All three COP members after meeting together for the first time in Istanbul in February 2008 gathered again in the last week of January 2011 in Zagreb, Croatia.
Two topics related to this theme deserved special attention. One explored the arrangements that motivate managers to improve delivery of services. The other dealt with the quality of budget formats and reporting and how they contribute to decision making. Closely related to both themes is the issue of capacity building and training in public administration, in particular that of the managers; it wias also addressed in discussion.
AGENDA (Draft, December 23, 2010)
Meeting Background:
The main focus of the 2011 Plenary was on implementation of public finance reforms, in particular those related to budget execution. The success of these reforms depends heavily on the quality as well as accountability of the management to implement them. Both are extremely relevant for the budget formulation policies adopted by the Ministries of Finance, the control and accounting policies adopted by the Treasuries as well as the internal and external audit processes.
CONCEPT NOTE
Meetings's Objectives:
The 2011 Plenary Meeting provided a platform for:
• Raising awareness of the need to improve the quality of management and managerial accountability, the consequential capacity building requirements, and the ideal sequencing of reforms;
• Examining inter-linkages in budgeting, treasury and financial management in the budget execution process to steer the budget formulation and execution process in an orderly and integrated way, and with internal audit to ensure that arrangements for risk management and the systems of internal financial control are robust;
• Assessing and disseminating good practice with ideas on how to increase political commitment and public support for PFM reforms at all levels;
• Identifying gaps in training and, where appropriate, the need for certification using the experience of some other countries; and, providing practical guidance for setting up regional training schemes.
Partners: The 2011 PEMPAL Plenary meeting was organized in collaboration with a number of key partners, including the World Bank, Croatian Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, SIGMA/OECD, InWent, SECO and the Center of Excellence in Finance acting as a PEMPAL Secretariat.
