visceral in Developing Nations. Find out more >>
Timor-Leste has much to celebrate on its 10th birthday
Asia’s newest nation celebrated its 10th birthday this month: 20 May in Timor-Leste was a celebration of freedom that also deserved to be a celebration of development. After centuries of foreign rule, Timor-Leste has readied itself to be a full partner in what is shaping up as Asia’s century. Nation-building is a complex process, and the world’s media have documented Timor-Leste’s difficulties, from the graphic images of violent uprisings in 1999 and 2006, to the assassination attempts of 2008. These disturbing episodes earned it the moniker of fragile state. What some may have missed, however, is that Timor-Leste has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the Pacific. Find out more>>
What Accounting Standards for Governments of the Global South?
Timely, clear and open annual financial statements play an essential role in the accountability of governments to parliament and their citizens. However, there are no widely adopted international standards that reflect existing good practice. Virtually all developing countries currently use the modified cash basis. But there is no internationally accepted guidance that details the standards and good practices which should be adopted for this approach. The only available international standard is the Cash Basis International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS). This was first issued in January 2003, but although it has been widely promoted by the donor community, PEFA and IFAC, not a single government in the world has actually been able to adopt this standard. Read More >>
National Budgets that Meet the Needs of Development and Poverty Reduction
With its resolutely pragmatic focus on the latest developments in public finance, Les budgets nationaux au service du développement et de la réduction de la pauvreté [National budgets that meet the needs of development and poverty reduction] (published in January 2012) addresses the budgeting of development and poverty-reduction policies in developing Francophone countries. This publication also provides a comprehensive overview of issues relevant to preparing national budgets based on public policies. Read More >>
Esta actualización semanal de noticias proporciona a la comunidad de Planeación de Recursos del Gobierno (GRP*) una visión general de los recientes desarrollos de FreeBalance y las noticias relevantes de la industria.
Qué puede aprender Canadá de los países en desarrollo sobre la sostenibilidad de administración de las finanzas públicas [Parte 1]
La sostenibilidad de ha convertido en un “mem“, ó sea un concepto ubicuo de carácter general. Se ha infiltrado en nuestro vocabulario, una viñeta para cualquier iniciativa o critica de una iniciativa del gobierno. (Estoy a la espera de la siguiente pregunta en la Cámara de los Comunes: “Estimado Presidente de la Cámara: El corte de cabello del Honorable Primer Ministro es claramente insostenible, ¿cuándo renunciará el peluquero?”) El concepto de sostenibilidad se pierde entre el ruido en Canadá. En los países en desarrollo es visceral. Más >>
Timor del Este tiene mucho que celebrar en su décimo aniversario
El país más joven de Asia, celebró su décimo cumpleaños este mes. El 20 de mayo fue una celebración de la independencia de Timor del Este que también debió ser una celebración del desarrollo. Luego de siglos de mandato extranjero, Timor del Este se ha preparado para ser un socio en lo que se está configurando como el Siglo de Asia. La creación de una nación es un proceso complejo y la prensa mundial ha documentado las dificultades de Timor del Este, desde las imágenes violentas de 1999 y 2006, hasta los intentos de asesinato de 2008. Estos perturbadores episodios le granjearon el apelativo de estado frágil. Sin embargo, lo que algunos no han entendido es que Timor del Este ha surgido como una de las economías de mayor crecimiento de Asia y el Pacífico. Más>>
¿Cuáles son los estándares de contabilidad para los gobiernos del sur de mundo?
Unos estados financieros anuales a tiempo, claros y abiertos juegas un papel esencial en la responsabilización de los gobiernos hacia su parlamento y ciudadanos. Sin embargo, no existen estándares internacionales ampliamente adoptados que reflejen las buenas prácticas existentes. Virtualmente todos los países en desarrollo actualmente utilizan el método mixto de contabilidad de caja. Aunque no existe una guía, aceptada internacionalmente, que detalle los estándares y buenas prácticas que deben ser utilizadas para este enfoque. El único estándar internacional disponible son los Estándares Internacionales de Contabilidad del Sector Público (IPSAS*). Este fue emitida por vez primer en enero de 2003 y aunque ha sido ampliamente promovida por la comunidad donante, el PEFA y la IFAC, ningún país del mundo ha podido realmente adoptar el estándar. Más >>
Presupuestos nacionales que cumplen con las necesidades de desarrollo y reducción de la pobreza
Con su enfoque resueltamente pragmático sobre los últimos desarrollos en finanzas públicas, Les budgets nationaux au service du développement et de la réduction de la pauvreté [Presupuestos nacionales que cumplen con las necesidades de desarrollo y reducción de la pobreza] (publicado en enero de 2012) trata sobre la presupuestación del desarrollo y políticas de reducción de pobreza en países de habla francesa en desarrollo. Esta publicación también proporciona un panorama integral de los asuntos relevantes a la preparación de presupuestos nacionales basadas en políticas públicas. Más >>
Ces nouvelles hebdomadaires apportent à la communauté de la planification des ressources gouvernementales (PRG) un aperçu général des récents développements de FreeBalance et des nouvelles pertinentes de l’industrie.
Ce que le Canada peut apprendre des pays en voie de développement en matière de durabilité dans la gestion des finances publiques [1ère partie]
La durabilité est devenue un « mème » – un concept transversal omniprésent. C’est entré dans notre vocabulaire : une puce standard pour toute initiative du gouvernement ou critique de cette initiative. (J’attends la question suivante à la Chambre des communes : « M. le conférencier, la coupe de cheveux du très honorable Premier Ministre est clairement non-durable. Quand est-ce que le barbier va démissionner? »). La notion de « durabilité » s’est perdue dans le bruit au Canada. C’est viscéral dans les pays en voie de développement. En savoir plus >>
Le Timor-Leste a beaucoup à célébrer pour son 10ème anniversaire
Le pays le plus jeune de l’Asie a célébré son 10ème anniversaire ce mois-ci : le 20 mai au Timor-Leste a marqué la célébration de la liberté, et qui a également mérité d’être la célébration du développement. Après des siècles de domination étrangère, le Timor-Leste s’est préparé pour être un partenaire à part entière dans ce qui forme le siècle de l’Asie. La construction d’une nation est un processus complexe et les média mondiaux ont documenté les difficultés du Timor-Leste, des terribles images de la montée de la violence en 1999 et 2006, aux tentatives d’assassinat en 2008. Ces épisodes troublants lui ont conféré le nom d’état fragile. Ce que certains ont pu manquer cependant, c’est que le Timor-Leste a émergé comme l’une des économies à croissance la plus rapide en Asie et dans le Pacifique. En savoir plus>>
Quelles normes de comptabilité pour les gouvernements des pays du Sud?
Des déclarations financières annuelles opportunes, claires et ouvertes jouent un rôle essentiel dans la responsabilité des gouvernements envers le parlement et leurs citoyens. Cependant, il n’existe pas de norme internationale largement adoptée qui reflète les pratiques d’excellence existantes. Virtuellement, tous les pays en voie de développement utilisent actuellement la méthode de comptabilité de caisse modifiée. Mais il n’existe pas de guide accepté internationalement qui détaille les normes et les pratiques d’excellence qui devraient être adoptées pour cette approche. La seule norme internationale disponible est la comptabilité de trésorerie des normes comptables internationales pour le secteur public (IPSAS). Elle a d’abord été introduite en janvier 2003 et bien qu’elle ait été largement promue par la communauté des donateurs, PEFA et IFAC, pas un seul gouvernement au monde n’a été réellement capable d’adopter cette norme. Lire la suite >>
Les budgets nationaux au service du développement et de la réduction de la pauvreté
Avec son point de mire résolument pragmatique sur les derniers développements en matière de finances publiques, la publication « Les budgets nationaux au service du développement et de la réduction de la pauvreté » (publiée en janvier 2012) traite des budgets du développement et des politiques de réduction de la pauvreté dans les pays francophones en voie de développement. Cette publication fournit également une vue générale détaillée des problèmes pertinents à la préparation des budgets nationaux basés sur les politiques publiques. Lire la suite >>
Esta actualización semanal de noticias proporciona a la comunidad de una visión general de los recientes desarrollos de FreeBalance y las noticias relevantes de la industria.
Reúnase con FreeBalance en la Conferencia Anual del ICGFM* en Miami
FreeBalance continúa asistiendo a conferencias y eventos alrededor del mundo incluyendo la 26avaConferencia Anual Internacional del Consorcio Internacional sobre Administración Financiera Gubernamental (ICGFM*) a realizarse entre el 29 de abril y el 4 de mayo próximos en Miami, Florida.El tema de la conferencia de este año es ”PFM* en el Siglo XXI – La arquitectura, instituciones y herramientas para enfrentar los desafíos del mundo moderno”. Más >>
Timor del Este lanza portal de resultados del gobierno
FreeBalance trabajó con el gobierno de Timor del Este para lanzar el Portal de Resultados del Gobierno el mes pasado. El Portal de Resultados del Gobierno muestra la información para los objetivos, proyectos y programas más importantes del gobierno. El portal muestra diferente información para cada objetivo incluyendo: propósito, avance físico y financiero, fotos y demás. El contenido y la estructura de la información de resultados están basado en el Plan de desarrollo estratégico de Timor del Este.
Los nuevos gobiernos hablan de mejorar el desempeño. El gobierno federal de Estados Unidos ha experimentado olas de iniciativas de administración de desempeño. Sin embargo, existe el mito del “grande e ineficiente gobierno” en Estados Unidos. Esto parece ser el tema común en la prensa, entre grupos de expertos y políticos de la oposición. Más en el blog de FreeBalance >>
¿Entrando en quiebra? ¿Por qué se necesitan reformas pensionales en las economías emergentes?
Todos nos estamos envejeciendo y no hay duda que una reforma pensional es un tema candente en las economías avanzadas, aunque también es vital en las economías emergentes. Nuestros análisis en el FMI demuestran que en las economías emergentes, se espera que se incremente el gasto en pensiones a medida que la edad de la población aumenta. En promedio, estos aumentos en gastos no son tan grandes, aunque se necesitan reformas para aumentar la cobertura del sistema sin que los sistemas pensionales sean financieramente insostenibles en el largo plazo. Más >>
Evaluación de los niveles de deuda en los países más pobres
Luego de una revisión integral, el FMI y el Banco Mundial están introduciendo mejoras a su Estructura de Sostenibilidad de la Deuda (DSF*) conjunta desarrollada para evaluar los niveles de deuda de países de bajos ingresos. En respuesta a la retroalimentación de una serie de grupos de interés, el FMI y el Banco Mundial han determinado que se necesitan algunas mejoras para asegurar que la estructura se adapte a las cambiantes circunstancias en los países que solicitan préstamos. La estructura es utilizada por los países que solicitan préstamos, prestadores y donantes para evaluar cuanta deuda es sostenible para balancearla con las necesidades del desarrollo de un país. Más >>
¿Es la competencia bancaria una amenaza para la estabilidad financiera?
La crisis financiera global revivió el interés de los formuladores de políticas y académicos en evaluar el impacto de la competencia bancaria sobre la estabilidad y a volver a evaluar el papel del estado en dar forma a las políticas de competencia. La competencia en el sector financiero tiene una larga lista de beneficios obvios: mayor eficiencia en la producción de servicios financieros, mayor calidad de los productos financieros y mayor innovación. Cuando los sistemas financieros se vuelva más abiertos y debatibles, generalmente son el resultado de mayor diferenciación de producto, una disminución de la intermediación financiera y mayor acceso a los servicios financieros. Más >>
Ces nouvelles hebdomadaires apportent à la communauté de la planification des banressources gouvernementales (PRG) un aperçu général des récents développements de FreeBalance et des nouvelles pertinentes de l’industrie.
Rencontrez FreeBalance à Miami lors de la conférence annuelle de l’ICGFM
FreeBalance maintient sa participation aux conférences et évènements autour du monde dont la 26èmeconférence internationale annuelle du Consortium international sur la gestion financière gouvernementale (ICGFM) du 29 avril au 4 mai 2012 à Miami en Floride. Le thème de cette année est « la GFP dans le 21ème siècle – L’architecture de la GFP, les institutions et les outils permettant de répondre aux défis du monde moderne ». En savoir plus >>
Le Timor-Leste lance le portail sur les résultats du gouvernement
Le mois dernier, FreeBalance a travaillé avec le gouvernement du Timor-Leste pour lancer le portail sur les résultats du gouvernement. Le portail présente les informations concernant les résultats des objectifs, des projets et des programmes les plus importants du gouvernement. Différentes informations sont affichées pour chaque objectif dont : l’objet, les progrès physique et financier, des photos et autres. Le contenu et la structure des résultats sont basés sur le plan de développement stratégique du Timor-Leste. Visiter le portail sur les résultats du gouvernement >>
Est-ce que la performance du gouvernement est un oxymoron?
De nouveaux gouvernements parlent d’améliorer les performances. Le gouvernement fédéral américain a subi des vagues d’initiatives de gestion des performances. Pourtant, il y a l’idée reçue d’un « gros gouvernement inefficace » aux États-Unis. Il semble que ce soit un thème commun dans la presse, parmi les groupes d’intellectuels et les politiciens de l’opposition. Cela donne un bon article. Lire la suite sur le blog de FreeBalance >>
Ruiné? Pourquoi les réformes des pensions sont nécessaires dans les économies émergentes?
Nous vieillissons tous et il n’y a aucun doute que la réforme des pensions est un sujet brûlant dans les économies avancées. Mais il est également critique dans les économies émergentes. Notre analyse au FMI montre que parmi les économies émergentes, les dépenses pour les pensions sont supposées augmenter avec le vieillissement de la population. En moyenne, cette augmentation des dépenses n’est pas si importante. Mais les réformes sont nécessaires pour augmenter la couverture du système sans faire que les systèmes de pension ne soient pas durables financièrement à long terme. Lire la suite >>
Évaluer les niveaux de dettes dans les pays les plus pauvres
Suite à un examen détaillé, le FMI et la Banque mondiale mettent en place des améliorations à leur cadre de viabilité de la dette (DSF) élaboré pour évaluer les niveaux d’emprunt dans les pays à faible revenu. En réaction aux remarques d’un ensemble d’intervenants, le FMI et la Banque mondiale ont déterminé que certaines améliorations sont nécessaires pour garantir que le cadre s’adapte aux circonstances changeantes dans les pays débiteurs. Le cadre est utilisé par les pays débiteurs, les prêteurs et les donateurs pour évaluer l’ampleur de la dette qui est viable et pour le comparer aux besoins en développement d’un pays. Lire la suite >>
Est-ce que la concurrence des banques constitue une menace pour la stabilité financière?
La crise financière mondiale a rallumé l’intérêt des décideurs et des universitaires dans l’évaluation de l’impact de la concurrence des banques sur la stabilité et pour repenser le rôle de l’état dans le modelage des politiques de concurrence. La concurrence dans le secteur financier a une longue liste d’avantages évidents : une meilleure efficacité dans la production de services financiers, une meilleure qualité des produits financiers et plus d’innovation. Lorsque les systèmes financiers deviennent plus ouverts et contestables, cela aboutit généralement à une meilleure différenciation des produits, une diminution du coût de l’intermédiation financière et un meilleur accès aux services financiers. Lire la suite >>
This weekly news update provides the Government Resource Planning (GRP) community with a brief overview of recent FreeBalance developments and relevant industry news.
Meet FreeBalance in Miami at the Annual ICGFM Conference
FreeBalance continues to attend and participate in conferences and events around the world including the upcoming 26th Annual International Consortium on Governmental Financial Management (ICGFM) International Conference on April 29-May 4, 2012 in Miami, Florida. The theme for this year’s ICGFM Annual Conference is “PFM in the 21st Century – The PFM Architecture, Institutions, and Tools to Meet the Challenges of the Modern Worlds.” Find out more >>
Timor-Leste Launches Government Results Portal
FreeBalance worked with the Government of Timor-Leste to launch the Government Results Portal last month. The Government Results Portal displays outcome information for the most important Government targets, projects and programs. Different information is displayed for each target including: purpose, physical and financial progress, photos and more. Content and structure of the results information is based on the Timor-Leste Strategic Development Plan. Visit Government Results Portal>>
Is Government Performance an Oxymoron?
New governments talk about improving performance. The American federal government has experienced waves of performance management initiatives. Yet, there is the meme of “big inefficient government” in the United States. This seems to be a common theme in the press, among think tanks and opposition politicians. It makes for good copy. Read More on the FreeBalance blog >>
Going Broke? Why Pension Reforms Are Needed in Emerging Economies?
We’re all getting older, and there’s no doubt that pension reform is a hot topic in the advanced economies. But it’s also critical in emerging economies. Our analysis here at the IMF shows that across emerging economies pension spending is projected to rise as the population ages. On average, these spending increases are not that large. But reforms are needed to increase coverage of the system without making pension systems financially unsustainable over the long term. Read More >>
Assessing Debt Levels in Poorer Countries
Following a comprehensive review, the IMF and World Bank are introducing improvements to their joint Debt Sustainability Framework (DSF) developed to assess borrowing levels in low-income countries. In response to feedback from a range of stakeholders, the IMF and World Bank have determined that some enhancements are necessary to ensure that the framework adapts to changing circumstances in borrowing countries. The framework is used by borrowing countries, lenders, and donors to assess how much debt is sustainable and to balance it against a country’s development needs. Read More >>
Is Bank Competition a Threat to Financial Stability?
The global financial crisis reignited the interest of policymakers and academics in assessing the impact of bank competition on stability and rethinking the role of the state in shaping competition policies. Competition in the financial sector has a long list of obvious benefits: greater efficiency in the production of financial services, higher quality financial products and more innovation. When financial systems become more open and contestable, generally this results in greater product differentiation, a lowering of the cost of financial intermediation and more access to financial services. Read More >>
The Government of Thailand demonstrates “technology leapfrog” in e-government with a roadmap that includes c-Government (Connected Government), m-Government (Mobile and Multichannel Government) and u-Government (Ubiquitous Government).
Yet, isn’t “government performance management” too complex for developing countries? Not necessarily – as we have seen in Timor-Leste where performance dashboards are used and government results provided to the public.
Advantages in Developing Countries
There may not be sufficient capacity in some governments to fully leverage budget-centric performance management tools. But there are advantages:
Centralized information: Developing countries tend to have fewer information systems with more centralized systems. Data from sub-national entities is more accessible. And, governments in developing countries are more likely to support public sector and information technology standards to facilitate data collection
Holistic understanding: Managers in developing countries look at performance and the nature of government in a more holistic way that those in the “West”. Performance Management tools differ from traditional Business Intelligence through a holistic view of performance. In particular, Ministers and senior managers are attuned to macroeconomic effects like commodity prices.
Development effects: The impact of improved performance is more significant in developing country. Government performance improvements positively affects development results, business confidence, investor Investment, aid effectiveness and remittances.
Competitive differentiation Improving government performance has a more significant impact for developing countries in the global economy. Governments are more motivated to improve “doing business“, “revenue watch” or “open budget” indexes to create a better business and development environment.
Timor-Leste has achieved “comprehensive” extractive industries revenue transparency
Transparency is Aligned to Performance
The key first step to government performance management is transparency. Transparency is one of the measurements used in international government performance assessments like Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA):
B. KEY CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES: Comprehensiveness and Transparency PI-5 Classification of the budget PI-6 Comprehensiveness of information included in budget documentation PI-7 Extent of unreported government operations PI-8 Transparency of inter-governmental fiscal relations PI-9 Oversight of aggregate fiscal risk from other public sector entities. PI-10 Public access to key fiscal information
Transparency is more than a superficial step to government performance, as these videos from the Open Government and International Budget Partnerships describe. Transparency motivates accountability which improves performance.
